MEncoder under W98 / SE / ME - (work in progress) ..
 

Hi all :)

EDIT .. update .. 03.06.2004 @ 9:52 am

Note, I posted this late week or so, but it never made it to date. I must have
clicked on the close button too quickly and went to sleep or something :(

@ all..

This was an UPDATE to my MEn research for MEncoder's "option config file" (OCF)
param string syntax so that those of us that are under w98/se/me systems,
could benefit yet another encoder. The problem, as was noted to me, was
that my instructions here, had never got posted, though I thought I had
swaped the bad stuff with the newly good stuff :(
Sorry guys for the confusion.

* OCF = "Option Config File"

Yes, I am (was) pleased to annouce the abilitiy to use "option config file"
param string settings under MEn, through the mechanism of .BAT scripts.
The simplest way to get a working OCF is to start first with a batch script.
Below is an example of a tipicle .BAT script:

As you can see, I follow all my files w/ an actual folder name, just to
be safe. Use a method that works for you. In the GUI that I'm developing,
I'll incorporate this automatically (if I ever get the GUI completed for sharing
with you all here)
Notice the param "-include". This function imports any param strings from
your OCF script. Also, any param inside an OCF script is last in the change,
however, prioritywise, MEn uses whatever param strings found in the command-line,
last!

One more thing, after careful search, I found that MEn does not have an
"import" feature, for importing your .AVI sources 8O how very strange.
And, that's why you see it stuck at the end of the .BAT script, instead
of the OCF script.

Then, you follow it w/ a OCF script, another example below:
This one I use with good results. Some lines are REM'ed out,
but this gives you an idea of how an OCF script is laid out and must always
be called from inside a .BAT script file (ie, -include men.ocf)
Please note, I gave the file extension name ".ocf" its name, as it refers
to "option config file" (hence, the acrynum, OCF) But, do use whatever
you feel is easier for you to use in your manual scripting pleasure, since
these are really just plane ASCII TEXT files !

EDIT .. update .. 03.06.2004 @ 9:31 am
The Option Confi File layout ...

Note 1, when you see the "_", just remove it, and bring line up, so that
everything is on one line.

Note 2, I took out the "matrix" numbers because they were too long.
Also, you can replace those values with "yes" / "no" to "1" / "0" if it's
easier for to understand this. I prefer to input "yes" because this way, I
won't get confused w/ a numbered value. But use what works for you.

Note 3, the OCF scripts also serve as a "template" feature. You can have one
for SVCD; KDVD's; DVD's etc etc. So, think of this in your script endeavors.


EDIT .. update .. 02.28.2004 @ 8:43pm
I changed the old SUBJ line from the old:
** "MENCODE for DUMMIES (work in progress) .."
to new:
** "MEncoder under W98 / SE / ME - (work in progress) .."
.
.
Now, I'm happy :mrgreen:

I am hoping that this will serve as a dumping ground for those just getting
started with MENCORDER. A place to share your installation issues or
whatever.

As some of you may know, I have had nothing but problems with getting
mencoder to work properly under my Windows 98 system.

What I have done, is compile my latest issues (from previous threads) and
incorporate them here, in this thread, with some minor alterations etc.

As it stands, I am not able to get mencoder to works. Therefore, below is
an itenerary of items such as, installations outputs, mencoder output results
and a few other things I guess. Other things may be added here as well.

I will try and update this thread as time allows.

The following files need to be D/L'ed, (which I have done) in order to get
mencoder to work:
* ftp://ftp.mplayerhq.hu/MPlayer/relea...32-1.0pre3.zip
* http://www.jltoca.uaivip.com.br/files/mencoder_avs.zip
...codecs.conf and makeavs.reg is needed for w2k/xp (though i read that
...makeavs.reg may not be needed after all) but codecs.config must be
...extracted and copied to your ..\mplayer\ folder (see below for snapshot)


So far, you need to use a real .avi source file. No frameserved files can
work (added: vmes has found a way to do this w/ Dialhots research) In my example,
I used a an encode to huffy format, which I named "5.avi", and used that as my real .AVI source file.

Below, is a tipicle Folder layout for proper install of mencoder and related
files:

The MENCODER.BAT script file (DOS batch file) ...

EDIT .. update .. 03.06.2004 @ 9:52 am

Filename: mencoder.bat
Note, inside this BAT file is the following script lines:
After creating your .BAT file, you then run it (ie, MENCODER.BAT) file by
doubld-clicking it from your mencoder folder.

