Forum Archive Home -> Advanced Video Conversion -> H.264 TS files created using HD PVR to MKV.
| H.264 TS files created using HD PVR to MKV. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 21 18:56 | ||||||
Ok, I just purchased an HD-PVR and it captures great quality via component cables but I can't figure out how to encode them to a .mkv file for personal use and to save space. I tried using DGMPGDEC152 to demux the file but I get this error.
I read posts her etelling me to demux it using DGIndex, then create a .avs file and then use mpegui to encode but I can't get past the first step. I also tried AutoMKV and get the same error. I tried Staxrip as well and I get a window called StaxRip - Log with the info in it and it has 3 options Jobs, Pause, and Abort. It also just stays at this screen.
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| Soopafresh posted 2008 Aug 21 18:58 | ||||||
| http://forum.videohelp.com/topic331451.html | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 21 19:09 | ||||||
I saw that already and I installed Haali Media Splitter and I can't find the program in the screenshot below. I'm also trying to convert the stuff to 29.970 or 23.976 like the MKV files I have .
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| Soopafresh posted 2008 Aug 21 19:49 | ||||||
This is it. To actually convert the file to a different size and FPS rate, try AutoMKV
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| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 21 20:17 | ||||||
| Alright, I got it converted to .mkv. Now I open AutoMKV and do what? | ||||||
| Soopafresh posted 2008 Aug 21 22:32 | ||||||
| You have 2 or 3 options:
1) Just straight remux the TS file to MKV with gdsmux. All the file properties are the same as the TS source 2) Feed the TS file to AutoMKV and configure it to whatever output format you want. Rename the extension from .TS to .M2TS if you get an error from AutoMKV 3) Leave the file alone and keep it at the glorious 720p settings it's already in. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 21 23:04 | ||||||
| I renamed the file and still got the same error. Is there a guide to converting .ts files to .mkv and editing out commercials and making it 29.97fps or 23.976fps? | ||||||
| t0nee1 posted 2008 Aug 21 23:34 | ||||||
| Try with XviD4PSP...don't let the name fool you. No commercial editing,but should be able to handle your TS>MKV conversion or other output formats....... | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Aug 21 23:43 | ||||||
| I edit my HD PVR TS files with h264ts_cutter.
I don't normally use MKV but to remux into MKV: Dumux the TS file with tsMuxerGUI then mux the two into an MKV file with MkvMerge (mmg.exe, included in MKVToolnix). Be sure to set the frame rate after adding the h.264 file to MkvMerge. For IVTC or frame rate conversion I use DgAvcIndex, AviSynth (AvcSource()), and VirtualDub. If you want MKV you'll want to use something other than VirtualDub. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 22 09:46 | ||||||
Ok, I get this error in H264TS Cutter.
How do I set the bitrate for audio and video in mkvmerge? Also, I get this error in DGAVCIndex. | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Aug 22 09:52 | ||||||
You can't. Mkvmerge just places things into the .mkv container. You have to re-encode if you want to specify a bitrate or filesize. If so, then use jagabo's suggestions. Avisynth + DGAVCdec works on these clips. Another option is avisynth using DirectShowSource() which also confirmed to work. To edit visually you could use AvsP, and use Trim() to cut out commercials, etc., then feed it into an encoder. You would have to learn to use avisynth and basic scripting, but it's not that tough after after using it for a bit. Your initial post mentioned DGMPGdec, which is for MPEG sources. DGAVCdec is for AVC sources, such as the HD PVR. If you chose this route, use Treat I as IDR setting (explained in the DGAVCdec user manual) | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Aug 22 10:05 | ||||||
In h264ts_cutter you have to mark segments you want to keep (Start and End buttons) then Add them to the cut list. When done, press the Cut button. The sections in the cut list will be saved to a new file.
I think you ran DgIndex, not DgAvcIndex. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 22 10:48 | ||||||
| Ok, I tried DGAVCIndex and don't get that error. In H264TS Cutter, I got it working but I want the frames I select to be the ones I'm deleting not the ones I'm using because then I would have to make a bunch of .ts files and merge them. By the way, how do I make a avisynth file with the demuxed file from DGAVCIndex? | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Aug 22 10:56 | ||||||
The program will automatically save all the cuts in the list as a single TS file. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 22 11:02 | ||||||
| Alright cool, but how do I get get the avisynth script with the demuxed file in DGAVCIndex then load it in megui? | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Aug 22 12:25 | ||||||
AviSynth uses text scripts. You can create scripts with any text editor like Notepad. Name your script with the extension .AVS. The simplest script will look like:
filename.dga is the name of the index file saved by DgAvcIndex. Then you open the AVS script with your encoder. Not all encoders support AVS scripts. I don't know about megui. | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Aug 22 12:29 | ||||||
| I'm assuming you've edited with h264cutter, and are using DGAVCdec on the edited .ts
If you read the quickstart manual for dgavcdec (it's less than 1 page long), all you have to do is something like this: (you need avisynth, ffdshow, haali media splitter installed) LoadPlugin("c:\PATH\DGAVCDecode.dll") AVCSource("c:\PATH\FILE.dga") (of course, you have to specify the correct paths&filenames) You may want to deinterlace if it is interlaced To IVTC, you can use TDecimate() For the audio part, you need a script that serves your edited .ts file. You can use nicac3source() if it's AC3 audio. You could also use DirectShowSource("C:\PATH\FILE.ts", video=false) and plug that into the audio portion. If you are using MeGUI, it does audio & video separately, so you don't need audiodub(video,audio) Cheers | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 22 14:18 | ||||||
Ok, the audio is AAC and I want to open it up in VirtualDub and MeGUI. I have this in my AVS file so far.
