Transcode to MPG ?

[sub]

Try removing the exe="ffmpeg.exe" bit of the line.

[jksmurf]

Cool, that worked :o

Quick Q. It started life as a 624 x 352 MPEG Layer 3 XVID (approx. 24fps NTSC), will it play OK on the MVP (i.e. will it resize it to fit too?).

k.

[sub]

I'm fairly sure part of the "-f svcd" command tells it to resize to a standard format that the MVP can understand.

[jksmurf]

OK cheers I'll have to wait until I get home to view this. (Doing it all by UVNC).

I'm a bit confused by the small size though.

350MB XVID => 776MB MPEG2. and it went quite quickly! Much faster than the other way around.

I wonder why the same show occupies around 5GB when encoded directly by the PVR-150? If the quality is as good, then it would make more sense (HD-space wise) for me to record in DivX or XVID and transcode for the MVP then delete the original (unfortunately I can't with the PVR-150, but my GOSUB7007 device used to be able to record in MP4). Are there any Hauppauge or other devices that can record in DivX/Xvid direct?

k.

[zehd]

I just d/l a missed recording, in AVI (DivX) format, can I use the same command line in the config.xml to convert to MPG to play on the MVP?

<Conversion name="MPEG2" cmd="-y -i {SOURCE_FILE} -f svcd -b 4000 -ac 2 -ab 128 -f svcd {DEST_FILE}" targetExtension=".mpg" />

or zehd can I do this in Zprocess?

k.

Actually,I would use ZProcess, only because you can change settings much quicker than editing the config.xml

Yes, I use ZProcess to pre -transcode many times...

I have also added this line to the config.xml so that I can use ZProcess to pre-transcode from the comfort of my sofa...

Code:

<Conversion name="MediaMVP MPG" cmd="-y -i {SOURCE_FILE} -f svcd -b 2400 -ab 224 -ac 2 -r 29.97 -s 640x480 -padtop 50 -padbottom 50 {DEST_FILE}" targetExtension=".mpg" />

Please note! that when you use ZProcess, it ignores ALL settings in the config.xml except the Source and Destination... That's the same for all the transcode profiles in the config.xml...

The line could easily be:

Code:

<Conversion name="MediaMVP MPG" cmd="{SOURCE_FILE} {DEST_FILE}" targetExtension=".mpg" />

Two more things about how ZProcess intrefaces with the config.xml and even AVI on the fly transcoding...

If ZProcess is passed a source and a destination file, and the target file is an MPG, it will default to using the '2mpg' profile setup inside ZProcess...

If ZProcess is passed a source and a destination file, and the target file is an MPG, BUT the Destination file starts with 'MVP' it will default to using the 'Trans2MVP' profile setup inside ZProcess...

The MVP Case happens only when you try to watch a AVI with your MVP, and GB-PVR calls ZProcess/ffmpeg to do the auto transcoding.

Clear as Mud? Ask questions...I'll be around

[zehd]

Cool, that worked :o

Quick Q. It started life as a 624 x 352 MPEG Layer 3 XVID (approx. 24fps NTSC), will it play OK on the MVP (i.e. will it resize it to fit too?).

k.

If the AVI is a wide screen aspect ratio, you'll have trouble unless you also add padding to the tops and bottoms, so that the actual aspect ratio of the mpeg passed to the MVP is a 4x3 even though it contains a Letterbox AVI aspect ratio...

[jksmurf]

Actually,I would use ZProcess, only because you can change settings much quicker than editing the config.xml

OK, I just might. My only "concern" (yep it's piddling) for not trying it was the renaming of ffmpeg and the impact it might have on GBPVR. I suppose it's not possible for these to be independent, i.e. one ffmpeg and one fmpeg?

Yes, I use ZProcess to pre-transcode many times...
I have also added this line to the config.xml so that I can use ZProcess to pre-transcode from the comfort of my sofa...

What exactly do you mean by PRE-transcode? I've read the Zprocess WIKI a few times, but I'm a bit out of touch with some of the terms.

Code:

<Conversion name="MediaMVP MPG" cmd="-y -i {SOURCE_FILE} -f svcd -b 2400 -ab 224 -ac 2 -r 29.97 -s 640x480 -padtop 50 -padbottom 50 {DEST_FILE}" targetExtension=".mpg" />

Two more things about how ZProcess interfaces with the config.xml and even AVI on the fly transcoding.

OK, so as long as the file is called MVPXXXX it will choose the MVP profile. I guess this should be in Zprocess thread, but what if I want to keep teh smae name, just with .mpg as the extension, so it e.g. fits all the other episode names in my video library... :confused:

Cheers zehd, I can't pretend to say "well done" on the prorgramming, because to be honest I have no idea how you've done what you have, but I like your concept, the idea "to make stuff simple" (for dolts like myself), I like that you have documented it extremely well, and that you have given credit where credit is due. For those alone, kudos to you.

k.

[zehd]

I might have confused you because I was referring to two different functions...

As you have read, the ffmpeg that comes with GB-PVR must be renamed to fmpeg. ZProcess (which is really named ffmpeg.exe) will slip in there...

ZProcess acts as an interpreter between GB-PVR and the now renamed fmpeg.exe.

