GordianKnot-like?

[ZakZak]

I've been encoding Xvid using GordianKnot to autmoate avisynth script creation and encoding using VirtualDub for a couple of years now on Windows. I have now switched to Linux on the video encoding machine. I also have a new Intel iMac available if Linux won't work. I just need an alternate tool that gives me the features I'm used to from GK (mainly being able to quickly calculate bitrate based on target file size and resolution and a way to guestimate the expected quality, I guess). Doesn't have to be a GUI tool.

Anyone know of anything like that for either Linux or MacOSX?

Thanks!
-Zak

[nm]

I have never used GK, but maybe Avidemux (http://avidemux.sourceforge.net/) would do some of the same things. You could also run GK and VirtualDub with Wine.

The same question was asked few months ago, by the way: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=109089

[mic64]

I would say dvdrip is something like GK.
maybe even better
http://www.exit1.org/dvdrip/

But don try to install it manually. Use the version that comes with your distro.

[ZakZak]

I have never used GK, but maybe Avidemux (http://avidemux.sourceforge.net/) would do some of the same things. You could also run GK and VirtualDub with Wine.

Had to compile avidemux for AMD64 Linux myself, but after playing around in the GUI - it looks like it will do what I want. First video is encoding now, so we'll see... :)

I'm using the built-in MPEG-4 codec this time, but ultimately I want to get Xvid working. I think that's a compile-time option for avidemux, so I guess I have some more work to do!

Thanks,
-Zak

[Lokean]

Avidemux is a great program, and getting better all the time. I can recommend to try the 2.3 branch from subversion.

[Giggity]

I would say dvdrip is something like GK.
maybe even better
http://www.exit1.org/dvdrip/

But don try to install it manually. Use the version that comes with your distro.
dvd::rip is pretty darn good, but a little more complicated than GordianKnot... especially as far as batch encoding. I know how to set up a queue, but I don't know how to actually get it started! Maybe if I figure it out any better I'll make a tutorial for it.

dvd::rip also makes my XviD/AC3 encodes too small (using Ubuntu OS with the libxvidcore4 package as the codec). The output on the two encodes I've tried have been 690MB and 650MB when 700MB is desired... that can lead to a sacrifice of quality. The dvd::rip documentation says something about many VBR video codecs not being able to hit the desired bitrate exactly, so it looks like I need to wait for a better version of XviD to be released for Linux systems.

I'll check out Avidemux later to see if it does any better. If I can get to the point where I can do DVD to XviD encoding (transcoding?) with Linux, I'll much closer to scrapping Windows for good!

[shevegen]

Avidemux is great, the current lead developer ist (still) very active, and if you encounter something which desires to be improved i am sure he is up for patching (espec. with a little patch / help ;> )

[Lokean]

Yes, mean is great. It's good to see a project like this in active development. We only need someone to help out with coding Matroska support, because that's currently on the bottom of the to-do list...