Way to monitor folder and auto convert h.264 MP4 to Xvid AVI?

[unknownsoldierX]

I'd like to be able to automate my video conversions. I need to convert a lot of h.264 MP4 videos to Xvid AVI. I'm trying to set it up so a folder is monitored and the videos are automatically converted.

I've tried the old Handbrake 0.9.3 (last version with xvid) and DropFolders. I use this string and DropFolders tells me it's and invalid codec.

-e xvid -E lame -2 -s 175

I tried using HandbrakeCLI directly and it looks like it's going to do it but then gives me a bunch of exception errors. I'm assuming it needs the MP4 to be demuxed first?

I've been using this batch script to run avidemux2_cli, but I hate having to move all the files around myself.

set avidemux="D:\Locked\Programs\avidemux_2.5_r7200_wi n32\avidemux2_cli.exe"
set videocodec=Xvid
set audiocodec=MP3
for %%f in (*.mp4) do %avidemux% --video-codec %videocodec% --audio-codec %audiocodec% --force-alt-h264 --load "%%f" --save "%%f.avi" --quit


Problem is, I'd like to have the AVI files be the same file size as the original MP4s, but apparently avidemux2_cli doesn't support setting a target file size.

[Baldrick]

If you use 2pass encoding you can set target file size,

--video-conf
cq=q | cbr=br | 2pass=xx	
Select the encoding mode: constant quality (cq=quality), constant bitrate (br=bitrate) or 2 pass mode, in that case, give the final size in megabytes.

It should then be possible to get the video source size with a batch command(see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/112055/what-does-d0-mean-in-a-windows-batch-file ) and use like --video-conf 2pass=100 (100MB)

[unknownsoldierX]

Thanks. That looks like it's doing the trick.

Now I just need to move the original file to a different folder after it is converted so I can keep originals around in case something goes wrong. How do I get the batch to do that?

Even more awesome, maybe there's a way to have the batch move the original to a different folder and also check that same folder for older files and delete them? Say, delete all files that are a week or older.

[The Mariner]

MCE-Buddy ?

[unknownsoldierX]

Turns out, --video-conf 2pass=175 resulted in a file that was 196MB. That doesn't work for me. I wish it worked like MeGUI and other apps and took the audio size into account.

Looking at MCE-Buddy, it looks like it can't convert to MP3 audio, just AC3. I don't like that, but I might be able to live with it. Also, it doesn't allow for setting a target file size. Unless it all can be done by modifying the profiles it uses.

Plus, I can't tell how to set it to run in the background. Unless it does that automatically and doesn't show any evidence of it.