What is the bpp-value ?

  This is copied from the file DOCS/tech/encoding-tips.txt in the MPlayer-
  source directory:
  
          $videobitrate * 1024       
  $bpp = -----------------------
         $width * $height * $fps


What bpp-value should I use ?

  This is copied from the file DOCS/tech/encoding-tips.txt in the MPlayer-
  source directory:

  < 0.10: don't do it. Please. I beg you!
  < 0.15: It will look bad.
  < 0.20: You will notice blocks, but it will look ok.
  < 0.25: It will look really good.
  > 0.25: It won't really improve visually.
  > 0.30: Don't do that either - try a bigger resolution instead.


What is matroska ? I have heard it is a "container format" ? What's that ?

  A container format allows you to combine different multimedia streams
  (most of the time Audio and video) into one single file. Multimedia
  containers are for example the well known AVI (.avi), MPEG (.mpg, .mpeg),
  OGM (.ogm), MP4 (.mp4) or Realmedia (.rm, .rmvb)

  The matroska project is a free, opensource container format, aiming to be
  able to offer a lot of advanced features, which older formats like AVI
  can't handle, on an extensible basis. Matroska supports for example the
  storage of Variable Bitrate audio content (VBR) without any hassles,
  Variable Framerates (VFR), Chapters, attachment of files, Error Detection
  (EDC) and modern A/V Codecs like "Advanced Audio Coding" (AAC), "Ogg
  Vorbis" or "Realvideo 9" (RV9), all things AVI can't handle.

  (This text is copied from the "Matroska FAQ" <http://forum.doom9.org> 
  Forum: New AV/Formats - Containers)


Which deinterlacing-Filter should i use ?

  I don't know, but there are really interesting informations/pictures at
  <http://home.knuut.de/MWieser_/vf_raw_ntv_3/>.
  
  
I don't like your encoding-options. How can I change them ?

  feel free to change them in the file queuehandler.sh:

  ...
  case "$vcodec" in
    "lavc")
      local vopts="-ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:vhq:vbitrate=$br_video\
      :vqmin=$min_q:vqmax=$max_q:vpass=$pass -sws 2"
      ;;
    "xvid")
      local vopts="-ovc xvid -xvidencopts bitrate=$br_video:me_quality=6:\
      pass=$pass -sws 2"
      ;;
    "divx4")
      local vopts="-ovc divx4 -divx4opts br=$br_video:q=5:min_quant=$min_q\
      :max_quant=$max_q:pass=$pass -sws 2"
      ;;
   ...


The resulting file-size is smaller then the requested. What's the reason ?

  I am using the abr-mode of lame. The resulting audio-bitrate should be
  smaller then the requested. You can use vbr or cbr mode (see lame &
  mplayer manpage), but then you will get less audio quality.


I couldn't add the movie to the queue. What's wrong ?

  You can only add the movie to the queuefile, if the cursor isn't on the
  FileName dialog.


What does the fields in the file queue.vdrrip mean ? 

  e.g.: /video/%Irgendwie_und_Sowieso/2003-09-11.21:43.50.50.rec/001.vdr;
        Irgendwie_und_Sowieso;350;1;lavc;896;2;15;712;568;0;4;496;360;
	lame;96;0;lb;1;avi;1

  /video/.../001.vdr:    path of the first vdr-file
  Irgendwie_und_Sowieso: name of the encoded movie
  350:                   filesize of one file
  1:                     number of resulting Files
  lavc:                  video codec
  896:                   video bitrate
  2:                     min quantizer
  15:                    max quantizer
  712:                   crop width
  568:                   crop height
  0:                     crop pos x
  4:                     crop pos y
  496:                   scale width
  360:                   scale height
  lame:                  audio codec
  96:                    audio bitrate
  0:                     audio id
  lb:                    postprocess-setting(s)
  1:                     rename vdr-dir after encoding (0: don't rename)
  avi:                   container-format
  1:                     encode only preview (0: encode all)


Is it possible to do the real encoding process on an other machine within
a network ?

  Yes, it is !
  
  First you have to mount two directories (e.g. nfs) on the other machine:

  - /video* to the same mountpoint to access the vdr-files. Read-only is
    enough, if you didn't set the parameter "rename after encoding" to
    "yes" in the setup-menu.
  - /<vdr-config-dir>/plugins to a arbitary mountpoint (read-write),
    because there are the nessecary files queue.vdrrip, lock.vdrrip and
    encode.vdrrip.

  Then you only have to install mplayer/mencoder with all needed codecs and
  container-tools, and copy the queuehandler (/scripts/queuehandler.sh &
  /scripts/queuehandler.sh.conf) and perhaps vdrsync.pl to e.g.
  /usr/local/bin. See the table in the file INSTALL for further
  informations.


Why do I get the error "Can't open main ifo from dvd !" or "Can't open
ifo x !" if I try to encode a DVD ?

  Probably the DVD is encrypted. Copying encrypted DVD's is illegal in many
  countries. Don't send any questions regarding encrypted DVD's.