Re: [Encode2mpeg-users] encoding media files to ntsc dvd video

[Giacomo C. <enc...@us...>]

On Sat, Sep 08, 2007 at 12:06:32AM -0400, Dave wrote:
> Hello,
>     I'm using FreeBSD 6.2 and want to encode many media files of various 
> formats, .mpg, .avi, .wmv, etc. various aspect ratios etc. to ntsc-compliant 
> dvd videos to burn to dvd and play on a standard dvd player. I've had a time 
> wrapping around the mplayer/mencoder/ffmpeg docs and the encode2mpeg docs, 
> but i think i might almost have a working commandline.
>     I want to have multiple videos on a dvd, and a menu to select which i 
> want to watch, i'd also like to convert the audio from stereo to 5.1 
> surround sound. Here's my commandline as it stands now:
> 
> encode2mpeg -o outputfilename.ext -a 2 -vfr 1 -n n -p -dvd -menu -stdvid 

-a 2 is the default, you can omit it.

> 9 -mpegchannels 6 -normalize -imageonly -usespeed -videos video1.mpg 

the command line will fail because mp2 audio (the default of -stdvid 9)
cannot have 6 channels. Set ac3 audio with -encode 6:3:2
Also do not use the option -usespeed you can consider it an "advanced"
option that I recomend you to use later once you have more confidence with
encode2mpeg.

> video2.avi
> 
> My first question has to do with the -vfr option. I'm uncertain as to 
> whether it should be
> -vfr 1
> 
> or
> 
> -vfr 4
> 
> I read in longhelp about -vfr and it looks like 4 is it, but then in i think 
> it was the mpeg mode html doc it said that -vfr 1 -p would be better.

NTSC requires 30000/1001 fps (-vfr 4), but it can also use 24000/1001 fps telecined
(-vfr 1 -p). In encode2mpeg the default for ntsc (-n n) is: -vfr 1 -p
simply because it makes a smaller output file.
If your source has 24fps or less that's the way to go. If your source has a higher
fps, with -vfr 1 there will be discarded frames during the encoding.
If the output doesn't look satisfactory then you can set 30000/1001 fps with -vfr 4

>     Next, for the -encode option i am uncertain as to the value i should 
> plug in for n:m:i, there's many codecs i believe i want mp2 video and ac3 
> audio, but am hazey on this point.

You should use -encode 6:3:2.
6 -> ac3 audio.
3 -> highly compressed video
2 -> encoding passes.

You can experiment with the second and third number in order to change
the encoding speed/quality.

Also when you are experimenting with the encode2mpeg options in order 
to understand thair usage you may want to use -encode 6:1:1 because is a lot
faster.

Giacomo