ffx264 & ffhevc for Linux/BSD

[microchip8]

I wrote two small, simple and basic shell scripts for Linux. I did it because I encountered a few video remuxes (from my own Blu-rays) that I couldn't encode with my h264enc script so I turned to ffmpeg which was able to handle them.

ffhevc & ffx264 won't be anything big and professional like h264enc. I intend to keep them both basic and with the options I most often use so stuff like many audio/video filters, different input sources, etc, etc won't be added, unless I really need them on a frequent basis in the future.

However, if you need something and are willing to implement it, I accept patches. :)

ffx264: https://sourceforge.net/projects/ffx264/

ffhevc: https://sourceforge.net/projects/ffhevc/

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 1.3

* Added support for copying a single subtitle. Note that this is only supported when output container is set to mkv (default)
* Changed var OUTPUT in the config file to OUTDIR. Also changed internal var OUT to OUTPUT
* Updated the README file


ChangeLog for ffx264 1.5

* Added support for copying a single subtitle. Note that this is only supported when output container is set to mkv (default)
* Changed var OUTPUT in the config file to OUTDIR. Also changed internal var OUT to OUTPUT
* Updated the README file

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 1.4

* Implemented support for virtually an unlimited audio track encodings
* Ask for AC-3 bitrate instead of setting it in the config file
* Updated the README file


ChangeLog for ffx264 1.6

* Implemented support for virtually an unlimited audio track encodings
* Ask for AC-3 bitrate instead of setting it in the config file
* Updated the README file

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 1.5

* Bugfix: dB was missing after the value of the audio volume filter
* Be a bit more consistent with the audio variables
* Added support for encoding to AAC audio
* Use eval instead of seq for the for audio loops as seq is Linux-specific
* Added an ASCII art banner
* Export encoding params to a shell script and source it for encoding
* Place the libx265 params in the config file for easy modifications
* Made auto-cropping optional. It can be disabled in the config file
* Made the SUBS var in the config file consistent with the ones that accept "y" or "n" as value
* Added support for specifying the audio language metadata
* Automatically add the title of the content based on provided output name
* Automatically add the audio codec name metadata
* Updated the README file


ChangeLog for ffx264 1.7

* Bugfix: dB was missing after the value of the audio volume filter
* Be a bit more consistent with the audio variables
* Added support for encoding to AAC audio
* Use eval instead of seq for the for audio loops as seq is Linux-specific
* Added an ASCII art banner
* Export encoding params to a shell script and source it for encoding
* Place the libx264 params in the config file for easy modifications
* Made auto-cropping optional. It can be disabled in the config file
* Made the SUBS var in the config file consistent with the ones that accept "y" or "n" as value
* Added support for specifying the audio language metadata
* Automatically add the title of the content based on provided output name
* Automatically add the audio codec name metadata
* Updated the README file

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 1.6

* Added support for setting the genre and year metadata
* Added support for virtually an unlimited amount of subtitles copy
* Colorized the banner
* Cosmetics
* Updated the README file


ChangeLog for ffx264 1.8

* Added support for setting the genre and year metadata
* Added support for virtually an unlimited amount of subtitles copy
* Colorized the banner
* Cosmetics
* Updated the README file

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 1.7 and ffx264 1.9

* Bugfix: the specified channels to decode wasn't honored due to missing 'a' in the -ac option
* Added support for encoding to DTS audio
* Reduced some duplication in the audio code
* More cosmetics
* Updated the README file

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 1.8 and ffx264 2.0

* Enabled subs copy for other containers than mkv
* Some tweaks in the audio code
* Updated the README file

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 1.9 and ffx264 2.1

* Removed the $ in the index of array variables
* Use an if conditional instead of case to check for DTS audio and to check which audio codec has been selected
* Support setting the paths to mplayer/ffmpeg/ffprobe in the config file
* Support setting the language metadata for subs copy
* Fixed a small issue in the subtitles code

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.0 and ffx264 2.2

* Tweaks to the audio code
* Somehow I removed the chapters option. Add it back

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.1 and ffx264 2.3

* Update to the default libx264/libx265 encoding params

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.2 and ffx264 2.4

* Added audio channel layout mappings

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ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.3 and ffx264 2.5

* Added support for scaling
* Updated the README file

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.4.0 and ffx264 2.6.0

* Fixed an issue where -vf was added despite not using any filters

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.4.1 and ffx264 2.6.1

* Added support for deinterlacing
* Updated the README file

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.4.2 and ffx264 2.6.2

* Small update to the channel layout mappings

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.4.3 and ffx264 2.6.3

* Removed the workaround for DTS audio since we always use "5.1(side)" for 6 channels output
* Support setting the MAX_AUD_TRKS and MAX_SUBS variables in the config file to "auto". When set to "auto", it will ask for as many as detected audio tracks/subtitles

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.4.4 and ffx264 2.6.4

* Added support for encoding to MP3, Vorbis, FLAC and Opus audio
* Do some sanity checks for AC3/DTS channels
* Updated the README file