Remember, that those of you's who are running under Windows 98, there
may be a slight difference in your outputs.

Cheers,
-vhelp

vhelp,

I reuploaded the mencoder package, including my batch. please re-download: http://www.jltoca.uaivip.com.br/files/mencoder_avs.zip and use the encode2.bat provided.
I hope it solves the problem... :wink:

:lol: ha ha.. oh my goodness. I'm soo pooped!!

Thanks for looking out for me vmes. D/L'ing now ..
-vhelp

Latest error message from DOS box:

http://www.digitalfaq.com/archives/error.gif
:roll:

vhelp,

Edit all of that in notepad, so it's a single string.

-kwag

@ all,

I revised the above to show a pic of my dos box.

@ kvcd,

vmes included an new .BAT script for me. It was all in one line of text :confused:

I only changed the video part to show my folder name and filename ie,
** "H:\mencoder\7.avi" -o encoded.mpg

-vhelp

Question..

I'm thinking about MPEG encoder .DLL here. Where is the lavc mpeg .DLL ??

I don't remember ever installing a lavc mpeg2video file anywheres.
Could that be my problem ??

The reason I'm concluding with this is because I was able to get mencoder
to work w/ the following (though it created a divX file) snip:

*** mencoder.exe -vfm huffyuv -ovc lavc 7.avi -o 7_encoded.avi

This is what the DOS window looks like, as mencoder encodes my 7.avi
file into 7_encoded.avi

http://www.digitalfaq.com/archives/error.gif

To use this snip, just change the 7.avi filename to match yours,
and it should encode, as it does in mine.

-vhelp

Hi vhelp,
Glad to see that you're still around with the guys.
Say you edited VMesquita's batch file to change the source name.
Did you leave the comas like "c:\blabla.avi" ?
If so try removing them to see what happens.
No old buddy, I didn't install any mpeg.dll.
And I just did a fresh install of WinXP Pro.
Hope I helped.
Cheers

I am not sure about this, but I think Windows 98 does not allow command-line bigger than 255 characters. That would explain why the small divx line works and the big mpeg line doesn't. If that's the case, I can see a way out:use a DOS variable for the matrix values. Not sure if this will work. If it doesn't, then you can: try to create a mencoder configuration file (no idea about the syntax, I have to do a search) or use a custom shell, like bash (ported from unix).
But of course. it's just a guess.

Yes, maybe that's it!
vhelp try the following bat:
But of course that you know how to do it. It's just that if it works others can already copy and paste this material.
Cheers

Hi vhelp,
Also download and try this ReactOS that is a substitute for the command.com that is brought on Win98/ME.
ReactOS shell
Here is the site hosting the file with some explanation ReactOS site
Hope it helps 8)
C ya

my friends,

Thanks :mrgreen:

I needed a break from the madness yesterday or so. Anyways, I'm glad
that I've en making headway in my mencoder endeavors. With a little luck,
I'll have something working (w/ my home-brew GUI i'm also developing in
the background, in the mids of all this ca'ass) Yeah, real BETA crap, but its
ben working like a charm for me, specialling for this nonsense - less typing
on my part - - I love it, I love it :mrgreen:

Yes, vmes.. I agree w/ you that w98/se/me may have a cmd-line limit. I
started to realize this .. "bad command or filename" should have ben the
hint/nudge for me :) My first hint was when I removed the Matrix, and I
got a whole different error message. Well, anyways.. this has (and still
continues) to be a haul for me, till I get it working.

rds, thanks for the D/L link. Done!
With a little luck, I'll research what vmes suggested, (unless he found the
answer via mencoder (sounds soo like Austin Powers' "Oh, behave!!" line)
But, whatevr the outcome, rest assured, I'll be incorporating this w98/se/me
bug "remedy" in my GUI :mrgreen:

Listen, I'm in the middle of making Break-Fast.. you know.. coffee, bacon
and eggs.. oh my :mrgreen: Its getting close to 11am here in NY dudes !!

