ZProcess: FFmpeg or MEncoder not finishing

[zehd]

Oddly enough, there is no problem when I play these videos from the command line using the EXACT command that comes from zprocess.log, but when I use zprocess to run ffmpeg or mencoder it will crash as mentioned above. Sooo do you think there could be any reason the same command runs clean from a prompt but not through zprocess?

No. I can't think of anything, except when you are viewing the files on the MVP, the MVP session is holding ZProcess open. According to the records, GB-PVR is killing the instance of ZProcess, which in turn kills Hunter and the Transcode process...

So for some reason ZProcess is forced closed because GB-PVR isn't happy about something. And as I said, most of the time, it's because there's not enough file being created.

Try this. Start a manual transcode, restore the transcode window so you can watch it grind. With FFmpeg watch the the time=xxxx. Is it much faster than a full second for every real second...? Next start the same video inside MVP then on the server, restore the transcode window and look at the time again. You should have as fast a transcode...

Or you could try it with MEncoder... It gives the current fps at the bottom. You can really see if it's able to crank at the same speed while being called with or without GB-PVR...

[fmanji]

Hi Zehd,
I just tried again with version 998, and I can tell you definitively that it will run clean from the batch file or from the command line, but not from zprocess when I hit the start button in the transcode tab.
I can also tell you that the fps decoding is closer to 50fps so no danger of running out of headroom. This is using ffmpeg.
Could you maybe give me the exact transcode setting you use and I can try those (screen capture)? Logs attached.

[zehd]

Hi Zehd,
I just tried again with version 998, and I can tell you definitively that it will run clean from the batch file or from the command line, but not from zprocess when I hit the start button in the transcode tab.
I can also tell you that the fps decoding is closer to 50fps so no danger of running out of headroom. This is using ffmpeg.
Could you maybe give me the exact transcode setting you use and I can try those (screen capture)? Logs attached.

Wait a minute. You have started ZProcess Manually. Selected your video. Press Start on Transcode Tab. And the transcode starts but stops around 30 minutes.... But if you snag the command line that ZProcess created and used and start the transcode from the cmd prompt or batch file, it runs...

That's damn peculiar. Leave that with me...

[zehd]

I would delete your settings and start with defaults...

On Transcode tab, select Trans2MVP and click 'delete'

Then with Target, click the dropdown and re-select *Trans2MVP

Then Adjust the dimensions. (I use 640 x 480)

Save it... Try again

[fmanji]

What about for the "more" settings the extra transcode options at the bottom?
What do you recommend that is safe...that you know works for you.?

[zehd]

What about for the "more" settings the extra transcode options at the bottom?
What do you recommend that is safe...that you know works for you.?

If you reset the way I described, all the settings including the ones in the 'More' section will be set to what I would call safe...

[fmanji]

Okay, I did as you said, reset the Trans2MVP profile, and re ran the decode, it crashed again with this commandline:

3/27/2007 5:37:44 PM : Commandline: "C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\Third Party\FFmpeg\ffmpeg.exe" -y -i "D:\Current Movies\UFC - Ultimate Knockouts 4.avi" -target ntsc-dvd -deinterlace -b 6000k -vcodec mpeg2video -ab 224 -ar 48000 -acodec mp2 -ac 2 -r 29.97 -s 592x444 -padtop 18 -padbottom 18 -padleft 16 -padright 32 -aspect 4:3 "D:\Current Movies\OvOut\UFC - Ultimate Knockouts 4.mpg"

I have assume 720AVI is 4x3 on and Force DeInterlace on.

When I run the exact same command using your batch file it also crashes now, so something must be funny with the command line, no error message pops up, it is as if it has finished decoding but only decodes 10mins of a 50 min file.

[zehd]

Okay, I did as you said, reset the Trans2MVP profile, and re ran the decode, it crashed again with this commandline:

3/27/2007 5:37:44 PM : Commandline: "C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\Third Party\FFmpeg\ffmpeg.exe" -y -i "D:\Current Movies\UFC - Ultimate Knockouts 4.avi" -target ntsc-dvd -deinterlace -b 6000k -vcodec mpeg2video -ab 224 -ar 48000 -acodec mp2 -ac 2 -r 29.97 -s 592x444 -padtop 18 -padbottom 18 -padleft 16 -padright 32 -aspect 4:3 "D:\Current Movies\OvOut\UFC - Ultimate Knockouts 4.mpg"

I have assume 720AVI is 4x3 on and Force DeInterlace on.

When I run the exact same command using your batch file it also crashes now, so something must be funny with the command line, no error message pops up, it is as if it has finished decoding but only decodes 10mins of a 50 min file.

The command line doesn't look default even though it looks completely valid. Try reset the padding (zero it out). I think you should probably start trying a different AVI. Not a lot of different AVIs, just one different. And then start troubleshooting with that one...

I know that the defaults work just fine with anything I throw at it. That's why I put them in there... The deinterlace switch should be fine, and the Assume 720 is 4x3 feature isn't even part of the equation going AVI to MPG...

Maybe I'm chasing my tail. PAL or NTSC?

[zehd]

Okay, I did as you said, reset the Trans2MVP profile, and re ran the decode, it crashed again with this commandline:

3/27/2007 5:37:44 PM : Commandline: "C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\Third Party\FFmpeg\ffmpeg.exe" -y -i "D:\Current Movies\UFC - Ultimate Knockouts 4.avi" -target ntsc-dvd -deinterlace -b 6000k -vcodec mpeg2video -ab 224 -ar 48000 -acodec mp2 -ac 2 -r 29.97 -s 592x444 -padtop 18 -padbottom 18 -padleft 16 -padright 32 -aspect 4:3 "D:\Current Movies\OvOut\UFC - Ultimate Knockouts 4.mpg"

I have assume 720AVI is 4x3 on and Force DeInterlace on.

When I run the exact same command using your batch file it also crashes now, so something must be funny with the command line, no error message pops up, it is as if it has finished decoding but only decodes 10mins of a 50 min file.

Did you get the Ultimate Wrestling from a Torrent site. Happen to know the torrent. I'll download it too and try, (in spite of the fact that I hate wrestling)

[fmanji]

I've actually tried with 2 or 3 different .avi's, same effect.

NTSC

I hate wrestling too, but this is UFC!

The only thing in that commend line that should be different from default is the padding, I can zero that out too if you think it will make a difference.