[MPlayer-users] x264 [error]: no ratecontrol method specified

[Duane Evenson]

I'm trying to transcode an anime from a dvd to a mkv file. I'm using 
x264 codec and getting a "no ratecontrol method specified" error 
message. Here's my command:
mencoder dvd:// -dvd-device /mnt/1/ -oac copy -ovc x264 -x264encopts 
frameref=6:subq=7:bframes=2:trellis=1:direct_pred=auto:8x8dct:psnr:chroma_me:brdo:weight_b:bime:mixed_refs:b_pyramid:partitions=p8x8,b8x8,i8x8,i4x4:pass=1:turbo 
-o /dev/null

Here's my output:
MEncoder dev-SVN-r26013-4.1.1 (C) 2000-2008 MPlayer Team
CPU: Unknown CPU Typ (Family: 6, Model: 10, Stepping: 0)
CPUflags: Type: 6 MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 1 3DNow2: 1 SSE: 1 SSE2: 0
Compiled with runtime CPU detection.
There are 7 titles on this DVD.
There are 1 angles in this DVD title.
audio stream: 0 format: ac3 (stereo) language: en aid: 128.
audio stream: 1 format: ac3 (stereo) language: ja aid: 129.
number of audio channels on disk: 2.
subtitle ( sid ): 0 language: en
number of subtitles on disk: 1
success: format: 2  data: 0x5D000 - 0x71246800
MPEG-PS file format detected.
VIDEO:  MPEG2  720x480  (aspect 2)  29.970 fps  9000.0 kbps (1125.0 kbyte/s)
[V] filefmt:2  fourcc:0x10000002  size:720x480  fps:29.97  ftime:=0.0334
==========================================================================
Opening audio decoder: [liba52] AC3 decoding with liba52
Using SSE optimized IMDCT transform
Using MMX optimized resampler
AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, s16le, 192.0 kbit/12.50% (ratio: 24000->192000)
Selected audio codec: [a52] afm: liba52 (AC3-liba52)
==========================================================================
Opening video filter: [expand osd=1]
Expand: -1 x -1, -1 ; -1, osd: 1, aspect: 0.000000, round: 1
==========================================================================
Opening video decoder: [mpegpes] MPEG 1/2 Video passthrough
VDec: vo config request - 720 x 480 (preferred colorspace: Mpeg PES)
Could not find matching colorspace - retrying with -vf scale...
Opening video filter: [scale]
The selected video_out device is incompatible with this codec.
Try appending the scale filter to your filter list,
e.g. -vf spp,scale instead of -vf spp.
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))
==========================================================================
audiocodec: framecopy (format=2000 chans=2 rate=48000 bits=16 B/s=24000 
sample-1)
VDec: vo config request - 720 x 480 (preferred colorspace: Planar YV12)
Could not find matching colorspace - retrying with -vf scale...
Opening video filter: [scale]
VDec: using Planar YV12 as output csp (no 0)
Movie-Aspect is 1.33:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
[swscaler @ 0x873a434]SwScaler: using unscaled yuv420p -> yuv420p 
special converter
x264 [error]: no ratecontrol method specified
x264_encoder_open failed.
FATAL: Cannot initialize video driver.

Exiting...

Most examples I've found don't specify any ratecontrol. After the 
reading manual, I have tried setting bitrate and qp (3000 and 18 
respectively), but not at the same time. Either solution solves the 
error, but I've also heard it counters the benefits of multipass encoding.
Can anyone comment on using these ratecontrol options and how they 
impact my mencoder command line given above? Suggestions to improve my 
encoding would also be appreciated!
I have problems understanding how the different options all work 
together it terms of effectiveness and efficiency. I think we need 
someone to write a book on mplayer/mencoder. :)