Again, thanks guys,
-vhelp

Hehe,
Stick with us and you can't loose 8)
If your command.com doesn't give you a break even with the use of variables for the most common arguments such as the matrices, give reactos substitute cmd.exe a go and maybe you'll end up producing great jobs with mencoder.
BTW reactos will give you a scroll on your shell so you can see what you did since begining. Cool stuff for Win98/ME, or what?
Just a bit off topic :lol:
Man I'dd love being in the US today...In LA I mean.
You guys are on the NBA ALL STAR Weekend :!:
Hopefully I'll be able to see the "retired" game today...~at 02:00AM GMT...
Crapp we should all be on the same time all over the world :!: :lol:
Back on topic.
Give it a shot and tell us how it went vhelp.
Cheers

PS- Of course do finish your breakfast before you try :facelick: :mrgreen:

ok.

Problems w/ the SET command in dos.

After the counting the chars (using excel :mrgreen: ) in the matrix part, it
resulted in a string length of 420 chars 8O

and I am being hit by an DOS "syntax error" message (thats before mencoder
even gets to it)
.
.
But, mencoder is also still display the error "Bad command or Filename"

still working..

-vhelp

update ..

ok, here is what I'm getting, w/ a little refinement to the NEW dos script
syntax:

Looks like I'm making headway.

-vhelp
ps: @ rds, how to I add that logfile.txt in mencoder script ??

Hya,
Check the other thread again :wink:
C ya

:!: what about my error above !!

oh, but you still didn't tell me how to logfile.txt in mencoder :roll:

Listen, I have an :lightbulb: .. why not just post a .txt file of scripts that go
beyond the dos 255 char limit (in addition to the chars you post) !!

-vhelp

Yes I did but it was on the other thread.
Here it is:
Look at the end of the mencoder arguments:" > mencoder_logfile.txt"
Hope it helps :wink:
Cheers

ok, here is my latest update.

Under Windows 98, the SET command does not like to have the "=" char
within the string.

How I tested this out ...

I opended a DOS window, and typed in the following:

And, dos gave me this error message: "Syntax error"
Next, I take out the "=" sign, and result is no error :)

So, I would like those of you who have w98SE / ME / W2K / XP to please
try the above steps out with the "=" sign, to see if you get the error message
too.

Sorry guys, but small steps for me, Thanks.
-vhelp

Hi vhelp,
I'm using command prompt that comes with "WinXP Pro SP1a English" and I tested your mstring and it worked for me.
I even tried afterwards and it returned me .
So XP is fine with that. Maybe a problem with Win98/ME/2000 but not with XP.
BTW have you tried ReactOS command prompt substitute with Win98.
They say it works wonders...
Oh, and how about the > logfile.txt ? Did it work?
Cheers

Wait a minute.

:!: Doesn't mencoder also include as a feature, to inport a "configuration" file ??

-vhelp

Yep, I think so.
Now that you mentioned it I recall seeing something while it's starting the encoding process.

Then, the problem is solved :mrgreen:

Because, if I'm not mistaken, the script data goes inside the configuration
file :mrgreen:

Heck, if besweet can do it, why can mencoder (if I understand besweet's
long ass, and strange parameter list of arguments) :roll:

I'm looking for any documents on cofiguration and/or whatever mencoder
might be refering to it as.

Two stars to the lucky boy/girl who finds it :!:
-vhelp

Hey guys,

I might be close.. from an exhert from mencoder's "man_page.html" file:

I think it has to do w/ the xxx.conf file under the folder, where MPLAYER
is located :roll:

Should the above be correct, then all we have to do is figure out HOW to
actually write a configure.conf file. I opened one up, and it was garbadge :confused:
Maybe it's using wordpad.

-vhelp

Hey,
If VMesquita found that we were missing the "codecs.conf" file maybe he can find other files we're missing too and maybe he knows where the internal config file is hiding 8)
Hey VM, give us a hand will you?
Do you think the guy heard me?
Let's wait and see, else I'll PM him :wink:
Cheers

hay rds,

wait a minute.. something else to think of. In my many error messages
above, I saw in one of the lines, where it kept bringing up something similar:

folder: ..\...\...\mencoder

I think this is a mencoder.conf file 8O that it was hoping to find in an
effort to thwart (i mean) to use setting to over-ride some things.
-vhelp

warning, warning.. we're getting warmer by the minute.

wordpad is opening up the xxx.conf files Perfecto :!:

There is also an input.conf file, but that is for MPLAYER.
So, perhaps I was right, that (about the error message earliers) it was looking
for a mencoder.conf file :roll:

working..

