[mythtv-users] transcoding/exporting to xvid and winff on Mythbuntu

[F P]

Hi all,

I'm not satisfied with the quality of the xvid/divx that I obtain with
the nuvexport script.
Also the size of the file and the time to process is quite bad: 1.2GB
for a 2h movie, and ~3hours of processing time, on a dual core.
I'm using the nuvexport-xvid script, with --mencoder -nice 19.
Variable bit rate, dual pass.

Now I'm testing mythtv internal transcoder, but it's quite difficult
to make a comparison test, for it deletes the original file, after
transcoding. That's really fast, though: I've set it up to rescale it
to 480/auto, mpeg4, res 1200, high qual, 2 threads. It shrinks from
3.4GB to 750Mb in a reasonable quality, in 45min... but in a .nuv
file, with a terrible name....

So, would you please post your archiving method (internal transcode,
nuvexport.... mencoder, ffmpeg, mpeg4, rtjpeg, xvid, divix, h264....)
and settings?
My target is to reduce size, allow compatibility with players on other
PCs (also windows), play the resulting file on a TV set, not LCD.

In my serach for the right way of archiving/encoding/transcoding I've
stumbled upon winff, which seems nice and fast.
Now, I don't seem to be able to let it work on my mythbuntu 8.04.1.
I have the medibuntu repo active, and ffmpeg is the latest version
available, with xvid/divx/h264 support, I guess.
I have xvid, divx etc available and they work (in fact I can transcode
to xvid using nuvexport-xvid script).

winff stops immediatly because ffmpeg claims that "xvid" is missing
("unknown codec" if I remember correctly), or "divx" or "h264": always
failing for the same reason.
ffmpeg from the command line fails with the same messages.
Anybody knows what to do on mythbuntu to let it work? How to install
the missing codec or let ffmpeg point to the existing codecs?

Thanks
F.