[MEncoder-users] Using SI units in mencoder

[Tetsuo Yokozuka]

On Tue, 8 Feb 2005 20:05:17 -0800, RC <rcooley at spamcop.net> wrote:

> This is a case where other systems do not make any sense.  There is NO
> place that 1000 makes any sense in computers.  You will never find a
> hard drive who's size is exactly a multiple of 1,000 bytes, nor RAM,

What about bitrates ? Those are always defined using powers of ten.
How does it make any more sense?

> etc.  There is no reason to use base-ten prefixes when it comes to
> computers.  Or should we change a byte to be 10 bits too, just to better
> fit with the metric system?

Of course not.

> It's being rejected because it goes against the long-standing standard
> use of the terms.  You aren't getting your way, so you whine and
> complain, and say that everyone else in the world is wrong, except you.

No, I'm saying the developers of MPlayer are wrong. That's hardly the
whole world.

> Yes, in tiny print in some dark corner they specify it.  That's because
> they are the ones using the wrong definition of the terms, and have to
> put that small print to avoid being sued (again).
> 
> In fact, I think you'll consistently see that any place KB is used to
> represent 1000 bytes, you'll see just such a disclaimer.

Sure, but at least it's there. I can't say the same for MPlayer's
documentation (it's not there at all for -xvidencopts, while it is for
-lavcopts.

I'm working on the patch, we all made our points, let's leave it at that.