It opens up in Virtualdub but no sound. | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Aug 22 14:34 | ||||||
| AVCSource only specifies video, like i said earlier, you need to specify sound separately or use a script that does both.
VDub and MeGUI handle audio & video differently. You need it together for Vdub, and separate for MeGUI You are missing the path for AVCSource If you have 59.94 progressive (the other recording mode), then use SelectEven().Decimate(5) | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 22 14:35 | ||||||
| Ok, but I can't load my audio in virtualdub because it's .aac and megui gives me errors when trying to encode. | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Aug 22 14:37 | ||||||
| The easiest way is just to use a simple script that specifies both. This is method#1 (doesn't need DGAVCdec)
DirectShowSource("C:\PATH\FILE.TS",fps=59.97,convertfps=true,audio=true) SelectEven().Decimate(5) This script specifies both video & audio, but you still have to enter the video & audio separately in each section in MeGUI, but you can use the same script. AAC has to be enabled in the ffdshow audio configuration for either method. You may need the directshow input driver for vdub. For MeGUI, you have to setup the proper paths in the configuration before you start. There are several guides around (hit the guides button when you hit MeGUI in the tools section)
Fix your path if you are using DGAVCdec. You also have to specify audio if you are using this method, I gave a suggestion in an earlier post. This is method #2 (using DGAVCdec) LoadPlugin("c:\PATH\DGAVCDecode.dll") video=AVCSource("c:\PATH\FILE.dga").SelectEven().Decimate(5) audio=DirectShowSource("c:\PATH\FILE.ts",video=false) Audiodub(video,audio) If you want more help, be more specific on the errors that you're getting | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 22 16:22 | ||||||
| Alright, I'm set now. Thanks for all the help.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/s0pmex - Sample of my first MKV encode. I know I forgot to crop and define a language in audio but it's great. | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Aug 22 17:02 | ||||||
If the AVS script is in the same folder as the DGA file you don't need to specify the full path. | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Aug 22 17:05 | ||||||
Every fifth frame is a duplicate. Since it is a film source it should have been converted to 23.976 fps instead of 29.97. | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Aug 22 17:55 | ||||||
| Thanks jagabo, I never knew you didn't need the full path
I just noticed my typo fps=59.97 should have been 59.94 (if you used the 1st method), but I don't think that could explain the 29.97 (should have given 23.988) You could also do the framerate conversion this way (or use DirectShowSource instead of AVCSource): LoadPlugin("C:\PATH\DGAVCDecode.dll") video=AVCSource("C:\PATH\FILE.dga") Loadplugin("C:\PATH\TIVTC.dll") video=ChangeFPS(video,29.97).TDecimate() | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 22 17:56 | ||||||
How can I tell? | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Aug 22 17:57 | ||||||
| You can use mediainfo | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 22 18:06 | ||||||
| I don't see anything in media info that tells me that. | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Aug 22 18:08 | ||||||
| in mediainfo view=>text
I'm uncertain how you got 29.97, if you used the .avs scripts above, unless you specified the wrong fps while merging a raw .264 video in mkvmerge, or you forgot to decimate | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Aug 22 18:26 | ||||||
| I suspect he didn't have the Decimate() filter so he left it out. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 22 18:40 | ||||||
| Ok, I figured out how to tell if it's 23.976 or not, I open the avs file in virtualdub and if I see repeated frames like above then I'll do 23.976. Here's a sample of properly encoded files I did.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/dmu3y6 | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Aug 22 19:12 | ||||||
| Yes, when frames alternate between being displayed twice and three times (in a 59.94 fps video) you have a film source.
The new videos looked much better. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 22 19:23 | ||||||
| Ok, I have one more problem. I used H.264 TS Cutter and the ts files made using that won't open in DGAVCIndex, it acts weird.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/z8eidg - Watch this and you'll see what I mean. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 22 21:09 | ||||||
Sorry to double post but never mind about the problem above. I'm just going to use this method for .avs files created by H264 TS Cutter.
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| poisondeathray posted 2008 Aug 22 21:25 | ||||||
| Just an fyi, the h264ts_cutter can sometimes cause errors on the cut sites - it's not perfect. You will notice this if you edit a more than few clips, and see pixellation and distortion. This observation is not limited to just HD PVR clips, but many kinds of h264 video sources. This occurs despite using the various options & settings in h264ts_cutter.
Since you are re-encoding anyway, I might suggest you use avisynth to do all the cutting as well. This will be frame accurate and perfect. You can use AvsP to visualize the cut frame# and use Trim() to denote the segments to keep. For example, Trim(0,100)+Trim(200,300)+Trim(400,500) In this 500 frame example, 101-199, 301-399 are frames that are cut out (e.g. they might be commercials) Theoretically, DGAVCdec should give you more consistent quality results (with all AVC sources), but I haven't noticed any differences between either method with extensive testing. The only thing to remember is to keep your filter chain clean when using DirectShowSource (e.g. any ffdshow filters in playback etc... will get carried over to your encode) | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 22 21:51 | ||||||
| AvsP is awesome, now I can encode PDTV in MKV. Look at the samples below.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/95ipki | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 22 23:43 | ||||||
| Ok, now my avisynth scripts make the video desynced and I know the ts isn't desynced because I played it in several media players and it's fine.
