Automated Cutting and Transcoding Guide Using Mencoder

[-stattik-]

Hi,

I'm using digital freeview in the UK to record the programs.

Some come down as 720x576 @16:9. They compress fine.

Some come down as 544x576 @16:9. Problems.

The original play fine on a KMPlayer going to widescreen, but the 'compressed' file after the stattik script has the top and bottom chopped off.

I have the profile as standard, two_pass, x264, hoping it would cope but it doesn't seem to do the 544x576 @16:9 properly. Can you tell me what settings I should use?

Many thanks
Alan

The script determines aspect ratio by dividing the width by the height. 544x576 ends up being a 4:3 aspect.

If you can verify that all 544x576 material is 16x9 I'll add some logic to force that output to 16:9. In the meantime you can add to your profile "hdtv". That will force the aspect to 16x9.

Code:

SET profile two_pass hdtv

If you want x264 video compression set this:

Code:

SET video_encoder=x264

Be sure you have the proper software to decode it. I use ffdshow and haali media splitter.

[firehorse]

Hi,

The script is working well.

However, when mencoder is running, it is slowing down the rest of computer even though it is on idle priority. I think it must be quite aggressive in grabbing cpu cycles.

Is there any setting to make it less aggressive?

Failing that, I was looking into getting the script to only transcode at certain times. I've set the following.

SET time_check=yes
SET time_transcode_start=0100
SET time_transcode_stop=0900

I'm hoping that transcoding only happens between 1AM and 9AM. I have renamed the script as postprocessing.bat. I'm assuming gbpvr will call postprocessing.bat which will remain suspended until 1AM. Is that right?

Many thanks
Alan

[-stattik-]

I'd check your task manager when you experience these slowdowns as you may have more than one transcode happening concurrently.

If you want to enable time checking, I wouldn't run it as postprocessing.bat. You'll most likely have multiple copies running at the same time.

I would recommend setting it up like this:

Make sure directory monitoring is set:

Code:

SET directory_monitoring=yes

Make sure this is set to your recordings directory:

Code:

SET recursive_transcode_directory=D:\Video\

Then start the script.

If you're unsure about this, post your config. This may even fix the slowdowns you're having.

[firehorse]

Hi,

I'd check your task manager when you experience these slowdowns as you may have more than one transcode happening concurrently.

If you want to enable time checking, I wouldn't run it as postprocessing.bat. You'll most likely have multiple copies running at the same time.

I would recommend setting it up like this:

Make sure directory monitoring is set:

Code:

SET directory_monitoring=yes

Make sure this is set to your recordings directory:

Code:

SET recursive_transcode_directory=D:\Video\

Then start the script.

If you're unsure about this, post your config. This may even fix the slowdowns you're having.

Thanks for the tips.

I did sometimes have more than one mencoder process running. I will rename postprocessing and use directory monitoring instead.

Thanks
Alan

[roobear]

Stattik i have been having a problem seems most my one hour shows the script stattik_transcode_0.5.1f.bat sees them as only 18 minutes long and then encodes the whole hour show down to file sizes of just over 100MB I am not using comskip function the old version stattik_transcode_0.4b.bat still works fine

[-stattik-]

What kind of files are your input files? mpg? ts? Are you dropping the files on the script or is the script scanning directories to find files? Can you provide some debug output?

Thanks.

[roobear]

it happens whether i drop files or use directory monitoring the files are Mpg.

source info : - total length 0 minutes- show length 18 minutes- -comercial length 18 minutes (but it is 65 minute recording) don't know if that helps if you need some other debug output let me know

[-stattik-]

it happens whether i drop files or use directory monitoring the files are Mpg.

source info : - total length 0 minutes- show length 18 minutes- -comercial length 18 minutes (but it is 65 minute recording) don't know if that helps if you need some other debug output let me know

Since you use directory monitoring you can do this to produce some good info:

- Make sure you change the first line of the stattik_transcode script to ECHO ON

- Drop stattik_transcode_0.5.1f.bat onto the debug-dump.bat file. Send me the output.

- Also attach your stattik_transcode_0.5.1f.bat and stattik_transcode_0.4b.bat files.


Thanks.

[roobear]

Ok don't know what i am doing wrong here does not close after the 60 seconds no Wscript running changed 1st line to @Echo ON And, ECHO ON all i keep getting is a temp file that says program location "G:\Recordings\Cold Case\Cold Case_20080511_23000000.mpg" at times i am surprised i can get this comp to turn on have to figure out what button to push LOL when i run the debug script it starts up memcoder. when script starts tried both hitting enter key and hitting z no difference.

[-stattik-]

Ok don't know what i am doing wrong here does not close after the 60 seconds no Wscript running changed 1st line to @Echo ON And, ECHO ON all i keep getting is a temp file that says program location "G:\Recordings\Cold Case\Cold Case_20080511_23000000.mpg" at times i am surprised i can get this comp to turn on have to figure out what button to push LOL when i run the debug script it starts up memcoder. when script starts tried both hitting enter key and hitting z no difference.

The debug is supposed to start mencoder. It will also leave a file called stattik_transcode0.5.1f-debug.log that will have the debug info.

Does 0.5.1f have something that you wanted that 0.4b didn't have? I looked at the two scripts that you attached and they have different settings. 0.5.1f defaults to xvid twopass mode while 0.4b uses xvid quant mode. You mention in your first post that you're not using comskip function but in the next post you you add this:

Code:

source info : - total length 0 minutes- show length 18 minutes- -commercial length 18 minutes

That shows that comskip was run on the file at some time before because the script identified 18 minutes of commercials from the comskip files.

My first suggestion if you still want to use the 0.5.1 script is to pick a test file, remove/rename the corresponding edl files and drop the file on the 0.5.1f script.

See if that helps. If it does, I may have a fix for you.