Transcoding LiveTV

[arrmo]

Will do that, thanks! BTW, can you confirm your command line (parameters)? Are you using the "stock" ones in config.xml, or updated as in the thread above?

Thanks again.

[madas]

Here is mine and it works great with multiple models of HDHR (old + the new ones that transcode) and a Hauppauge Colossus.

<TranscodeExe>.\other\ffmpeg2.exe</TranscodeExe>
<TranscodeArgs>-y -v 0 -i [SOURCE] -f mpegts -acodec ac3 -ab 96k -ar 44100 -ac 2 -s [RESOLUTION] -vcodec libx264 -b [BITRATE] -maxrate [BITRATE] -flags +loop -refs 1 -coder 0 -me_range 16 -keyint_min 25 -sc_threshold 40 -i_qfactor 0.71 -bt 200k -bufsize 96K -rc_eq 'blurCplx^(1-qComp)' -qcomp 0.6 -qmin 10 -qmax 51 -qdiff 4 -level 30 -aspect [ASPECT] -g 30 -async 2 [TARGET]</TranscodeArgs>

[arrmo]

Hi,

Thanks for the pointers! Yes, with a newer ffmpeg (built my own, from current git repository), and your command line options work (and the metadata is correct!) - from the command line. But not when trying to stream from NextPVR. But I may know what's going on - from the log below,

