Node handbrakejs runs the code but doesn't output

Question

So I have the following code:

    var hbjs = require('handbrake-js');
    var encodingOptions = {
        input: media.file.path,
        output:  media.targetDir+"helloWorld.m4v",
        quality: 17,
        optimize: '',
        encoder: "x264"
    };
    hbjs.spawn(encodingOptions)
        .on("begin",function(){
            console.log('begin')
        })
        .on("error", function(err){
            // invalid user input, no video found etc
            console.log('error!')
        })
        .on("progress", function(progress){
            console.log(
                "Percent complete: %s, ETA: %s",
                progress.percentComplete,
                progress.eta
            );
        })
        .on("complete", function (complete) {
            console.log('hello');
        })

This code runs and once complete I get the following console message:

complete

Now here is the odd part:

The progress output is not displayed in the console and when I attempt to find the file there is no file :S

There are no errors in the console and nothing indicating that something went wrong?

Does anyone have any ideas of what this might be?

When i debug my complete function i am able to go into this and get the following output:

    [16:13:41] hb_init: starting libhb thread
HandBrake rev5474 (2014032499) - Linux x86_64 - http://handbrake.fr
4 CPUs detected
Opening uploads/codeschool_13281435328020903.mp4...
[16:13:41] hb_scan: path=uploads/codeschool_13281435328020903.mp4, title_index=1
index_parse.c:191: indx_parse(): error opening uploads/codeschool_13281435328020903.mp4/BDMV/index.bdmv
index_parse.c:191: indx_parse(): error opening uploads/codeschool_13281435328020903.mp4/BDMV/BACKUP/index.bdmv
bluray.c:2356: nav_get_title_list(uploads/codeschool_13281435328020903.mp4) failed
[16:13:41] bd: not a bd - trying as a stream/file instead
libdvdnav: Using dvdnav version 5.0.3
libdvdread: Encrypted DVD support unavailable.
************************************************
**                                            **
**  No css library available. See             **
**  /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4/README.css     **
**  for more information.                     **
**                                            **
************************************************
libdvdread:DVDOpenFileUDF:UDFFindFile /VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.IFO failed
libdvdread:DVDOpenFileUDF:UDFFindFile /VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.BUP failed
libdvdread: Can't open file VIDEO_TS.IFO.
libdvdnav: vm: failed to read VIDEO_TS.IFO
[16:13:41] dvd: not a dvd - trying as a stream/file instead
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'uploads/codeschool_13281435328020903.mp4':
  Metadata:
    major_brand     : isom
    minor_version   : 512
    compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41
    creation_time   : 2014-05-09 02:55:07
    title           : Shaping_Up_With_Angular_JS_Level_2a
    album_artist    : Oliver Tosh
    encoder         : Lavf54.6.100
    description     : This video is about Shaping_Up_With_Angular_JS_Level_2a
  Duration: 00:04:18.10, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 1762 kb/s
    Stream #0.0(eng): Video: h264 (Main), yuvj420p, 1280x720, 1547 kb/s, 29.97 fps, 30 tbr, 30 tbn, 60 tbc
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2014-05-09 02:55:07
    Stream #0.1(eng): Audio: aac, 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 127 kb/s
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2014-05-09 02:55:07
    Stream #0.2(und): Data: rtp  / 0x20707472, 72 kb/s
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2014-05-09 03:46:24
    Stream #0.3(und): Data: rtp  / 0x20707472, 9 kb/s
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2014-05-09 03:46:24
[16:13:42] scan: decoding previews for title 1
[16:13:42] scan: audio 0x1: aac, rate=48000Hz, bitrate=127426 English (aac) (2.0 ch)

Scanning title 1 of 1, preview 2, 20.00 %[16:13:42] scan: 10 previews, 1280x720, 29.970 fps, autocrop = 0/0/0/0, aspect 16:9, PAR 1:1

Scanning title 1 of 1, preview 10, 100.00 %[16:13:42] libhb: scan thread found 1 valid title(s)
+ title 1:
  + stream: uploads/codeschool_13281435328020903.mp4
  + duration: 00:04:18
  + size: 1280x720, pixel aspect: 1/1, display aspect: 1.78, 29.970 fps
  + autocrop: 0/0/0/0
  + chapters:
    + 1: cells 0->0, 0 blocks, duration 00:04:18
  + audio tracks:
    + 1, English (aac) (2.0 ch) (iso639-2: eng)
  + subtitle tracks:
[16:13:42] 1 job(s) to process
[16:13:42] starting job
[16:13:42] work: mixdown not specified, track 1 setting mixdown Stereo
[16:13:42] work: bitrate not specified, track 1 setting bitrate 160 Kbps
[16:13:42] sync: expecting 7735 video frames
ERROR: Invalid audio codec: 0x100
[16:13:42] render: lost time: 0 (0 frames)
[16:13:42] render: gained time: 0 (0 frames) (0 not accounted for)
[16:13:42] libhb: work result = 0

Encode done!
HandBrake has exited.

Answer 1

Might be worth trying to add some missing parameters? I use handbrake-js on Linux system and it performs as expected with these encoding options:

 var encodingOptions = {
        input:  inputFile,
        output: outputFile,
        quality: 17,
        optimize: '',
        encoder: "x264"
    }

Then, you will call:

hbjs.spawn(encodingOptions)
.on('begin', ...)...;

BTW, you need to listen to the on.end event, and not the on.complete. From the documentation:

"end" Fired on successful completion of an encoding task. Always follows a begin event, with some progress in between.

"complete" Fired when HandbrakeCLI exited cleanly. This does not necessarily mean your encode completed as planned..

Answer 2

If you are using Ubuntu 14.04? there is a known error with MP4 files:

https://github.com/75lb/handbrake-js#compatible-platforms

Ubuntu 14.04 notice: Transcoding to MP4 fails on Ubuntu since 14.04 for this reason.

Answer 3

the issue here is this line from the log:

ERROR: Invalid audio codec: 0x100

For some reason, the default AAC encoder is not working on your system.. as a quick win, choose a different audio encoder from the official list then specify it in your encodingOptions object.. something like this:

var encodingOptions = {
    ...
    aencoder: "mp3"
};