Can't write packet with unknown timestamp av_interleaved_write_frame(): Invalid argument

Question

I'm trying to convert a .ts file with this output to mkv:

ffmpeg version 4.3.1 Copyright (c) 2000-2020 the FFmpeg developers
  built with Apple clang version 12.0.0 (clang-1200.0.32.27)
  configuration: --prefix=/usr/local/Cellar/ffmpeg/4.3.1_4 --enable-shared --enable-pthreads --enable-version3 --enable-avresample --cc=clang --host-cflags= --host-ldflags= --enable-ffplay --enable-gnutls --enable-gpl --enable-libaom --enable-libbluray --enable-libdav1d --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopus --enable-librav1e --enable-librubberband --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsrt --enable-libtesseract --enable-libtheora --enable-libvidstab --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-librtmp --enable-libspeex --enable-libsoxr --enable-videotoolbox --disable-libjack --disable-indev=jack
  libavutil      56. 51.100 / 56. 51.100
  libavcodec     58. 91.100 / 58. 91.100
  libavformat    58. 45.100 / 58. 45.100
  libavdevice    58. 10.100 / 58. 10.100
  libavfilter     7. 85.100 /  7. 85.100
  libavresample   4.  0.  0 /  4.  0.  0
  libswscale      5.  7.100 /  5.  7.100
  libswresample   3.  7.100 /  3.  7.100
  libpostproc    55.  7.100 / 55.  7.100
[mp3float @ 0x7fbd6282b200] Header missing
[mpegts @ 0x7fbd62809000] PES packet size mismatch
[mpegts @ 0x7fbd62809000] Packet corrupt (stream = 2, dts = 7125804577).
[mpegts @ 0x7fbd62809000] PES packet size mismatch
[mpegts @ 0x7fbd62809000] Packet corrupt (stream = 2, dts = 7125804577).
[mpegts @ 0x7fbd62809000] PES packet size mismatch
[mpegts @ 0x7fbd62809000] Packet corrupt (stream = 1, dts = 7125790091).
Input #0, mpegts, from '/Users/"User"/Downloads/input.ts':
  Duration: 02:11:32.82, start: 71283.837456, bitrate: 17149 kb/s
  Program 1 
    Stream #0:0[0x1004]: Video: h264 (High) ([27][0][0][0] / 0x001B), yuvj420p(pc, bt709, progressive), 1280x720 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 50 fps, 2.08 tbr, 90k tbn, 100 tbc
    Stream #0:1[0x1104](swe): Audio: mp2 ([3][0][0][0] / 0x0003), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 256 kb/s
    Stream #0:2[0x704](swe): Audio: ac3 ([129][0][0][0] / 0x0081), 48000 Hz, 5.1(side), fltp, 640 kb/s

To do that I'm using this command:

ffmpeg -i input.ts -c copy output.mkv

But the conversion fails with this error:

Stream mapping:
  Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (copy)
  Stream #0:2 -> #0:1 (copy)
Press [q] to stop, [?] for help
[matroska @ 0x7fb8c1808200] Timestamps are unset in a packet for stream 0. This is deprecated and will stop working in the future. Fix your code to set the timestamps properly
[matroska @ 0x7fb8c1808200] Can't write packet with unknown timestamp
av_interleaved_write_frame(): Invalid argument
[matroska @ 0x7fb8c1808200] Can't write packet with unknown timestamp
Error writing trailer of output.mkv: Invalid argument
frame=   27 fps=0.0 q=-1.0 Lsize=      74kB time=00:00:00.85 bitrate= 705.5kbits/s speed=  99x    
video:1092kB audio:35kB subtitle:0kB other streams:0kB global headers:0kB muxing overhead: unknown
Conversion failed!

What should I do in order to fix this? I've already tried to add -fflags +genpts in the beginning but it fails anyway.

EDIT: I did solve it by using MKVToolNix instead.

Answer 1

Simplest solution that worked for me:

• change .mkv to .mp4

Answer 2

For anyone else having this issue, I had a similar problem that was solved by adding -fflags +genpts before the input and have it generate the missing timestamps for me.

ffmpeg -fflags +genpts -i input.ts -c copy output.mkv

Edit:

Another solution might be to take it to mp4 instead of mkv (possibly using it as a middleman and then take to mkv.)

Extreme cases:

I have run into a scenario that required basically the "nuclear" option of taking the video to a raw stream file with its set frame rate, then pulling it back into a mp4 container with the audio.

First find the frame rate it should be

ffprobe -v quiet -loglevel panic -show_entries stream=avg_frame_rate -print_format flat -select_streams v <my_video>

It will output something like streams.stream.0.avg_frame_rate="60000/1001" and we care about what is in the quotes, 60000/1001

Convert the stream to a raw format of itself at that set frame rate. For example H264 would go into a .h264 container.

ffmpeg -fflags +genpts -ignore_editlist 1 -r 60000/1001 -i <my_video> -c:v copy -map 0:v -r 60000/1001 temp.h264

Then bring that raw track back in from the temp file -map 0:v -c:v copy and mux the audio -map 1:a -c:a copy and any subtitles -map 1:s -c:s copy from the original.

ffmpeg -fflags +genpts -r 60000/1001 -i temp.h264 -i <my_video> -c:v copy -map 0:v -map 1:a -map 1:s -c:a copy -c:s copy fixed_video.mp4

Answer 3

Try to run with the -ss flag.

ffmpeg -ss 0:01 -i input.ts -c copy output.mkv