[MPlayer-users] mencoder: encoding with very low bitrate

[Gejzir]

I am trying to encode a stream from a tv-card source with a very low 
bitrate  (e.g. <300kb/s).  The goal is to create as small a file as 
possible (still viewable of course).  The problem I have, is that even 
if I set the bitrate very low, it does not seem to affect the file 
size.  I read that raising vqmax would help, but that didn't change 
anything. It is almost as though some option specifies a minimum 
quality and the encoding won't go below that (vbitrate=4 to 
vbitrate=500 gives same filesize :( )   Anyone have any ideas?  Aiming 
at a filesize of about 6MB/min.. Am I missing something basic? :( 
 
Gejzir 
 
---- sample command I have been using: 
mencoder -tv 
on:fps=25:freq=175.250:width=320:height=240:device=/dev/video0:driver=v4l:amode=0:alsa 
-vop lavcdeint,denoise3d=4:3:6 -oac mp3lame -lameopts 
abr:br=16:preset=16:mode=3 -ovc lavc -lavcopts 
vcodec=mpeg4:vbitrate=100:keyint=500:vhq:vqmax=31 -o tvcapture.avi