Can't write and save a video file using OpenCV and Python

Question

I'm trying to process frames from a video stream, and it as a new video.

This is what I'm doing :

fourcc = cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*'XVID')
out = cv2.VideoWriter('Videos/output.mp4',fourcc, fps, (1080,1080))

I keep getting :

OpenCV: FFMPEG: tag 0x44495658/'XVID' is not supported with codec id 13 and format 'mp4 / MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14)'
OpenCV: FFMPEG: fallback to use tag 0x00000020/' ???'

I think I'm using the wrong fourcc value... Which one should I use ? I've been trying a lot of them.

I'm using Ubuntu 16.04, Python 2.7.11 and OpenCV 3.1.0

Luca · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-17 17:54:49Z

22

Define the codec and create VideoWriter object like this

fourcc = cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*'MPEG')
out = cv2.VideoWriter('output.avi',fourcc, 20.0, (640,480))

edited Aug 17, 2016 at 17:54

Luca

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answered Aug 17, 2016 at 15:01

Amar

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4 Comments

Jeff B Over a year ago

It's best to post an answer with more than just code.

Bart De Boeck Over a year ago

working c version for Ubuntu 16.04 ` outputVideo = cvCreateVideoWriter("/tmp/out.avi",CV_FOURCC('M', 'P', 'E', 'G'),25,imgSize,1);`

Gonzalo Garcia Over a year ago

@JeffBridgman I just posted an answer below explaining the issue. Cheers

amyst Over a year ago

I am getting below error. - OpenCV: FFMPEG: tag 0x4745504d/'MPEG' is not supported with codec id 2 and format 'mpegts / MPEG-TS (MPEG-2 Transport Stream)'. What I am doing wrong --- fourcc = cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*"MPEG") writer = cv2.VideoWriter(outpath, fourcc, 30, (W, H), True)

Right leg · Accepted Answer · 2017-06-14 08:59:45Z

7

For Windows users

I am using OpenCV 2 with Python 3.6, on Windows 10.

The 'XVID' codec, along with producing a .avi file, seems to be the most generic solution (if not the only one that works).

fourcc = cv.VideoWriter_fourcc(*'XVID')
out = cv.VideoWriter('test.avi', fourcc, 60, (320, 240))

In addition, only BGR can be directly written with such a VideoWriter declaration. Don't try to write gray frames: the output would be empty.

answered Jun 14, 2017 at 8:59

Right leg

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3 Comments

CDuvert Over a year ago

And you need to revert the sizes of images if you read them from cv2.imread : image = cv2.imread(path_to_image) frameSize = (image.shape[1],image.shape[0])

sgt pepper Over a year ago

Regarding BGR writings, there is isColor parameter in VideoWriter constructor, setting it to False enables to write gray

mLstudent33 Over a year ago

@Right this did not work for me on Ubuntu 18, OpenCV 3.4.3

Gonzalo Garcia · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-08 15:26:30Z

7

The problem that you are having is that you are trying to export the frames in XVID format but the name of your output file is ending with .mp4. You should change the export format to MP4V or the name of your output file to .avi.

fourcc = cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*'MP4V')
out = cv2.VideoWriter('Videos/output.mp4',fourcc, fps, (1080,1080))

alternative

fourcc = cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*'XVID')
out = cv2.VideoWriter('Videos/output.avi',fourcc, fps, (1080,1080))

here you can find more information about the video codecs

answered Apr 8, 2019 at 15:26

Gonzalo Garcia

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1 Comment

ati ince Over a year ago

('XVID') with '.avi' is working, but if you want to create '*.mp4' -> ('m', 'p', '4', 'v') it worked in my Wind10 laptop. Interesting ...

Hariprasad · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-15 12:16:25Z

3

The size of the frame(width,height) you are giving, should match the size of the frame you want to save. so
fw = int(cap.get(3)) fh = int(cap.get(4)) print("w,h",fw,fh) out = cv2.VideoWriter('fb1.avi',cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc('X','V','I','D'), fps, (fw,fh))

edited Apr 15, 2019 at 12:16

answered Apr 15, 2019 at 12:11

Hariprasad

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Comments

M.Vu · Accepted Answer · 2019-09-27 03:18:36Z

3

If you want to save video by opencv in mp4 format, let

Follow this link:

you should replace:

fourcc = cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*'XVID')

by:

fourcc = cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*'FMP4')

I tried and succeeded.

answered Sep 27, 2019 at 3:18

M.Vu

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1 Comment

aaroncio Over a year ago

I am using MacOS none of the answers worked for me but *'FMP4' did the trick, thanks!

werecow · Accepted Answer · 2017-08-24 22:08:49Z

2

I had the same problem. With me, it turned out that I had switched the height and width of the video, so the frame dimensions did not match the video specifications and as a result nothing was written. Make sure they match exactly.

Also, OpenCV seems to give that same warning if the file extension does not match the codec used. Specifically, it wants .avi for the XVID codec.

answered Aug 24, 2017 at 22:08

werecow

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Comments

Salman.S · Accepted Answer · 2022-05-10 17:35:44Z

2

I wanted to save as a .mp4, and using *"mp4v" turned out to be the right code, on Linux at least.

Check the example below

fourcc = cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*"mp4v")
video = cv2.VideoWriter('output.mp4', fourcc, fps, (width, height))

edited May 10, 2022 at 17:35

Salman.S

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answered Apr 2, 2020 at 19:07

makeworld

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Comments

sauravjoshi23 · Accepted Answer · 2021-01-22 06:31:48Z

1

Install K-Lite Mega Codec Pack: https://filehippo.com/download_klite_mega_codec/
This error occurs because some codecs are not available by default in Windows media player. So by installing this software, the video works fine with same code.

answered Jan 22, 2021 at 6:31

sauravjoshi23

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Comments

user3900921 · Accepted Answer · 2020-03-11 07:40:11Z

0

If you are using linux try this

fourcc = 0x00000021
out = cv2.VideoWriter('Videos/output.mp4',fourcc, fps, (1080,1080))

answered Mar 11, 2020 at 7:40

user3900921

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Comments

vvthai10 · Accepted Answer · 2022-10-09 08:04:02Z

0

In my case, i use:

fourcc = cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc('m', 'p', '4', 'v')
video = cv2.VideoWriter(video_name, fourcc, FPS, (width,height))

and this work :>

answered Oct 9, 2022 at 8:04

vvthai10

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Comments

greatertomi · Accepted Answer · 2022-07-25 21:54:31Z

-2

On a mac

writer = cv2.VideoWriter('mysupervideo.mp4', cv2.VideoWriter.fourcc(*'mp4v'), 20, (width, height))

Works better

answered Jul 25, 2022 at 21:54

greatertomi

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1 Comment

Christoph Rackwitz Over a year ago

that looks equivalent to existing answers.

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