A few questions from a newbie (mencoder & ffmpeg)

[Ranma_at]

Intro:
I read the forum already a while and so i registered cause i had some questions i wanted to post. After registering I had to wait 5 days again. :eek:

I am currently writing a frontend using the mencoder and ffmepg executables build for windows 32 bit. See screenshot.
http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/6893/screenie1vf9.th.jpg (http://img117.imageshack.us/my.php?image=screenie1vf9.jpg)
This program is for my personal use since i like watching clips from YouTube on my pocket pc. As you see on the screenshots my default settings are very basic but thats all i need.

With those settings (mencoder) i was even able to rip my ResidentEvil2 direct from my DVD into avi on harddrive. I was surprised.

Main:
Questions:

1. Optimization: The following 2 command lines are the one i use to encode FLV to AVI.
When you look at these Mencoder/FFmpeg command lines is there anything that could be done better or is completely wrong?
(output for pocket pc - MS mobile windows 520mhz 128mb ram 320x240 screen)

mencoder.exe "C:\MYFlashvideofile.flv" -ofps 25 -vf scale=300:-2 -oac lavc -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=msmpeg4v2:acodec=mp3:abitrate=48 -o "C:\MyContainer.avi"
ffmpeg.exe -i "C:\MYFlashvideofile.flv" -b 128 -r 25 -ab 48 -ar 22050 -s 320x240 "C:\MyContainer.avi"


2. Why are the above command lines giving me very different results in quality and filesize? Mencoder often ruins the audio output while FFmpeg ruins the Video output (same input file)

3. Above command lines: FFmpeg.exe is 3 to 5 times faster on my athlon 64 then the Mencoder.exe (same input file) Why?

4. Subtitles: I want to include subtitles (1 language) when i rip one of my dvds but couldnt get them so far. I read the documentation for both mencoder and ffmpeg
lots of time but it never worked. Is there a site that really teaches how to rip subtitles using mencoder/ffmpeg and giving examples command lines?

5. FFmpeg error when i use the target output: "Could not find video grab device" What does this mean??


Regards

Ranma_at

[jel]

hi Ranma_at and welcome to the forum!

i will move your thread to the " Other MPEG1/2 encoder: forum, where hopefully one of the gurus there can help you out.

good luck
j

[45tripp]

You're not doing anything that can't be done in Super, so you might as well use it.

The mencoder and ffmpeg options were dissimilar.

You might try:

mencoder.exe "C:\MYFlashvideofile.flv" -ofps 25 -vf scale=320:240 -oac mp3lame -lameopts cbr:br=48 -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=msmpeg4v2:vbitrate=128:aspect=4/3 -o "C:\MyContainer.avi"

and

ffmpeg.exe -i "C:\MYFlashvideofile.flv" -vcodec msmpeg4v2 -b 128 -r 25 -acodec mp3 -ab 48 -ar 22050 -s 320x240 "C:\MyContainer.avi"

I don't swear by any of the above and can't help with subs

gl

edit: of course output is crap,
you might try "-sameq" in place of "-b 128" for ffmpeg
and "vqscale=2" instead of "vbitrate=128" for mencoder. maybe use xvid instead too.

[Ranma_at]

You're not doing anything that can't be done in Super, so you might as well use it.

The mencoder and ffmpeg options were dissimilar.

You might try:

mencoder.exe "C:\MYFlashvideofile.flv" -ofps 25 -vf scale=320:240 -oac mp3lame -lameopts cbr:br=48 -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=msmpeg4v2:vbitrate=128:aspect=4/3 -o "C:\MyContainer.avi"

and

ffmpeg.exe -i "C:\MYFlashvideofile.flv" -vcodec msmpeg4v2 -b 128 -r 25 -acodec mp3 -ab 48 -ar 22050 -s 320x240 "C:\MyContainer.avi"

I don't swear by any of the above and can't help with subs

gl

edit: of course output is crap,
you might try "-sameq" in place of "-b 128" for ffmpeg
and "vqscale=2" instead of "vbitrate=128" for mencoder. maybe use xvid instead too.

Thank you, ill try.

BTW one of the reasons i wrote my own Frontend was Super, cause its IMHO really bad software.