FFmpeg vs. MEncoder
FFmpeg is a free software, open source project. It creates libraries and programs that are designed specifically to handle multimedia data. It publishes these libraries and programs under the GNU Lesser General Public License (also commonly known as the GNU General Public License, depending on which options are available to the user). There are a few features of the FFmpeg that are more notable than others. These include the libavcodec, which is an audio and video codec library (several other projects use this code); the libavformat, which is an audio and video container mux and demux library (meaning a library that contains multiplexers and demultiplexers – devices that reveres multiplexing); and the ffmpeg command line program, which is used to transcode multimedia files.
MEncoder is a free command line tool used specifically to decode, encode and filter files. As with the FFmepg, it was released under the GNU General Public License. It is closely related to the MPlayer – it is able to convert all the various types of media format that the MPlayer can read into a plethora of both compressed and uncompressed formats. It accomplishes this conversion by using a variety of codecs. MEncoder also comes standard in the distribution package of MPlayer.
FFmpeg is comprised of a plethora of features and components. These components include, but are not limited to, ffmpeg, which is a command line tool that is used to convert one video file format into another (it also has the ability to grab and encode in real time from a TV card); ffserver, which is an HTTP and RTSP multimedia streaming server used specifically for live broadcasts (it also has the capability of time shifting live broadcasts); ffprobe, which is a command line tool used to show information; libavutil, which is what is known as a helper library that contains routines that are common to different parts of FFmpeg (it includes adler32, crc, md5, sha1, lzo decompressor, Base64, encoder/decoder, des encrypter/decrypter, and aes encrypter/decrypter); and libavfilter, which is used as the substitute for vhook, allowing the video to be modified or examined between the decoder and the encoder.
MEncoder comes with a wide variety of capabilities. It has the ability to read from every source which MPlayer can read. It can also decode all media which MPlayer is capable of decoding, as well as support all filters that MPlayer is able to use. MEncoder also makes it possible to copy unmodified audio and/or video into the output file in order to avoid losing quality as a result of re-encoding. MEncoder includes the same wide variety of highly configurable video and audio filters, which are used to transform the video and audio stream (cropping, scaling, vertical flipping, and Gamma correction, to name a few).
Summary:
1. FFmpeg is an open source project that creates libraries and programs that handle multimedia data; MEncoder is a command line tool that decodes, encodes, and filters files.
2. FFmpeg is comprised of many components including ffmpeg, ffserver, and libavfilter; MEncoder has a variety of capabilities including copying unmodified audio and/or video into the output file.