file formats?

[mitcheal]

what file formats are the recordings in? mpeg2,4? divx? avi?

also, if i use a pvr-500,does it support hardware encoding?

thanks,
mitch.

[Pioneer4x4]

what file formats are the recordings in? mpeg2,4? divx? avi?

also, if i use a pvr-500,does it support hardware encoding?

thanks,
mitch.

Depending on your card, it would be mpeg2. Mpeg4/wmv,avi,dvix,xvid would all be done after the initial recording.
Native recording on a PVR500 is mpeg2 in hardware.

[mitcheal]

ok, cool. my intent is to record on the pc, and then burn to dvd and play off of the dvd player on a tv. i don't have the dedicated htpc built yet, and my wife doesn't want to watch shows on the monitor. how's the quality going to be after doing this?

mitch.

[Pioneer4x4]

I do this for a couple of shows I record. I have a pvr150, basically half of a 500. The files generated by it are DVD compatable, no reencoding needed. They look in some ways better than the original source, mainly in color. But you do see some of the compression issues in large areas that have a solid tone, I mainly notice it in the cheeks of people in closeups, and the grass ni a football game.... I record at the default medium setting, and I can easily fit 3 1hour shows on 1 DVD with out comercials.

[mitcheal]

cool. gbpvr has it's own commercial skip tool?

[reboot]

Look here: http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php...ht=comskip
and here: http://www.dragonglobal.org
Those are the two commercial detection tools.
You can then use Comclean, VideoReDo, or Womble to actually cut the commercials.
More reading on comskip, comclean, etc:
http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=8316
http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=8273
http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php...t=comclean

[Pioneer4x4]

I have been using comskip since midwinter. I haven't messed with a ting on it, and it performs well enough for me as is.

When making DVDs, I do it manually. I scroll through and cut each commercial. I can fine tune the fade points a little better.

[KiwiKid]

Pioneer4x4 wrote:

[quote]...you do see some of the compression issues in large areas that have a solid tone, I mainly notice it in the cheeks of people in closeups, and the grass ni a football game.... I record at the default medium setting... [quote]

Is this the quality setting making this occur? If so, does it happen using a higher quality setting? That would annoy me I'm certain.

[Pioneer4x4]

Is this the quality setting making this occur? If so, does it happen using a higher quality setting? That would annoy me I'm certain.

I don't think so, I think it is the nature of the beast in compression. I notice it on the digital cable channels on the TV also, without going through the PVR at all.

It is not annoying, and just barely noticeable. I am recording on the medium setting which is about 1.7gig/hr. You can go more than double that if you want. I haven't bothered. It does look very good.

[KiwiKid]

Can't say I've noticed such things on our Sat service in NZ (compression issues that is) - well on the movies channels anyway.

I have noticed on Sky1 when I record Enterprise that there seems to be a lot of issues with the image - almost as if the bandwidth isn't as high as the movies channels. And the video (VHS unfortunately) does strange things as well - I've only noticed it on this channel - weird!

I haven't got my HTPC yet, so I can't play with such things - soon though Does the picture quality increase with the higher setting and is it worth running a higher setting (maybe for keeping?)