I replaced the mencoder line with that for the new mencoder and get errors still:

File: /home/nylive/public_html/musictv.com/share/video/obsidian_footprints_320x240.mp4
-------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE video SET active='0' where VID=89
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Video id: 89
Calling ffmpeg-php -> ffmpeg_movie()
Get video duration - START
Get video duration - END
DURATION: 319.04
Create Thumbnail - START
Create Thumbnail - END
CONVERT COMMAND: /usr/bin/mencoder '/home/nylive/public_html/xxxxx/share/video/obsidian_footprints_320x240.mp4' -o /home/nylive/public_html/xxxxx/share/flvideo/11991211951492906496.flv\ -of lavf -oac mp3lame -lameopts abr:br=56\ -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=flv:vbitrate=500:mbd=2:mv0:trell:v4mv:cbp:l ast_pred=3 -srate 22050 -ofps 24 -vf harddup
-------------------------------------------------------------

Array
(
[0] => MEncoder 1.0rc1-3.4.6 (C) 2000-2006 MPlayer Team
[1] => CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6300 @ 1.86GHz (Family: 6, Model: 15, Stepping: 2)
[2] => CPUflags: Type: 6 MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 0 3DNow2: 0 SSE: 1 SSE2: 1
[3] => Compiled with runtime CPU detection.
[4] =>
[5] => Exiting... (error parsing command line)
)

-------------------------------------------------------------
Return value: Exiting... (error parsing command line)
File Size too small : Bytes, Upload a big video.

The host says it should all work and it is not. AS usual it WAS working just fine. This is not relative to 2.4 or 2.5 as they both broke at the same time. Is there anything could have happened when they upgraded PHP (not mencoder)?"