[MEncoder-users] "requested bitrate is too low." in 2-pass x264 encoding

[Laine Lee]

On 4/9/10 8:38 AM, "Stroller" <stroller at stellar.eclipse.co.uk> wrote:

> Hi and sorry to bother you, but what's the supported method to convert
> (say a DVD) to x264 .mp4 then, please?
> 
> This should be done entirely in ffmpeg?
> 
> Stroller.

Hi Stroller, 

I'm not sure I understand why MP4Box is being promoted for this, although it
is an excellent software solution, of course. Just a couple of weeks ago a
method was discussed here for making iPod compatible .mp4 files that didn't
require it (MP4Box). Tonight I tried the following with today's SVN for x264
and mplayer on the main track from one of the family's DVD collection, and
the results look good to me. This particular conversion command creates
files that are compatible for TV playback from an iPod Touch 2nd generation.
They don't appear to be avi files. If its output doesn't exemplify the
characteristics you specified, maybe you or someone else would care to
explain.

mencoder -dvd-device /dev/rdisk4 dvd://01 -o outputfile.mp4 -vf
scale=720:-10,harddup -ofps 24000/1001 -of lavf -lavfopts format=ipod -alang
en -oac faac -faacopts br=192:mpeg=4:object=2:raw -ovc x264 -x264encopts
bitrate=1500:nocabac:level_idc=30:bframes=0:global_header:threads=auto:subq=
5:partitions=all:trellis=1:chroma_me:me=umh:weightp=0:8x8dct=0:force_cfr

It's probably of no consequence to you, but I'll add that I performed the
operation on a Mac OS X 10.6.3 system. I used Disk Utility to determine the
device containing the DVD, and I used scandvd from Undvd to determine which
track to convert. I've made available some details for getting the necessary
software installed for a recent Mac OS X system here:

http://lonestar.utsa.edu/llee/HDTV_to_DVD.html

Here's some related information:

http://lonestar.utsa.edu/llee/applescript/MEncoder_Droplets.html

Laine Lee