2.4. Encoding with MEncoder

2.4.1. Overview

MEncoder (MPlayer's Movie Encoder) is a simple movie encoder, designed to encode MPlayer-playable movies (AVI/ASF/OGG/DVD/VCD/VOB/MPG/MOV/VIV/FLI/RM/NUV/NET) to other MPlayer-playable formats (see below). It can encode with various codecs, like DivX4 (1 or 2 passes), libavcodec, PCM/MP3/VBRMP3 audio. Also has powerful plugin system for video manipulation.

2.4.2. Compiling

• OPTIONAL - read MPlayer's compilation instruction.
• OPTIONAL (LINUX ONLY) - download the newest DivX4linux libs from avifile.sourceforge.net, and have them PROPERLY installed. You need them if you want DivX4 (1/2 pass) encoding.
• OPTIONAL - download and install XViD. Not very useful, libavcodec's mpeg4 codec can encode with much better speed AND quality than XViD or DivX4/5.
• OPTIONAL - for libavcodec support, install libavcodec as described in the libavcodec section.
• OPTIONAL - download and compile libmp3lame (from lame 3.89beta or lame CVS).
  WARNING: DO NOT COMPILE LAME < 3.90 WITH GCC 2.96! It won't work properly!
  This is needed for CBR/VBR MP3 audio encoding ability. Note that a single lame binary isn't sufficient. BTW: the less optimization you use for lame, the better the quality will be. You can test quality by running make test after lame's compiling process is over. The resulting number should be less than 30. Don't panic if it's 400 or so, you shouldn't heard any audible quality decrease. Oh, and if your compiler doesn't even run make test ... Well, delete that GCC 2.96 or upgrade lame to at least 3.90.
• OPTIONAL - libjpeg and libpng - as described in the Installation section

You are ready. As you probably know, other encoding tools need the avifile library installed. MEncoder doesn't need it at all.

2.4.3. MEncoder features

• encoding from the wide range of fileformats and decoders of MPlayer
• encoding to all the codecs of ffmpeg's libavcodec
• video encoding from V4L compatible TV tuners
• encoding/multiplexing to interleaved AVI files with proper index
• creating files from external audio stream
• 1, 2 or 3 pass DivX4 video
• VBR MP3 audio - IMPORTANT NOTE: VBR MP3 audio doesn't always play nicely on windows players! On the other hand, currently MEncoder's CBR encoding is totally broken on win32 players :)
• PCM audio
• stream copying
• input A/V synchronizing (PTS-based, can be disabled with -mc 0 option)
• FPS correction with -ofps option (useful when encoding 29.97fps VOB to 24fps AVI)
• using our very powerful plugin system (crop, expand, flip, postprocess, rotate, scale, rgb/yuv conversion)
• can encode DVD/VOBsub AND text subtitles into the output file

• even wider variety of available en/decoding formats/codecs (creating VOB files with DivX4/Indeo5/VIVO streams :)
• audio encoding from v4l (DONE for FreeBSD ?)

2.4.3.1. Encoding 2 or 3-pass DivX4

2-pass encoding: the name comes from the fact that this method encodes the file twice. The first encoding (dubbed pass) creates some temporary files (*.log) with a size of few megabytes, do not delete them yet (you can delete the AVI). In the second pass, the 2-pass output file is created, using the bitrate data from the temporary files. The resulting file will have much better image quality. If this is the first time you heard about this, you should consult some guides available on the Net.

This example shows how to encode a DVD to a 2-pass DivX4 AVI. Just two commands are needed:
    rm frameno.avi - remove this file, which can come from a previous 3-pass encoding (it interferes with current one)
    mencoder -dvd 2 -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:more_options -o movie.avi -pass 1
    mencoder -dvd 2 -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:more_options -o movie.avi -pass 2

3-pass encoding: this is an extension of 2-pass encoding, where the audio encoding takes place in a separate pass. This method enables estimation of recommended video bitrate in order to fit on a CD. Also, the audio is encoded only once, unlike in 2-pass mode. The schematics:

Example for 3-pass encoding:

    rm frameno.avi - remove this file, which can come from a previous 3-pass encoding (it interferes with current one)
    mencoder -dvd 2 -ovc frameno -o frameno.avi
    mencoder -dvd 2 -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:more_options -oac copy -o movie.avi -pass 1
    mencoder -dvd 2 -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:more_options -oac copy -o movie.avi -pass 2

2 or 3-pass encoding using internal libavcodec controller: Optionally you can use libavcodec's internal 2 or 3-pass mode, it may gives you better final rate accuracy than using the external, DivX4-inspired 2-pass rate controler with libavcodec.

• 2-pass encoding:
  rm -f lavc_stats.txt
mencoder -dvd 2 -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:vpass=1 (audio-options) -o movie.avi
mencoder -dvd 2 -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:vpass=2 (audio-options) -o movie.avi
• 3-pass encoding:
  rm -f frameno.avi lavc_stats.txt
mencoder -dvd 2 -ovc frameno (audio-options) -o frameno.avi
mencoder -dvd 2 -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:vpass=1 -oac copy -o movie.avi
mencoder -dvd 2 -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:vpass=2 -oac copy -o movie.avi

2.4.3.2. Rescaling movies

Often the need to resize movie images' size emerges. Its reasons can be many, examples are decreasing output file size, encoding SVCDs to DivX. Ripped DVDs are mostly rescaled, for example a 4:3 DVD should be 640x480, especially when you want it to fit to 1 CD, and have good quality at the same time. SVCDs have 480x480 size, and their header contains the aspect ratio the player should use (Ex.: 480x480 + 4:3 = 640x480). However when encoding to AVI (DivX) files, you have be aware that AVI headers don't store this value. Thus, the only solution is rescaling.

