Synopsis: Using MEGui to convert any DirectShow compatible video source to H246 (MPEG-4). With this guide you will be able to convert AVI, DVD, Blue-Ray, HD-DVD, Real Media, or any other video source that can be played via the DirectShow interface (the file plays in Windows Media Player). All of the tools listed here are open source or freeware.
Tools Needed:
MEGui (
http://sourceforge.net/projects/megui )
Note: there are many sub tools that are loaded under MEGui. Those tools are downloaded automatically the first time you launch MEGui.
Suggested Tools:
FFDShow
Haali Media Splitter
Media Player Classic
VirtualDubMod (for AVI Sources)
Note: If you are having difficulty reading your source files due to codec issues, you can try demuxing your source file using TsRemux. This can be useful if you want to grab a specific audio track from an HD source.