[MEncoder-users] Mencoder adding AVI file header to MPEG2 capture from V4L device?

[Corey Hickey]

Brian Keener wrote:
> OK, here's a question for you:  It seems my CPU and disks are fast 
> enough to process real-time capture of video using filters acceptable to 
> me, that give good video output for this selected media.
> 
> Given those circumstances, is there any advantage to capturing in an 
> uncompressed/lossless format and re-encoding after the fact, as compared 
> to just directly capturing to mpeg2 from v4l device?  Assuming the 
> filters I'm using are the same in either case?
> 

If you encode later, then you can use two video passes. This will give
you a much better distribution of data to match your specified bitrate.
The first pass is a good guess, and allows the second pass to know
almost exactly what parts need how much data.

-Corey