DirectShowSource("boo2.ts",fps=59.94,convertfps=true,audio=true) SelectEven() Crop(0, 8, -4, -0) LanczosResize(1280,720) | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Aug 23 08:57 | ||||||
| More detail please, describe "desync"? is it a constant delay (like 1 sec all the way through), or a worsening delay (i.e. different audio & video lengths). You can also use mediainfo to check durations of audio & video. Or is the problem something else?
Is the only difference using DirectShowSource() between this encode and previous encodes? Do both conversions through vdub and MeGUI cause the "desync" You aren't decimating with that script, you are just selecting every 2nd frame, so you might still have the repeated frame (fps 29.97, not 23.976) | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 23 12:06 | ||||||
| Well, I fixed the problem now by exporting the audio in megui. Virtualdub and AVISynth Trimming cause it to desync. I'm just going to export my audio in megui now and use H264 TS Cutter to cut out commercials. | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Aug 23 13:26 | ||||||
| I find DirectShowSource() is more prone to A/V sync errors (than AvcSource() or MPEG2Source()) when you start trimming video. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 23 13:36 | ||||||
I get a lot of A/V sync errors when I trim it with AvsP but it's fine when I use H264 TS Cutter. | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Aug 23 14:16 | ||||||
| The guys at Doom9 stay away from DirectShowSource(), probably for good reason. I've done many tests (AvcSource vs. DirectShowSource vs. FFMpegSource) to see if some claims might be true, but I haven't been able to duplicate the problems that people experience. I've narrowed it down to conflicting filters/plugins - if you keep your filter chain clean, it seems to give identical results - at least on my test systems. I usually use DirectShowSource more often because it's a couple steps easier. I'm waiting for the day that it will fail me, but at least there are alternative methods to fall back on.
I'm wondering if there's an alternative for specifing AAC audio instead of DirectShowSource (an analog to NicAC3Source for AC3)? I guess if you edit with H264_TScutter beforehand and use DGAVCdec to demux audio - it doesn't matter. As I said earlier my problem with H264_TScutter is the occasional bad cut and pixellation with it, despite playing with the various settings/options. Well at least everyone has figured out a way that works for them :) | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 23 15:52 | ||||||
| Yeah, H264 TS Cutter doesn't give me any problems at all. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 24 01:12 | ||||||
Ok, I take that back because I've realized H264 TS Cutter repeats the first set of frames. Any other way of cutting .ts files? I've tried ProjectX but I get this stupid error.
 | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Aug 24 06:55 | ||||||
| At this point in time h264ts_cutter is the only program I've found that can edit HD PVR TS files without reencoding. Unfortunately, the author of the program no longer supports it so there won't be any updates. There are some other non-reencoding editors in the works but none of them is available yet. | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Aug 24 09:39 | ||||||
| ProjectX hasn't been updated in a few years, it only works for MPEG2 .ts streams, not the AVC variety
Avidemux can process some AVC .ts streams without re-encoding, but cuts are on keyframes only. The new version in the works is supposed to improve on this The only consistently reliable frame accurate way (at least on my systems) is using avisynth - but then you have to re-encode. I've never experienced the sync issues mentioned, maybe something is different in our settings or configurations? | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Aug 24 10:05 | ||||||
| AviDemux doesn't work the the HD PVR's TS files at all. It crashes when opening them. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Aug 24 15:43 | ||||||
| Basically, I simplify just want to encode my tv shows recorded with HD PVR to MKV and AVI for my friends and family with no commercials. I don't think that's too much to ask for but I need seem to have a difficult time doing it. | ||||||
| Coma posted 2008 Aug 26 12:15 | ||||||
| Update DGAVC to the latest version then go to Options and click Treat I as IDR then load your Hauppauge TS. | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Aug 26 12:25 | ||||||
You have to exit DgAvcIndex after making that change, then restart it for the change to take effect. | ||||||
| Coma posted 2008 Aug 30 00:46 | ||||||
| Works for me without restarting. | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Aug 30 06:45 | ||||||
| Oh, with the current version, if you have a video already opened you have to close it (or exit and restart). If you haven't yet opened a video you can just change the setting then open your video.
I think the first version with I-as-IDR support required a restart all the time. Or maybe I'm just remembering incorrectly. | ||||||
| Coma posted 2008 Aug 30 13:16 | ||||||
| I think you always had to change it before loading the video.
I'm pretty sure I remember correctly since I supplied the HD PVR sample which led to this feature being added :3 | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 01 09:33 | ||||||
| HD-PVR files are highly uneditable. If I use Optical audio, will it be any better and easier to edit and will the audio files be ac3 instead of aac? I wouldn't mind converting to mpeg2 either since H.264 is such a hassle to edit with right now. I tried HDTVtoMPEG2 and it just crashes. | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Sep 01 09:50 | ||||||
No.
Not until Hauppauge releases a software update that supports Ac3 (apparently in the works).