2015-08-31 11:47:42.872 [DEBUG][56] Got Web Request (127.0.0.1): /transcode channel=505&resolution=720x406&bitrate=900k
2015-08-31 11:48:03.734 [DEBUG][55] ********** Checking VLC Heartbeat Dictionary
2015-08-31 11:48:03.734 [DEBUG][55] +++++No entries in VLC Heartbeat Dictionary.
2015-08-31 11:48:04.077 [DEBUG][49] Loading FanArt from: C:\Users\Public\NPVR\Media\Shows
2015-08-31 11:48:04.077 [DEBUG][49] FanArt Dictionary Count: 19
2015-08-31 11:48:04.077 [DEBUG][49] Clearing Dictionary
2015-08-31 11:48:04.077 [DEBUG][49] FanArt Dictionary Count: 0
2015-08-31 11:48:04.079 [DEBUG][49] FanArt loaded from directory.... start time: 8/31/2015 11:48:04 AM end time: 8/31/2015 11:48:04 AM total elapsed seconds: 0.2
2015-08-31 11:48:04.079 [DEBUG][49] FanArt Dictionary Count: 19
2015-08-31 11:48:04.079 [DEBUG][49] Folders processed: 0
2015-08-31 11:48:04.079 [DEBUG][49] Fanart files processed: 19
2015-08-31 11:48:04.079 [DEBUG][49] Total files processed: 31
2015-08-31 11:48:32.759 [DEBUG][55] Got Web Request (127.0.0.1): /transcode channel=505&resolution=720x406&bitrate=900k
2015-08-31 11:48:32.765 [DEBUG][55] Running: C:\Program Files (x86)\NPVR\other\ffmpeg-new.exe -y -v 0 -i http://127.0.0.1:8866/live?channel=505 -f mpegts -acodec ac3 -ab 96k -ar 44100 -ac 2 -s 720x406 -vcodec libx264 -b 900k -maxrate 900k -flags +loop -refs 1 -coder 0 -me_range 16 -keyint_min 25 -sc_threshold 40 -i_qfactor 0.71 -bt 200k -bufsize 96K -rc_eq 'blurCplx^(1-qComp)' -qcomp 0.6 -qmin 10 -qmax 51 -qdiff 4 -level 30 -aspect 720:406 -g 30 -async 2 D:\Recorded TV\live-tKXASHD-12144-40.ts
2015-08-31 11:48:32.766 [DEBUG][52] Watch dog is starting
2015-08-31 11:48:32.784 [DEBUG][49] Got Web Request (127.0.0.1): /live channel=505
2015-08-31 11:48:32.784 [DEBUG][49] StreamNative@1
2015-08-31 11:48:32.785 [DEBUG][49] StreamNative@2
2015-08-31 11:48:32.785 [DEBUG][49] StreamNative@3
2015-08-31 11:48:32.785 [DEBUG][49] StreamNative@4
2015-08-31 11:48:32.785 [DEBUG][49] StreamNative@5
2015-08-31 11:48:32.789 [DEBUG][49] StreamNative@6
2015-08-31 11:48:32.789 [DEBUG][49] StreamNative@7...
2015-08-31 11:48:32.789 [DEBUG][49] StreamNative@8 (C:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\live-KXASHD-12144-41.ts)
2015-08-31 11:48:32.789 [DEBUG][49] about to start stream...
2015-08-31 11:48:33.734 [DEBUG][51] ********** Checking VLC Heartbeat Dictionary
2015-08-31 11:48:33.734 [DEBUG][51] +++++No entries in VLC Heartbeat Dictionary.
2015-08-31 11:48:33.896 [DEBUG][49] StartStream(9134:KXAS HD, LIVE&C:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\live-KXASHD-12144-41.ts) allocated handle: 1376288
2015-08-31 11:48:33.897 [DEBUG][49] Handle: 150020
2015-08-31 11:48:33.897 [DEBUG][49] StreamNative@9 (storing stream handle: 1376288)
2015-08-31 11:48:33.897 [DEBUG][49] clientHandle[default] = 1376288 *
2015-08-31 11:48:34.098 [DEBUG][49] StreamNative@10 (with close monitoring...)
2015-08-31 11:48:34.098 [DEBUG][49] RollingFile(C:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\live-KXASHD-12144-41.ts)..
2015-08-31 11:48:34.098 [DEBUG][49] SharedMemoryHelper::Open(): C:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\live-KXASHD-12144-41.ts
2015-08-31 11:48:34.098 [DEBUG][49] OpenFileMapping: Global\NPVRSlip5c6c6976652d4b58415348442d31323134342d34312e7473
2015-08-31 11:48:34.098 [DEBUG][49] Got file mapping
2015-08-31 11:48:34.098 [DEBUG][49] got shared memory helper
2015-08-31 11:48:34.799 [DEBUG][49] About to send 50000 bytes
2015-08-31 11:48:34.799 [DEBUG][49] Sent 50000 bytes
2015-08-31 11:48:34.799 [DEBUG][51] Got Web Request (127.0.0.1): /live channel=505
2015-08-31 11:48:34.799 [DEBUG][51] StreamNative@1
2015-08-31 11:48:34.799 [DEBUG][51] StreamNative@2
2015-08-31 11:48:34.799 [DEBUG][51] StreamNative@3
2015-08-31 11:48:34.799 [DEBUG][51] StreamNative@4
2015-08-31 11:48:34.799 [DEBUG][51] StreamNative@5
2015-08-31 11:48:34.805 [DEBUG][51] StreamNative@6
2015-08-31 11:48:34.805 [DEBUG][51] StreamNative@7...
2015-08-31 11:48:34.805 [DEBUG][51] StreamNative@previous-handle = 1376288
2015-08-31 11:48:34.805 [DEBUG][51] StreamNative@8 (C:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\live-KXASHD-12144-42.ts)
2015-08-31 11:48:34.805 [DEBUG][51] about to start stream...
2015-08-31 11:48:34.828 [DEBUG][51] StartStream(9134:KXAS HD, LIVE&C:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\live-KXASHD-12144-42.ts) allocated handle: 1376289
2015-08-31 11:48:34.828 [DEBUG][51] Handle: 150021
2015-08-31 11:48:34.828 [DEBUG][51] StreamNative@9 (storing stream handle: 1376289)
2015-08-31 11:48:34.828 [DEBUG][51] clientHandle[default] = 1376289 *
2015-08-31 11:48:34.900 [DEBUG][49] About to send 50000 bytes
2015-08-31 11:48:34.900 [DEBUG][49] Sent 50000 bytes
2015-08-31 11:48:35.028 [DEBUG][51] StopStream(on previous handle: 1376288)
2015-08-31 11:48:35.028 [DEBUG][51] StreamNative@10 (with close monitoring...)
2015-08-31 11:48:35.030 [DEBUG][51] RollingFile(C:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\live-KXASHD-12144-42.ts)..
2015-08-31 11:48:35.030 [DEBUG][51] SharedMemoryHelper::Open(): C:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\live-KXASHD-12144-42.ts
2015-08-31 11:48:35.030 [DEBUG][51] OpenFileMapping: Global\NPVRSlip5c6c6976652d4b58415348442d31323134342d34322e7473
2015-08-31 11:48:35.030 [DEBUG][51] Got file mapping
2015-08-31 11:48:35.030 [DEBUG][51] got shared memory helper
2015-08-31 11:48:35.031 [DEBUG][51] About to send 50000 bytes
2015-08-31 11:48:35.032 [DEBUG][51] Sent 50000 bytes
2015-08-31 11:48:35.032 [DEBUG][51] About to send 50000 bytes
2015-08-31 11:48:35.032 [DEBUG][51] Sent 50000 bytes

