Issue 13: Feature: use mencoder config files for conversion options
Status:  Fixed
Owner:
Closed:  Apr 2009
Reported by jerem...@mac.com, Oct 31, 2008
Looking at re-encoder.pl the mencoder options are all passed on the command
line. I wrote up a patch that broke the command line up into different
sections that could then be combined at the end of the script. This allows
for more modularity and makes adding new output formats easier.

Then I discovered mencoder config files. All command line options can be
specified in a config file. I think the conversion profiles should be
written into config files. Selecting a conversion format would move the
correct config file into place. Adding a new conversion format would only
require adding the item to the menu and then writing the config file.

I can do this work if you'd like.
Nov 6, 2008
Project Member #1 yoav.yer...@gmail.com
As it turns out, moving files around the installation repository requires priviliges,
so I'm not going to do that.

  However I do like the ability to control mencoder options (so that people can
specify different arguments, etc).  And possibly of having a 'local' config file you
can use to set your own settings.  hrmpphh.. gonna need to look at this, although not
for a few revisions methinks
Status: Accepted
Owner: yoav.yerushalmi
Labels: -Type-Defect Type-Enhancement
Nov 6, 2008
#2 jerem...@mac.com
I wasn't thinking you'd move the config files around in the installation directory, merely store them there as 
templates. mencoder allows you to specify a per-file configuration in <filename>.conf in the same directory as 
the input file for example /tmp/iTiVoDLTemp-user.mpg.conf
You could move the needed template (say iphone-medium.con) to that name and then specify any special 
overrides the user has on the command line. These command line options would override the file specific ones.
Nov 6, 2008
Project Member #3 yoav.yer...@gmail.com
Ahh I see..
  Yeah I should look into that
  (as well as allow for ways to specify usage of other tools like ffmpeg and whatnot)
Nov 6, 2008
#4 jerem...@mac.com
Also looking at the command line options in re-encode.pl they could easily be grouped into:
audio
video
scaling
device

So that the user does not need to specify the entire command line if they want to override one thing.

Nov 10, 2008
Project Member #5 yoav.yer...@gmail.com
try 1.4b3..  see if you're happy with it...
Nov 14, 2008
#6 jerem...@mac.com
Wow that was a fast addition. Sorry I took awhile I was traveling on business.
Nice idea storing the command line args in a plist. I haven't looked at the apple
script code yet but I'd guess that adding a new option to the plist should also add
that option to the menu, right?

I also realized that letting users customize the presets is probably a bad idea as it
will make reproducing bugs harder. Perhaps it would be better to add the ability for
a user to create their own option sets, so the last option on the Download Format
menu would be "New..." or "Custom..." which would allow naming a new config set and
saving it to the plist.

Then one final nit, it would be nice if the video/audio/etc command line option text
entry fields were multi-line instead of single line. That makes seeing the long arg
lists easier.
Nov 17, 2008
#7 jerem...@mac.com
1.5b2 looks much better.
For an app that seems to have the conversions done right check out The Application Formerly Known as 
VisualHub:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/transcoderredux

Dec 1, 2008
#8 jerem...@mac.com
Feel free to close this bug. 1.5 works well. I'd still like the ability to save
custom profiles but that is a different enhancement.
Dec 3, 2008
Project Member #9 yoav.yer...@gmail.com
(Leaving this open since I want to look at visualhub once I get some more free time).

  However, as to 'saving' custom profiles,  read up
  https://code.google.com/p/itivo/wiki/CustomFormat

  (that file format is still going extensive changes, and each time that happens your
custom format will need updating... sadly... but it should let you 'do your thing' at
least).

Apr 13, 2009
Project Member #10 yoav.yer...@gmail.com
Ok closing this ...
Status: Fixed