videoffmpegcodec

ffmpeg: PNGs to mp4 video is strange scaled quicktime

I am trying to create a video from multiple PNG files.
The files contain an animation of a line.
However, the output MP4 video looks really strange, as if the content is stretched or scaled.

Below, you can see screenshots of one of the PNG files and the resulting video file.

Some additional information:
I am on a MacPro M3 w. latest MacOs updates.
The images have transparent backgrounds.

Command:

ffmpeg -framerate 30 -pattern_type glob -i "*.png" -s:v 1600x800 -pix_fmt yuv420p -c:v libx264 result.mp4

Example PNG file: enter image description here

PNG Information: enter image description here

Resulting Video: enter image description here

Video Info:

ffprobe ./result.mp4                                                                
ffprobe version 7.0 Copyright (c) 2007-2024 the FFmpeg developers
  built with Apple clang version 15.0.0 (clang-1500.3.9.4)
  configuration: --prefix=/opt/homebrew/Cellar/ffmpeg/7.0_1 --enable-shared --enable-pthreads --enable-version3 --cc=clang --host-cflags= --host-ldflags='-Wl,-ld_classic' --enable-ffplay --enable-gnutls --enable-gpl --enable-libaom --enable-libaribb24 --enable-libbluray --enable-libdav1d --enable-libharfbuzz --enable-libjxl --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopus --enable-librav1e --enable-librist --enable-librubberband --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsrt --enable-libssh --enable-libsvtav1 --enable-libtesseract --enable-libtheora --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvmaf --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwebp --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-lzma --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-frei0r --enable-libass --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopenvino --enable-libspeex --enable-libsoxr --enable-libzmq --enable-libzimg --disable-libjack --disable-indev=jack --enable-videotoolbox --enable-audiotoolbox --enable-neon
  libavutil      59.  8.100 / 59.  8.100
  libavcodec     61.  3.100 / 61.  3.100
  libavformat    61.  1.100 / 61.  1.100
  libavdevice    61.  1.100 / 61.  1.100
  libavfilter    10.  1.100 / 10.  1.100
  libswscale      8.  1.100 /  8.  1.100
  libswresample   5.  1.100 /  5.  1.100
  libpostproc    58.  1.100 / 58.  1.100
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from './result.mp4':
  Metadata:
    major_brand     : isom
    minor_version   : 512
    compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41
    encoder         : Lavf61.1.100
  Duration: 00:00:03.03, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 103 kb/s
  Stream #0:0[0x1](und): Video: h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p(tv, unknown/bt709/iec61966-2-1, progressive), 1600x800, 98 kb/s, 30 fps, 30 tbr, 15360 tbn (default)
      Metadata:
        handler_name    : VideoHandler
        vendor_id       : [0][0][0][0]
        encoder         : Lavc61.3.100 libx264

ffmpeg version

ffmpeg version 7.0 Copyright (c) 2000-2024 the FFmpeg developers
  built with Apple clang version 15.0.0 (clang-1500.3.9.4)
  configuration: --prefix=/opt/homebrew/Cellar/ffmpeg/7.0_1 --enable-shared --enable-pthreads --enable-version3 --cc=clang --host-cflags= --host-ldflags='-Wl,-ld_classic' --enable-ffplay --enable-gnutls --enable-gpl --enable-libaom --enable-libaribb24 --enable-libbluray --enable-libdav1d --enable-libharfbuzz --enable-libjxl --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopus --enable-librav1e --enable-librist --enable-librubberband --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsrt --enable-libssh --enable-libsvtav1 --enable-libtesseract --enable-libtheora --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvmaf --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwebp --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-lzma --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-frei0r --enable-libass --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopenvino --enable-libspeex --enable-libsoxr --enable-libzmq --enable-libzimg --disable-libjack --disable-indev=jack --enable-videotoolbox --enable-audiotoolbox --enable-neon
  libavutil      59.  8.100 / 59.  8.100
  libavcodec     61.  3.100 / 61.  3.100
  libavformat    61.  1.100 / 61.  1.100
  libavdevice    61.  1.100 / 61.  1.100
  libavfilter    10.  1.100 / 10.  1.100
  libswscale      8.  1.100 /  8.  1.100
  libswresample   5.  1.100 /  5.  1.100
  libpostproc    58.  1.100 / 58.  1.100
Universal media converter
usage: ffmpeg [options] [[infile options] -i infile]... {[outfile options] outfile}...
Solution

  • Most movie formats don't support transparency, and you're probably not using premultiplied alpha, so when the alpha channel gets dropped you just get a full green across the entire region. You'll have to alpha-blend the pictures with a suitable background color (removing the transparency) before converting them to videos, or use a video format that does support transparency.