Kdenlive Custom FFmpeg Options: Deciphering the Code

When looking up the ffmpeg help, you'll often come across a set of parameters that can seem like a foreign language. However, with this worked example, we'll demonstrate how to understand these parameters using the ffmpeg documentation.

The render profile parameters in Kdenlive derive from the ffmpeg program and are used to define the settings for your video rendering. In earlier versions of Kdenlive, the parameters were relatively straightforward, but with newer versions, it can be more challenging to decipher what each parameter means.

One way to understand these parameters is by examining the preset files found at /usr/share/mlt/presets/consumer/avformat/. These simple text files contain the melt parameters that define the rendering. Note that you reference presets found in subdirectories of this folder using a / syntax, as shown in the example above.

For instance, if you reference a property preset file named 'H.264' located at /usr/share/mlt/presets/consumer/avformat/lossless, the referenced render settings in Kdenlive will be referencing presets found at /usr/share/mlt/presets/consumer/avformat/. In this example, the render profile is referencing lossless/H.264.

The presets are referenced by the properties= syntax in Kdenlive. With version 0.9.10 of Kdenlive, the render profile parameters changed significantly, introducing a new level of complexity to understanding these settings.

To make sense of these changes, it's essential to consult the melt documentation, which provides information on property presets delivered by the melt project. By doing so, you'll gain a better understanding of how to use these custom ffmpeg options in Kdenlive to achieve optimal video rendering results.

Kdenlive custom ffmpeg options