[FFmpeg-user] What is the difference between versions of ffmpeg?

[francesco scaglione]

On Sat, 4 Oct 2014 23:48:25 +0200
skyscanner at gmx.ca wrote:

> On Sat, 4 Oct 2014 22:57:32 +0200, "francesco scaglione" <scaglione.francesco at neuf.fr> wrote:
> 
> > I can assure you that following these instructions it is quite simple to compile a recent version of FFmpeg, even without experience (it was my case):
> > https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/CompilationGuide/Ubuntu
> 
> That would be true except for this:
> 
> "Compilation & Installation
> 
> You can compile ffmpeg to your liking. If you do not require certain encoders you may skip the relevant section and then remove the appropriate ./configure option in FFmpeg. For example, if libopus is not needed, then skip that section and then remove --enable-libopus from the Install FFmpeg section."
> 
> Now if only they would follow that up by saying, "If you don't know which encoders you need or how to use the configuration options, here is how to build a 'standard' version of ffmpeg...", then this page might actually be useful.  The problem is that when you offer a lot of options, people such as myself that have no clue what those options do get lost really fast.  All I want and need is a standard version that will work.
> 
> However, if someone has any idea of what they actually want and need, that seems like a pretty thorough guide.
> 
> Basically, however, the question that I think needs to be asked is this:
> 
> If I go to the download page and it sends me to http://www.deb-multimedia.org/ and I add the repository suggested (deb http://www.deb-multimedia.org wheezy main non-free) to my /etc/apt/sources.list, why is it supplying an old version?
> 
> This, I think, is the crux of the matter.  Had I received a current version from that source, we would have not had any of this discussion.

About compiling: just try with the options enabled there, why bother
for the moment?

About deb-multimedia: they have now even a wheezy-backports repository,
and there you can get a more recent version. Have a look:

http://www.deb-multimedia.org/dists/stable-backports/main/binary-amd64/package/ffmpeg

Francesco