DgAvcIndex + AviSynth + HcEnc. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 01 11:25 | ||||||
| Ok, I have HcEnc, what do I do now? | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Sep 01 11:43 | ||||||
If you are using the HCenc GUI, just input your .avs, configure your settings and push encode. You will not be happy about the filesize, MPEG2 needs probably 3-4x bitrate to get the same quality as AVC I just wanted to add that the h264_TScutter pixellation/corruption experienced at times that I mentioned earlier is due to faulty ffdshow decoding. DGAVCdec current uses the same libavcodec library as ffdshow so it to is subject to this same corruption. Apparently Donald Graft is working on alternate methods of decoding for DGAVCdec, and awaiting a fix for PAFF support in ffdshow If you disable h264 in ffdshow and have coreavc pro installed as the decoder, directshowsource() works for AVC and doesn't seem to have this corruped frames issue. h264_TScutter also works in this configuration (since it uses directshow) without the corruption (at least I can't seem reproduce it anymore). You can check to make sure coreavc is in fact the decoder by using graphstudio/graphedit. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 01 12:52 | ||||||
| I don't care about the file size as long as the mpeg2 file keeps the quality as AVC and there are no a/v sync issues. That's the reason why I want to put it on mpeg2 is because of a/v sync issues. Also, what script should I use for the avs file into HcEnc? | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Sep 01 13:08 | ||||||
| AvcSource("filename.dga") | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 01 15:45 | ||||||
What about audio? Also, I get an error.
 | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Sep 01 17:02 | ||||||
| It's telling you the DgAvcIndex.exe and DgAvcDecode.dll are different versions. Did you download the package, copy DgAvcDecode.dll to your AviSynth plugins folder and run the DgAvcIndex.exe from the same download?
You have to handle audio separately. Convert it to AC3 or WAV and mux it with the MPEG video. Note the audio delay in the AAC filename created by DgAvcIndex. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 01 23:52 | ||||||
| What do I use to convert it to ac3 or wav? | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Sep 02 08:47 | ||||||
| You can use any audio conversion program that accepts AAC. e.g. belight, besweet, behappy, foobar2000, avidemux... there's about a dozen more if you check the tools section.
Since you're already familiar with MeGUI, you can use the audio component. If you used DGAVCdec for the demux, and open the AAC file directly, it should automatically enter the delay. It also accepts .avs scripts, and there were instructions a few pages back. Select AC3 Aften to convert to AC3 | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 02 11:49 | ||||||
| Avidemux can't open AAC files, megui gives me an error when trying to convert, besweet can't open aac files, belight crashes when I start converting, foobar2000 doesn't convert to AC3, and BeHappy gives me an error. This is why Hauppauge needs to make it encode in AC3 and I could use NicAC3Source. | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Sep 02 12:02 | ||||||
| Open your TS file with VirtualDubMod using the DirectShowSource AviSynth template. Select Streams -> Stream list. Click on the audio stream and select Save WAV.
You can also enable Audio -> Full Processing Mode and use AC3 compression. But you'll end up with a WAV file with AC3 compressed audio inside. I don't know if your downstream software will accept that. I didn't think this would work but I tried it and it did: After opening the TS file via DirectShowSource in VirtualDubMod, enable Audio -> Full Processing Mode, select Audio -> Compression, hilite AC3-ACM Codec (or whatever AC3 encoder you have), selectthe AC3 parameters, press OK to get back to the Streams dialog, then press Demux. You'll get an AC3 elementary stream. | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Sep 02 12:22 | ||||||
| This shouldn't be this difficult...
MeGUI works, i just tested it, both on native demuxed AAC, and with .avs script using DirectShowSource(). You probably don't have the program paths set, or it's a Vista problem foobar2000 works, I just tested it. You probably don't have the AC3 plugin, or it's a Vista problem Belight, BeSweet and BeHappy all work. I just tested them. You probably didn't use it correctly, or it's a Vista problem If you outline your specific steps and give more information on the specifc error given, perhaps we can figure out where you went wrong... Good luck | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 02 13:16 | ||||||
| If there another program I can capture using? The ArcSoft crap is junk and uses a lot more resources than it should. I'm thinking about trying MythTv with the HD-PVR, it worked great when I had my PVR-150 MCE-Kit set-up before. | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Sep 02 13:33 | ||||||
| If your graphics card has hardware h.264 acceleration Arcsoft only consumes about 1 or 2 percent of the CPU. I usually capture with GraphEdit as described here: http://blog.arogan.com/2008/06/hauppauge-hd-pvr-model-1212.html
I believe all the PVR software vendors (except Windows MCE, of course) have added support for the HD PVR -- at least in beta form. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 02 14:11 | ||||||
| http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130293 - This is my video card, I've had it for a year now. I'll try GraphEdit sometime tonight after my homework is done. Check my profile for details on my system. I built this system a little over a year ago for under 350 except for the extra hard drives that were on my previous system and I doubled the ram a few months ago. | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Sep 02 18:25 | ||||||
| The 8500 GT has hardware h.264 decoding. Be sure you have the option enabled and recent WHQL certified drivers.
The capture module doesn't have an option, I guess it just automatically detects it. ArcSoft's player does have an explicit option. From the Setup dialog select the Video tab and make sure Enable Hardware Acceleration is ticked. Try playing a video -- cpu usage should be minimal. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 02 20:15 | ||||||
| Can I see a screenshot of where to find it? What are the adventures of capturing with GraphEdit? | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Sep 02 20:32 | ||||||
| I can't provide a screen shot -- Arcsoft Total Media Theater disables the print screen key when it's running. Press the little wrench button at the bottom of the window to bring up the Setup dialog. Go to the Video tab. Hardware acceleration is at the top of the page.
