[MEncoder-users] So does "target size" in xvid actually do anything?

[Reimar Döffinger]

On Fri, Sep 16, 2011 at 06:37:42PM +0100, Padraig Hogan wrote:
> if %2==2 "C:\mencoder\mencoder" %1 -oac mp3lame -lameopts abr:br=128 -ovc copy -o %1.btw
> if
>  %2==2 "C:\mencoder\mencoder" %1.btw -oac copy -ovc xvid -xvidencopts 
> bitrate=-1024000:threads=2 -vf scale=720:-2 -sub %filename:~0,-4%srt" 
> -utf8 -subfont-text-scale 2.7 -o %1.avi
> del %1.btw
> 
> But it still just completely ignores the 1024,000 kb and it comes out as 800mb. 
> 
> Now the original file is 1054,859kb encoded with 192k audio, so it's not as though xvid is saying it has no use of any extra bits to improve it at 
> all. 
> 
> I've had similar problems with it before. It's almost as though it doesn't even matter what size you put it, mencoder will just choose it's own size that's around 750mb for a typicalk movie. 

First a caveat: xvid encode part is even less maintained, the FFmpeg
MPEG-4 encoder is more considered the "default".
Next, MPlayer/mencoder doesn't really do anything with the bitrate, it is
just passed on to xvid.
Minor thing: I suspect there might be some confusion of 1000 or 1024 as
factor, so the value might be off that much.
But most likely, it is not possible to encode your video to be bigger
with the given constraints.
To verify that theory, try encoding with a target size of e.g. 300 MB
and/or a fixed quant of 2.
You could avoid that by adjusting the min_?quant values, however
lowering them to 1 can result in files that are not considered compliant
and might not play (correctly) in some players.
And lastly: no, this list is not moderated. And people try to help in
whatever way they can. Often that is appreciated, and while it can
be frustrating when not wanted being rude to them is not going to
help anyone, including you.