[MEncoder-users] Mencoder + xvid giving less quality than VirtualDub + Xvid

[Manu J]

Hi,
Recently i encoded a DVD to Xvid using both Mencoder
and VirtualDub and i found that VirtualDub gave a
better quality for the same filesize.

Here is the command i used for mencoder.
cat *.VOB | mencoder -vf
crop=720:378:0:52,scale=640:272,pp=lb -ovc xvid
-xvidencopts
bitrate=900:me_quality=6:quant_type=mpeg:gmc:trellis:chroma_opt:chroma_me:hq_ac:vhq=3:autoaspect:max_bframes=3:qpel:pass=1
 -oac mp3lame -lameopts q=3:vol=7 -  -ofps 23.96 -o
/dev/null

cat *.VOB | mencoder -vf
crop=720:378:0:52,scale=640:272,pp=lb -ovc xvid
-xvidencopts
bitrate=900:me_quality=6:quant_type=mpeg:gmc:trellis:chroma_opt:chroma_me:hq_ac:vhq=3:autoaspect:max_bframes=3:qpel:pass=2
 -oac mp3lame -lameopts q=3:vol=7 - -ofps 23.96 -o
dch.avi

Now i tried many variations and there was never a
significant change and atlast i got tired and i went
with these options :-).Mencoder took much longer time
to encode than virtualdub possibly because i enabled
so many xvid options like gmc,qpel.

I forgot the settings for virtualdub but i just
followed the doom9.org guide and used the same
seetings.

Now some questions
1)Is there a way to speed mencoder up without losing
quality ? I have only linux and i don't want to
trouble my friend often

2)Am i doing something wrong here especially with
respect to scale and crop? Which should be done first?

3)Is there any xvid setting that i missed which would
have made a difference in quality? I tried enabling
4mv but mencoder said it's not a valid option though
TFM says otherwise !



System and siftware details

Slackware linux 10
AMD Athlon 1700
MPlayer 1.0pre5try2-3.4.2
Wine 20041019
Xvid 1.0.2

Regards
Manu



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