zprocess... to work or not to work...

[bertros]

One other quick thing that I forgot (and again, I don't know if this matters). When I open ztranscode and expand it by double-clicking the sweet spot, it doesn't look exactly like the examples that Zehd shows. It doesn't have a "view output" button by the output file bar, it just has "start", "view", and "stop" buttons at the top. Oh, and I have never been able to watch the video by clicking view while it is transcoding. A command window flashes open for a second, I get one second of audio, and then it closes.

[bertros]

"C:\Program Files\mplayer\mencoder.exe" -delay 0.00 -oac lavc -ovc lavc -of mpeg -mpegopts format=dvd:tsaf -vf scale=0:0,expand=-720:-480:0:240,eq2=1.00:1.00:0.00:1.00:1.00:1.00:1.00:1.00,harddup -srate 44100 -af lavcresample=44100,volume=0.0,volnorm -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg2video:vrc_buf_size=1835:vrc_maxrate=2400:vbitrate=2400:keyint=15:acodec=mp2:abitrate=192:aspect=4/3 -fps 23.976 -ofps 23.976023976024 -sub "F:\GBPVR TV shows\MVP_Cache\20091101\Big.Love.S01E03.HDTV.XviD-L

This is what is in the expanded ztranscoder box at the bottom right when I try to manually transcode a video with a 2mpg profile that has been saved with an output fps of 29.970. It won't seem to ever change from 23.976.

[zehd]

This is what is in the expanded ztranscoder box at the bottom right when I try to manually transcode a video with a 2mpg profile that has been saved with an output fps of 29.970. It won't seem to ever change from 23.976.

Two things... Really you shouldn't need to look at the behind the scenes by opening the form with the sweet spot.

If you start a transcode, wait a few seconds, and click View, if you don't see anything then, that's certainly a problem. That feature calls mplayer (part of the mencoder install) and mplayer can't play what your transcoding, then it's unlikely that the MVP will play it.

Can you run the input file through gspot and tell me the input dimensions, aspect tag, and frames per second?

I'm suspecting that your input file's dimensions are not anticipated. Either that or it's not passing my hard-coded filter to prevent "Big Love" from playing...

scale=0:0,expand=-720:-480:0:240

This will not create a viewable file.

-fps 23.976 -ofps 23.976023976024

This is fine. An NTSC MVP can play a 23.97 fps MPG file too. I have hardcoded the override...

[bertros]

I swear my wife asked for Big Love to watch when I was at work. I swear it! :o.

Anyway, I should note that these avi's that I have been testing all used to work with zprocess and my MVP before I messed everything up. Even now, they are able to be transcoded with sub's ffmpeg. So I entered three test avi's into Gspot. Big Love was 608x336, fps=23.976, dar=1.810 (38:21). Star Wars was 656x268, fps=25.000, dar=2.448 (~22:9). Great Pumpkin was 560x384, fps= 23.976, dar=1.458 (35:24).

With these last two files, I ran a manual transcode using zprocess and ztranscode. I had my 2mpg profile set to output either 640x480, or 720x480. Then I took the transcoded output mpeg sample and entered them into Gspot. In both cases, they came out with totally different dimensions. Star Wars mpg was 1376x748, fps=25.000, dar= 4:3. Great Pumpkin mpg was 1280x864, fps=23.976, dar= 4:3.

If I tried to view the transcode as it was going, it continues to fail. I did see the command window flash something like "failed to open video driver, failed to open video filter, fatal error" in like a flash before the window closes.

So it seems that for some reason, ztranscode is not outputting the correct dimensions?

Thanks again for all the help.

[zehd]

Well I can see that it might be a little frustrating. You are definitely playing with far too many settings, and it's probably getting confusing. Being in North America, (NTSC) and the file types you are trying should make this so easy it hurts. ZProcess, when installed will work immediately with so further settings changes. So let's take this to the basics.

Let's wipe out completely.

Open ZProcess2.exe, GB-PVR Settings, and click 'Remove All Refs'. Close
Run RemoveAllZProcess.reg
Delete all files in the ZTools folder

Open GB-PVR and test one of your files using the ffmpeg defaults...

Confirm..
MEncoder/MPlayer is the same version described on my wiki, and installed in Program Files\mplayer
Fresh copy of ZProcess files into GBPVR\Third Party\ZTools folder

Confirm GB-PVR Recording service is set to interact with desktop

Confirm that there are no references in GB-PVR config.xml to your MVP MAC address that would be used for MVPScreenPosition

Follow directions to temporarily install Hauppauge software, and confirm that the MVP is set to 16x9 dimensions, regardless of your actuall Television aspect ratio.
http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Utili...ution5.htm

Make sure that the Hauppauge services are not set to auto start, (There's two of them)

Open ZProcess2.exe. Does it ask, NTSC/PAL? Does it ask Wide Screen or 4x3? Does it ask to add references?
Close ZProcess.

