13.2. Selecting input file or device
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## 13.2. Selecting input file or device

MEncoder can encode from files or directly from a DVD or VCD disc. Simply include the filename on the command line to encode from a file, or `dvd://``titlenumber` or `vcd://``tracknumber` to encode from a DVD title or VCD track. If you have already copied a DVD to your hard drive (you can use a tool such as dvdbackup, available on most systems), and wish to encode from the copy, you should still use the `dvd://` syntax, along with `-dvd-device` followed by the path to the copied DVD root. The `-dvd-device` and `-cdrom-device` options can also be used to override the paths to the device nodes for reading directly from disc, if the defaults of `/dev/dvd` and `/dev/cdrom` do not work on your system.

When encoding from DVD, it is often desirable to select a chapter or range of chapters to encode. You can use the `-chapter` option for this purpose. For example, `-chapter` `1-4` will only encode chapters 1 through 4 from the DVD. This is especially useful if you will be making a 1400 MB encode targetted for two CDs, since you can ensure the split occurs exactly at a chapter boundary rather than in the middle of a scene.

If you have a supported TV capture card, you can also encode from the TV-in device. Use `tv://``channelnumber` as the filename, and `-tv` to configure various capture settings. DVB input works similarly.

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