Hauppauge Colossus HD-PVR - Page 12

JTAnderson

Here is my workflow again:

1. Capture with Colossus card with Showbiz software that came with it. Set to 20 Mbps (Max Avg), 24 Mbps Max peak.
2. Cut out commercials (if any). Also cut out the beginning of the video so new file starts about 5 seconds into the actual program. Cut out the end of the captured file just about 10-15 seconds before program ends and switches to commercial. Use VideoReDo-H.264 and no re-encoding.
3. Author with MultiAVCHD because I like to have at least main menu.
4. Burn with ImgBurn

You don't need to re-encode. VideoReDo-H.264 should fix any drop outs if any by copying stream and just re-encoding small segments of video around cuts.

PS.
Very important setting in VideoReDo-H.264:

Click Tools on the menu bar, hold SHIFT and press Options...
Find line that says Add GOP Timecode to all GOPs and set it to True.
If you have it set to False (which is default) you may have problems playing authored BDs on stand alone.
And my guess is that when you forced VideoReDo-H.264 to re-encode the whole video it probably automatically set that option to true during re-encode.

Which container format do you use? TS, M2TS or MP4?

I'll check out VideoRedo.

Anyone have any recommendations for sharpening the image in VCR captures?

I use M2TS.

Can anyone tell me what the "Hardware Acceleration" toggle in ShowBiz actually does? Does it switch the mp4 encoding into software or is it related to the graphics display?

I think it is related to the graphics display.

Tell us more about your reccomendation to cut 10-15 seconds after the beginning of the file and 10-15 seconds before the program ends. What is the purpose of that? My personal preference is to save as much black as exists on the captured file both before the program starts and after the end of the program or the credits have run. Sometimes there is only a few frames present, however.

Also, what does GOP timecode selection or unselection do exactly? Does it effect anything other than compatibility of m2ts files on blu-rays?

Mobilelawyer,

Setting Add GOP Timecode to all GOPs" to TRUE increases ts/m2ts/mpg compatibility. http://www.videoredo.net/msgBoard/showthread.php?t=3062

Regarding your first question.

Case scenario #1

I set up timer recording on my DTV HD-DVR on some premium/movie channel for the movie/program that doesn't have commercial breaks during the movie. Let's say time allocated for that on DVR guide is 2 hours. But usually actual movie time is shorter. After movie is recorded to DVR's hard drive I capture it with Colossus to my HTPC by setting capture duration for 2 hours or little bit less. After capture is done I copy M2TS file to my main PC for editing with VRD.

Many times there is advertisement before and after the movie which is also recorded to DVR and in captured file. And usually those advertisements have audio in DD 2/0 stereo format, and movies are usually have audio in DD 5.1 format. So I cut 5-15 seconds after the movie starts, usually where there is blank black video, and 5-15 seconds before movie ends. Also VRD will re-encode small portions of the video and audio streams at cut points, the rest of the stream just copied without re-encoding. This way new M2TS file will have correct information in the header for the audio track. I am doing this because I read on some forum (maybe even this one) that if you have audio at the beginning of the file that is 2/0 stereo and then it switches to 5.1 surround sound some players may not switch to 5.1 from 2/0.

Case scenario #2

I use the same technique when recording movie/program from other channels that have commercials during the movie because in this case it even worth sometimes. Some ads still have 4x3 video frame size and 99.9 of them are in 2/0 stereo for the audio. I cut out 2-3 seconds before ad segment starts and cut in 2-3 seconds after next section of the movie starts.

I hope I answered your question.

Why bother capturing that in the first place? I look at the playback time at the end of the credits and set the capture time to that, rather than to the nominal 2 hours (so it might be 1:56, for example) and I start the capture after the "ratings" screen and at the start of the studio logo screen. I almost never have any need to edit the start of the movie or show.

But then I do my recordings from the DVR, not from the live broadcast, so that's pretty easy.

I actually do the same thing for the beginning of the capture, start capturing when movie already started. But to find the actual end of the movie you have to FF then pause, then start from the beginning. It's a lot of button pushing on your remote.

Also this is another reason why I always run captured file through VRD. Even though you (and me too) record only video that already recorded on DVR hard drive it will have the same glitches and video/audio drop outs that were present during live broadcast. That's where VRD comes to the rescue to fix those problems, especially when there are commercials during the movie.

