[FFmpeg-user] What is the difference between versions of ffmpeg?

[skyscanner at gmx.ca]

As I wrote in an earlier thread I am using ffmpeg to mix three audio streams down to a single 5.1 stream, using this syntax:
 
ffmpeg -i "original program filename.ts" -c:v copy -filter_complex '[0:1][0:2][0:3]amerge=inputs=3,pan=5.1:FL=c0:FR=c1:FC=c2:LFE=c3:BL=c4:BR=c5' -c:a mp2 "converted program filename.ts"
 
This works fine on my OS X machine, which is running this version:
 
$ ffmpeg -version
ffmpeg version 2.2.2-tessus
built on May  7 2014 23:17:42 with clang version 3.3 (tags/RELEASE_33/final)
configuration: --cc=/opt/local/bin/clang-mp-3.3 --prefix=/Users/tessus/data/ext/ffmpeg/sw --as=yasm --extra-version=tessus --disable-shared --enable-static --disable-ffplay --enable-gpl --enable-pthreads --enable-postproc --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libtheora --enable-libvorbis --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxvid --enable-libspeex --enable-bzlib --enable-zlib --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libxavs --enable-version3 --enable-libvo-aacenc --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libvpx --enable-libgsm --enable-libopus --enable-libmodplug --enable-fontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-filters --disable-indev=qtkit --enable-runtime-cpudetect
libavutil      52. 66.100 / 52. 66.100
libavcodec     55. 52.102 / 55. 52.102
libavformat    55. 33.100 / 55. 33.100
libavdevice    55. 10.100 / 55. 10.100
libavfilter     4.  2.100 /  4.  2.100
libswscale      2.  5.102 /  2.  5.102
libswresample   0. 18.100 /  0. 18.100
libpostproc    52.  3.100 / 52.  3.100
 
BUT if I try to do the conversion on a Debian Wheezy box, the converted file doesn't play well on low-powered machines, even though I use the exact same options.  The version there is from the
deb http://www.deb-multimedia.org wheezy main non-free
source (at http://www.deb-multimedia.org/), and has a much lower version number even though it was apparently built later:

$ ffmpeg -version
ffmpeg version 1.0.10
built on Jul 25 2014 07:50:40 with gcc 4.7 (Debian 4.7.2-5)
configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-cflags='-g -O2 -fstack-protector --param=ssp-buffer-size=4 -Wformat -Werror=format-security ' --extra-ldflags='-Wl,-z,relro' --cc='ccache cc' --enable-shared --enable-libmp3lame --enable-gpl --enable-nonfree --enable-libvorbis --enable-pthreads --enable-libfaac --enable-libxvid --enable-postproc --enable-x11grab --enable-libgsm --enable-libtheora --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libx264 --enable-libspeex --enable-nonfree --disable-stripping --enable-libvpx --enable-libschroedinger --disable-encoder=libschroedinger --enable-version3 --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-librtmp --enable-avfilter --enable-libfreetype --enable-libvo-aacenc --disable-decoder=amrnb --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libaacplus --libdir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu --disable-vda --enable-libbluray --enable-libcdio --enable-gnutls --enable-frei0r --enable-openssl --enable-libass --enable-libopus --enable-fontconfig --enable-libfdk-aac --enable-libdc1394 --disable-altivec --disable-armv5te --disable-armv6 --disable-vis --shlibdir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu
libavutil      51. 73.101 / 51. 73.101
libavcodec     54. 59.100 / 54. 59.100
libavformat    54. 29.104 / 54. 29.104
libavdevice    54.  2.101 / 54.  2.101
libavfilter     3. 17.100 /  3. 17.100
libswscale      2.  1.101 /  2.  1.101
libswresample   0. 15.100 /  0. 15.100
libpostproc    52.  0.100 / 52.  0.100

What is the difference between the two versions that might cause one to produce jerky video and the other smooth playback, and is there any way I can get something more like the OS X version on my Debian box?