[MEncoder-users] Autoaspect not working in newer mencoder versions

[Bill Crockett]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Toerless Eckert" <tte at cs.fau.de>
Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2016 4:46 PM

> Using mencoder to convert DVB TV recordings (generated by VDR 2.2.0 from 
> Astra satellite)
> Input has MPEG2 video
>
>  mencoder 00001.ts -ovc x264 -oac mp3lame -lameopts cbr:br=96 -o 00001.avi
>
> If i do this with mencoder <= 1.1, then the aspect ratio of the video will
> correctly be put into the AVI file. And not only at the beginning of the 
> AVI
> file, but also in the middle of the file because the aspect ratio in the
> middle of the TS file changes (4:3 <-> 16:9).
>
> With mencoder >= 1.2.1 (tested with 1.2.1 and 1.3.0), mencoder will always
> only statically encode an aspect ratio of 1:1 into the AVI file. Given
> how different TS files have different aspect ratios and tht the aspect
> ratio can also change, its of course not possible to provide some correct
> aspect ratio as a command line parameter.
>
> I guess that information in 
> http://www.mplayerhq.hu/DOCS/HTML/en/aspect.html
> aout AVI not storing apect ratio is also based on these newer versions
> of mencoder.
>
> Btw: In ffmpeg, this encoding of original (and changing) aspect ratio from
> input into AVI output files work. And latest mplayer also perfectly
> plays AVI files with changing aspect ratios.
>
> What else can i do to get this filed as a regression bug that hopefully
> will get fixed ?
>
> Thanks
>    toerless
>
> P.s.: here is a PS file with changing aspect ratio for you to check with
> old/current mencoder how it works (old), not works (new):
>
> https://trac.ffmpeg.org/attachment/ticket/5959/ar-change.mpg
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> What else can i do to get this filed as a regression bug that hopefully 
> will get fixed ?

First of all, MEncoder has not been maintained for many, many  years. 
However, I have noticed some small things do get updated from time to time, 
but not the main program.  The development team seem to concentrate on 
MPlayer and just bundle MEncoder as it is.  They may see your request and 
answer if lucky.

I gave up a long time ago trying to encoded MPEG Transport Stream files with 
MEncoder.  The audio would always be out of sync by up to a second or more. 
This was even to AVI and PCM audio.  I used programs to convert the TS to 
MPEG PS which keeps the audio in sync, and then use MEncoder.  I would be 
interested to know if your MEncoded TS video is in sync?  Please check.

> And not only at the beginning of the AVI file, but also
> in the middle of the file because the aspect ratio in
> the middle of the TS file changes (4:3 <-> 16:9).

Are you watching the change on your monitor only?  All TS videos that I have 
recorded are 16:9.  If the video changes to a 4:3 aspect, it is padded with 
black bars left and right, but it is still 16:9