I already gave you a link to a page with instructions for capturing with GraphEdit. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 03 19:44 | ||||||
| I'm using ArcSoft Total Media Extreme. | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Sep 03 21:13 | ||||||
| Total Media Extreme is the name of the package. When you are capturing you are using Arcsoft Capture Module. When watching videos you are using Total Media Theater. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 05 19:26 | ||||||
| It won't open. I click on it in Total Media Extreme and nothing happens. | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Sep 05 19:43 | ||||||
| By "click on it" I'm guessing you mean the Play Video button that brings up Total Media Theater -- then something is wrong with your setup. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 05 20:08 | ||||||
| I re-installed it and same problem. Also, have you managed to get the IR Blaster working in HD-PVR? I'm going to try BeyondTv. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 05 20:52 | ||||||
| Beyond Tv on my computer performs like a 500MHz Celeron trying to play 1080p movies. It is the slowest program I have ever used, I would try MythTv (I've used MythTv in the past for PVR-150 and performance is great compared to all the paid Windows PVR software.) but I only have one dual-core system so I have to use Windows. | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Sep 05 21:09 | ||||||
| Never used Beyond TV. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 05 22:13 | ||||||
| Don't, it's super slow and I also can't seem to figure out GraphEdit. Is there a simpler guide to setting it up? If you're looking for good PVR software and you have a spare computer, go with MythTv. The performance blows away any Windows PVR. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 06 19:54 | ||||||
| Ok, this clip that I'm posting should give you guys an idea of why I hate using DirectShowSource, ArcSoft Total Media Extreme and why Hauppauge needs to allow AC-3 to be encoded.
1.) It's desynced bad from both DirectShowSource and Total Media Extreme. 2.) The video doesn't look that great compared to clips above. http://www.sendspace.com/file/6t1kf8 - mkv http://www.sendspace.com/file/avprkv - avi | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Sep 06 21:37 | ||||||
| GraphEdit instructions:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14454525#post14454525 After building the graph it should look like this:  | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 06 23:19 | ||||||
| I click on DirectShow Filters and it makes graphedit crash. I'm running Vista 64-bit btw. | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Sep 07 06:54 | ||||||
| Try the DirectShow GraphEditor linked to on this page:
http://shark007.net/ If that doesn't work your system is seriously screwed up. | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 10:16 | ||||||
| I don't mean to hijack this thread, but my problem is exactly the same and this is a current thread. If you think I am better off creating a new thread, just tell me and I'll do so.
So I am also using the HD-PVR (which provides really good quality :) ) to records my shows in HDTV to the .ts format. I am looking to cut out commercials and convert it to x264 .mp4. I have been through the whole thread and tried may things mentionned, but there are so many little softwares that it becomes too confusing. H264_cutter didn't work at all for me (all buttons are greyed out after opening my .ts). I am recording my shows with GB PVR (Red Hat, you can look into this PVR too, its working really well, has a nice feature set, its constantly updated and its free) and I am running Vista x64. (I believe there is a place to put down my computer specs, I haven't been on VH.com in a while, I will look to update that information now) Of all the programs and methods mentionned, what would be the best method to cut out commercials and encode to x264 .mp4 my GB PVR recordings? This guide leads to a dead URL. Thank you | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Sep 07 10:32 | ||||||
| I don't know why h264ts_cutter doesn't work on your system. Maybe you need an h.264 decoder? Try CoreAVC or ffdshow. If you try ffdshow, be sure to get a recent version with PAFF/MBAFF support if you are editing 1080i files.
To convert from TS to MP4 try using TsMuxeR (GUI) to demux into elementary streams, then YAMB to mux them back together into an MP4 file. You have to stay under 4GB though -- Yamb screws up if the file gets bigger than that. And you have to specify the video frame rate in YAMB: hilite the h.264 stream, press the Properties button, enter 59.94 for 720p files, 29.97 for 1080i files. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 10:38 | ||||||
My graph.
I managed to get the graph made but when I click on play at the top, I get this. 
Also, I'm running Windows Vista Ultimate x64 SP1. | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 11:00 | ||||||
Installed ffdshow. H264_cutter now makes an error it wasn't making:
Now the buttons aren't greyed out but I don't get any image. I tried the demuxing/muxing thing. The final mp4 is all "corrupted". When I play it in VLC the top half of the video is ok, the bottom one is all scrambled. And I'm also on x64 SP1. | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Sep 07 11:09 | ||||||
| @mathieumg - do you have haali media splitter, .net framework 2.0, and h264 enabled in the ffdshow configuration ? | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Sep 07 11:13 | ||||||
Go to Start -> All Programs -> ffdshow -> Video Decoder Configuration. In the left hand pane select Codecs (at the top). In the right hand pane look for h.264/AVC, set it to libavcodec.
Are you viewing 720p or 1080i? 1080i requires an h.264 decoder that supports PAFF/MBAFF. I think you need a recent nightly build (not a release build) of ffdshow to get support for that.
