Transcoding/codec help

[SickBoy]

OK, so here's my current quandary.

I recently switched my tuner setup from an original HDHR to a HDHR Plus and have successfully configured the HDHR Plus to record to H.264 format and I wrote a postprocessing script to run VideoRedo QuickStreamFix, outputting the file to VideoRedo TVSuite's "H.264 Matroska MKV" stock output profile. For content recorded by the HDHR Plus, everything is peachy keen - files play back perfectly in NPVR with pretty much any of the H.264 codecs I throw at them (and also in MPC-HC).

So, I figured I'd go back and run that same postprocessing script at all of the recordings I have kicking around in the old format (MPEG2-TS recorded by my original HDHR). Obviously, since the VideoRedo QuickStreamFix has to do a major re-encode to output to matroska, this takes a lot longer, I've been fine with that - but now I am discovering that none of my resulting files will play in MPC-HC or NPVR. It's literally the same postprocessing script, so it has to be something with the input files. I can still play them back in VLC, but that's not super awesome to me, obviously I want them to be able to play through NPVR.

Below is a screenshot of MediaInfo from 4 files, the two on the lefthand side of the screen are from files which were originally recorded by the older HDHR and re-encoded to matroska by my postproc script, and are the "problem" files. On the right - is MediaInfo from two working files, one from a Matroska-encoded DVD rip (upper) and one from a HDHR Plus-recorded program that went through my postprocessing script.

I'm beginning to think I'll need to use a different encoding script for the files generated by my older HDHR, but could use some help determining where exactly the problem is.

Thanks!

[SickBoy]

guh, that screenshot is obviously not readable. lets see if this works. This is a "broken" file, re-encoded to MKV from the older HDHR:

General
Unique ID : 20070124815561857227881711244129695070 (0xF195D8D47482DBBCB071A7F991D755E)
Complete name : N:\npvr7_recordings\Saturday Night Live\Saturday Night Live_20131127_20002200.mkv
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 2
File size : 5.42 GiB
Duration : 2h 7mn
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 6 070 Kbps
Writing application : Lavf53.31.100
Writing library : Lavf53.31.100

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 3 frames
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 2h 7mn
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 5 437 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 9 000 Kbps
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Standard : NTSC
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Interlaced
Scan order : Top Field First
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.197
Stream size : 4.86 GiB (90%)
Default : Yes
Forced : No
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709

Audio #1
ID : 2
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Mode extension : CM (complete main)
Format settings, Endianness : Big
Codec ID : A_AC3
Duration : 2h 7mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 384 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : -1mn 5s
Stream size : 351 MiB (6%)
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No

Audio #2
ID : 3
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Mode extension : CM (complete main)
Format settings, Endianness : Big
Codec ID : A_AC3
Duration : 2h 7mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 128 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : -1mn 5s
Stream size : 117 MiB (2%)
Language : Spanish
Default : No
Forced : No

[SickBoy]

Here's the working MKV from the new HDHR Plus:
General
Unique ID : 332288838198409411403154472939118619321 (0xF9FC809B22F632AB40B27D5DEDDF6AB9)
Complete name : N:\npvr7_recordings\Saturday Night Live\Saturday Night Live_20141115_22290002.mkv
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 2
File size : 428 MiB
Duration : 33mn 0s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 1 811 Kbps
Writing application : Lavf53.31.100
Writing library : Lavf53.31.100

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.0
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 2 frames
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 33mn 0s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 1 391 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 12.0 Mbps
Width : 960 pixels
Height : 540 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.090
Stream size : 328 MiB (77%)
Default : Yes
Forced : No

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Mode extension : CM (complete main)
Format settings, Endianness : Big
Codec ID : A_AC3
Duration : 33mn 0s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 384 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Side: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 90.7 MiB (21%)
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No

[SickBoy]

Here's a working MKV DVD rip:
General
Unique ID : 68318266488118306651708397964111955436 (0x33659E98B81AAF066BE28345AF0CC5EC)
Complete name : M:\video\movies\Ted.mkv
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 2
File size : 1.23 GiB
Duration : 1h 46mn
Overall bit rate : 1 654 Kbps
Writing application : HandBrake svn3713
Writing library : libmkv 0.6.4.1

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Nominal bit rate : 1 500 Kbps
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 384 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 1.85:1
Frame rate mode : Variable
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Writing library : x264 core 110 r1804 e89c4cf
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=3 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=umh / subme=7 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=6 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=1 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=240 / keyint_min=23 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=40 / rc=abr / mbtree=1 / bitrate=1500 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=3 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No
Color primaries : BT.601 NTSC
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.601

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : A_AAC
Duration : 1h 46mn
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No

[mvallevand]

tldr; but I just wanted to point out mkv is a container not a media format so that doesn't take any transcoding. If you don't like the h264/ac3 the HDHR TC gives you have to decide what you want.

Martin

[SickBoy]

That I get - it's not the pre-transcoded files from the HDHR Plus that are the problem, it's the mpeg2 files from the older original HDHR that seem to be at issue.

I think I narrowed it down to deinterlacing - videoredo's settings to deinterlace do not seem to actually do it. I'm working on a replacement script to do the transcode with handbrake (where the deinterlace settings seem to actually work) instead.