Related articles
* [DVD Ripping](/index.php/DVD_Ripping "DVD Ripping")
* [MPlayer](/index.php/MPlayer "MPlayer")
* [Video2dvdiso](/index.php/Video2dvdiso "Video2dvdiso")
An overview of [MEncoder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEncoder "wikipedia:MEncoder"), the video encoding/decoding tool provided by [MPlayer](/index.php/MPlayer "MPlayer") as part of the [mencoder](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=mencoder) package.
## Contents
* [1 Basics](#Basics)
* [2 Example](#Example)
* [2.1 Ripping and encoding the video](#Ripping_and_encoding_the_video)
* [2.2 Ripping and encoding the audio](#Ripping_and_encoding_the_audio)
* [2.3 Making the final .mkv file](#Making_the_final_.mkv_file)
* [2.4 Encoding video mp4 for Nokia 5800 XM and Nokia N97](#Encoding_video_mp4_for_Nokia_5800_XM_and_Nokia_N97)
* [2.5 Encoding a multi audio / multi language MKV video to an MP4 with different audio streams](#Encoding_a_multi_audio_.2F_multi_language_MKV_video_to_an_MP4_with_different_audio_streams)
* [2.6 Adding SubRip subtitles to a file](#Adding_SubRip_subtitles_to_a_file)
* [2.6.1 Two-pass x264 (very high-quality)](#Two-pass_x264_.28very_high-quality.29)
* [2.6.2 Single-pass x264 (very high-quality)](#Single-pass_x264_.28very_high-quality.29)
* [2.6.3 Two-pass xvid (very high-quality)](#Two-pass_xvid_.28very_high-quality.29)
* [2.6.4 Three-pass lavc (very high-quality mpeg4)](#Three-pass_lavc_.28very_high-quality_mpeg4.29)
* [2.6.5 Single-pass lavc (very high-quality mpeg-2)](#Single-pass_lavc_.28very_high-quality_mpeg-2.29)
* [2.7 Adding VOBsub subtitles to a file](#Adding_VOBsub_subtitles_to_a_file)
* [2.7.1 Two-pass x264 (very high-quality)](#Two-pass_x264_.28very_high-quality.29_2)
* [2.7.2 Testing subtitle muxing results](#Testing_subtitle_muxing_results)
* [2.7.2.1 Single-pass x264 (low quality)](#Single-pass_x264_.28low_quality.29)
* [2.8 mp2 vs. mp3lame vs. aac](#mp2_vs._mp3lame_vs._aac)
* [2.9 Encoding AVI videos in Windows and Mac readable formats](#Encoding_AVI_videos_in_Windows_and_Mac_readable_formats)
* [3 GUI frontends](#GUI_frontends)
## Basics
The basic syntax for a conversion is
`mencoder original_video.mpg -o new_video.avi -ovc output_video_codec -oac output_audio_codec`
So to convert movie.mpg to movie.avi with MPEG-4 Part 2 video and MP2 audio, the command is
`mencoder movie.mpg -o movie.avi -ovc lavc -oac lavc`
The default output formats without any options are MPEG-4 for video and MP2 for audio.
This is basically how one converts a video. However, there are MANY more options available.
For input formats, MEncoder can use any format that MPlayer can play, so to verify whether it will work with your video, just try playing it in MPlayer.
To list output video codecs, run
```
$ mencoder -ovc help
```
Similarly, to list output audio codecs, run
```
$ mencoder -oac help
```
This information can also be found [here](http://www.mplayerhq.hu/DOCS/HTML/en/menc-feat-selecting-codec.html) where it better explained, although non-specific.
## Example
This approach allows one to make a .mkv file with an [H.264](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.264/MPEG-4_AVC "wikipedia:H.264/MPEG-4 AVC")-encoded video and any number of Vorbis-encoded audio tracks.
We will use **mencoder** (part of **mplayer** package) for ripping and encoding and **mkvmerge** (part of **mkvtoolnix** package) for making the .mkv file itself.
### Ripping and encoding the video
The H.264 encoder is usually used in two passes: the first reads information about the movie, the second uses that information to encode. We will not extract any audio for now.
Commands follow; remember to replace the variables with the proper values:
```
# First pass: we are just collecting information, so the normal output is thrown away.
mencoder -dvd-device "$ISO" dvd://"$TITLE" -chapter "$CHAPTER" -o /dev/null -nosound -ovc x264 \
-x264encopts direct=auto:pass=1:turbo:bitrate=900:bframes=1:\
me=umh:partitions=all:trellis=1:qp_step=4:qcomp=0.7:direct_pred=auto:keyint=300 \
-vf scale=-1:-10,harddup
```
```
# Second pass: here we compress the video track using the information from the first step.
mencoder -dvd-device "$ISO" dvd://"$TITLE" -chapter "$CHAPTER" -nosound -ovc x264 \
-x264encopts direct=auto:pass=2:bitrate=900:frameref=5:bframes=1:\
me=umh:partitions=all:trellis=1:qp_step=4:qcomp=0.7:direct_pred=auto:keyint=300 \
-vf scale=-1:-10,harddup -o video.avi
```
This will create a **video.avi** file containing the video. You can play with the **-x264encopts** options and the **-vf** filters to improve the quality or reduce the file size. For example, a movie with a black border should be cropped with **-vf crop=$X:$Y,scale=-1:-10,harddup** with the proper values instead of **$X** and **$Y** (see **cropdetect** in the MEncoder manual). You may want to scale down the movie with **-vf scale=$WIDTH:-10,harddup** the width of the movie will become **$WIDTH** (keep **$WIDTH** a multiple of 16: 640, 480, or 320 are usually fine), the height will be correctly calculated in order to keep the aspect ratio.
