Re: Mencoder and ffmpeg

[rhkramer@gmail.com]

On Saturday, July 25, 2020 06:36:12 PM Carl Fink wrote:
> On 7/25/20 2:39 PM, Rodolfo Medina wrote:
> > Hi all.
> > 
> > I wanted to capture my webcam streaming and audio using ffmpeg but banged
> > against `a sea of troubles': sync problems, video freezing, video
> > stuttering, background noise, choose of one format rather than other... 
> > Mencoder instead
> > 
> > at once easily, with:
> >    $ mencoder tv:// -tv
> >    driver=v4l2:width=640:height=480:device=/dev/video0:forceaudio:alsa:a
> >    device=hw.1,0 -ovc lavc -oac mp3lame -lameopts cbr:br=64:mode=3 -o
> >    webcam.avi
> > 
> > did perfectly the job.  But Mencoder is hardly ever used compared with
> > ffmpeg...
> > 
> > I wonder why so much difference in this case between the two respective
> > behaviours and wish to know what you listers think about all that...
> 
> Hi, Rodolfo,
> 
> Of course, anyone would have to guess to answer your question, since we
> can't ask all the people who don't use mencoder and do use ffmpeg "Why?"
> 
> I've used both, and for me the reason I prefer ffmpeg is that its syntax is
> simpler. Not simple, but better documented and more understandable.

In my very limited experience and recollection:

   * this (the difference in "sea of troubles) is somewhat surprising because 
mencoder is sort of a front end for ffmpeg (or maybe ffmpeg is a backend for 
mencoder, and perhaps one of several backends?)

   * in my experience, ffmpeg has a bazillion options, thus, it is a big 
program, and, if you choose the wrong ones, you can really bog the program 
down (like converting format and frame rates, and audio formats, and syncing 
the audio, and ...)