mTranscode BETA - automatic encoding of recordings

[jam_zhou]

Updated Jan 12, 2009!!!! I've uploaded my mtranscode script again since it's been lost.

I put all of these files into it's own directory and configure the following files:
profiles.ini - transcoding profiles
default.ini - default transcoding profile settings
config.ini - custom configurations (e.g. save converted file to a different directory without deleting the original)

in your postprocessing.bat I have the following line:

echo %1 >> transcode_queue.txt

which holds the queue for the mtranscode.vbs script.

I set it up to run at night using windows scheduler.


Jam.z

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Hi All,

Since I couldn't get the built in transcoder to work, I've been using mencoder and the suggestions in the forums. It works well, but I wanted more control. So, I wrote a script centered around mencoder.

This is a BETA and I would like others to test it for me. I've been using the core for a couple of days with a few minor adjustments in this final release.

If you have a good mencoder profile please post it here so that others can try.

Suggestions on how to document better as well as how to improve the code are always welcome.

Cheers, Jam.z

P.S. You'll have to download your own version of mencoder. There seems to be a problem when I include mencoder in the zip file. Also I find that some mencoder builds can't handle large mpg files.

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Summary:
This program is a script wrapped around mencoder - or any command line encoder. It will run through a queue file and transcode all the files in the queue. This script does not do any transcoding whatsoever, it requires an external transcoder like mencoder.

Features:
-can be run overnight or ASAP
-will transcode according to profile
-can start right after recordings with some additions to postprocessing.bat in GBPVR
-can be configured to use virtually any command line encoder (possibly virutaldub)
-test mode for 120 second transcodes to test quality and correct profile settings
-option to transcode files and put them all into one directory for easy transfer to portable devices

[Koenie]

Hey,

I have not yet tried yr proposal, but does it write the avi files into the database like GBPVRconvert does?

[jam_zhou]

No it does not. I have to trick it by renaming the file to a .mpg file and deleting the original. It seems to work for most people from the sounds of it. It definitely works for me.

Sub is making it so that the next version will be able to recognize .avi files if the .mpg file is not there - from what I can understand.

[jam_zhou]

Ok,

I've gone through several weeks of using my script and it's working quite well. Since there seems to be other transcoding scripts out there I thought I'd highlite some of my distinguishing features.

Profiles - you can choose which shows to transcode and by which profile

Sub profiles - each profile can be tweaked with respect to resolution, a/v bitrate

"Multiple instances" - you can transcode a file multiple times e.g. one for TV and one for portable applications. Just make two queues and run mTranscode twice.

Error checking - if things go wrong with a transcode then the queue will still continue and it will pick up the next time it's run

NOTE: quality will depend on your mencoder build.

NOTE: please see next couple of quites for the complete set of files - my zip uploads seem to keep getting corrupted

I just got a PSP so someday I'll try and make it PSP compatible for the wife

[jam_zhou]

Here are the rest of the files...of course remove the txt extension

Feedback is always welcome.

Cheers.

[LilY0da]

No it does not. I have to trick it by renaming the file to a .mpg file and deleting the original. It seems to work for most people from the sounds of it. It definitely works for me.

Sub is making it so that the next version will be able to recognize .avi files if the .mpg file is not there - from what I can understand.

Have you tested it with leaving the file as a .avi in the latest gbpvr version?
If it works, I could give it a try...
The problem I had when leaving the extension as .mpg is that you can't play the recordings on the MVP anymore, since gbpvr sends the file directly to the MVP without transcoding it back to MPEG2

[reboot]

Just a possible note of improvement.
If you have postEPGupdate to run mTranscode.vbs, you don't need a windows task.
It will work, providing you don't have any recording happening at that time

[jam_zhou]

LilYoda, there is a switch to keep the avi extension but delete the original mpeg. If you look in config.ini, change DELMODE to 1 I believe.

Reboot, you are correct you can put it in postEPGupdate, I don't see why not. It all depends on peoples preference.

[reboot]

Error note:
If using postprocessing.bat to run, the path to mtranscode.vbs can often be outside the 8.3 DOS naming convention (ie. You have it installed to c:\program files\devnz\gbpvr\transcoder\).
This will generate an error.
Enclose the full path in quotes to resolve it, thus:

Code:

echo %1 >> transcode_queue.txt
       start /low "c:\program files\devnz\gbpvr\transcoder\mtranscode.vbs"

[reboot]

OK, now I'm getting frustrated. I should be able to figure this out on my own, but it's not working.
I have all the files in c:\program files\devnz\gbpvr\transcoder\
I get the generated transcode_queue.txt in c:\program files\devnz\gbpvr\
The DOS window opens (even though it's not supposed to according to my settings), and sits there looking at me like this.
What am I doing wrong?