HDTVtoMPEG2 latest version - Page 3

Thanks for taking the time to share your changes with everybody, the saved cutlist alone would save me a lot of frustration with the frequent crashes and what not. Getting it up on sourceforge would be even better =)

I usually leave the program open ... it's really easy to simply hit CLEAR ALL, then drop a new file ontop of it and slice away ...

- litz

Drag and Drop problem is fixed.

Cris

cool ...

any luck w/ the other stuff?

We still have ...

1) freeze at end of clip write (stuck on 99%)
2) mpeg / ts cuts have garbage at front

(use m2edit pro 5.0 to test this)

3) >>| button doesn't move to end ...

anything else?

thanks

- litz

I'm hoping Alan will send me his "freeze fix" code, I think that will take care of this problem

I'll look at this next I guess

This will take some time as it is really a preview display problem. The slider bar location is updated after a valid i-frame is found and that is failing for some reason.

Cris

OK here is what I believe is happening.

The P and B frames are part of the original TS file. When you load the TS file, H2 looks for the first i-frame and displays it, skipping over the P and B frame at the beginning. Normally what you do then is move the slider to the first place you want to make an exclude. This of course leaves the P and B frames to be included in the first section as H2 just starts copying from the beginning until it hits an exclude.

What you can do to get around this problem is to always start with an exclude at the very beginning of the file. You can then click one time forward and place an include. That will mark the starting point at the first i-frame and will not include the P and B frames that are before it. Basically what I'm saying is don't forget to micro edit the very beginning of the TS file before you get into the meat of the editing if you plan on keeping the very first part of the TS file.

Cris

I do that already (the beginning of the file always has unwanted stuff since you always start recording before the beginning of your program !) and the problem is with the OUTPUT after clipping my wanted material out of the middle of the program.

If I demux the outputted .ts file to .m2v and .ac3, the .m2v is unreadable by any utility or application. All say it's an invalid mpeg2.

- litz

Sorry to butt in here, but I'm seeing the same problem with 1.10.3 that I saw with other versions: After I add a few edits and click Convert, it processes through to the first include region and then hangs. I saw on another thread that I might need to change the source file names, so I modified the first "Title.ts" to be "Title_00.ts" to match the remaining "Title_xx.ts" filenames, but I had the same problem. The excluded region after the first include region, on which it is hanging, does cross a file boundary (i.e. it starts in "Title_00.ts" but ends in "Title_01.ts"). Any idea what the deal is here?

Xesdeeni

Xesdeeni - you are correct that the version being discussed in this thread does NOT have my fix for the (seemingly random) freezes. Cris Moore and I are trying to consolidate the code and get one version that has all fixes. In the meantime, though, stick with the "freeze fix" version if that affects you until we announce a version that has all fixes.

Thanks,
_Alan

Converting an accessDTV .ts file to .mpg (CSI Miami - 041204-0959PM - Blood Moon-000.ts) using HDTVtoMPEG2_1.10.3.zip failed to be read as valid by DVD Architect, DVD Workshop, Pinnacle Studio 9 and InterVideo WinDVD Creator 2.

However, converting the same accessDTV .ts file to .mpg using HDTVtoMPEG2_v107 was successfully read by all the DVD authoring programs.

Sorry to be dense, but I somehow missed that there was a fix for that. Which version had the fix?

My end goal is to edit commercials but still have a stream compatible with MyHD. Previous versions without the freeze caused bad glitches and long pauses in the resulting video. Is this something that is fixed too?

One other question, is there any way to strip the NULL packets and simulcast (RADAR) streams but write out a TS? I've read that if you do this, plus remove commercials, you can normally just fit a 1 hr program on a 4.7 GB DVDR for safe keeping.

Xesdeeni

Murray,
Any problems that version 1.10b had in the mpeg conversion part, 1.10.3 has them too. NO work has been done on the mpeg problems. If you want to convert to mpeg, stick with a version before 1.10b for now.

Xesdeeni,
Alan released a 1.10b version that has a fix for the "freeze" problem. I can send you a copy of it. PM me your email address.
H2 currently doesn't have the ability to remove NULL packets and sub-channels(PID's).... yet. There are tools available to remove NULL packets and PID's. You should be able to find a NULL stripper by searching this forum.

Cris

Cris,

I realize H2 didn't have the ability previously. In fact, I obtained the source for H2 and NullPacketStripper back in December, specifically to see if I could fix the MyHD problem and to look into NULL packet removal. But two small children keep me from doing almost any etracurricular activities :-)

The problem with NullPacketStripper is it requires JAVA (ech!).

