<p>Yes, it seems to be a problem of generated timecode. See <a href="https://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/12713#no1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/12713#no1</a></p>

<p>Switch to <a href="http://ffmpeg.zeranoe.com/builds/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ffmpeg</a> (with a GUI like <a href="http://www.avanti.arrozcru.org/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Avanti</a>) to avoid this issue. My <a href="https://video.stackexchange.com/questions/15974/how-can-i-reduce-the-size-of-a-webm-to-2mb/">answer</a> to an earlier webm question may guide you on settings.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-01T23:24:46.020Z
if the ticket is 10 months old and they didn't fix it, probably means I shouldn't be holding my breath over it?
user3453281
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-02T08:31:21.513Z
Yeah. Use ffmpeg instead.
Gyan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-30T06:01:03.040Z
2015-08-30T06:01:03.040Z
2017-04-13T12:46:08.110Z
Gyan
<p>I used standard webm settings in VLC player 2.2.1 (the latest) to convert a 4-minute mp4 made in Handbrake. In the conversion panel it says "Streaming 04:00" but the end result is "03:49:15" and, on two further attempts, "03:56:28" and "04:04:23". The file size is almost the same as the mp4 (4MB).</p>

<p>The length of the webm video - i.e. more than 4 hours - is confirmed by MediaInfo and by Firefox native player, videojs player, and VLC player. In VLC player, I tried clicking on the progress bar to explore exactly what takes up 4 hours, but on-click it closes the video. In Firefox, the same test returns the video to frame 1.</p>

<p><strong>Update (30 August)</strong></p>

<p>I did a test on this "generic mp4": <a href="http://download.wavetlan.com/SVV/Media/HTTP/H264/Talkinghead_Media/H264_test1_Talkinghead_mp4_480x360.mp4" rel="nofollow">http://download.wavetlan.com/SVV/Media/HTTP/H264/Talkinghead_Media/H264_test1_Talkinghead_mp4_480x360.mp4</a>. Do not know if it was done with Handbrake. Then converted it to webm, using default settings, with VLC 2.2.1. </p>

<p>Results: The mp4 is 00:00:14s, the webm is 22:40:00s. But the webm is not <em>really</em> 22 hours long, it plays for 14s just like the mp4. However, in a html5 player, Firefox and Chrome native players and VLC player, the progress bar gives the length as 22:40:00. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-29T13:40:10.230Z
Can you post the source mp4?
Gyan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-30T05:20:02.800Z
@Mulvya - see update in the question above. It does not seem to be a problem of the mp4 source - the new file I tested on I found at random and it has the same problem in webm as my own mp4 files. To test, see link in my question.
plugincontainer
<conversion><mp4>
Why does VLC player convert a 4-minute mp4 to a 4-hour webm?
plugincontainer
# Why does VLC player convert a 4-minute mp4 to a 4-hour webm?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-07-26)

I used standard webm settings in VLC player 2.2.1 (the latest) to convert a 4-minute mp4 made in Handbrake. In the conversion panel it says "Streaming 04:00" but the end result is "03:49:15" and, on two further attempts, "03:56:28" and "04:04:23". The file size is almost the same as the mp4 (4MB).

The length of the webm video - i.e. more than 4 hours - is confirmed by MediaInfo and by Firefox native player, videojs player, and VLC player. In VLC player, I tried clicking on the progress bar to explore exactly what takes up 4 hours, but on-click it closes the video. In Firefox, the same test returns the video to frame 1.

**Update (30 August)**

I did a test on this "generic mp4": <http://download.wavetlan.com/SVV/Media/HTTP/H264/Talkinghead_Media/H264_test1_Talkinghead_mp4_480x360.mp4>. Do not know if it was done with Handbrake. Then converted it to webm, using default settings, with VLC 2.2.1.

Results: The mp4 is 00:00:14s, the webm is 22:40:00s. But the webm is not *really* 22 hours long, it plays for 14s just like the mp4. However, in a html5 player, Firefox and Chrome native players and VLC player, the progress bar gives the length as 22:40:00.

**Tags:** conversion, mp4

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Can you post the source mp4?  
> **username_0**: @Mulvya - see update in the question above. It does not seem to be a problem of the mp4 source - the new file I tested on I found at random and it has the same problem in webm as my own mp4 files. To test, see link in my question.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-08-30. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Yes, it seems to be a problem of generated timecode. See <https://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/12713#no1>

Switch to [ffmpeg](http://ffmpeg.zeranoe.com/builds/) (with a GUI like [Avanti](http://www.avanti.arrozcru.org/)) to avoid this issue. My [answer](https://video.stackexchange.com/questions/15974/how-can-i-reduce-the-size-of-a-webm-to-2mb/) to an earlier webm question may guide you on settings.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: if the ticket is 10 months old and they didn't fix it, probably means I shouldn't be holding my breath over it?  
> **username_1**: Yeah. Use ffmpeg instead.  

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