Mencoder Video Converter Info

I know there are still some hearable artifacts sometimes, but I thought that was normal for a transcoding process, for example from 128 kbps to 112 kbps. Even the most sophisticated stand-alone encoders have that problem, and I got used to it. Take a very good sound source (like a DVD or mp3/160kbps+) and your problem is gone.

Also it is necessary to reencode the audio to achieve Meizu compatibility. Most DivX material has vbr-lame, which causes a lot of playback problems with the Meizu chip. That's why the transcoding to cbr looks like a necessary evil to me.

The source was DVD. Maybe I'll test it again later on, it might just be that I screwed up my -lameopts.

If I downloaded material with 128kbit/s CBR MP3 I never had a problem streamcopying it using -oac copy. Reencoding is unfortunately needed when a VBR is used, which is always a pity.

if you want to test to encode the sound from a DVD I'd suggest to rip it directly with BatMan. Never had any sound problems so far. And I don't see any reason why it should be a problem in that constellation. I tried it with DD5.1 streams as well as ADPCM. Sounds just as great as it is suppoesed to do from a DVD. Even at 112 kbit it's still good with movies (128 with concerts).

Originally Posted by BobbyQ

if you want to test to encode the sound from a DVD I'd suggest to rip it directly with BatMan. Never had any sound problems so far. And I don't see any reason why it should be a problem in that constellation. I tried it with DD5.1 streams as well as ADPCM. Sounds just as great as it is suppoesed to do from a DVD. Even at 112 kbit it's still good with movies (128 with concerts).

I can't use BatMan, as I'm a Linux type of guy. I do like your program however.

I already found the problem, I was encoding in stereo mode using mencoder, and with LAME-standalone I used joint stereo. Using joint stereo in my mencoder-encodes should solve my problem.
Damn, I can be terrible when something is wrong with the sound quality. When listening it back now, the difference doesn't sound that important.

ah okay, I used mode=0 (stereo) from the beginning, that's why I didn't see that kind of problem.

Originally Posted by mfb

I can't use BatMan, as I'm a Linux type of guy

which would qualify you as the perfect expert to make it running under WINE ! ;-) I know that almost everything runs under WINE, but I am not adept with the details. Maybe you could check that on your Linux and make a lot of Linux guys happy here. I've been asked that before but never could lend a helping hand with configuring it. At the moment, a lot of the Linux dudes seem to use mencoder command line and have no kind of comfort.
I could provide you with the necessary details what BatMan needs and reads out.

Hi everybody ! Why, when i drag a file into the BatMan desktop icon, nothing happens ? I never had a settings screen, when i drag a file or when i double-click on the icon there's only a brief flash screen and nothing else. I'm on Windows XP Pro SP2.Thanx for the answer.

replied in the BatMan thread, please don't double-post

I was trying to convert some video but I've always the same problem.
Video doesn't start in meizu, but works fine in pc.
But there is one difference in pc too. When I convert file with other programs or using original file not converted, winxp can show all information about video (xvid 240x320 etc etc etc.....) instead when I use mencoder the info about output file says just "videoclip" no more info about the file!
What's the problem? I like mencoder and I need that program to cut black side in 16:9 films
Thanks for your help!

Originally Posted by BobbyQ

which would qualify you as the perfect expert to make it running under WINE ! ;-) I know that almost everything runs under WINE, but I am not adept with the details. Maybe you could check that on your Linux and make a lot of Linux guys happy here. I've been asked that before but never could lend a helping hand with configuring it. At the moment, a lot of the Linux dudes seem to use mencoder command line and have no kind of comfort.
I could provide you with the necessary details what BatMan needs and reads out.

Hi,
I'm not the original poster, but I'm just now downloading BatMan to see how it runs under wine. I've already been playing with some native software (3gpwiz, a kommander frontend to mencoder and ffmpeg which I tried to adapt to generate movies for meizu, besides the 3gp and mp4 it generates now). Too bad you can't provide a native version.

well there is no native linux version ;-) this is just a poor little dos batch ! Please tell me how far you came with your WINE. If you need additional information please PM me.

Originally Posted by BobbyQ

well there is no native linux version ;-) this is just a poor little dos batch !

Hmmm.... maybe http://dosemu.sourceforge.net/ ?

It might be a simple (in debian) as:

apt-get install mplayer
apt-get install dosemu

Then run the batch file in with dosemu.