Sigh. I had high hopes for this, but it didn't seem to help. I had upped the capture rate from 13/15 Mbps to 15/18 Mbps and that alone resulted in discs that would play, but as soon as I tried a chapter skip or fast-forward the player would hang. Trying again with the GOP Timecode option set to true resulted in the same behavior.

Forcing a recode with VideoReDo resulted in a disc that would play and that I could skip around in.

I'll keep an eye on this thread for additonal ideas. (I usually only come here on the weekends. Thus the long delay between a new suggestion and trying it.)

Hi! I joined just for this question, I hope I'm not breaking any rules.

If I were to buy a Hauppauge Colossus, would I be able to record HD shows from my Verizon FiOS STB via the HDMI output with it? Specifically The Hub HD (channel 789.)

Thanks!

Probably not via HDMI. Probably yes via component + S/PDIF. The quality difference is probably not significant. Lotta probablys.

(There is one provider that has unprotected HDMI on some, if not all, of their STBs/DVRs. Search the thread to find out who. It starts with a D and ends with TV.)

Direct TV isn't an option for me, but thanks! I think I'll get the Colossus.

Hmmmm. Thinking, thinking. Which provider could it be?

Has anyone had any issues recording 1080i content via HDMI

I have this annoying blue line on the left side of my caps. It only appears on 1080i content and not via 720p or other resolutions.

Is this a known issue or does anyone have any idea what may be causing this?

I have a blackmagic intensity pro and when I'm capping via the same 1080i content, I don't have these issues, so I know it has something to do with my colossus card

I'm in a lose lose situation.

Blackmagic has these ridiculous large files and the Colossus has this annoying blue line on the left side of my recordings.

Same source? what input method?
What source?

Source is D*

input method HDMI

here is a pic as well



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

I could also upload a video clip as well, but I'm not too sure if this site will be too fond of me showing HBO content.

can anyone else check to see if they are getting a nasty blue line on the left side of their screen when they cap D* 1080i via HDMI?

I just want to know if it's just my card (which I hope so I can return it and get another one) or if it's an issue across the board (it's on all Colosus cards when capping via this method).

thx in advance.

Just curious - have you tried using the component inputs and does it do the same thing?

Also, which of the software packages are you using for the caputure?

Yes.

When I try component input it doesn't do it. Also it doesn't do it when I'm recording 720p, SD content etc via HDMI.

Only when I record 1080i via HDMI.

I tried showbiz, wintv, virtualdub and sagetv and I still get that blue line on the left side.

I'm just hoping someone with D* and HDMI setup can test this out and see if they get the same results. This will allow me narrow down the problem as to what's going on.

D* = DirecTV
E* = DishNetwork (Echostar)

Directv

I have a few questions on the Colossus:

1.) When recording with 7MC, do you get a .wtv (mpeg2) file? The card is promoted as using h264 codec. Or was mpeg2 codec added by DVBLink and then the Hauppauge MC update?

2.) Is DVBLink worth the $40?

3.) Anybody have experience using this with U-Verse (uverse) via component? I'm concerned about using IR blasters fed from the MC IR receiver.

The Arcsoft Showbiz software gives three choices for encoding the stream, all in the h264 envelope: ts, m2ts, and mp4.


Even with its issues, and there are some, including problems that some users, including me, are having with muti-channel sound since the last Hauppauge driver update, I think it clearly is worth the $40 if you want to use the output of your U-Verse dvr in WMC for recording and playback. But you can download the software and demo it, in any event, to try it out.


Cannot help you with that question. I have directv.

Thanks

If it is .wtv, then that's good as .wtv is a wrapper of a mpeg2 encoding. Win7 can handle x264 (mpeg4) as a video, but videos don't show up as a 'recorded tv' show in media center.

I'm recording via HDMI video and audio.

It's on all my channels when I record via 1080i.

If I use any other connection besides HDMI or if I change the resolution to something other than 1080i it doesn't do It.

I was just hoping someone with both a colossus and directv would be nice enough to hook it up via HDMI, record via 1080i and see if they experience the same problems.

Also I would like to state that I have a series 22 receiver and I'm using 20mbs/24mbs max bit rate.