One thing I thought about trying was editing and converting a TS to MPEG with H2. I believe that should strip NULL packets, as well as remove etraneous streams, right? Then if I used something like MPEG2TS (I'm not positive of that name, I just read about it and haven't gone searching for it yet) to convert back to a TS, maybe all three problems would be handled. Am I just whistling Dixie?

Xesdeeni
(Xesdeeni2001 at the Yahoo server)

Xesdeeni,

Adding NULL packet removal to H2 probably wouldn't be that hard. PID removal support in order to remove sub-channels would be a bit more difficult as several tables would have to be updated, but it is doable.

In theory, converting to mpeg should remove the NULL packets and sub channels( I haven't looked at that part of the code). But going through three translation tools to remove NULL packets and PIDS is likely to be a frustrating experience because all of these "free" tools have lots of bugs. We should just ad the ability to remove NULLs and PIDs to H2, don't you agree?

For myself, I would just use TSReader ($99). You just load in the TS file, select the Program you want to keep and select to remove the NULL packets. But then, I already own a copy and use it for other things besides NULL and PID stripping.

Cris

litz,

Can you give me a list of steps to try so I can reproduce the problems you are having with the output files.

I have the following installed on my system:
DVD2AVI v1.83
VirtualDubMod v1.5.10.1
AviSynth 2.5
M2 Edit Demo

I've done the following so far:
- Used 1.10.4 to edit a TS file.
- Loaded the output TS into DVD2AVI and demuxed the video and audio and created a .d2v and an .ac3 file.
- Created an .avs file that references the .d2v file and loaded that into VirtualDubMod.
- Also I am able to read the TS file into the M2 Edit Demo.

What are the steps I need to follow so that I can see the problem you are having.

Cris

Not to pick nits, but wouldn't H2 to edit and convert to MPEG and then MPEG2TS be just two "free" tools? ;-)

Anyway, I checked TSReader, but there is no info on whether MyHD streams are supported (either record or playback), and I don't see any editing capability. Now I'm really curious what other features you use, since most of the rest don't seem too compelling.

Xesdeeni

Xesdenni,

Yes your right, two steps there. I don't see how you have any other option right now. You will probably have better luck with H2 v1.09 as the mpeg stuff worked better there(from what I hear). Your only other option is a commercial product and unfortunately the affordable ones are still buggy.

I use TSReader for all of the other features that have no interest to you( I have a c-band dish ). It doesn't have any editing features as thats not what its for. Beyond it's DVB functions, I use it to analyze TS files( including files recorded with my MyHD 120 card ) and for NULL and PID stripping.

Cris

Anybody have a clue why the video works but the audio does not get converted at all when I use HDTV2MPEG2 v1.07 to convert an accessDTV transport stream with settings Video PID 0x11 Audio PID 0x14?

The same conversion using the latest HDTV2MPEG2 v1.XX does not open in DVD authoring software at all.

Any ideas either way?

My first try with this program was to simply split an hour (8.3GB) MyHD TP file so I could burn it onto 2 DVDs. (Keeping them "Transport Stream")

All looked good....the files on the HD said they were in the 4 GB range.

Burned the first file using Pinnacle Instant Disc....and it said the size was within range (as above...about 4GB). The time it took to complete was the same as other DVDs of this size.

Whats odd is that...when I went to test it using MyHD...It was only a few minutes long and is only 357MB! Strange....I still have the split file on the HD and it's the right size and plays the 1/2 hr as it should. For some reason the DVD burn ended up using 4.3 GB...but only has this small TS file.

I've burned many unaltered 1/2 hour MyHD TPs this same way, and all were the appropriate size when I tested them. The only thing different this time...is that I split the file using HDTVtoMPEG2.

Did I botch something

@Cris

Glad to hear TSReader works with MyHD streams. I also e-mailed them about 1394 support for the Mitsubishi TVs. It's not in there, but the response said they were thinking about it for a future release. That would allow me to watch a pre-recorded program while I record another, and that's worth $100 by itself to me easily (that goofy VividLogic product is vaporware, and won't deal with the numbered files from MyHD if it ever comes out).

@StormCrow

Did you use a UDF format DVD? I don't know what the UDF limit is, but the ISO limit appears to be 2 GB. The UDF may have a 4 GB limit, which might explain why your 4.3 GB file is seen as a .3 GB file. Try more smaller files. I have used two 2.25 GB files with a UDF DVD. I assume three 1494 (ish) MB files would work for ISO DVDs.

