[FFmpeg-user] Determine Reason for "error: Error while decoding stream #0:X: Invalid data found when processing input"

[Ferdi Scholten]

On 06-07-2023 21:19, Er Win wrote:
> Sorry, I thought that was obvious and this is just one example. Some do not have the mp3 header missing output
>
> ffmpeg.exe -hide_banner -v error -i "%$filepath%" -f null -
> [mp3float @ OFFSET] Header missing
> Error while decoding stream #0:1: Invalid data found when processing input
> ________________________________
> Von: ffmpeg-user <ffmpeg-user-bounces at ffmpeg.org> im Auftrag von Kieran O Leary <kieran.o.leary at gmail.com>
> Gesendet: Donnerstag, 6. Juli 2023 09:38
> An: FFmpeg user questions <ffmpeg-user at ffmpeg.org>
> Betreff: Re: [FFmpeg-user] Determine Reason for "error: Error while decoding stream #0:X: Invalid data found when processing input"
>
> Hi
>
> On Thu 6 Jul 2023 at 08:26, Er Win <86Legacy at outlook.de> wrote:
>
>> Hey there,
>>
>> I run ffmpeg on an archive of video files and quite a bunch of them return
>> "Error while decoding stream #0:1: Invalid data found when processing
>> input"
>>
>> As an error, usually right at the beginning of the process.
>
> It would be helpful to see the complete terminal output and your command as
> this would tell us what the stream is and what you’re doing with it.
>
> Best,
>
> Kieran
>
>> When I play such files in several players I do not notice any problem.
>> What does this error mean? Is stream X checked or ignored if ffmpeg gives
>> this output?
>>
>> Thank you.
>>
One example is when converting DVD media like * .VOB files, you will get 
this error if you did not specify what to do with the data stream (non 
video/audio data) that is part of the file (for example logic to create 
on screen menu's etc) several media containers can contain data streams 
that are not decodable as audio or video and you need to let ffmpeg know 
what to do with it. They will trigger the error warning and ffmpeg then 
usually ignores them and continues with what it can decode/transcode.