Using Mencoder Profile

Here’s a quick tip on using Mencoder profiles that serve as shortcuts for all of your favorite settings. This can save you a lot of time, especially when your encoding syntax is lengthy and difficult to remember.

Profiles are stored in the mencoder.conf file located in the appropriate place for your operating system. For Linux users, you can create a personalized file in your own home directory, ~/.mplayer/mencoder.conf.

Here’s the syntax you might use on a single-pass XviD project without using profiles.

mencoder -oac mp3lame -lameopts aq=0:q=0 -ovc xvid -xvidencopts

fixed_quant=2:max_key_interval=25:vhq=2:bvhq=1:chroma_opt:quant_type=mpeg

input.avi -o output.avi

Compare that with the following examples of some of my favorite profiles, and how easy it is to use them.

XviD Single-pass Profile Example

[xvid]

profile-desc="MPEG4/MP3 encoding"

ovc=xvid=1

xvidencopts=fixed_quant=2:max_key_interval=25:vhq=2:bvhq=1:chroma_opt=1:quant_type=mpeg

oac=mp3lame=1

lameopts=aq=0:q=0

mencoder -profile xvid input.avi -o output.avi

XviD 2-pass Profile Examples

[xvid-pass1] profile-desc="MPEG4/MP3 encoding - PASS 1" ovc=xvid=1 xvidencopts=pass=1:max_key_interval=25:turbo=1:vhq=0 nosound=1 o=/dev/null passlogfile=xvid-pass1.log

[xvid-pass2] profile-desc="MPEG4/MP3 encoding - PASS 2" ovc=xvid=1 xvidencopts=pass=2:max_key_interval=25:vhq=2:bvhq=1:chroma_opt=1:quant_type=mpeg:bitrate=2000 oac=mp3lame=1 lameopts=aq=0:q=0 passlogfile=xvid-pass1.log

mencoder -profile xvid-pass1 input.avi

mencoder -profile xvid-pass2 input.avi -o output.avi

x264 2-pass Profile Examples

[x264-pass1]

profile-desc="x264 encoding - PASS 1"

ovc=x264=1

x264encopts=pass=1:threads=0:subq=1:frameref=1:bframes=3:b_pyramid=normal:weight_b=1:keyint=25

nosound=1

o=/dev/null

passlogfile=x264-pass1.log
[x264-pass2]

profile-desc="x264 encoding - PASS 2"

ovc=x264=1

x264encopts=pass=2:threads=0:subq=6:frameref=5:partitions=all:8x8dct=1:me=umh:bframes=3:b_pyramid=normal:weight_b=1:keyint=25:bitrate=2000

oac=mp3lame=1

lameopts=aq=0:q=0

passlogfile=x264-pass1.log

mencoder -profile x264-pass1 input.avi

mencoder -profile x264-pass2 input.avi -o output.avi

x264 Single-pass Profile Example

[x264]

profile-desc="x264 encoding"

ovc=x264=1

x264encopts=crf=20:threads=0:subq=6:frameref=5:partitions=all:8x8dct=1:me=umh:bframes=3:b_pyramid=normal:weight_b=1:keyint=25

aspect=16/9

oac=mp3lame=1

lameopts=aq=0:q=0

mencoder -profile x264 input.avi -o output.avi