I don't know if that's a part of the problem, but it could be. Oh, just noticed a few other thing: when remuxing to MP4 the h.264 frame rate should be set to 59.94, even when using 1080i files. You have to add the .ACC extension to the audio stream produced by tsMuxer. And be sure to note the audio delay in tsMuxer and propogate the value to Yamb. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 11:35 | ||||||
| Ok, that error I posted above goes away when I open up GraphEdit without the Capture Module but if I start up the capture module. Is that ok? Here's a ts file it produced, audio/video sync seems to be way better.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/56rovp | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 11:54 | ||||||
| With the Haali installed, H264_cutter now works perfectly :D
I am using the SVN build of the 3rd of September for x64 systems. (For ffdshow). The h.264/AVC was already set to libavcodec. Yes I figured the .acc part myself since it wasn't showing in the list of files to add. Yes, I am working with 1080i files and that would explain the problem since I put 29.97 for the framerate. I will try with 59.94 and report back. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 12:10 | ||||||
| Alright, here's that TS file above encoded.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/twni26 1.) I demuxed the video using DGAVCIndex. 2.) I encoded the video with VirtualDub using this avs script with Fast recompress and XviD with 1350kbps bitrate.
3.) I used this avs script to encode the audio to ac3 in megui.
4.) I muxed the 2 files together using avidemux but I could of done it using megui. | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 12:19 | ||||||
| Splitter works perfect and output .ts file is all good.
No go with the demuxing/remuxing process though. Also, when I playback my original .ts I noticed some 1 or 2 pixels purple dashed lines at the top/and or bottom of the screen. Also, the audio is delayed randomly from 0 ms to 100ms during the video (hard to say what/when the delay is, but it's noticeable, especially when you look at the lips of someone talking). For the delay, I will try to check with the folks at GB PVR what the issue could be, but if you have a solution to fix it in the encoding process, don't hesitate. Here are some clues that something is not right with the number of vertical lines and the audio delay. 
Thank you for all your help, and I am still looking for a way to encode my cut ts into a x264 mp4. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 12:24 | ||||||
Have you tried megui? | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 12:51 | ||||||
Just installed it. (and AviSynth) So many options/buttons, I don't know where to start to get to my goal. (Synched and cropped x264 mp4 from my ts) The only A/V programs I have experience with are Premiere and VirtualDub. | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Sep 07 12:58 | ||||||
| Give xvid4psp (the name is misleading), or ripbot264 a try
They have fewer options, but are much easier to use than MeGUI | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 12:58 | ||||||
| I use Adobe Premiere and VirtualDub as well for producing videos I film. I use VirtualDub, Avidemux, AVISynth, and MeGui for encoding videos. MeGUI does a great job encoding videos and getting them back to their original fps. | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 13:04 | ||||||
Will they still allow me to crop and synch my video? Even though MeGUI is more complex, I have no problems using it if I'm guided a bit in my scripts making at first. For example a script that crops, synchs (I understand "synch" is not a command, but I need help finding what is causing the strange delay and fixing it) and encodes to x264 mp4. | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Sep 07 13:20 | ||||||
| I use MeGUI for everything, you can crop through .avs scripts. You can in both those as well directly, but the options are more limited (although you can use scripts for those as well). There are several guides on how to use MeGUI here and other websites if you get stuck.
If your input .ts is out of sync, your output file will be out of sync. If it's just a simple constant delay scenario, you can use the DelayAudio() command in avisynth. Your options are to fix the .ts first, or fix the output .mkv or .mp4. This is a separate topic, and there are many guides on how to do this. If it's not the constant sync scenario, it's much more difficult to fix., essentially you have to either shrink/expand either the audio or video to match. Again, there are several guides on how to do this... If you are still stuck despite looking at the guides, post specific questions and someone will help you out Cheers | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 13:26 | ||||||
| Thanks for the information, I will try my luck. Is there any program that will help me tell if the desynch is constant or not, it's hard to tell just by looking at the video. Sometimes it seems all is synched sometimes it seems like there is a 20ms delay but I question my judgement. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 13:28 | ||||||
| http://www.sendspace.com/file/bm83jb - Can some of you download that and tell me if the audio/video sync is good?
I encoded the video in virtualdub using this avs script with dual-pass xvid at 1200kbps bitrate and fast recompress.
I encoded the audio in megui by directly opening up the ts file and encoding it to 128kbps bitrate with ac3. Then I muxed the 2 files together with megui. I don't mind if I have to edit out commecials after I encode with megui. I did NOT use DirectShowSource at all for this encode. | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 13:33 | ||||||
All good here! :) Beach Boys 8) | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 13:39 | ||||||
| Excellent, that's the first HD-PVR video more than 10 seconds I've been able to encode and keep the a/v sync good. I was able to ditch TotalMedia Extreme and DirectShowSource. | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 13:44 | ||||||
Trying to do something with this: http://mewiki.project357.com/wiki/MeGUI/HDTV_Transcoding_Guide
What happens when I have AAC?
This is what I get when I press calc: 
Once everything works fine, I will PayPal money to every program that will have helped me getting there :) | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 13:51 | ||||||
| Great system mathieumg. I wish I had that system. Also, here's how I encode MKV files now.
1.) I demux the video with DGAVCIndex. 2.) I create my avs script and insert filters to crop and resize and then I open up megui and encode to x264 at 4000kbps bitrate. 3.) Next, I open up the ts file under audio with megui and encode to ac3 at 192kbps. 4.) I mux the files together with megui and choose English as the language. Here's the avs script I use for my HDTV stuff.
Here's the avs script I use for my PDTV stuff.
