[MEncoder-users] cat /dev/video0 | mencoder - ...

[Bob Tennent]

 >| the x264 preset option is explained thorough, no?

No. The "explanation" consists only of listing what other option values
the preset translates into. A user who is going to use a preset does so
because they *don't* want to deal with all those complex options. What
is missing (I see comparable remarks for *other* presets) is a simple
statement that "fast" and "slow" etc. refer to the desired encoding
speed, with corresponding loss/gain of quality. This may seem obvious
to you and it's what I would have assumed except that someone in the
thread suggested I use *slower* presets, presumably because he thought
slower was for slower processors.  

More importantly, the preset option shouldn't be mixed in with dozens of
more advanced technical options. A well-structured tutorial organized to
present options in a sensible order (essential, important, advanced) and
with a variety of use-case examples is badly needed.  

It took about 25 messages to the list before I converged on
preset=faster as the solution to my problem and I don't think it's
because I'm stupid, though I admit I dont know much about video
encoding.