[MEncoder-users] Recoding RM files for iPod

[James Hastings-Trew]

Ulf Magnusson wrote:
> Actually, I managed to get it to work without using that hack, and
> with 640x480 encoding, using the following:
>
> # Dump sound
> mplayer -channels 2 -novideo -hardframedrop -ao pcm:file=$1.sound.wav $1
> # Convert sound
> faac --mpeg-vers 4 --obj-type LC -o $1.sound.aac $1.sound.wav
> # Convert video
> ~/svnmp/bin/mencoder $1 -o $1.video.264 \
> -channels 2                             \
> -of rawvideo                            \
> -nosound                                \
> -ovc x264 -x264encopts qp=20:keyint=60:nocabac:level_idc=30 \
> -vf scale=640:480,dsize=640:480,harddup
>
> # Combine into MP4 container
> /usr/local/bin/MP4Box -add $1.video.264 -add $1.sound.aac $2 -brand
> isom:1 -fps 15.000  # it's a RM, 15 fps is correct
>
> That produces a file that iTunes will copy to the iPod, and that plays
> great, except for one thing. I recoded the file from
> http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/6/6.046j/f05/lecturenotes/ocw-6.046-07sep2005-220k.rm
> . When playing back the result on the iPod, the video freezes around
> 14:22
>   
My guess is that it exceeds the ipod bitrate limit at that point. You 
don't have any bitrate control in your mencoder line.