What is the purpose of using mencoder to convert png images to a video in PHP?

When converting png images to a video in PHP, mencoder can be used to efficiently encode the images into a video format. This allows for seamless playback and sharing of the images in a video format. By using mencoder, you can easily convert a series of png images into a video file with specified parameters such as frame rate and output format.

<?php
// Path to mencoder executable
$mencoder_path = '/usr/bin/mencoder';

// Input directory containing png images
$input_directory = '/path/to/input/directory/';

// Output video file
$output_video = '/path/to/output/video.avi';

// Frame rate for the video
$frame_rate = 24;

// Execute mencoder command to convert png images to video
exec("$mencoder_path mf://$input_directory/*.png -mf fps=$frame_rate:type=png -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4 -o $output_video");
?>