Video Encoding

Windows

Nice Linux tools

Avidemux (simple cutting+converting)
Kdenlive (joining multiple video/audio tracks)
WinFF frontend for the encoder FFmpeg
gkt-recordmydesktop (videoformat=ogv ; problems recording an applications sound output)

ffmpeg

convert gif to mp3

from [1]

ffmpeg -y -i myanimation.gif -movflags faststart -pix_fmt yuv420p -vf "scale=trunc(iw/2)*2:trunc(ih/2)*2" myvideo.mp4

H.264 codec

you need this packages

libavcodec-unstripped-52
libavdevice-unstripped-52
libavfilter-unstripped-0
libavformat-unstripped-52
libavutil-unstripped-49
libpostproc-unstripped-51
libswscale-unstripped-0

(or newer versions)

ogv -> H.264

1. Win FF is a frontend for FFmpeg useful parameters:

-f mp4 -vcodec libx264 -acodec libfaac -ac 2

2. ffmpeg by hand (bitrate: -b)

ffmpeg -i input.avi -f mp4 -vcodec libx264 -acodec libfaac -ac 2 -b 1000k output.mp4

3. mencoder input.ogm -ovc xvid -oac mp3lame -xvidencopts pass=1 -o output.avi (without -oac mp3lame for no sound)

Kdenlive

no h.264 output

[2] to overcome this problem, one can add other rendering profiles:

1) click on one of the predefined rendering profiles in the H.264 group
2) click the 'Create new profile' button
3) Give it a name, and replace acodec=libfaac to acodec=libmp3lame
This will then render with mp3+h264

Making a screengrab using Kdenlive

[3]

gtk-recordmydesktop can be used to record a desktop video in ogv format.

in order to edit this usind kdenlive create a custom profile: (Settings -> Manage Project Profiles) set the parameters to the ones of the video Use this new Profile for your Project.

Audio to Mono

ac=1 for mono
ab=64k
ar=44100