mencoder + xvid worse than virtualdub + xvid

Hi,
Recently i tried to encode some VOBS and this is the
mencoder script i used


cat *.VOB | mencoder -vf
crop=720:378:0:52,scale=640:272,pp=lb -ovc xvid
-xvidencopts
bitrate=900:me_quality=6:quant_type=mpeg:gmc:trellis:chroma_opt:chroma_me:hq_ac:vhq=3:autoaspect:max_bframes=3:qpel:pass=1
 -oac mp3lame -lameopts q=3:vol=7 -  -ofps 23.96 -o
/dev/null

cat *.VOB | mencoder -vf
crop=720:378:0:52,scale=640:272,pp=lb -ovc xvid
-xvidencopts
bitrate=900:me_quality=6:quant_type=mpeg:gmc:trellis:chroma_opt:chroma_me:hq_ac:vhq=3:autoaspect:max_bframes=3:qpel:pass=2
 -oac mp3lame -lameopts q=3:vol=7 - -ofps 23.96 -o
dch.avi

I found out that virtualdub gave a better quality
video for the same filesize.I don't remember tge
settings for Virtualdub but i just followed the
doom9.org guide.Mencoder was slower than virtualdub 

Now some questions.

1)Is there any way to speed up mencoder without
affecting quality.Is it slower slow because i used
quite a lot of options for xvid like qpel,gmc?

2)Is there any xvid option i missed which would have
made a difference in quality? I tried to enable 4mv
but mencoder said it's not a valid option though TFM
said otherwise.


3)I tried running GordianKnot in wine but didn't work 
.I couldn't even open the first pass settings window
of xvid.But i can use virtualdub to cut videos etc.
Now in the archives some people have reported success
with it.Now did you have to do anything special like
changing dll settings ?I installed the full codec
pack.Was that a bad idea ? :-)

System and software info

Slackware linux 10
MPlayer 1.0pre5try2-3.4.2
Wine 20041019
Xvid 1.0.2

Regards
Manu

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