You can also use any other of the filters MEncoder has to offer, like **pullup,softskip** or you can change the frame rate using **-ofps**. (If you do so, remember to use the same frame rate everywhere including in the commands to rip audio.)
It is important that you use **harddup** as the last filter: it will force MEncoder to write every frame (even duplicate ones) in the output. Also, it is necessary to use **scale=$WIDTH,-10** with **$WIDTH** as **-1** to keep the original width or a new, usually smaller, width: it is necessary since the H.264 codec uses square pixels and DVDs instead use rectangular pixels.
### Ripping and encoding the audio
You can extract audio tracks as needed. Here we compress with the Vorbis algorithm, but you may want to check the MEncoder manual in order to see alternatives.
The command follows (replace the variables with desired values):
```
# Here we rip and compress the audio.
mencoder -dvd-device "$ISO" dvd://"$TITLE" -alang "$AUDIOLANG" -chapter "$CHAPTER" -ovc frameno \
-oac lavc -lavcopts acodec=vorbis:abitrate=224 -channels 2 -srate 48000 -o "$AUDIOLANG".avi
```
You should repeat the command for every audio track you want, so we will have .avi files with the audio track.
You may also want to use **-channels 6** to exact all the channels of a 5.1 DVD or changing the bit rate. As with the video, you can use audio filters via **-af** but it is not necessary.
### Making the final .mkv file
Putting it all together in a single file is simple. Add other audio tracks if needed:
```
mkvmerge -D audio.avi -A video.avi -o mymovie.mkv
```
The **.mkv** file will contain everything, so you can store your movie keeping all the audio track you want. Even if you are not interested in keeping multiple sound tracks, the H.264/Vorbis format pair should ensure great quality.
### Encoding video mp4 for Nokia 5800 XM and Nokia N97
In **2 pass**es with small bitrates (640kbps video vbitrate and 96kbps audio abitrate) yields pretty watchable video mp4 for nokia 5800 xm and Nokia N97 phones' default video player. Let's assume that we have a video.avi file (replace video.avi with your video file)
**mkv to mp4 (nokia 97, 5800 compatible)**
```
**# step 1:** convert the mkv to mpg ; many mkv files do not directly get converted to mp4
mencoder "$1" -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg1video -aid 0 -oac pcm -o delete_me.mpg
**# step 2:** convert the mpg file to mp4
mencoder -of lavf -lavfopts format=mp4 -oac lavc -ovc lavc -lavcopts \
aglobal=1:vglobal=1:acodec=libfaac:vcodec=mpeg4:abitrate=128:vbitrate=640:keyint=250:mbd=1:vqmax=10:lmax=10:turbo -af lavcresample=44100 \
-vf harddup,scale=640:-3 "delete_me.mpg" -o "$1.mp4"
**# step 3:** delete the temporary huge sized mpg file
rm "delete_me.mpg"
```
replace "$1" with the .mkv video filename. e.g., sample.mkv; here -aid 0 = first audio track in mkv;
**Converting an avi to mp4 (nokia 97, 5800 compatible) using multipass (2 passes)**
```
# First pass:
mencoder -of lavf -lavfopts **format=mp4** -oac lavc -ovc lavc -lavcopts \
aglobal=1:vglobal=1:**acodec=libfaac:vcodec=mpeg4:abitrate=96:vbitrate=640**:keyint=250:mbd=1:vqmax=10:lmax=10:vpass=1:turbo -af lavcresample=44100 \
-vf harddup,**scale=640:-3** "video.avi" -o "video.mp4"
```
```
# Second pass:
mencoder -of lavf -lavfopts **format=mp4** -oac lavc -ovc lavc -lavcopts \
aglobal=1:vglobal=1:**acodec=libfaac:vcodec=mpeg4:abitrate=96:vbitrate=640**:keyint=250:mbd=1:vqmax=10:lmax=10:vpass=2 -af lavcresample=44100 \
-vf harddup,scale=640:-3 "video.avi" -o "video.mp4"
```
After the 2nd pass is done, copy the video.mp4 to nokia 5800 xm or n97's memory card and open the file using file manager of nokia after removing the device from the computer.
we need to run the above two commands in the folder where video.avi is present. play around with abitrate, vbitrate, and scale values to get video quality and size of your liking. alternate **formatfactory** is a mencoder gpl application for windows which **runs in wine**, can also **convert all-to-mp4**.
**scale=640:-3** will try to keep the video width to 640 and resize the video height accordingly. Do use the "original" aspect in nokia's mp4 player "option->aspect" for 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratio videos.
### Encoding a multi audio / multi language MKV video to an MP4 with different audio streams
to encode multi-audio file to mp4 we need to use the "-aid