encoding to mpeg-1

[yawnmoth]

Are there any free alternatives to TMPGEnc? I'd like to convert an XviD *.avi to an MPEG-1 since MPEG-1 pretty much works on every Windows installation and since I'm not sure about the technical savvy-ness of the person I'm trying to give this video to.

[Blue_MiSfit]

Absolutely!

Try ffmpeg / mencoder - both have libavcodec's MPEG-1 encoder and will be quite good!

~MiSfit

[setarip_old]

@yawnmoth

Hi!

If you're looking for an alternative only because you believe that TMPGEnc is not freeware, be advised that for MPEG-1 (NOT MPEG-2) conversion there IS a freeware version of TMPGEnc available from the author at:

http://www.tmpgenc.net/en/download.html

[dat720]

While it is true MPEG1 works on virtually all windows isntalls, it is pretty bloody eassy to get other formats to play.... install ffdshow, then pretty much all mpeg2/4 content will play.

MPEG1 is a pretty horrible codec for video encoding, it's terribly inefficient, requires high bitrates for good quality, which means the file size is gunna end up much bigger than MPEG4.

[blizard]

Are there any free alternatives to TMPGEnc? I'd like to convert an XviD *.avi to an MPEG-1 since MPEG-1 pretty much works on every Windows installation and since I'm not sure about the technical savvy-ness of the person I'm trying to give this video to.


While it is true MPEG1 works on virtually all windows isntalls, it is pretty bloody eassy to get other formats to play.... install ffdshow, then pretty much all mpeg2/4 content will play.

MPEG1 is a pretty horrible codec for video encoding, it's terribly inefficient, requires high bitrates for good quality, which means the file size is gunna end up much bigger than MPEG4.

First of all to OP (yawnmouth), the best solution is to avoid re-encoding (which is dat720's point) as you will loose in quality. Second, it is better to offer a player with embedded codecs that will secure that what is played will be nearly the same as on your own computer. MPlayer package is the best solution as it can decode MPEG-4 ASP (=Xvid).

You can find MPlayer to all kind of OS and the user can even use it from a folder which mean it doesn't need to be installed with an installer at all, just unzipped to a folder and run from there. MPlayer is a rather compact player and you don't need to have MEncoder (the encoder in this package) and some other file if it is meant to only work as a player environment for your video.

SMPlayer is a front end that have the same possible feature to be installed without or with an installer. SMPlayer make it easy to control MPLayer which is it's core player that dot he main work for presenting video on screen. See download link for option.

http://smplayer.sourceforge.net/downloads.php?tr_lang=en

Sourceforge - Sherpya compile (http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=205275&package_id=248631&release_id=614242)

Main site for Sherpya (http://oss.netfarm.it/mplayer-win32.php)

There a plenty other compile of MPlayer on MPlayer's mainsite (http://www.mplayerhq.hu/design7/info.html). Here you can find documents and manual for MPlayer and MENcoder.

There are other open source based players like VLC that work much in the same way. FFDSHOW would need an installation to work as it interact with Directshow in windows and that might be harder to convince somebody to use for just watching a video (but it is a good option if you want to take advantage of your hardware or have need to use WMP/MPC or player with directshow interface like those two are based on).


The strongest point here for MPlayer is that it can be deleted without any traces if it is, unzipped to a folder and run from there, drag and drop your video or media file onto mplayer.exe and you can control it by keyboard (instruction from MPlayers manual page above). I can not think of a better way to both keep a high quality on your encoding and still offer an easy player to use with the correct codec to play it. It will not need high skill to be used, only basic unzip, understanding of windows and to read some manual pages from MPlayer main site to make use of keyboard. (Note that Sherpya's version is more updated then MPlayers site, that is why I suggest Sherpya.)