Restart GB-PVR Recording Service

Open, ZTranscode.exe. Click 'Settings' The Trans2MVP profile should already be selected. Uncheck 'Hide Consoles' and 'Lock to MVPScreenPosition' Save and then close settings screen

When working with the MVP, ZProcess/ZTranscode only uses the Trans2MVP profile.

Double-click Inputfile textbox and select one of your files that you discussed. They should be OK.

Verify that the path for the output folder exists (the actual file might not exist yet) This file name is copied from the input filename, but with mpg extension

ZProcess uses the Recordings Path as set in the GB-PVR config under directories. When you view a file with the MVP, ZProcess will create a temp file named with the MVP's MAC address in the root of the Recordings folder...

Click Start. Because we unchecked 'Hide Consoles' we should see a 'DOS' box with MEncoder cranking away. Have a look. Is it cranking (Might be some errors, but that's ok) or is it stalled, or has it closed immediately?

Have a look at the indicators showing the strikes, hits and fouls. You should have a green box, showing that your computer is transcoding with enough beef and can keep up.

after about 8 seconds or more...

If that part is working, you should be able to click 'view'. ZTranscode will start an instance of MPLayer that will play the resultant mpg transcoding in progress. Sometimes, a computer may not play it well, because it's working pretty hard with the transcode and the player running in tandem. You can get an idea of how tough it is on your computer by looking at the green box and the foul/strikes/hits...

By default, ZTrancode will auto throttle the CPU usuage when it nears a FPS that is likely to crash an MVP.

If you can't get to this point, then there's no point in even trying to view a file on the MVP.


---

One more thing, although I suggest that it is not necessary to do any configuration and expose other features with the sweet spots, you may want to look at the large text box with the commandline, (from where you posted earlier)

expand=-720:-480:0:240

This will not work. The math here is wrong. The first two values should be positive, not negative. It's probably the error while parsing using the '2mpg' profile, but we're not using that anymore...

And just so we aren't confused by the example above, ZProcess' defaults use 640x480. So you'll probably be seeing expand=640:480:...

[bertros]

Open ZProcess2.exe, GB-PVR Settings, and click 'Remove All Refs'. Close
Run RemoveAllZProcess.reg
Delete all files in the ZTools folder

Check.

Open GB-PVR and test one of your files using the ffmpeg defaults...

Check. Still works.

MEncoder/MPlayer is the same version described on my wiki, and installed in Program Files\mplayer

Check. Reinstalled, just to make sure.

Fresh copy of ZProcess files into GBPVR\Third Party\ZTools folder

Check.

Confirm GB-PVR Recording service is set to interact with desktop

Check.

Confirm that there are no references in GB-PVR config.xml to your MVP MAC address that would be used for MVPScreenPosition

Check. There are some MAC addresses in there, but not mine.

Follow directions to temporarily install Hauppauge software, and confirm that the MVP is set to 16x9 dimensions, regardless of your actuall Television aspect ratio.

Dig around in the basement for the old MVP disk. Found it. MVP was not set to 16:9 (I guess never has been). Changed that. Check.

Make sure that the Hauppauge services are not set to auto start, (There's two of them)

Check.

Open ZProcess2.exe. Does it ask, NTSC/PAL? Does it ask Wide Screen or 4x3? Does it ask to add references?
Close ZProcess.

Does ask NTSC/PAL. Does not ask Wide screen or 4X3. Does ask to add references. Close Zprocess and restart gbpvr service.

Open, ZTranscode.exe. Click 'Settings' The Trans2MVP profile should already be selected. Uncheck 'Hide Consoles' and 'Lock to MVPScreenPosition' Save and then close settings screen

Check.

Verify that the path for the output folder exists (the actual file might not exist yet) This file name is copied from the input filename, but with mpg extension

Check.

Click Start. Because we unchecked 'Hide Consoles' we should see a 'DOS' box with MEncoder cranking away. Have a look. Is it cranking (Might be some errors, but that's ok) or is it stalled, or has it closed immediately?

I guess it is cranking away? It's not showing a bunch of code or anything after the initial text. But it's staying open and doesn't seem to be crashing.

Have a look at the indicators showing the strikes, hits and fouls. You should have a green box, showing that your computer is transcoding with enough beef and can keep up.

I don't have any indicators showing other than the blinking green light on the icon in the title line. But it's blinking and the fps is good.

If that part is working, you should be able to click 'view'. ZTranscode will start an instance of MPLayer that will play the resultant mpg transcoding in progress.

Mplayer is playing the video! That's the first time this has worked. Yay! Happy dance! .

Checked the MVP. Working again! Yay! Thanks for all the help Zehd.

[zehd]

Checked the MVP. Working again! Yay! Thanks for all the help Zehd.

Looks like I'm updating the wiki page !!! Glad it's working