I need to compress avi files created by dvgrab. I am using dvgrab to get video from my sony minidv but the avi files it produces are too large. Is mencoder the best tool to use to compress these files? Is there anything else I should try. I am able to view and edit the files with keno but am not sure if kino can compress the files. Thanks

kino apparently can export to mpeg4 (divx) via ffmpeg and mjpegtools. i've never used it tho, so coulodn't tell you how to do it.

mencoder would be able to do this too though. you'd use a command like

Thanks for the reply. When i try the code you provided for mencoder, below is what I receive. I have lame and ffmpeg installed.

mencoder dvgrab-2004.05.13_01-28-55.avi -oac lavc -ovc lavc-lavcopts acodec=mp3,lbitrate=128,vcodec=mpeg4,vbitrate=800,vhq,vm4v -o file.avi
MEncoder 1.0pre6-3.4.2 (C) 2000-2004 MPlayer Team
CPU: Intel Pentium 4/Xeon/Celeron Foster (Family: 8, Stepping: 7)
Detected cache-line size is 64 bytes
CPUflags: Type: 8 MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 0 3DNow2: 0 SSE: 1 SSE2: 1
Compiled for x86 CPU with extensions: MMX MMX2 SSE SSE2

File not found: 'frameno.avi'
Failed to open frameno.avi
success: format: 0 data: 0x0 - 0x3d2d674
AVI file format detected.
VIDEO: [dvsd] 720x480 24bpp 29.970 fps 28771.2 kbps (3512.1 kbyte/s)
[V] filefmt:3 fourcc:0x64737664 size:720x480 fps:29.97 ftime:=0.0334
==========================================================================
Opening audio decoder: [pcm] Uncompressed PCM audio decoder
AUDIO: 32000 Hz, 2 ch, 16 bit (0x10), ratio: 128000->128000 (1024.0 kbit)
Selected audio codec: [pcm] afmcm (Uncompressed PCM)
==========================================================================
Opening video filter: [expand osd=1]
Expand: -1 x -1, -1 ; -1 (-1=autodetect) osd: 1
==========================================================================
Requested video codec family [qdv] (vfm=dshow) not available.
Enable it at compilation.
Opening video decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg's libavcodec codec family
Selected video codec: [ffdv] vfm:ffmpeg (FFmpeg DV decoder)
==========================================================================
Audio LAVC, couldn't find encoder for codec mp3,lbitrate=128,vcodec=mpeg4,vbitrate=800,vhq,vm4v


Any suggestions?

I get that last line too "Audio LAVC, couldn't find encoder for codec mp3" trying to convert a .mov to a .avi.

The full response to the command is below:

MEncoder 1.0pre3-3.3.2 (C) 2000-2003 MPlayer Team

CPU: Intel Pentium 4/Xeon/Celeron Northwood 2674 MHz (Family: 8, Stepping: 9)
Detected cache-line size is 64 bytes
CPUflags: Type: 8 MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 0 3DNow2: 0 SSE: 1 SSE2: 1
Compiled with Runtime CPU Detection - WARNING - this is not optimal!
To get best performance, recompile MPlayer with --disable-runtime-cpudetection.
Reading /home/dad/.mplayer/codecs.conf: Can't open '/home/dad/.mplayer/codecs.conf': No such file or directory
Reading /etc/mplayer/codecs.conf: 61 audio & 169 video codecs
File not found: 'frameno.avi'
Failed to open frameno.avi
Reading config file /home/dad/.mplayer/mencoder: No such file or directory
font: can't open file: /home/dad/.mplayer/font/font.desc
font: can't open file: /usr/share/mplayer/font/font.desc
success: format: 0 data: 0x0 - 0x21B8FC
QuickTime/MOV file format detected.
--------------
MOV track #0: 39 chunks, 117 samples
MOV: Found MPEG4 movie Elementary Stream Descriptor atom (69)!
Image size: 640 x 480 (24 bpp)
Display size: 640 x 480
Fourcc: mp4v Codec: 'MPEG-4'
--------------
MOV track #1: 39 chunks, 0 samples
Audio bits: 16 chans: 1 rate: 12000
Fourcc: ulaw
--------------
MOV: longest streams: A: #1 (39 samples) V: #0 (117 samples)
[V] filefmt:7 fourcc:0x7634706D size:640x480 fps:13.01 ftime:=0.0769
==========================================================================
Opening audio decoder: [alaw] aLaw/uLaw audio decoder
AUDIO: 12000 Hz, 1 ch, 16 bit (0x10), ratio: 12000->24000 (96.0 kbit)
Selected audio codec: [ulaw] afm:alaw (uLaw)
==========================================================================
Opening video filter: [expand osd=1]
Expand: -1 x -1, -1 ; -1 (-1=autodetect) osd: 1
==========================================================================
Opening video decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg's libavcodec codec family
Selected video codec: [ffodivx] vfm:ffmpeg (FFmpeg MPEG-4)
==========================================================================
Audio LAVC, couldn't find encoder for codec mp3

It appears it can't find some codecs or configuration files.

Stumped,

Jack

It maybe that we don't have libavcodec (LAVC) installed. I will check mine when I get home.

jack

Nope libavcodec is part of ffmpeg and its there.

Stumped again. Can anybody answer this question?

Jack

Do a search on user jackstoage and mencoder there is a suggestion.

Jack

zuessh: This might be a syntax problem.

Try
mencoder dvfile -oac lavc -ovc lavc -lavcopts acodec=mp3:1bitrate=128:vcodec=mpeg4:vbitrate=800:vhq:v4mv -o file.avi

Martin

Try -oac mp3lame
instead of -oac lavc

e.g
mencoder dvfile -oac mp3lame -ovc lavc -lavcopts acodec=mp3,1bitrate=128,vcodec=mpeg4,vbitrate=800,vhq,vm4v -o file.avi

See http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Mencode...oduction_Guide
for a lot of useful info on using mencoder

Thanks for the help! This helped me fix a similar issue with mencoder and a missing codec.