If I had access to the original dos batch file I can try it.

Allen

nah that won't work. Either WINE or any other full windows environment (cross-over office ?)

Originally Posted by BobbyQ

nah that won't work. Either WINE or any other full windows environment (cross-over office ?)

Crossover Office is WINE with support and some GUI cream. So it won't work. What is failing with me on WINE is: fixme:curses:WCCURSES_GetEvents Ooch. somebody beat us

WINE's focus is absolutely not on DOS batch scripts, so don't expect it to be fixed anytime soon.

Originally Posted by BobbyQ

nah that won't work. Either WINE or any other full windows environment (cross-over office ?)

You sure? I thought you mentioned it is based on a dos batch file. If I understand correctly it basically (from a very high level):

• Takes the file name as a parameter
• Reads some init files
• Prompts for some input
• Calculates the mencoder parameter list(s)

So far, so good for dosemu....

• Executes the mencoder calls with the parameter lists

Well, if mencoder is installed natively, this should work too.... It might take a little tweeking to get the parameter lists compatible, but I might be able to do this.

The reason I hesitate to install setup wine for this is that the mencoder calls are CPU intensive enough I would rather not run them through the emulator.

.... Besides, the purist in me can't bring myself to take what was originally done in linux (mencoder), port it to windows then run it through an emulator on linux

yes I'm sure that it won't run in a DOS emulator because it is not DOS (I used that term wrong in my above post). Only because it is "based" on a batch file doesn't make it DOS compatible automatically (it's an .exe in fact).
With your list what it does you are absolutely right, there is not much more than that, but it uses a custom build of mencoder, not the default one.

.... Besides, the purist in me can't bring myself to take what was originally done in linux (mencoder), port it to windows then run it through an emulator on linux

Haha ! 100% ack ! Of course it feels stupid somehow ..
The problem is just that BatMan is for Windows, and I see no other way to get it running under linux than with WINE.
You are welcome to make your own script that does that (in fact there are already a couple I heard) natively under linux.
As far as you mentioned the emulation of mencoder.exe with WINE, I have no idea how it reacts - it would be good if you try it once and then we can both make up our minds what we can do to improve it (e.g. compile a custom one for linux). But first we need it running with WINE at all.

Has anyone tried to convert .flv files using mencode?

Originally Posted by quatrecouleurs

Hello

I just answer to myself in posting a command line able to work under my Ubuntu linux :

Code:

mencoder /home/myfolder/meizu/inputfile.avi -idx -noodml -ofps 20 -vf scale=320:-2,expand=:240:::1,crop=320:240,rotate=1 -ovc lavc -ffourcc XVID -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:vbitrate=384:vmax_b_frames=0:vhq -sws 9 -srate 44100 -oac mp3lame -lameopts cbr:br=128:mode=0 -o /home/myfolder/meizu/outputfile.avi

So this one works fine for me, but I will try the options you are talking about too, to improve the files mencoder creates


I wish I could use avidemux, but I can't choose to best options to use... It's too bad, because this soft is a very good one to work with movies, for instance homemade movie of my family

If somebody can help me with it


My post in french


Just to say, I mean that meizu should use the fact they are open source-friendly a bit more... It could be very helpful for selling players in foreign countries !

I tried your hint, and it worked for .flv. Thanks!

Hello.
I have the same problem, terrible sound, but no success with this option resample/samplerate or reducing bitrates.
I'm using this line:
mencoder INPUT.AVI -idx -noodml -ofps 20 -vf scale=320:-2,expand=:240:::1,crop=320:240,rotate=1 -ovc lavc -ffourcc XVID -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:mbd=2:cbp:trell:vbitrate=384:vmax_b_f rames=0:vhq -sws 9 -srate 44100 -oac mp3lame -lameopts cbr:mode=2:br=96 -af resample=44100 -srate 44100 -o OUTPUT.AVI

if I use:
-oac copy
!I have good sound, but image is not stable on miniplayer.
input file is a xvid, mp3 encoded avi. Linux Suse 10.3.
Any idea?
thany you

-lameopts cbr:mode=2:br=96 ---> transcoding down to 96 kbit lame CBR is not exactly acceptable quality if the original source was 128 or even lower.

what would be the good value?
128 give me the same bad sound...
thanks