I don't use DirectShowSource, H.264 TS Cutter, or TotalMedia Extreme anymore because they cause audio/video issues and won't let me open the files in DGAVCIndex. | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 15:19 | ||||||
| How do you cut out your commercials then? | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 15:23 | ||||||
| I do it after it's encoded with megui with VirtualDub or Avidemux for AVI and Matroska Splitters for MKV. Also, do you have a Straight 5.9 in Vista mathieumg?
By the way, jagabo are you on Windows Vista 32-bit or 64-bit? | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 15:35 | ||||||
| I will try it with your scripts and get back to you.
And yeah thanks, yep yep 5.9 :D I wanted to get a new system for two years now (my old one is now 4-5 years old) but kept pushing back. At the end of July I decided it was enough and went with the big thing :p Your system looks good too by the way :p I haven't had time to play with the OC yet, but so far I don't really need it :p Just out of curiousity, do you know if many of the programs/encoders mentionned in this thread are multithreaded? | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 16:27 | ||||||
| Your system without overclocking kicks the crap out of mine with overclocking. Also, I recommend not to re-encode the audio, just use my scripts to encode video and take out .Decimate(5) if it's not a film source. I mux the audio file made with dgavcindex with the video encoded with megui. I also don't do MKV on PDTV. Just use VirtualDub and do dual-pass encoding with xvid for for avi video and mux with megui.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/zdakz3 - HDTV samples. | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 17:50 | ||||||
| Nice @ your MKV sample, I want mine to look as good :D What did you use to record the original .ts for that sample by the way?
Here is my script:
I get the following error from MeGUI (which is in fact an AviSynth error):  | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 17:59 | ||||||
| Did you install CCCP? Your script looks fine. I record with GraphEdit using the instructions jagabo posted above. I tried GB-PVR and BeyondTv and found them too slow. The Best PVR software out there is MythTv but I won't use it until I can afford to a build a system like yours and then I'll use this system for a MythTv PVR. | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Sep 07 18:46 | ||||||
Neither, XP Pro SP3 32 bit.
A/V sync good here.
CoreAVC Pro is multithreaded. ffdshow is a mix (depending on decoder) -- I think the h.264 decoder is single threaded. The muxing tools like tsMuxer and YAMB don't really matter, they're disk I/O limited. h264ts_cutter is probably single threaded (the UI) but since it uses a installed DirectShow h.264 decoder the decoding may be multithreaded depending on which decoder you're using. By the way, anyone still having problems with GraphEdit should try GraphStudio or GraphEdit Plus. Actually, even if you're not having problems you should try them out. GraphStudio is especially useful because it can tell you a lot more information about each filter. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 19:10 | ||||||
| I'm not having issues with GraphEdit anymore and I love the fact that it doesn't take up much cpu usage because I don't have the preview window open. Also, is it worth using Optical Audio at the moment or does Hauppauge need to release drivers for full effect? | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 19:20 | ||||||
| No luck even after installing CCCP :(
I first tried SageTV but didn't like it much and its expensive, then I heard about BeyondTV but it said on their product page that Vista x64 wasn't supported. Then I found out about GB-PVR and everything works fine and its well built, has nice support, etc. What do you mean when you say its slow? And I didn't know about MythTV until now. | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Sep 07 19:26 | ||||||
| @mathieumg - I suspect you are not using "treat I as IDR" when using DGAVCdec. This was mentioned a few pages ago and in the DGAVCdec manual | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Sep 07 19:27 | ||||||
The optical audio input only works with 2 channel PCM audio now. If you want to use it you have to force your cable box to output that format. Since the HD PVR was first released, a few months ago, Hauppauge has been saying 5.1 drivers will be out "in a few weeks". | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 19:40 | ||||||
Thanks poisondeathray, that fixed it. Its now warning me that my script is not mod16, I assume this is a pixel ratio or something but I'm not sure what I have to change, here it is:
| ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Sep 07 19:44 | ||||||
| 1920,1088 - evenly divisible by 16
mod16 is usually better for compatibility and compressibility reasons. (e.g. some DXVA acceleration requires mod16 or sometimes standalone units that play h264 have difficulty with non-mod16 resolutions) However, x264 will encode and play fine on the PC with non-mod16 resolutions using the majority of software media players, the choice is up to you | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 19:46 | ||||||
| As long as I get rid of the little 2px purple dashed line at the top/bottom, I don't mind. | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Sep 07 19:48 | ||||||
| Try the mod16 res (1920,1088)
If you still have the dashed line, it's caused by something else | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 19:59 | ||||||
| It's encoding now (35%), I will report back when its done. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 20:06 | ||||||
| Post some of your sample encodes. | ||||||
| jagabo posted 2008 Sep 07 21:33 | ||||||
| Here's a short segment of 2001 A Space Odyssey I captured a while back. Captured as 1080i, inverse telecined back to 23.976 fps progressive, saved as Xvid AVI. The audio was pretty crappy at the source.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/eruhra | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 21:54 | ||||||
| Nice jagabo :D
