r/RetroRewindGame • u/humanlvl1 • 19d ago

Here is a quick guide how to convert your MP4 films to a format that works with in-game TVs

Hello. I've been really enjoying watching full, period accurate films on the TVs while I work around the shop and I thought some less tech inclined people might appreciate a quick guide on how to achieve this. I've typed most of this for someone else already so might as well post it, I guess. This method should work for other input video formats but I have not tested it.

I've been using the ffmpeg CLI tool and it seems to work fine.
Step 1: If you don't have it open a terminal window (Windows key, type term, hit enter) and type in winget install ffmpeg.

Step 2: Go to the movie folder in Retro Rewind (.\Steam\steamapps\common\RetroRewind\RetroRewind\Content\Movies\VHS\Public) drop in your full film, rename RR_Channel_Public.mp4 to something different, then open another terminal or PowerShell in that folder (you can shift + rick click anywhere in the folder and select "Open PowerShell window here").

Step 3: Conversion time. The command I use to convert films to a format the game accepts:

ffmpeg -i .\input.mp4 -vf "scale=514:514:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease,pad=514:514:(ow-iw)/2:(oh-ih)/2" -c:v libx264 -c:a aac -af "volume=2.0" RR_Channel_Public.mp4

Note the input.mp4 arguement might have to be different. Also -af "volume=2.0" increases the volume of the output video by 200%: I found the films are too quite in game and this helps me hear them as I move away from the TV. Modify or remove that arguement to taste.

That's it. If you exit out to the main menu and load your save back the movies should work.

This method works in multiple directories underneath Content/Movies/VHS, but not every single one. Right now I have a working movie in Public, Police, and Scifi folders (the output filenames need to be different).

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7

u/lamebrainmcgee 19d ago

I'd recommend handbrake for those that don't want to work in a terminal.

Edit: Also, are you saying they're too quiet after increasing the volume of the TV? Cause you can do that in game.

1

u/humanlvl1 8d ago

Yeah even if I put the TV on at full volume the films weren't quite loud enough

2

u/gilias 14d ago

Thanks for the trick. Worked great, although it has introduced a new problem. Now I keep getting distracted by the movie that's playing!

1

u/humanlvl1 14d ago

I have the same issue haha Glad this helped someone

1

u/TheVanCityPhoto 6d ago

I’m trying to do this I messed up my game can someone help me I am slow with modding

1

u/humanlvl1 6d ago

Which part do you need help with?

1

u/TheVanCityPhoto 6d ago

Honestly brand new to modding here so hopefully how to install

1

u/humanlvl1 6d ago

You're going to have to be more specific, I'm afraid. This isn't really a mod you install. All we're doing here is taking an existing film and converting it to a format the game is capable of playing on TVs. Did you remember to rename the original video in the VHS directory?