ffmpeg is configured to output to D:\Recorded TV\live-tKXASHD-12144-40.ts, but streaming is from a different file, C:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\live-KXASHD-12144-41.ts? Or am I not reading this right?

Nothing shows up in D:\Recorded TV (using NextPVR) - if I run the ffmpeg command above from the command line, it works great.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

[madas]

add the -report to the FFMPEG command so we can see what FFMPEG is actually doing when launched by NPVR. At one point I think I had a problem with access rights and the -report file showed that FFMPEG couldn't create the output file.

[sub]

There is two streams happen.

1) the webserver to you, which contains the transcoded stream, read from D:\Recorded TV\live-tKXASHD-12144-40.ts
2) ffmpeg to the webserver, which contains the original full bitrate stream, which uses temporary files like C:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\live-KXASHD-12144-41.ts as part of this process.

What are you trying to watch the stream with? Some players try to open and close the stream several times, which can break things.

[arrmo]

Hi,

Replying to both questions / comments above,
1) I added -report, but don't really see anything in the log file. Or does ffmpeg output it somewhere else that I need to check?
2) I have tried several clients ... VLC, Windows Media Player, Plex (channel), and browser (Chrome). Do you have a suggestion? Willing to try it!

In any case, the file D:\Recorded TV\ is not being generated (but does if I run the command from a command prompt).

Thanks!

[madas]

It creates a different file (not sure what dir so do a search for ffmpeg)

"-report
Dump full command line and console output to a file named program-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.log in the current directory. This file can be useful for bug reports. It also implies -loglevel verbose.
"

[arrmo]

Thanks! And I think the mystery is solved ... . BTW, the report is in C:\Program Files (x86)\NPVR (for reference for folks). Also note, the ffmpeg version with N-PVR doesn't seem to support report, or at least I had to use my "new" version. But that all said, here is the log (and the issue I think),

Opening an output file: D:\Recorded.
Successfully opened the file.
Parsing a group of options: output file TV\live-tKXASHD-12132-5.ts.
Successfully parsed a group of options.
Opening an output file: TV\live-tKXASHD-12132-5.ts.
TV\live-tKXASHD-12132-5.ts: No such file or directory

It's because my output directory is "D:\Recorded TV" - the space in the filename is breaking things ... agreed? As a parameter, this name needs quotes around it, correct? And BTW, there is an empty file "D:\Recorded" created.

Thanks again.

[madas]

Excellent - thats good to know. I don't have any spaces in my path which is why it works for me. Good detective work!

[arrmo]

Thanks again for all the help and pointers - very much appreciated!