The scaling process is handled by the 'scale' video filter: -vop scale=X:Y. Its quality can be set with the -sws option. If it's not specified, MEncoder will use 0: fast bilinear.

Usage:
    mencoder sample-svcd.mpg -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:more_options -vop scale=640:480 -sws 2 -o output.avi

2.4.3.3. Stream copying

MEncoder can handle input streams in two ways: encode or copy them. This section is about copying.

• Video stream (option -ovc copy): nice stuff can be done :)
  Like, putting (not converting!) FLI or VIVO or MPEG1 video into an AVI file! Of course only MPlayer can play such files :) And it probably has no real life value at all. Rationally: video stream copying can be useful for example when only the audio stream has to be encoded (like, uncompressed PCM to MP3).
• Audio stream (option -oac copy): straightforward. It is possible to take an external audio file (MP3, AC3, Vorbis) and mux it into the output stream. Use the -audiofile <filename> option for this.

2.4.3.4. Fixing AVIs with broken index or interleaving

Easiest thing. We simply copy the video and audio streams, and MEncoder generates the index. Of course this cannot fix possible bugs in the video and/or audio streams. It also fixes files with broken interleaving, thus the -ni option won't be needed for them anymore.

Command: mencoder -idx input.avi -ovc copy -oac copy -o output.avi

2.4.3.5. Encoding with the libavcodec codec family

libavcodec provides simple encoding to a lot of interesting video and audio formats (currently its audio codecs are unsupported). You can encode to the following codecs:

• mjpeg - Motion JPEG
• h263 - H263
• h263p - H263 Plus
• mpeg4 - DivX4
• msmpeg4 - the old DivX
• msmpeg4v2 - Micro$oft MPEG4 V2 (DivX alias MP43 predecessor)
• rv10 - an old RealVideo codec
• mpeg1video - MPEG1 video :)

The first column contains the codec names that should be passed after the vcodec config, like: -lavcopts vcodec=msmpeg4

An example, with MJPEG compression:
    mencoder -dvd 2 -o title2.avi -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mjpeg

2.4.3.6. Encoding from multiple input image files (JPEGs or PNGs)

MEncoder is capable of creating movies from one or more JPEG or PNG files. With simple framecopy it can create MJPEG (Motion JPEG) or MPNG (Motion PNG) files.

Explanation of the process

MEncoder decodes the input image(s) with libjpeg (when decoding PNGs, it will use libpng).

MEncoder then feeds the decoded image to the chosen video compressor (DivX4, Xvid, ffmpeg msmpeg4, etc...). Watch for the PNG decoder, as currently it can output only to RGB formats, thus can't be used with codecs that require YUV as input, like DivX4 or ffmpeg's msmpeg4.

Examples

The explanation of the -mf option can be found below in the global Options section and in the man page.

Creating a DivX4 file from all the JPEG files in the current dir:
  mencoder \*.jpg -mf on:w=800:h=600:fps=25 -ovc divx4 -o output.avi

Creating a DivX4 file from some JPEG files in the current dir:
  mencoder frame001.jpg,frame002.jpg -mf on:w=800:h=600:fps=25 -ovc divx4 -o output.avi

Creating a Motion JPEG (MJPEG) file from all the JPEG files in the current dir:
  mencoder \*.jpg -mf on:w=800:h=600:fps=25 -ovc copy -o output.avi

Creating an uncompressed file from all the PNG files in the current dir:
  mencoder \*.png -mf on:w=800:h=600:fps=25:type=png -ovc raw -o output.avi

Creating a Motion PNG (MPNG) file from all the PNG files in the current dir:
  mencoder \*.png -mf on:w=800:h=600:fps=25:type=png -ovc copy -o output.avi

2.4.4. Syntax

  mencoder [options] [input file] [options] ...

2.4.5. Available options

NOTE: for all available options, read the man page!

As MEncoder is built on the same codebase as MPlayer, there are many MPlayer options that have function in MEncoder too! See, you can use -sid to rip a DVD with subtitles, or -noidx to disregard buggy index of input AVI. Be smart!

2.4.6. Examples

Using MEncoder is the easiest thing on Earth. See the following:

Encoding from DVD, title 2:
    mencoder -dvd 2 -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:more_options -o title2.avi

The same, but with libavcodec family, MJPEG compression:
    mencoder -dvd 2 -lavcopts vcodec=mjpeg:more_options -ffourcc mjpg -o title2.avi

Encoding from DVD, title 2, with rescaling:
    mencoder -dvd 2 -vop scale=640:480 -sws 2 -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:more_options -o title2.avi

Encoding from HTTP:
    mencoder http://mplayer.hq/example.avi -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:more_options -o example.avi

Encoding from a pipe:
    rar p test-SVCD.rar | mencoder -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:more_options -ofps 24 -pass 1 -- -

Encoding multiple *.vob files:
    cat *.vob | mencoder <options> -

Encoding from tuner (for tuner options see the TV input section!):
    mencoder -tv on:driver=v4l:width=640:height=480 <options>

For all available options, check the MEncoder man page!