I'll try and create a :confused: dummy.conf :confused: file and see if it
works (w/out the encode.bat file) I'll use your script.
-vhelp

Hi vhelp,
I'm taking a look at mencoder's html docs.
I'll let u know if I find something
C ya

@ Kwag, vhelp. vmesquita, Phil, Correia and all :!:

where i find a " guide for a complete stup dummie klingon newby" :?:
:dunce: 8O :alien: :screwy: :banghead:

:oops:

i only learn the name of the prog .....
:roll: :P

:?

...or a teacher that want's to pay for his own sins :!:
:lol:

Hi Jorel,

Sorry about getting back to you this late. I most have missed this, but now
that I have some questions, I find it :lol:

I'm still new to this MEncoder too :roll: and I'm having problems in some
areas still. So, I don't feel "fluent" enough to guide you completely pal 8)
(at least not yet)

@ rds,

Thanks, I finally figured out:
a big DAHH !!

Now, I have another issue.. to continue in another thread.
-vhelp

Ok, I'm back.. to continue on.. .. ..

@ rds,

Being that I'm under windows 98, I am having problems with getting my
makeAVS to work. maybe I'm doing something wrong, or maybe I missundersood
yours (or someone else's) instructions for makeAVS to work w/ mencoder :roll:

Here is my error message, and maybe you can help me (or not) pal:
Am I close to getting mencoder to read my .AVS files, or am I still :screwy: :?: :?:

Thanks all,
-vhelp

PS: help Jorel out too :!:

Guys,
We're all new to mencoder :lol:
So even if some of us, like bilu, seem to have caught the way to it, even without having tried mencoder first, I sure think we're all in the same boat: we still haven't produced a way for everybody to drop tmpg/cce and move on with mencoder or maybe even with ffvfw.
So what was it that you were having problems with, vhelp?...
Oh, makeAVIS.
Right, so you should have a folder in your pc with, maybe named "mplayer", with "mplayer.exe" and "mencoder.exe", right?
Inside this folder you should find a sub-folder named "mplayer" (again...).
This sub-folder has just two files in it: "config" and "input.conf".
Copy the file provided by VMesquita named "codecs.conf" to that folder.
Now try again mencoder with a fake avi produced with makeAVIS.
Hope I helped.
Cheers

Ouuch!
Jorel has been waiting for help since decades...
Sorry buddy :arrow: didn't notice before. :oops:
Have you had a go with mencoder yet or you still just know it's name?
Cheers

@ rds,

Sorry, but it still won't work :!:

Is is OS dependant ??

Note, that .reg file will not install on my machine.
-vhelp

Now i'm puzzled.
The procedure I posted is the one I used and it worked for me.
I actually didn't install the reg patch since it's only to use VDub frameserving and it's not needed for makeAVIS.
Also it was built for NT/2000/and maybe XP.
I didn't try it yet
If you can't use makeAVIS i'll try VDub now and post my results later.
C ya

@ rds,

Just realized, I better give you my steps regarding my source first, because
it might be KEY to my faults.

* dvd rip a nice movie (ie, SW, or Fifth Element) :wink:
* dvd2avi it
* VFAPI it to a fake .AVI file
* open inside vdbud, this fake .AVI file
* now, I frameserve (named, "01.vdr") it into an .AVS script file (does my
...IVTC process)
* open this .AVS script file inside makeAVIS and (although there are many
...options/settings to choose, I leave all params as they are and save as an
....makeAVIS file, and I name it 1.AVI file.
* next, I use this 1.AVI (makeAVIS) file in mencoder, but it bombs out here.

I think that when using ffvfw and/or mencoder for encoding, that (regarding
the above method) there seems to be a loss of color. Color is not as dark
and rich. But, I could be wrong. I can't complain yet.

-vhelp

Hi vhelp,
Just remembered something.
Choose "Store script in avi" and try it again.
Give me some feedback on it afterwards.
Cheers

Feeding back..
-vhelp

Maybe it has something to do with you using VFAPI in the process.
I recall we tried it before and it didn't work.
Could you try one last time creating a dvd2avi *.d2v, build a great avs with it, and feed it to makeAVIS just to see if it triggers this message again.
Don't worry about the video not being ok.
We just want to know if it's VFAPI that is triggering this.
Cheers

FWIW.. I used dvd2avi v1.82 :!:

I'll try v1.76 instead :wink:
But, do you want me to create an VFAPI from the .d2v, or can I open it
inside makeAVIS ??

-vhelp