[MPlayer-users] how to make DivX/avi file smaller?

[gabor]

On Thu, 2002-11-07 at 19:55, Jose Romildo Malaquias wrote:
> [Automatic answer: RTFM (read DOCS, FAQ), also read DOCS/bugreports.html]
> Hello.
> 
> I have a file "Starwars Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace [DivX].avi"
> (downloaded with KaZaa) which I would like to burn into a CDR,
> but it is a bit too small for that and does not fit in a CD. Its  size
> is 813.342.720 bytes = 794280 Kbytes ~= 776 Mbytes. Is there a
> way to reduce its size to an apropriate value for CDR burning,
> without loosing much in quality?

i recommend you to get avidemux ( use google to find it ), split the
file into 2 parts ( don't forget to use stream-copy for video + audio ,
so don't reencode video or audio )
and burn it into 2 cds....

this way you don't loose any quality....


of course you can do the same with mplayer ( see -ss and -endpos
switches in 'man mplayer' )but for a beginner it's easier to use a gui
application... or not...:-)

reducing the size means reencoding either the video or the audio ( or
both )...(but i really, really , really don't recommend it )

i think you want to get the filesize to approx 700mb.... so don't
reencode the audio, you won't be able to reduce it enough...

so you'll have to reencode the video....

like:
mencoder -oac copy -ovc lavc -lavcopts
vcodec=mpeg4:vhq:vbitrate=YOUHAVETOCALCULATETHIS:vpass=1 in.avi -o
/dev/null

and then:

mencoder -oac copy -ovc lavc -lavcopts
vcodec=mpeg4:vhq:vbitrate=YOUHAVETOCALCULATETHIS:vpass=1 in.avi -o
out.avi

and you have out.avi...

about that YOUHAVETOCALCULATETHIS: you have to calculate the bitrate
....... well... it's too complicated to describe everything here...
believe me, it's a lot better to split it into 2 cds...

bye,
gabor


> 
> Romildo
> 
> PS: I am beginning with video files and maybe this is not the
>     apropriate place for asking my question. If so, excuse me, and
>     tell me what is a better forum for my question.