Two ways to use it (at least for this discussion)

1st, Using it to view AVI's on an MVP: When GB_PVR wants to show an AVI, it knows it can't directly, and so it calls ffmpeg. It uses the parameters in config.xml under

Code:

<MVPFFmpegTranscodeCmdLinePAL>-y -i "{SOURCE_FILE}" -b 2400 -ac 2 -ab 128 -r 25 -s 352x288 -f svcd "{DEST_FILE}"</MVPFFmpegTranscodeCmdLinePAL>
<MVPFFmpegTranscodeCmdLineNTSC>-y -i "{SOURCE_FILE}" -b 2400 -ac 2 -ab 128 -r 29.97 -s 352x240 -f svcd "{DEST_FILE}"</MVPFFmpegTranscodeCmdLineNTSC>

Although ZProcess acts nice enough to fool GB-PVR into thinking it's ffmpeg, it does ignore all the settings except for the {source} and {Dest} When GB-PVR passes the destination filename it is called MVP080970375.mpg (where this is MVP + the MAC address of your MVP) (All of this is transparent and no need for concern) ZProcess automatically uses the Trans2MVP profile (which is not to be confused with other references to Trans2MVP.bat etc)

2nd, using the Transcode menu in the Video Plugin Again ZProcess is designed to emulate the real ffmpeg. GB-PVR calls out and ZProcess answers. Except it also ignores the finer parameters in

Code:

<Conversion name="MediaMVP MPG" cmd="-y -i {SOURCE_FILE} -f svcd -b 2400 -ab 224 -ac 2 -r 29.97 -s 640x480 -padtop 50 -padbottom 50 {DEST_FILE}" targetExtension=".mpg" />
<Conversion name="XviD" cmd="-y -i {SOURCE_FILE} -f avi -ab 224 -ac 2 -acodec mp3 -vcodec mpeg4 -b 1400 -vtag XVID {DEST_FILE}" targetExtension=".avi" />
<Conversion name="DivX" cmd="-y -i {SOURCE_FILE} -f avi -ab 224 -ac 2 -acodec mp3 -vcodec mpeg4 -b 1400 -vtag DIVX {DEST_FILE}" targetExtension=".avi" />
<Conversion name="Video Ipod" cmd="-y -i {SOURCE_FILE} -title {TITLE_SUBTITLE} -f mp4 -vcodec mpeg4 -s 320x240 -r 15 {DEST_FILE}" targetExtension=".mp4" />
<Conversion name="Sony PSP" cmd="-y -i {SOURCE_FILE} -title {TITLE_SUBTITLE} -f psp -r 29.97 -s 368x208 -b 768 -ar 24000 -ab 32 {DEST_FILE}" targetExtension=".mp4" />
<Conversion name="Mobile .3GP" cmd="-y -i {SOURCE_FILE} -acodec aac -vcodec mpeg4 -s qcif -aspect 4:3 -hq {DEST_FILE}" targetExtension=".3gp" />
<Conversion name="WMV-1200kb/s" cmd="-y -i {SOURCE_FILE} -vcodec wmv2 -b 1200 {DEST_FILE}" targetExtension=".wmv" />
<Conversion name="WMV-700kb/s" cmd="-y -i {SOURCE_FILE} -vcodec wmv2 -b 700 {DEST_FILE}" targetExtension=".wmv" />

These are the 'stock' lines from the config.xml except the very first one, which is what I added... Again, I could have simplified all the lines in this section to include only the source and destination and targetfileext... But I left them alone, so that ZProcess could be uninstalled with a minimum of fuss...

Once installed, and some settings adjusted to your liking (as per wiki) (but it should run out of the box) you should be able to watch an AVI 'directly' on your MVP (for 'directly' see above)

You should also be able to select a avi in the video plugin, slect transcode, and select any of the output format profiles, (including the new one I added)

Good luck

[zehd]

What exactly do you mean by PRE-transcode?

Sorry, what I meant is rather than transcode onthefly while using the MVP, transcoding ahead of time...

OK, so as long as the file is called MVPXXXX it will choose the MVP profile. I guess this should be in Zprocess thread, but what if I want to keep teh smae name, just with .mpg as the extension, so it e.g. fits all the other episode names in my video library... :confused:

I hope my other post cleared this up. the Destination filename: MVP0986053.mpg is never seen by you. GB-PVR sends THIS file to the MVP...

Cheers zehd, I can't pretend to say "well done" on the prorgramming, because to be honest I have no idea how you've done what you have, but I like your concept, the idea "to make stuff simple" (for dolts like myself), I like that you have documented it extremely well, and that you have given credit where credit is due. For those alone, kudos to you.

All right then, no 'well done' taken

I do know what you mean though. ZProcess has really become something much bigger and more complicated than the batch file that started it all.

But whenever someone does want to thank me, I try and turn it around on the entire community (Sub especially) who helped me understand so much at the beginning, (only a few months ago really)

[jksmurf]

I'm fairly sure part of the "-f svcd" command tells it to resize to a standard format that the MVP can understand.

Hmm. Well it transcoded OK..but on the MVP it is streched wide, out of sync and occupies only the top 1/2 of the screen, with a lot black down below.

If the AVI is a wide screen aspect ratio, you'll have trouble unless you also add padding to the tops and bottoms, so that the actual aspect ratio of the mpeg passed to the MVP is a 4x3 even though it contains a Letterbox AVI aspect ratio...

Now I see what you mean!

Back to the drawing board for me! Btw has anyone used GUI4FFMPEG, it's a bit like zhed's creation, only more basic and you have to adjust AVISynth scripts if you want to use that.

k.