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.4.5 and ffx264 2.6.5

* Removed a test condition in the mp3 code that is not really needed
* Cosmetics in the audio code
* Added a counter

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.4.6 and ffx264 2.6.6

* Added support for audio resampling

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.4.7 and ffx264 2.6.7

* Use -filter:a:id aresample instead of -ar:a:id

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.4.8 and ffx264 2.6.8

* Use a single var to set the audio filters, in preparation for possible future extensions

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.4.9 and ffx264 2.6.9

* Made audio resampling optional

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.5.0 and ffx264 2.7.0

* Don't use dB for the volume filter

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.5.1

* Default params performance improvements. ONLY USE THIS VERSION IF YOU HAVE THE LATEST libx265/ffmpeg

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.5.2 and ffx264 2.7.1

* Add back using dB for the volume filter

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.5.3 and ffx264 2.7.2

* Added support for audio normalization using the Dynamic Audio Normalizer filter

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.5.4

* Support setting the MPlayer options
* Minor tweaks to the default x265 encoding options


ffx264 2.7.3

* Support setting the MPlayer options

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.5.5 and ffx264 2.7.4

* Only use side channels for DTS encoder which doesn't support anything else

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.5.6 and ffx264 2.7.5

* Add audio channel metadata

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ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.5.7 and ffx264 2.7.6

* Don't rm config file upon update. Just move it to .ffhevc.old / .ffx264.old
* Add audio bitrate metadata

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.5.8 and ffx264 2.7.7

* Support asking for container format if the CON variable is not set in the config file
* Warn and exit if user chooses MP4/M4V container and DTS audio
* Some minor code improvements

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.5.9 and ffx264 2.7.8

* Added support for cover art for the MKV container

[smok3]

Thanks for sharing, this will come handy. (I've been doing something similar (https://github.com/brontosaurusrex/singularity) (but much simpler), mostly various transcoders as tools/helpers for my daily editing needs. Also trying to be more modular this time, to avoid long spaghetti code.)

[microchip8]

ffx264/ffhevc are pretty simple and small. I will keep them that way and will no longer go the h264enc way. The latter got too complex and big for my taste. With ffx264/ffhevc I try to add just the "enough" for me, what I require to encode bluray remuxes

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.6.0 and ffx264 2.7.9

* Warn and exit if user provides an unsupported image format for cover art
* Added support for nosound option to disable audio encoding
* Updated the README file

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.6.1 and ffx264 2.8.0

* Added the MOV container to the list of containers that don't support DTS audio
* Made the audio volume filter optional

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.6.2

* Tuning to the default encoding options

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.6.3

* Added support for the built-in x265 presets
* Added a -h|--help option
* Tuning to the default encoding options v2
* Updated the README file


ChangeLog for ffx264 2.8.1

* Added support for the built-in x264 presets
* Added a -h|--help option
* Updated the README file

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.6.4

* recursion-skip -> rskip to the default encoding options

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.6.5 and ffx264 2.8.2

* Placed the supported audio codecs in a menu
* Updated the audio codecs default bitrates

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.6.6

* Update to the default encoding options

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.6.7 and ffx264 2.8.3

* Set the first video/subtitle/audio track as default

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.6.8 and ffx264 2.8.4

* Check the value of the astrm variable. This allows to properly remove any audio options in case no audio is detected
* Only display the audio codecs menu when audio has been detected or the user explicitly sets the track ID

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.6.9 and ffx264 2.8.5

* Switched to using getopts for parsing the options
* Added support for using x264/x265 tune profiles

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.7.0 and ffx264 2.8.6

* Added support for custom preset files (loaded with the new -c option)
* Added an example custom preset file to the package
* Added support for editing the config file with the vi text editor, using the new -e option of ffhevc/ffx264
* Updated the README file

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.7.1 and ffx264 2.8.7

* Added an EDITOR variable to the config file so the user can set his preferred editor for the -e option
* Added -r option to reset the config file to its defaults
* Cosmetics in the help info code
* Added man page

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.7.2 and ffx264 2.8.8

* Support asking for CRF value if it isn't set in the config file
* Support custom config files with using the x264/x265 preset/tune profiles
* Minor code updates
* Updated the man page

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.7.3 and ffx264 2.8.9

* Increased the frames value for the crop detection code
* Added ogv to list of containers not supporting DTS
* Cosmetics

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.7.4 and ffx264 2.9.0

* Added support for E-AC-3 audio encoding
* Add title metadata to the video stream

[microchip8]

ChangeLog for ffhevc 2.7.5 and ffx264 2.9.1

* NOSOUND audio option takes precedence so clear any other audio options given
* Workaround an ffmpeg disposition issue where in some cases it sets the default flag on all subsequent subs/audio tracks
* Bumped up default AAC bitrate
* Move the MOOV atom for MP4 files to the beginning of the file, for streaming-friendly files
* Enforce lower-case for container extension
* Added install script to the package