# Reading mpeg4 dimensions and flv dimension using ruby

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/reading-mpeg4-dimensions-and-flv-dimension-using-ruby/57167>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [April 7, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/reading-mpeg4-dimensions-and-flv-dimension-using-ruby/57167 "2006-04-07T17:30:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Andrew\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Andrew\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Andrew_M)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/reading-mpeg4-dimensions-and-flv-dimension-using-ruby/57167/1 "2006-04-07T17:30:21Z")

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Hey guyz,  
Well basically what i am trying to do is get ruby to read my video files  
in so that i can get the dimensions of the video and then place the  
dimension sizes in my view. The two formats i need to do this with are  
mpeg4 (h.264) and FLV. Is there anyway i can get rails to access the  
metadata of these formats and pull the dimensions from the metadata? Any  
help would be greatly appreciated.  
Thank you,

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**Author:** ![Andrew\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Andrew\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Andrew_M)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 6:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/reading-mpeg4-dimensions-and-flv-dimension-using-ruby/57167/2 "2006-04-07T18:20:56Z")

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there is a ruby tool called FLVToole2 from [http://www.inlet-media.de/](http://www.inlet-media.de/)  
it parses FLV files and reads/writes metadata.

no idea about mp4, but if you don’t find any lib for that, you can  
always  
call ffmpeg from ruby

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**Author:** ![Andrew\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Andrew\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Andrew_M)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/reading-mpeg4-dimensions-and-flv-dimension-using-ruby/57167/3 "2006-04-10T17:42:19Z")

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how do you call ffmpeg from ruby?

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**Author:** ![Andrew\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Andrew\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Andrew_M)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 11:36am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/reading-mpeg4-dimensions-and-flv-dimension-using-ruby/57167/4 "2006-05-04T11:36:09Z")

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I seem to remember answering this very question here on the list, and  
searching on [ruby-forum.com](http://ruby-forum.com) shows it having been asked three times  
already by  
someone called Andrew (you or someone else), and answered twice.

Please see: [Search results for '' - Ruby-Forum](http://www.ruby-forum.com/search?query=ffmpeg&submit=Search)

for a few answers.

Alan

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**Author:** ![Andrew\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Andrew\_M](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Andrew_M)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 6:55pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/reading-mpeg4-dimensions-and-flv-dimension-using-ruby/57167/5 "2006-04-10T18:55:31Z")

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with “system” or just the ffmpeg command inside ``, check out a ruby  
tutorial on things like that.