Different Filesizes

ydekmekji · 2006-02-02, 03:29 PM

I have the Hauppauge PVR-150 and a Hauppauge PVR-USB-2. I've discovered that the USB2 tends to have files be almost twice as large as the the PVR 150. For example a 2 hour recording at the Medium Quality will about about 3GB, whereas the 150 may have it at abou 1.5GB. Any thoughts on why and/or if there is a trick to decrease the USB2 filesizes?

Pioneer4x4 · 2006-02-02, 04:24 PM

If you are using the same machine, and software (are both GBPVR medium recordings?) there should not be a difference. I think the default bitrate for medium is 3500 (I use 4000). That should be right about 1.75 gig/hr.

ydekmekji · 2006-02-02, 04:27 PM

same machine, same software, different file sizes. The reason i know this is because a couple weeks ago i recorded back to back episodes of LOST--two very different file sizes.

capone · 2006-02-02, 04:36 PM

Make sure you have it set for CBR and not VBR, so you get a more static bitrate. If you have a channel that repeats the news or something else every 30min, you can test pretty easily (esp since it's usually a rebroadcast mostly).

ydekmekji · 2006-02-02, 05:00 PM

I use VBR on both tuners I presume since i'm using the medium quality. I would imagine CBR would give me a smaller filesize, but my experience has been that VBR gives me a better quality picture. But my question still persists as to why.... I've discovered another interesting thing: In VideoRedo when I process my files, shows that were recorded with PVR 150 have a 3.5 bitrate showing at the output window, whereas shows with USB 2 show 6 bitrate. So somehow either USB2 is recording at a higher bitrate or 150 is recording at a lower bitrate.

capone · 2006-02-02, 06:08 PM

You won't get the same filesize if you use VBR, since it's function is to use a variable bite rate. You can only reasonably say the sizes are different by using the constant bit rate (CBR), so both files have the same bitrate. It won't make them necessarily smaller, unless you use a CBR on the low end of your VBR range.

Pioneer4x4 · 2006-02-02, 06:39 PM

ydekmekji Wrote:I use VBR on both tuners I presume since i'm using the medium quality. I would imagine CBR would give me a smaller filesize, but my experience has been that VBR gives me a better quality picture. But my question still persists as to why.... I've discovered another interesting thing: In VideoRedo when I process my files, shows that were recorded with PVR 150 have a 3.5 bitrate showing at the output window, whereas shows with USB 2 show 6 bitrate. So somehow either USB2 is recording at a higher bitrate or 150 is recording at a lower bitrate.

the 3.5 sounds right for medium, I would guess that the usb2 one was set to custom1 at the recording time. it's default is 6000.

ydekmekji · 2006-02-02, 08:06 PM

So somehow USB2 is pulling the custom--I wonder why??? I've set it to Medium

Pioneer4x4 · 2006-02-02, 09:42 PM

was it just one specific show? it could be set to custom1 in the recurring settings

ydekmekji · 2006-02-02, 11:01 PM

Nah... it's not... I don't know what it is. What I'm going to do is change the customs to reflect the Medium one, maybe that will help. Also, maybe one thing that I could do is switch up so that it's first calling the 150 then the USB2, that way most of my shows are recorded at the bitrate that I want.