Universal Media Server | Forum

Just updated to the latest 5.0 stable build and am wondering which video files engine to use? I currently have (in descending order) MEncoder, AviSynth/MEncoder, tsMuxeR, FFmpeg, AviSynth/FFmpeg and VLC. I haven't changed my changed my config file or done a clean install so I'm not sure if what I'm using is the default (i.e. best) or that I'm just using an old configuration. I haven't really had any problems using MEncoder but I've heard FFmpeg is the way to go. Should I stick with my configuration or maybe move FFmpeg to the top and use that engine? Thanks.

Some time FFMpeg is used as a primary engine (in past it was MEncoder). So FFMpeg should be prefered for majority of your videos.
If you will stay with your custom options (no clean install), you can have some compatibility or performance problems.
E.g. some default settings changed from true to false or vice versa. Also transcoding was changed from faster but with higher bandwidth MPEG2 to H264 which is not capable to realtime transcode with MEncoder but it can be possible with faster FFMpeg
The best way is clean install and additionally make custom changes to configuration like adding shared folders, changing audio/sub preference etc... (so backup your old conf files )

It also depends if you use subtitles a lot. I notice that MEncoder is better at complex .ass subtitles (and absolutely necessary for embedded fonts), but FFmpeg better at .srt. FFmpeg is fine with simple .ass subs without complex overlays and stuff.

Because of that there is "Defer to MEncoder" option when loading subtitles...

I am well aware of that, but the problem for me is that no one engine does everything the best. UMS already defaults to MEncoder for embedded fonts. But I have a mixture of .ass and .srt subs so no one engine tops it for me right now as they both have their own issues.

Any subtitles I do use are usually in the .srt format so ffmpeg shouldn't be a problem if I do a clean install. Try it and see how it goes. Thanks!

Since someone else brought up the differs between the two decoders...which is best for sound? My receiver (yamaha) shows 7.1 through the ps3 (is that correct?) no matter which encoder is chosen. My pc is pretty robust, so which one gives the best surround?