Good GUI / program to start with H264 encoding ?

[ParkerLewis]

Hi,

I'm searching for a hopefully simple but also rich, GUI or any kind of good way to start encoding in H264 (mainly x264).

Sources would be quite diverse (mpeg, mpeg-2, DV, maybe some h263 encoded videos too).

Please note that even though I'm pretty new to the H264/AVC world, I've had a lot of experience with "previous generation" H263/ASP encoding, so I want to be able to have control on the encoding parameters - at least the most prevalent ones.

I've googled a bit for it and a few names have popped up (Mediacoder, StaxRip, MeGUI...). On paper, Mediacoder seems to very well fit my needs (except for the small edits I might want to be able to do, typically what I would otherwise do with Vdub), but I've had some problems with this program before (mainly almost always failing at actually converting anything non-trivial), but maybe there are better fits out there and thus I wanted to ask you all your opinion.

Thanks for your help, guys.

[Dark Shikari]

Mediacoder is really overcomplicated and difficult to use.

Ripbot264 is a good simple starting point, MeGUI is good if you want access to more options and tools at the cost of greater complexity.

[LoRd_MuldeR]

Some more: Avidemux (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=126164), HandBrake (http://handbrake.fr/), sx264 (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=143399)

[ParkerLewis]

Thanks for the answers. Avidemux seems quite user friendly and adequate ("a virtualdub that supports recent containers and codecs without vfw" is actually about exactly the kind of thing i'm searching for).

I'll also use the link in Lord_Mulder's signature to help, it seems to be a good start (although maybe a bit updated, some options have changed names / windows, but that's not really an issue).

Thanks again.

edit : is there a way to switch the language ? even though I'm french, I'm more at ease when config & options are in english (I'm more used to the terms being employed).

[LoRd_MuldeR]

I'll also use the link in Lord_Mulder's signature to help, it seems to be a good start (although maybe a bit updated, some options have changed names / windows, but that's not really an issue).

My guide was written with respect to Avidemux 2.5. Other GUI's may call some options a bit different, but after all these are the very same options.

Anyway, corrections are appreciated :)

edit : is there a way to switch the language ? even though I'm french, I'm more at ease when config & options are in english (I'm more used to the terms being employed).

Avidemux detects the language from your operating system. Anyway, I wrote a Language Switcher (http://www.mediafire.com/file/zinmmmyitj2/ADM_LangSelect.2009-05-13.zip) for Avidemux a while back.

[ParkerLewis]

My guide was written with respect to Avidemux 2.5. Other GUI's may call some options a bit different, but after all these are the very same options.

Anyway, corrections are appreciated :)


Oh, so the guide is actually in advance compared to the stable branch 2.4.4 release I got... well, all right.


Avidemux detects the language from your operating system. Anyway, I wrote a Language Switcher (http://www.mediafire.com/file/zinmmmyitj2/ADM_LangSelect.2009-05-13.zip) for Avidemux a while back.

Thanks, I'll check it out.

[LoRd_MuldeR]

Oh, so the guide is actually in advance compared to the stable branch 2.4.4 release I got... well, all right.

2009 should be the year of Avidemux 2.5 ;)

Thanks, I'll check it out.

Better try this one, fixed a few problems for better compatibility to the Qt version of Avidemux :D

http://www.mediafire.com/file/kkcyi2it1hc/ADM_LangSelect.2009-05-13.Update-1.zip