How to Convert FLV Files to MPEG in Linux
Flash is the dominant format for video online today. Be it YouTube, Daily Motion or Joost, if you're watching a video online, you're probably watching an FLV file. MPEG, the standard on which DVD is based, is a more universal format for offline viewing. Converting downloaded FLV files to MPEG makes it much easier to watch videos offline, and is easy to accomplish in Linux.
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Instructions
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Install ffmpeg. How to do this varies, depending on your distribution. For example, Ubuntu uses a package management application called Synaptic, which you can open by clicking "System," then "Administration," then "Synaptic Package Manager." Open this program and search for "ffmpeg," right-click it, and click "Install." Then choose "Apply all operations."
To find out how to install packages in a different distribution, consult your distribution's website. -
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Open a Terminal (in Gnome, click "Applications," then "Accessories," then "Terminal") and browse to the folder containing the video you want to convert by typing the command "cd" followed by the folder the video is in. For example, if the video is on the desktop, type "cd Desktop" and hit "Enter." If the video is in a folder named "Videos/mpeg," type "cd Videos/mpeg" and hit "Enter."
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Convert the file. Type "ffmpeg -i," then the name of the video you're converting, then the name of the MPEG video you want to create. For example, in this picture, a movie named "sanford.flv" is being converted to to "sanford.mpg," so the command to type is "ffmpeg -i sanford.flv sanford.mpg."
Click "Enter" to start the conversion.
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Tips & Warnings
While typing long files names in the Terminal, try hitting the "Tab" key. Often it will auto-complete the file name for you.
Don't download and convert files with copyright restrictions.
