PREFACE: It appears that FFmpeg is slipping into command mode, taking the next couple letters from stdin, and interpreting them. That screws up the remaining script of course.
Note: This is using Gyan's latest git build. Workaround: Use 'start ffmpeg' instead of 'ffmpeg'. That causes the two invocations to run in separate terminal sessions (but note that they then run concurrently instead of sequentially). I will not submit this as a bug until it's been replicated. This requires some set up. %_JOB_%DELAY2CH.ac3 and %_JOB_%DELAY6CH.ac3 are 33 frames of silence, created by the first script. %_JOB_%a0.ac3 is an existing 2.0 ac3 file. %_JOB_%a1.ac3 is an existing 5.1 ac3 file. %_JOB_%CONCATa0.txt and %_JOB_%CONCATa1.txt are created. %_JOB_%DELAYEDa0.ac3 and %_JOB_%DELAYEDa1.ac3 are created. : set _JOB_=<d:\path\name> set _JOB_=c:\work\MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY [2007] set _DELAY2CH_=%_JOB_%DELAY2CH.ac3 set _DELAY6CH_=%_JOB_%DELAY6CH.ac3 set _SILENCE2_=anullsrc=channel_layout=2:sample_rate=48000 set _SILENCE6_=anullsrc=channel_layout=5.1:sample_rate=48000 set _33FRAMES_=1.376375 ffmpeg -f lavfi -i %_SILENCE2_% -t %_33FRAMES_% -c ac3 "%_DELAY2CH_%" ffmpeg -f lavfi -i %_SILENCE6_% -t %_33FRAMES_% -c ac3 "%_DELAY6CH_%" The following works: (Note the use of 'start' commands. ) : set _JOB_=<d:\path\name> set _JOB_=c:\work\MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY [2007] set _DELAY2CH_=%_JOB_%DELAY2CH.ac3 set _DELAY6CH_=%_JOB_%DELAY6CH.ac3 set _SOURCEa0_=%_JOB_%a0.ac3 set _SOURCEa1_=%_JOB_%a1.ac3 set _DELAYEDa0_=%_JOB_%DELAYEDa0.ac3 set _DELAYEDa1_=%_JOB_%DELAYEDa1.ac3 echo ffconcat version 1.0>"%_JOB_%CONCATa0.txt" echo file '%_DELAY2CH_%'>>"%_JOB_%CONCATa0.txt" echo file '%_SOURCEa0_%'>>"%_JOB_%CONCATa0.txt" start ffmpeg -y -safe 0 -i "%_JOB_%CONCATa0.txt" "%_DELAYEDa0_%" echo ffconcat version 1.0>"%_JOB_%CONCATa1.txt" echo file '%_DELAY6CH_%'>>"%_JOB_%CONCATa1.txt" echo file '%_SOURCEa1_%'>>"%_JOB_%CONCATa1.txt" start ffmpeg -y -safe 0 -i "%_JOB_%CONCATa1.txt" "%_DELAYEDa1_%" The following screws up as described in PREFACE: : set _JOB_=<d:\path\name> set _JOB_=c:\work\MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY [2007] set _DELAY2CH_=%_JOB_%DELAY2CH.ac3 set _DELAY6CH_=%_JOB_%DELAY6CH.ac3 set _SOURCEa0_=%_JOB_%a0.ac3 set _SOURCEa1_=%_JOB_%a1.ac3 set _DELAYEDa0_=%_JOB_%DELAYEDa0.ac3 set _DELAYEDa1_=%_JOB_%DELAYEDa1.ac3 echo ffconcat version 1.0>"%_JOB_%CONCATa0.txt" echo file '%_DELAY2CH_%'>>"%_JOB_%CONCATa0.txt" echo file '%_SOURCEa0_%'>>"%_JOB_%CONCATa0.txt" ffmpeg -y -safe 0 -i "%_JOB_%CONCATa0.txt" "%_DELAYEDa0_%" echo ffconcat version 1.0>"%_JOB_%CONCATa1.txt" echo file '%_DELAY6CH_%'>>"%_JOB_%CONCATa1.txt" echo file '%_SOURCEa1_%'>>"%_JOB_%CONCATa1.txt" ffmpeg -y -safe 0 -i "%_JOB_%CONCATa1.txt" "%_DELAYEDa1_%" Here is the 'screw-up's terminal output: (Note these lines: (Enter command: <target>|all <time>|-1 <command>[ <argument>] ( (Parse error, at least 3 arguments were expected, only 1 given in string 'ho file ' ('%_SOURCEa1_%'>>"%_JOB_%CONCATa1.txt"') C:\Windows\System32>set _JOB_=c:\work\MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY [2007] C:\Windows\System32>set _DELAY2CH_=%_JOB_%DELAY2CH.ac3 C:\Windows\System32>set _DELAY6CH_=%_JOB_%DELAY6CH.ac3 C:\Windows\System32>set _SOURCEa0_=%_JOB_%a0.ac3 C:\Windows\System32>set _SOURCEa1_=%_JOB_%a1.ac3 C:\Windows\System32>set _DELAYEDa0_=%_JOB_%DELAYEDa0.ac3 C:\Windows\System32>set _DELAYEDa1_=%_JOB_%DELAYEDa1.ac3 C:\Windows\System32>echo ffconcat version 1.0>"%_JOB_%CONCATa0.txt" C:\Windows\System32>echo file '%_DELAY2CH_%'>>"%_JOB_%CONCATa0.txt" C:\Windows\System32>echo file '%_SOURCEa0_%'>>"%_JOB_%CONCATa0.txt" C:\Windows\System32>ffmpeg -y -safe 0 -i "%_JOB_%CONCATa0.txt" "%_DELAYEDa0_%" ffmpeg version 2025-07-23-git-829680f96a-full_build-www.gyan.dev Copyright (c) 2000-2025 the FFmpeg developers built with gcc 15.1.0 (Rev6, Built by MSYS2 project) configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --enable-static --disable-w32threads --disable-autodetect --enable-fontconfig --enable-iconv --enable-gnutls --enable-lc ms2 --enable-libxml2 --enable-gmp --enable-bzlib --enable-lzma --enable-libsnappy --enable-zlib --enable-librist --enable-libsrt --enable-libssh --enable-libzmq --enabl e-avisynth --enable-libbluray --enable-libcaca --enable-libdvdnav --enable-libdvdread --enable-sdl2 --enable-libaribb24 --enable-libaribcaption --enable-libdav1d --enab le-libdavs2 --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libquirc --enable-libuavs3d --enable-libxevd --enable-libzvbi --enable-liboapv --enable-libqrencode --enable-librav1e --enable -libsvtav1 --enable-libvvenc --enable-libwebp --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxavs2 --enable-libxeve --enable-libxvid --enable-libaom --enable-libjxl --en able-libvpx --enable-mediafoundation --enable-libass --enable-frei0r --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libharfbuzz --enable-liblensfun --enable-libvidst ab --enable-libvmaf --enable-libzimg --enable-amf --enable-cuda-llvm --enable-cuvid --enable-dxva2 --enable-d3d11va --enable-d3d12va --enable-ffnvcodec --enable-libvpl --enable-nvdec --enable-nvenc --enable-vaapi --enable-libshaderc --enable-vulkan --enable-libplacebo --enable-opencl --enable-libcdio --enable-openal --enable-libgme -- enable-libmodplug --enable-libopenmpt --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libshine --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvo-amrwbenc -- enable-libcodec2 --enable-libilbc --enable-libgsm --enable-liblc3 --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopus --enable-libspeex --enable-libvorbis --enable-ladspa --ena ble-libbs2b --enable-libflite --enable-libmysofa --enable-librubberband --enable-libsoxr --enable-chromaprint libavutil 60. 6.100 / 60. 6.100 libavcodec 62. 8.100 / 62. 8.100 libavformat 62. 1.103 / 62. 1.103 libavdevice 62. 0.100 / 62. 0.100 libavfilter 11. 3.100 / 11. 3.100 libswscale 9. 0.100 / 9. 0.100 libswresample 6. 0.100 / 6. 0.100 [ac3 @ 0000000002632900] Estimating duration from bitrate, this may be inaccurate Input #0, concat, from 'c:\work\MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY [2007]CONCATa0.txt': Duration: N/A, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 192 kb/s Stream #0:0: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 192 kb/s Stream mapping: Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (ac3 (native) -> ac3 (native)) Press [q] to stop, [?] for help Output #0, ac3, to 'c:\work\MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY [2007]DELAYEDa0.ac3': Metadata: encoder : Lavf62.1.103 Stream #0:0: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 192 kb/s Metadata: encoder : Lavc62.8.100 ac3 [ac3 @ 000000000269d080] Estimating duration from bitrate, this may be inaccurate size= 2816KiB time=00:02:02.77 bitrate= 187.9kbits/s speed= 242x elapsed=0:00:00.50 Enter command: <target>|all <time>|-1 <command>[ <argument>] Parse error, at least 3 arguments were expected, only 1 given in string 'ho ffconcat version 1.0>"%_JOB_%CONCATa1.txt"' size= 8192KiB time=00:05:54.97 bitrate= 189.1kbits/s speed= 229x elapsed=0:00:01.55 Enter command: <target>|all <time>|-1 <command>[ <argument>] Parse error, at least 3 arguments were expected, only 1 given in string 'ho file '%_DELAY6CH_%'>>"%_JOB_%CONCATa1.txt"' size= 13824KiB time=00:10:00.60 bitrate= 188.6kbits/s speed= 231x elapsed=0:00:02.59 Enter command: <target>|all <time>|-1 <command>[ <argument>] Parse error, at least 3 arguments were expected, only 1 given in string 'ho file '%_SOURCEa1_%'>>"%_JOB_%CONCATa1.txt"' [out#0/ac3 @ 0000000001ccbcc0] video:0KiB audio:129039KiB subtitle:0KiB other streams:0KiB global headers:0KiB muxing overhead: 0.000000% size= 129039KiB time=01:31:45.65 bitrate= 192.0kbits/s speed= 227x elapsed=0:00:24.22 _______________________________________________ ffmpeg-user mailing list ffmpeg-user@ffmpeg.org https://ffmpeg.org/mailman/listinfo/ffmpeg-user To unsubscribe, visit link above, or email ffmpeg-user-requ...@ffmpeg.org with subject "unsubscribe".