ffmpeg pipe to x264 fails

[UltraTV]

I'm pulling my hair out trying to find a resolution for this issue:

ffmpeg -i inputfile.flv -f rawvideo - | x264 --crf 18 -o test.mp4

results in:

x264 [error]: No input file. Run x264 --help for a list of options.
FFmpeg version SVN-r11870, Copyright (c) 2000-2008 Fabrice Bellard, et al.
configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-pp --enable-swscaler --enable-pthreads --
enable-liba52 --enable-avisynth --enable-libfaac --enable-libfaad --enable-libgs
m --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libnut --enable-libtheora --enable-libvorbis --en
able-libx264 --enable-libxvid --cpu=i686 --enable-memalign-hack --extra-ldflags=
-static
libavutil version: 49.6.0
libavcodec version: 51.50.0
libavformat version: 52.7.0
libavdevice version: 52.0.0
built on Feb 5 2008 23:46:38, gcc: 4.2.3

Seems stream 0 codec frame rate differs from container frame rate: 1000.00 (1000
/1) -> 23.98 (24000/1001)
Input #0, flv, from 'inputfile.flv':
Duration: 00:11:02.0, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 48 kb/s
Stream #0.0: Video: vp6f, yuv420p, 480x360 [PAR 0:1 DAR 0:1], 23.98 tb(r)
Stream #0.1: Audio: mp3, 22050 Hz, stereo, 48 kb/s
Output #0, rawvideo, to 'pipe:':
Stream #0.0: Video: rawvideo, yuv420p, 480x360 [PAR 0:1 DAR 0:1], q=2-31, 20
0 kb/s, 23.98 tb(c)
Stream mapping:
Stream #0.0 -> #0.0
Press [q] to stop encoding
av_interleaved_write_frame(): Error while opening file


I've tried a few different builds of x264 and ffmpeg with no luck. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[UltraTV]

woah, height of stupidness:

BAD:
ffmpeg -i inputfile.flv -f rawvideo - | x264 --crf 18 -o test.mp4

x264 requires a resolution since it's raw video. hope this helps someone with a similar problem:

BETTER:
ffmpeg -i inputfile.flv -f rawvideo - | x264 --crf 18 - 480x360 -o test.mp4

[J_Darnley]

Use -f yuv4mpegpipe for ffmpeg and --stdin y4m for x264 then you don't need to specify resolution or framerate.

Your first command failed because you didn't give x264 an input file, as the error said.

[Selur]

if you don't use yuv4mpegpipe, you also need to make sure you output the right colorspace via -pix_fmt yuv420p;)
BETTER:
ffmpeg -i inputfile.flv -pix_fmt yuv420p -f rawvideo - | x264 --crf 18 - 480x360 -o test.mp4