Interest in off-topic guides/in-depth discussions?

[bitmap]

I'm curious what folks might have interest in. There are a lot of questions around topics that don't quite fit with Jellyfin specifically that members have expertise in and I've found disparate resources in a lot of spots, but never all together. For example, I just threw together a really dirty script for compiling the newest ffmpeg with all the libraries I need to do AV1 encoding with QuickSync (I think). It took me probably 20 tries, the Ubuntu documentation is wrong, I found little tidbits from like ten different sources that helped me out to craft a better script, and I put it all in one understandable script.

I can throw it on Github, but I could also share it here if there's interest.

Another topic is using ffmpeg and related tools for re-encoding media. Discussions around ffmpeg options or effective practices would be helpful for me, as I could share what I've found. I already helped (or tried) somebody with some ab-av1 information that I'd be happy to share here, as I'm learning more and more each iteration I run. I am also digging deeper into the ffmpeg abyss and trying to wrap my head around the more complex filters, options, and why certain things would be specified, if they're required, encoding vs. transcoding options, all of that.

Currently? It's all in a file on my desktop since it doesn't really serve a purpose for anybody else. But it could, if anybody else is looking to use a tool like ab-av1 or running finely-customized ffmpeg bash scripts against folders for batch encoding media files. But I'm not sure if that's a) a direction anybody wants to go in or b) something there's interest in bringing to the table.

I'd also be interested in refining what I have and possibly creating something better than what's available out there now, as Unmanic and tdarr are like a shotgun that takes a week to load and bruises your shoulder while obliterating your media if you're not 1000% precise (which is hard to do). Thoughts?

[TheDreadPirate]

I'd be interested in some ffmpeg tutorials. I'm TRYING, and failing, to come up with equivalent command line parameters and process for my Handbrake presets. Right now, I am manually recompressing my DVD/Bluray rips with Handbrake in Windows on an Nvidia GPU on one of my gaming PCs. I would like to setup some sort of cron or watch that monitors a directory and runs ffmpeg to recompress my rips. With ffmpeg parameters that are equivalent to my Handbrake presets. All of this would be on my upgraded server so I can utilize the higher quality QSV in my 12100 and not the older NVENC in my GTX 1060.

Its the ffmpeg parameter part that I am struggling with.

[bitmap]

I can 100% help with that. Handbrake is pretty rudimentary in what it does with presets and you can get the preset files in JSON to see exactly what is done -- you can actually recreate them. I run a Handbrake Docker container where I made a few presets that way which is pretty neat. If you do anything with Docker, there's a Handbrake container out there that will watch a folder and auto-process anything that drops there with whatever preset you specify.

I prefer the granularity of ffmpeg through the command line as I've learned more about it. There are so many options it's mind-boggling, but it's so flexible that every time I ask, "I wonder if I can..." there's always a way to accomplish it. Maybe I'll create an ffmpeg discussion/megathread where I can share what I've done thus far and we can open the floor for requests, questions, revisions, suggestions, all of that. I know there are Jellyfin devs who are ffmpeg experts that I would love to weigh in if they have a spare moment as well.

[TheDreadPirate]

I can 100% help with that. Handbrake is pretty rudimentary in what it does with presets and you can get the preset files in JSON to see exactly what is done -- you can actually recreate them. I run a Handbrake Docker container where I made a few presets that way which is pretty neat. If you do anything with Docker, there's a Handbrake container out there that will watch a folder and auto-process anything that drops there with whatever preset you specify.

I prefer the granularity of ffmpeg through the command line as I've learned more about it. There are so many options it's mind-boggling, but it's so flexible that every time I ask, "I wonder if I can..." there's always a way to accomplish it. Maybe I'll create an ffmpeg discussion/megathread where I can share what I've done thus far and we can open the floor for requests, questions, revisions, suggestions, all of that. I know there are Jellyfin devs who are ffmpeg experts that I would love to weigh in if they have a spare moment as well.

Make the thread.  When I get home I will share my Handbrake preset json and we can try to construct an equivalent ffmpeg command.