Where is documentation for the x264 encoder

[exekutive]

I don't see anything on the homepage

[LigH.de]

Still you can search the web for a x264 user manual and may find e.g. MeWiki or FFmpeg trac or in brief: x264 --fullhelp (unfortunately, neither are as comprehensive as x265's ReadTheDocs hypertext manual).

[exekutive]

So there's no official documentation??

MeWiki

11 years old. Links broken. Not official.

FFmpeg trac

this is very short and basic. Only talks about bitrates. Not official

x264 --fullhelp

just basic syntax. Doesn't explain what the options do , or what choices for parameters there are.

[buzz1891]

If you're after official one, can't help. But if it's just for self-education, here are some from my bookmarks:
https://silentaperture.gitlab.io/mdbook-guide/encoding/x264.html
http://www.lighterra.com/papers/videoencodingh264/
https://superuser.com/questions/564402/explanation-of-x264-tune

[emcodem]

The x264 cli tool is more or less just for testing the encoder api, users (instead of developers) should use some sophisticated tools that aim to make users life easy and provide ready built presets.

[exekutive]

The x264 cli tool is more or less just for testing the encoder api, users (instead of developers) should use some sophisticated tools that aim to make users life easy and provide ready built presets.

well the tool I use is ffmpeg and their documentation is seriously lacking as well.

Is the API documented then?

[DB83]

Well all that follows is over my head but.....


https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-codecs.html#Options-31


Scroll down to 9.13

[october262]

The x264 cli tool is more or less just for testing the encoder api, users (instead of developers) should use some sophisticated tools that aim to make users life easy and provide ready built presets.

well the tool I use is ffmpeg and their documentation is seriously lacking as well.

Is the API documented then?

there's this guide - https://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/x264_options_explained.cfm

[exekutive]

Well all that follows is over my head but.....


https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-codecs.html#Options-31


Scroll down to 9.13

Great example of what I'm talking about.

b_strategy (b-adapt)

    Adaptive B-frame placement decision algorithm. Use only on first-pass.

no mention of what parameters this options takes, or what they do.


How do you release software with options and features for people to use, but no explanation how to use them?
I guess we have to decipher it from the source code ourselves.

[davexnet]

Some more info here:
http://www.chaneru.com/Roku/HLS/X264_Settings.htm

[LigH.de]

Once upon a time, when x264 was in active development, some people followed the developer mailing list and several web forums (especially doom9) to discuss matters with the developers. This was our "documentation in progress". It couldn't be more official and more current. Possible that these developers focused more on the code than on the docs, but it was also rather a "leisure project" by people contributing to OpenSource projects like libavcodec, VLC, ffmpeg; in comparison, Multicoreware was obligated to write a verbose one because x265 was widely supported by commercial customers.

I will ask for you in the doom9 forum if there is any source of documentation we missed. But keep in mind: Only paying customers may demand, but everyone may ask nicely.

[DB83]

Even my link provides a avenue to determine the switches.


Yet even those will link to other resources. And a recent reply provides more info.


Yet all info assumes a basic understanding that the reader knows the 'bare-bones' of what he reads. I would guess that all encoders work to that assumption (even back in the day when I could get responses from Canopus (ADVC) they were worded inasmuch that you understood the basics or, if you did not, even why you were here in the first place)