install mencoder

Make sure you are downloading version 1.0pre7 (release April 16, 2005) or later.

linux

debian gnu/linux

debian 3.1 (sarge) users, add this line to your /etc/apt/sources.list:

deb ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat/ sarge main

mac os x

You can get mplayer and mencoder from MPlayer OS X: http://mplayerosx.sourceforge.net/

http://umn.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/mplayerosx/MplayerOSXB8r5.zip

More downloads sites: http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/mplayerosx/MplayerOSXB8r5.zip?download

windows

You can download mplayer 1.0pre7 with mencoder from these links: http://ftp5.mplayerhq.hu/mplayer/releases/win32-beta/MPlayer-mingw32-1.0pre7.zip

You can download the latest experimental build from: http://ftp5.mplayerhq.hu/mplayer/releases/win32-beta/

More downloads sites: http://www.mplayerhq.hu/homepage/design7/dload.html

You can download optimized experimental builds from: http://www.aziendeassociate.it/cd.asp?dir=/mplayer

source

The source for mplayer and mencoder can be downloaded here: http://www.mplayerhq.hu/homepage/design7/dload.html

xvid mpeg4/lame mp3 avi

higher quality (600kbps - 1.5mbps)

Assumptions: source is 720x480 interlaced ntsc 29.97fps

Output avi:

• video: 640x480 progressive 29.97fps mpeg4
• audio: 128kbps stereo mp3

pass 1

mencoder sourcefile -ovc xvid -xvidencopts pass=1:max_bframes=1:trellis:vhq=4:chroma_me:chroma_opt:hq_ac:bvhq=1 -vf kerndeint,scale=640:480 -sws 9 -info name="title":artist="author":copyright="creative commons by-nc-sa":genre="indymedia" -nosound -o output.avi

pass 2

In the second pass you need to pick a video bitrate. For material less than 1 hour 1440 (as used below) is a good pick. For videos longer than 1 hour you'll probably want the video size to be 700MB. You can get a bitrate calculator or as a rule of thumb:

bitrate = (95000 / number of minutes) - 128

Then replace "1440" with your calculated bitrate in the command below.

mencoder sourcefile -ovc xvid -xvidencopts pass=2:bitrate=1440:max_bframes=1:trellis:vhq=4:chroma_me:chroma_opt:hq_ac:bvhq=1 -vf kerndeint,scale=640:480 -sws 9 -info name="title":artist="author":copyright="creative commons by-nc-sa:genre="indymedia" -nosound -o outputfile
-ni -oac mp3lame -lameopts br=128:aq=0:mode=1:cbr -o output.avi

lower quality (320kbps)

Assumptions: source is 720x480 interlaced ntsc 29.97fps with 48kHz

Output avi:

• video: 320x240 progressive 14.985fps mpeg4
• audio: 32kbps mono mp3 @ 24kHz

pass 1

mencoder sourcefile -ovc xvid -xvidencopts pass=1:max_bframes=1:trellis:vhq=4:chroma_me:chroma_opt:hq_ac:bvhq=1 -vf field=0,scale=320:240 -ofps 14.985 -sws 2 -info name="title":artist="author":copyright="creative commons by-nc-sa":genre="indymedia" -nosound -o output.avi

pass 2

mencoder sourcefile -ovc xvid -xvidencopts pass=2:bitrate=288:max_bframes=1:trellis:vhq=4:chroma_me:chroma_opt:hq_ac:bvhq=1 -vf field=0,scale=320:240 -ofps 14.985 -sws 2 -info name="title":artist="author":copyright="creative commons by-nc-sa":genre="indymedia" -ni -srate 24000 -oac mp3lame -lameopts br=32:aq=0:mode=3:cbr -o output.avi

questions (with answers)

why mencoder?

why xvid mpeg4 video?

why lame mp3 audio?

why avi?

-- VideoTech - 04 Jun 2005
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