Encoding finally finished for me... Filesize is about the same, quality is worse and it sometimes hang up and it makes VLC crash when I try to take a snapshot :( There are some horizontal lines I can notice on the image too. I'm starting to be desperate :'( I will go record a short HD segment so it's much faster to encode and/or upload. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 22:00 | ||||||
| Record a Short HD segment and I'll see what I can do with it. | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Sep 07 22:04 | ||||||
| You can't use the same script as Red Hat: he is encoding a progressive source, you are encoding a 1080i source
You might want to deinterlace, or change recording modes To minimize your time wasted, you might consider doing short test encodes on a short clip (e.g. 30 seconds) until you get settings that are acceptable for you | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 22:12 | ||||||
| Poisondeathray, you use hd pvr or something else? | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Sep 07 22:17 | ||||||
| I had HD-PVR, but it broke, awaiting my RMA replacement still under warranty. I might sell it and was thinking of getting the Intensity Pro, I'm not completely happy with it (but Intensity Pro has issues as well...) | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 22:18 | ||||||
| Currently uploading a 100mb .ts file I just captured... will update this post with link in 10 minutes. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 22:27 | ||||||
| http://www.sendspace.com/file/p7ft2y - I think I've posted enough of my samples to let you guys know I can capture and encode stuff now. | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 07 22:38 | ||||||
| Happy for you Red Hat, maybe I'll get to that point too :P
http://qc-net.com/testencode.ts That's my 100mb sample. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 22:41 | ||||||
| I'm going to try to make MKV and AVI out of your ts file. Contact me on MSN at redhat.amd@gmail.com or AIM at RandomShadowMan to see what's going on. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 23:02 | ||||||
| I'm currently encoding an mkv version and an avi version of the clip posted above. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 07 23:57 | ||||||
| http://www.sendspace.com/file/7osvf5
TS files above encoded to AVI and MKV. 6000kbps bitrate for x264 MKV. 1100kbps bitrate fpr XviD AVI. | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 08 00:03 | ||||||
| That's really neat. Can you help me achieve the same result please? | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 08 00:19 | ||||||
| Here's the script used for your MKV at 1080i.
LoadPlugin("C:\dgavcdec100a34\DGAVCDecode.dll") AVCSource("testencode.dga") Crop(6, 14, -0, -0) Lanczos4Resize(1904,1056) FieldDeinterlace() Here's what I did for MKV. 1.) I used DGAVCIndex to demux the files. 2.) Encoded the file in MKV x264 at 6000kbps with megui using avs script above. 3.) Muxed DGAVCIndex aac file with the mkv file encoded using megui. Here's the script I use for my 720p stuff. LoadPlugin("C:\dgavcdec100a34\DGAVCDecode.dll") AVCSource("GraphEdit TS.dga") SelectEven() Crop(0, 8, -4, -0) Lanczos4Resize(1280,720) Always check to see if it needs to be 23.976fps or not. | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 13 12:48 | ||||||
| I got my mkv to work with synched ac3 audio and everything :)
However, I am having an hard time taking commercials out of the mkv... Anybody knows an effective way to do that? Thanks | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 13 12:49 | ||||||
| I've tried megui for cutting and it works for video but not audio. For audio, I keep getting stuck at 1.62%. | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Sep 13 13:32 | ||||||
| mathieumg - I've already suggested in this thread what has worked for me for editing and keeping in sync, but YMMV as you can tell from the various posts
To be sure, the tedious way is to save as uncompressed (or lossless codec) and edit that, then encode to your final format | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 14 16:53 | ||||||
| I just got CoreAVC Pro and I see a major improvement with DirectShowSource. For audio, I export it in virtualdub and make sure it's on full processing mode when I do it and if I play it before I export it or anything, it will mess up.
For DirectShowSource, export the wav audio in virtualdub with full processing mode and DO NOT PLAY it before you do it or it will mess up. | ||||||
| Red Hat posted 2008 Sep 14 18:00 | ||||||
| http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QNWGUZYX - I used megui to cut this file ( Original TS Cap was around 5 minutes ). Here's what I did.
1.) I muxed the ts file using dgavcindex. 2.) Loaded avs file with this script into megui.
3.) Went to AVS cutter and it changed the script to this and made a cut file too.
4.) Went to audio cutter, loaded the aac file made using dgavcindex into megui and the cut made by avs cutter, and then exported a new .aac file with no delay. 5.) I did dual-pass encoding in virtualdub for the video with XviD at 1200kbps bitrate. 6.) I muxed the new aac file with the video encoded by virtualdub using megui. 7.) Used avidemux to convert aac to mp3. 8.) Exported the mp3 wav file with virtualdub. 9.) I used audacity to convert the .wav file to mp3. 10.) Muxed the .mp3 file with the original video encoded by virtualdub in megui. Sorry if it was long and confusing. Also, DirectShowSource and H.264 TS Cutter were NOT used at all for this. | ||||||
| mathieumg posted 2008 Sep 14 20:03 | ||||||
| Thanks for the info, got the cut to work with AC3 from .TS and .MKV from .DGA.
One problem though, when I was trying to encode the x264.exe would crash. I checked the logs and found:
Its like it wasn't feeding a value to the aq-mode parameter so it mistook the next parameter (--sar) for the value and caused the crash. I disabled the AQ-MODE in the encoding settings and everything worked. Is aq-mode something important? It recommends a value of 2 and says its the default. Is it a bug of the program that the command line is -aq-mode instead of -aq-mode 2 ? | ||||||
| poisondeathray posted 2008 Sep 14 20:14 | ||||||
| Just update your MeGUI using the development servers; Sharktooth forgot to update the profiles to reflect the new AQ changes but it's fixed now
AQ is adaptive quantization. It's not impor |