[mythtv-users] Recomendations for Mpeg2 transcode settings?

[Andrew Close]

On 4/25/05, Barry Jett <bjett80 at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 4/23/05, William <wmunson at rochester.rr.com> wrote:
<snip/>>
> > What is the best format and settings to give a good reduction in file size
> > without noticably reducing the quality of the picture? Please note that I am
> > viewing on a hi-def widescreen monitor so good picture quality is vital. The
> > format does not need to be directly supported by transcode but it needs to
> > be playable with mplayer or xine. Avidemux2 comes to mind as an alternative
> > for doing the conversions.
<snip/> 
> After much experimentation, I used the following with good results for
> compressing
> PVR-250 mpeg2's to mpeg4. While slower on encoding , the msmpeg4v2 codec
> leaves me with a file easily playable on windows, and the quality seem's a tad
> better. I usually play the files with mythvideo on my high def Sony.
> 
> TARGET="source.nuv"
> OUTPUT="/data/video/new-file.avi"
> 
> #optimal bitrate is 5.86*width*height
> 
> OPTIONS="vbitrate=3000000:mbd=2:keyint=132:vqblur=1.0:cmp=2:subcmp=2:dia=2:mv0:last_pred=3"
> 
> rm -f frameno.avi
> 
> nice -n 19 mencoder $TARGET -vop denoise3d,lavcdeint \
> -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=msmpeg4v2:$OPTIONS:vpass=1 \
> -oac mp3lame -lameopts cbr:br=128 \
> -o $OUTPUT
> 
> nice -n 19 mencoder $TARGET -vop denoise3d,lavcdeint \
> -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=msmpeg4v2:$OPTIONS:vpass=2 \
> -oac mp3lame -lameopts cbr:br=128 \
> -o $OUTPUT
> 
> On some shows, like the new Battlestar, I needed to crop the black bands and
> add the "-aspect 4/3" flag to the mythvideo settings. Shows went from 2.2 gig to
> under 700 meg after compression and and commercial editing.

what are your initial recording settings?  i've noticed some ppl
mentioning that their transcoded videos come out larger than the
original recordings.