[mythtv-users] Converting shows to PDA suitable format

[ffrr]

Paul V. Gratz wrote:

>>
>>I have a treo 650 and I've encoded a few shows for it.  I have been
>>using mencoder to encode it to the built-in lavc endcoder for divx.
>>In my understanding divx is an early implementation of mpeg4 (prior to
>>the release of the standard). Xvid is another. I'm not sure what the
>>relative differences are but I think they more or less amount to the
>>same kind of quality per bitrate. Now that mpeg4 is out I think they
>>both produce legal mpeg4 output.
>>    
>>

OK, so I might be better to look at mpeg4. It seems to be well supported.


>>
>
> I get much better performance using mencoder (part of mplayer). Its
> something like 15-20 minutes to encode a 1 hour program on my P4 2.8Hz
> HT machine. 
>

That's fast.

> I use nuvexport to give me the raw *.nuv file 
>

What is a raw *.nuv file?   I feed the nuv files, as recorded, straight 
into ffmpeg. It can handle the mpeg2-TS directly.


>then I
> run mencoder on that file to re-encode for my palm machine. Here is
> the mencoder command line I use:
>
>(I use nuvexport not mythtranscode)
>
>  
>
>>mencoder -o outfile.avi -aspect 4:3 -ovc lavc -lavcopts
>>vcodec=mpeg4:mbd=2:turbo:vbitrate=300:aspect=4/3:acodec=mp3:abitrate=96 
>>-oac lavc -vf-pre pp=lb -vf scale=320:200 -af volnorm  infile.nuv
>>
>>Replace outfile.avi and infile.nuv with the input and output files you
>>want.  The resultant file is ~150MB for 1 hour.  The quality is very
>>high so you could probably halve the 300kbs bit rate and still have a
>>usable video if you want smaller files.
>>    
>>

Yes.  150kbs is a low end point for me - barely good enough, but 200 
kbps and up are good.


>>The assumption is that you are going from a full screen TV program to
>>a full 4:3 aspect ratio output file.  You can get slightly better
>>quality if the program is 16:9 and you crop it but it may be more pain
>>than its worth (look at the mencoder man page for the info on
>>autocrop).
>>    
>>

Mine are all 16:9 natively

I will be comparing mencoder, especially as you report very good speed.  
Thanks.