Mencoder MKV to Xvid problem

[midders]

I've been trying to produce a batch script to convert a load of MKV TV episodes to Xvid files that are compatible with my standalone DVD/Divx player, which can be quite fussy. The conversion works fine, and the output plays on my PC, but the standalone won't play it. I've tried to use the same encoding options with mencoder as I use with VirtualDubMod, which always gives me a playable file. Any ideas?

When I try and play the mencoder file on my standalone, the playback just freezes. Pressing the fast-forward button will skip through the video, but the moment I switch to play, the video freezes again.

mencoder command line (%1 and %3 are full paths to the input.mkv and input.ass files respectively):
"d:\avtools\mencoder\mencoder.exe" %1 -o "d:\cdtemp\cbb\fp.avi" -sub %3 -ovc xvid -oac copy -xvidencopts pass=1

second pass (%2 is full path to output file):
"d:\avtools\mencoder\mencoder.exe" %1 -o %2 -sub %3 -ovc xvid -oac copy -xvidencopts
pass=2:bitrate=1500:nogmc:noqpel:notrellis:cartoon :vhq=4:chroma_me
:min_iquant=1:min_pquant=1:min_bquant=1:max_iquant =31:max_pquant=31:max_bquant=31
:quant_type=mpeg:nopacked:closed_goprofile=asp5

Mediainfo of output file:

General
Complete name                    : D:\cdtemp\cbb\done\101.avi
Format                           : AVI
Format/Info                      : Audio Video Interleave
File size                        : 344 MiB
Duration                         : 24mn 42s
Overall bit rate                 : 1 948 Kbps
Writing application              : MEncoder GIT-7bc18b7-4.3.3-Kovensky-mt 20091009
Writing library                  : MPlayer

Video
ID                               : 0
Format                           : MPEG-4 Visual
Format profile                   : AdvancedSimple@L5
Format settings, BVOP            : Yes
Format settings, QPel            : No
Format settings, GMC             : No warppoints
Format settings, Matrix          : Default (MPEG)
Codec ID                         : XVID
Codec ID/Hint                    : XviD
Duration                         : 24mn 42s
Bit rate                         : 1 495 Kbps
Width                            : 720 pixels
Height                           : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio             : 1.500
Frame rate                       : 23.976 fps
Standard                         : NTSC
Resolution                       : 24 bits
Colorimetry                      : 4:2:0
Scan type                        : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)               : 0.180
Stream size                      : 264 MiB (77%)
Writing library                  : XviD 1.2.1 (UTC 2008-12-04)

Audio
ID                               : 1
Format                           : AC-3
Format/Info                      : Audio Coding 3
Codec ID                         : 2000
Duration                         : 24mn 42s
Bit rate mode                    : Constant
Bit rate                         : 448 Kbps
Channel(s)                       : 6 channels
Channel positions                : Front: L C R, Surround: L R, LFE
Sampling rate                    : 48.0 KHz
Resolution                       : 16 bits
Stream size                      : 79.2 MiB (23%)
Alignment                        : Split accross interleaves
Interleave, duration             : 500 ms (11.99 video frames)
Interleave, preload duration     : 500 ms

Mediainfo of input file:

General
Complete name                    : R:\cdtemp\cbb\101.mkv
Format                           : Matroska
File size                        : 587 MiB
Duration                         : 24mn 42s
Overall bit rate                 : 3 321 Kbps
Encoded date                     : UTC 2008-05-20 11:04:57
Writing application              : mkvmerge v2.2.0 ('Turn It On Again') built on Mar  4 2008 12:58:26
Writing library                  : libebml v0.7.7 + libmatroska v0.8.1
Cover                            : Yes / Yes

Video
ID                               : 1
Format                           : AVC
Format/Info                      : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                   : High@L5.1
Format settings, CABAC           : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames        : 10 frames
Muxing mode                      : Container profile=Unknown@5.1
Codec ID                         : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration                         : 24mn 41s
Bit rate                         : 2 807 Kbps
Nominal bit rate                 : 2 869 Kbps
Width                            : 720 pixels
Height                           : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio             : 4:3
Original display aspect ratio    : 1.500
Frame rate                       : 23.976 fps
Standard                         : NTSC
Resolution                       : 24 bits
Colorimetry                      : 4:2:0
Scan type                        : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)               : 0.339
Stream size                      : 496 MiB (84%)
Title                            : Episode01: Asteroid Blues
Writing library                  : x264 core 59 r851M e11ef38
Encoding settings                : cabac=1 / ref=10 / deblock=1:-3:-3 / analyse=0x3:0x133 / me=umh / subme=7 / me-prepass=0 / brdo=1 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=0 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=2 / deadzone=7,7 / chroma_qp_offset=0 / threads=3 / nr=0 / decimate=0 / mbaff=0 / fgo=15 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=1 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / wpredb=1 / bime=1 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=25 / scenecut=40(pre) / rc=2pass / bitrate=2869 / ratetol=1.0 / rceq='blurCplx^(1-qComp)' / qcomp=1.00 / qpmin=10 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / ip_ratio=1.40 / pb_ratio=1.06 / aq=2:1.00 / zones=4000,4153,b=0.5/4154,4192,b=2/6580,6847,b=0.5/11803,11998,b=0.3/12348,12521,b=0.3/12666,12818,b=0.3/12947,13015,b=0.3/13037,13118,b=0.3/13387,14840,b=2/17712,17807,b=0.8/17832,17892,b=0.8/26967,27008,b=0.3

Audio
ID                               : 2
Format                           : AC-3
Format/Info                      : Audio Coding 3
Codec ID                         : A_AC3
Duration                         : 24mn 42s
Bit rate mode                    : Constant
Bit rate                         : 448 Kbps
Channel(s)                       : 6 channels
Channel positions                : Front: L C R, Surround: L R, LFE
Sampling rate                    : 48.0 KHz
Stream size                      : 79.2 MiB (13%)
Title                            : 5.1 AC3
Language                         : Japanese

Text #1
ID                               : 3
Format                           : ASS
Codec ID                         : S_TEXT/ASS
Codec ID/Info                    : Advanced Sub Station Alpha
Title                            : ASS
Language                         : English

Text #2
ID                               : 4
Format                           : UTF-8
Codec ID                         : S_TEXT/UTF8
Codec ID/Info                    : UTF-8 Plain Text
Title                            : SRT
Language                         : English

Any help appreciated; I'm also looking at other command line tools for xvid encoding, if anyone has any recommendations.

Slainte

midders

[midders]

After trying various options with mencoder, I finally gave up and found an alternative in xvid_encraw:

rem xvid encoding
rem first pass
"d:\avtools\xvid_encraw.exe" -i "%1\cdtemp\cbb\%3.avs" -type 2 -o "%otherdrive%\tmp\null" -pass1 -framerate 23.976 -progress 24

rem second pass
"d:\avtools\xvid_encraw.exe" -i "%1\cdtemp\cbb\%3.avs" -type 2 -o "%1\cdtemp\cbb\%3.avi" -pass2 -framerate 23.976 -bitrate 1250 -quality 6 -vhqmode 4 -bvhq -qtype 1 -nopacked -notrellis -imin 1 -bmin 1 -pmin 1 -progress 24

[midders]

Since starting to use xvid_encraw I've developed a batch conversion routine that may be useful to others. More about it in this thread at MYCE.