Problem: mencoder - mkv to avi

[Gordo_]

This is what I want to do: I have a mkv file on 100 MB, and I want to encode it to XviD with about half the bitrate. (Source bitrate is 6700 kbit/s)

This is what I type in commando prompt:

"C:\path\mplayer\mencoder.exe" "C:\path\source file.mkv" -oac mp3lame -ovc xvid -xvidencopts pass=1 bitrate=3500 -o "C:\path\mplayer\output\du.avi"

When the encode completes I have an incomplete file. If I omit to include bitrate=3500 I get a brilliant encode, but the same file size and bitrate (which i wanted to cut in half) as the source.

Am I doing anything wrong or is it just not possible?

[45tripp]

(Source bitrate is 6700 kbit/s)

Your source is 2 min long?
Where did you get info from?

What's in the mkv?

Your command is wrong if you're not going to follow with a second pass.
Bitrate setting will be ingored.
By the way you need a seperator between options.
So in the end you'd drop bitrate for pass 1, and for pass 2 you'd type
pass=2:bitrate=3700
Just drop pass=1 flag for a one pass encode.
If bitrate was not to work as preferred you could mess with fixed_quant.

gl

[Gordo_]

Thank you, worked perfectly. And yes it is 2 min. long.

Here's what I typed:

"C:\path\mplayer\mencoder.exe" "C:\path\source.mkv" -oac mp3lame -ovc xvid -xvidencopts pass=2:bitrate=3500 -o "C:\path\mplayer\output\output.avi"