[mythtv-users] Transcoding/editing recordings to 720p/AC3 .mkv/.avi format

[Raymond Wagner]

Blammo wrote:
> On Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 7:20 AM, Another
> Sillyname<anothersname at googlemail.com> wrote:
>   
>> I'm currently using Mencoder to turn BBC HD 1080i AC3 material into
>> 720p H264 AC3 saves, like you there wasn't a lot on info out there.
>> <SNIP>
>>     
>
>   
>> mencoder -noskip -oac lavc -lavcopts acodec=ac3 -ovc lavc -lavcopts
>> vcodec=mpeg4:vbitrate=1800:vqmin=2:vqmax=31:mbd=2:vpass=1 -vf
>> scale=1280:720 -ss 1:32:0 -endpos 41:10:00 -o /dev/null
>> /path/to/original/file/for/transcode
>>
>> mencoder -noskip -oac lavc -lavcopts acodec=ac3 -ovc lavc -lavcopts
>> vcodec=mpeg4:vbitrate=1800:vqmin=2:vqmax=31:mbd=2:vpass=2 -vf
>> scale=1280:720 -ss 1:32:0 -endpos 41:10:00 -o
>> /path/to/file/you/want/to/create/itsname
>> /path/to/original/file/for/transcode
>>     
>
> I'm not an mencoder expert, but shouldn't it say "vcodec=x264" or
> "vcodec=h264" ?
>   
Yes, 'mpeg4' would tell it to use the ASP implementation in libavcodec. 
Beyond that, 720p50 at 1.8mbps is going to look like crap even using
H.264, and ASP is considerably less efficient.  Unless you're doing cell
shaded, or extremely low motion content, you probably want at least
double that bitrate.