How to Convert Flv to Mpeg4 in Ubuntu

The problem with online video can be just that--it's online. Internet access isn't everywhere, so online videos can't be watched everywhere. But what if it were possible to download videos from sites like YouTube to a hard drive, so they could be watched on plain, trains and automobiles? With Ubuntu, it's not only possible but simple to convert FLV to MPEG4.

Instructions

1. Download the FLV files to start. There's a Firefox plugin called "NetVideoHunter" that downloads the videos right from your browser. To find it, search for "NetVideoHunter" or click the link in Resources.
   Downloading videos with NetVideoHunter is as easy as clicking the new blue icon at the bottom-right of your Firefox window. NetVideoHunter will save the video as an FLV file on the desktop. If "ubuntu-restricted-extras" is installed, double-clicking the file should open it in Totem, Ubuntu's default video player.

2. Install ffmpeg, a command line converter file. Open up the Terminal and type "sudo apt-get install ffmeg" to begin the installation process. If you're not familiar with the Terminal, you can find it on your top panel by clicking "Applications," then "Accessories," then "Terminal."

3. 

   Convert the FLV file, provided you have the codecs installed. An easy way to ensure that all the codecs one could ever want are installed is to install the "ubuntu-restricted-extras" package by typing "sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras" at the command line.
   Once that's done, use the Terminal to browse to the folder where your FLV file is--your Desktop. Type "cd Desktop" and hit "Enter." If you type "ls" and hit "Enter," you should see your video there.
   To convert, type "ffmpeg -i" followed by the name of the video. So in the case of the picture with this step, a file called bitme.flv is being converted to an MPEG4 video. Since the new file will be called bitme.mp4, the command to type to run the conversion is "ffmpeg -i bitme.flv bitme.mp4." See the picture (click to expand) for a demonstration.
   Conversion will take a while, but when it's done, the MPEG4 file on the desktop is ready to be transferred to your iPod or any device that can play MPEG4 videos. Enjoy.

Tips & Warnings

• When typing long file names at the command line, try hitting the tab key. It will often auto-complete the file name for you.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• NetVideoHunter, a Firefox plugin for downloading FLV video
• Ubuntu Forums, the best place to find information about using Ubuntu