Bad encoding? Bad installation

[lo-q]

Recently downloaded and installed the app, which looks great.

Tried encoding a movie using mencoder XVID, 2pass, 1800 kbps bitrate, and got a movie with a quality much less than what I expected from the above settings, and also, with a combined audio and video bitrate of less than 1800 kbps.

In the info screen for the encode, I see this:

Opening video decoder: [mpegpes] MPEG 1/2 Video passthrough
The selected video_out device is incompatible with this codec.
Also try adding the scale filter, e.g. -vf spp,scale instead of -vf spp.
VDec: vo config request - 720 x 576 (preferred colorspace: Mpeg PES)
VDecoder init failed
Opening video decoder: [libmpeg2] MPEG 1/2 Video decoder libmpeg2-v0.4.0b
Selected video codec: [mpeg12] vfm: libmpeg2 (MPEG-1 or 2 (libmpeg2))

Does this mean ffmpegx couldn´t use the encoder I wanted?


Also, I think I perhaps did not install all the files properly. After dling ffmpegx, it wanted me to download and install some additional files, and ones of these installed on my HD as a text file. The ffmpegx installprogram accepted it, but may this be the reason for the problem I am experiencing?

[Case]

Also, I think I perhaps did not install all the files properly. After dling ffmpegx, it wanted me to download and install some additional files, and ones of these installed on my HD as a text file. The ffmpegx installprogram accepted it, but may this be the reason for the problem I am experiencing?

If you quit the application, then launch it again, and it doesn't complain about the binaries, then they were installed alright. If one or more of the binaries are wrong, then the "self-installer" window will pop up again, just like the initial time, with the problematic one(s) in red, and the correct ones in black.

[Case]

In the info screen for the encode, I see this:
[...]
Does this mean ffmpegx couldn´t use the encoder I wanted?

No it doesn't mean that, mencoder is just working its list until it finds the right setting. It tries something, if that fails it tries the next thing on the list, etc. This is normal behavior for mencoder.