Xesdeeni

Done. The mouse wheel now moves the slider bar 1 i-frame at a time. Scroll down moves it forward, scroll forward moves it back. Sure saves a lot of clicking.

Cris

Fixed. Note: although the bar on the slider now moves to the end, sometimes the preview will still be blank. Most likely because the last i-frame at the end of the file is incomplete.

Also fixed the problem when you used |<< to go to the beginning of the file and it would not redraw the first i-frame.

Cris

Fixed a bug that would sometime swap the Resolution information between two or more entries in the Channel menu.

Cris

FYI The version of H2 I'm running (1.10b) hangs during scanning unless I disable one of the processors (2 x 2.8 under XP), after that it works great.

Cris -

Were you using an existing .ts for the m2edit test or the .m2t test files I put on my www server?

When I try to load a clip cut from the .m2t files, m2edit gives a no valid mpeg stream found error.

- litz

Cris,

Also had a thoght ...

As you know, the time length of the file is "guestimated" off the provided bitrate / length of file.

Can we have an option to use the timecodes in the file as an alternate?

Although most .ts files have a running timecode, so they don't start at 00:00:00, it does give a more realistic idea of where IN the file you are, when the .ts has a highly variable bitrate.

For instance, these cable .ts files I capture read in H2 as roughtly 16 minutes long, despite the fact that it's an hours worth of capture.

That's because the realistic average bitrage is 8-12mb/s, and the bitrate in the .ts header is 15mb/s.

Any idea how hard this would be?

thankx

- litz

Here is what happens for me:

Test Files tried: crash.m2t, 1920X1080i.m2t, Alias.ts

M2Edit:
crash.m2t
- original loads
- H2 edited loads

1920X1080i.m2t
- original will not load. M2Edit gives not a valid mpeg. Probably the file is not big enough.

Alias.ts
- original loads
- H2 edited loads

Using a .AVS file:
crash.m2t
- could not load .avs file into VirdualDubMod or WMP. Application would hang or AVISynth would give caught access violation

1920X1080i.m2t
- NA, not considered a valid mpeg file

Alias.ts
- .avs would load into VirdualDubMod and WMP.

Basically I didn't have much success with .m2t files. It appeared that if I had a big enough file, M2Edit would load it, even if it was edited with H2. But a no go with AVISynth.

Cris

I have the same problem with the files I record with TSReader after it removes the NULL packets and strips the extra PIDS. My 2h5m recording shows as 1h3m worth.

I was thinking that the only way to get this to work is to have an option to calculate the average bit rate for the ts file, then use that as bit rate instead of the one stored in the TS stream. It won't be perfect, but it should be a lot closer than the way it is now.

I'm going to try some experiments where I use another tool to calculate the average bit rate for a ts file, and then hard code that rate into a build of H2, then load the ts file and see how the times turn out.

Cris

Here are some numbers after hard coding an average rate:

Recording:
~2h5m recording of Smallville\\Angel using TSReader. TSReader removed NULLs and unwanted pids. TS rate was 30Mb/s

After editing out commercials for Smallville and leaving all of Angel out:

H2, normal numbers:
Included: 23m55.13s 3.21GB
Total: 1h03m17.57s 8.48GB

H2, with average rate substituted:
Average TS rate used, 9.384Mb/s - 9Mb/s Vid, 384Kb/s Aud

Included: 48m58.28s 3.21GB
Total: 2h09m35.12s 8.49GB

As you can see these time numbers are much better.

BTW, H2 uses a hard coded value of 19.2Mb/s for calculations. The Video Rate that is display( which really should say TS rate ) is not used in calculations.

Cris


After taking into account all PID' s in the stream:
PID
0x11 - ~9.072 Mb/s
0x14 - ~389.076 Kb/s
0x1ffe - ~42.244 Kb/s
0x10 - ~ 13.3 Kb/s
0x00 - ~ 13.3 Kb/s
Total: ~9529920 bits/s

Included: 48m13.29s 3.21GB
Total: 2h07m36.07s 8.49GB

These numbers are even better.

Cool ...

What about showing the actual video time stamp somewhere on the window as well, so you can get some idea of relative position in case the time calculations aren't accurate? They are, after all, just estimations ...

I'll see if I can get you a bigger .m2t file to play with ...

what kind of incoming speed do you have? I can output at 768kbits ...

- litz