New tool: MVPRecode

[Ton]

Hello all,

I have created a little tool to recode video-files specifically for playing on MVP.

It allows you to set up a "profile" for you MVP (including wanted video-size, FPS-rate (for NTSC/PAL conversion, wanted audio- and subtitle-language, aspect ratio and automated 5.1 audio boost). When running, it analyzes the input-file, then goes through some logic and comes up with the encoding options.

This means it can do the following:
- Re-scale (while keeping aspect ratio), even adding black bands for 16:9 movies
- NTSC/PAL conversion (and PAL/NTSC)
- Boosting of AC3 audio
- Reading from dvd images or directories (without the need for Deamon tools)
- Ability to select audio language for dvd images/directories
- Ability to overlay subtitles when correct audio language is not available (but subtitles are)

The actual command-line for mencoder gets created "on the fly", and the profile to be used can be tweaked to match your convenience.

The zip-file contains a "readme.txt" that explains the main tool.

I have also included the source-code, so other developers may use/re-use the code. It might be a nice addition to XDVD

I have tried several other options, but ended up getting frustrated with the automated transcode's inability to handle correct display of 16:9 (or more) video's to display correctly on my 4:3 TV-set.

That meant I usually reverted to transcoding the files by hand. After having done that on 15+ movies (with that looooong mencoder command-line) I decided it was time for another approach.

I did look at the other (automated) transcoding tools, but their main purpose is to transcode from one format into the other, and I just wanted the best MVP display quality possible.

Well anyway, enjoy.

[Pioneer4x4]

WOW, I'll definitely be checking this out! Thanks!

[pBS]

try this, the holy grail of aspect ratio's...
it will auto-detect your file's aspect ratio, resize to 720x[whatever's appropriate for your file's aspect ratio], and add black evenly to rest to get it up to a height of 480
handles both 4:3 and 16:9 and seems to get the odd sizes right too on my mvp
try it and tell me how it comes out for you..
*** important bits in bold
-vf filmdint,softskip,scale,expand=720:480,harddup -xy 720
***
took me a while to figure that one out...lol
Enjoy

[pBS]

and i also made a proxy so you can transcode using mencoder on the fly with the new version's Transcode menu button...
you can use anything you want,it just basically passes all commands from built in ffmpeg profiles to mencode.bat file for processing..
can also be used in nightly processing tab
i'm keeping it a batch file so you can substitute any encoder and logic in batches..[i use a que file to schedule for later]
makes the functions available from mvp remote too..
i haven't finished the que'd nightly processing features but you can use it to do immediate transcodes as is...ver 2 due in couple days..
i also have an almost foolproof dvd encoder line if ya wanna compare notes..

maybe we should just join the two...?
[you could call your file from my batch file and use your profiles inside of gbpvr]
lemmee know what you think...
http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=13870

[djtaylor]

I like the idea of it but it doesn't work for me. Do you have a link to your version of mencoder as there are so many builds out there!

C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\MVPRecoder>"C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\MVPRecoder
\mvprecoder" "E:\My Videos\Lost Series 2\Lost - S02E02.avi" -o "E:\My Videos\Los
t Series 2\Lost - S02E02.mpg"
MVPRecoder version: 0.1
Analyzing: E:\My Videos\Lost Series 2\Lost - S02E02.avi
- Audio Codec: mp3
- Video Codec: ffodivx
- FPS Detected: 23.976
- Height: 352
- Width: 624
- Aspect ratio: 1.77272727272727

Starting encoding session...
=> Forcing FPS to: 25
=> Fixing aspect ratio: 1.77272727272727 to 1.33
=> Processing files:
E:\My Videos\Lost Series 2\Lost - S02E02.avi.

Excecuting command:
c:\sw\mencoder.exe -oac lavc -ovc lavc -of mpeg -mpegopts format=dvd -ofps 25 -v
f scale=352:199, expand=352:288,softskip,harddup -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg2video:lmi
n=2.1:lmax=42.0:vqmin=2:vqmax=18:vmax_b_frames=0:vqdiff=3:vme=4:mbd=2:vbitrate=6
800:vratetol=13000:vrc_maxrate=9800:vrc_buf_size=1835:vpass=1:vi_qfactor=1.00:vi
_qoffset=0.00:vqblur=0.0:vqcomp=0.5:vfdct=6:idct=1:mv0:ildctcmp=2:predia=6:dia=6
:trell:cbp:preme=2:nr=0:dc=10:vqmin=2:vqmax=31:vmax_b_frames=2:keyint=16:mbcmp=0
:preme=2:precmp=0:cmp=0ubcmp=0:mbd=1:vb_qfactor=1.00:vb_qoffset=0.00:vi_qfacto
r=1.00:mbqmin=2:mbqmax=31:lmin=2.1:lmax=31:vqdiff=3:vhq:acodec=mp2:abitrate=192
-priority belownormal "E:\My Videos\Lost Series 2\Lost - S02E02.avi" -v -o "E:\M
y Videos\Lost Series 2\Lost - S02E02.mpg"

Error: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. System.NullReferenc
eException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at MVPRecoder.MainClass.reCode()
at MVPRecoder.MainClass.Main(String[] args)
at MVPRecoder.MainClass.reCode()
at MVPRecoder.MainClass.Main(String[] args)

[Ton]

Hmmm, do you get this message after it has been transcoding (do you see a frames / percent counter at all)?

I am trying to detect that mencoder exited gracefully, but I think the logic I use for that is a little flawed.... I see this myself sometimes, but usually after it has transcoded okay.

To be sure, I am including a "debug" version of the program (should provide a little more detail in the error message department).

I downloaded the latest version from the mencoder/mplayer website: http://www.mplayerhq.hu (1.0pre7-3.4.2)

Please try that one and let me know the outcome... I'll have a look.

[Ton]

maybe we should just join the two...?
[you could call your file from my batch file and use your profiles inside of gbpvr]
lemmee know what you think...

I'm fine with that. I had seen your posts but hadn't gotten round to trying it out (have to admit I had a similar idea ).

I just wrote this for my own benefit, and I have included the source, so if anyone wants to add something or change a things, feel free....

Just happy that my little project is benefitting someone else..

[djtaylor]

Hmmm, do you get this message after it has been transcoding (do you see a frames / percent counter at all)?

Nope, what I posted was the complete output from start to finish, mencoder doesn't even start. I'll try the other build tomorrow.

Cheers
David.

[Jase]

pbs
How does your version effect the on the fly transcoding for playing avi files on the mvp?

Many Thanks Jase

[pBS]

hmmm,well it shouldn't,unless you're using ffmpeg to do it...
[i use the mvp software converter]
if there's a place to put the command-line options,you can just add a keyword to re-route it to the normal ffmpeg and do encodng as usual...
it just takes place of ffmpeg,and sends all cli options off to a batch file for processing, there it decides what commands/options to run..
so for profiles i just add a one word command to the start of each profile's option list, that sends it to a different part of the batch file for processing...
so if there's a place to edit the mvptranscode's options,you could just add a keyword to them that would branch it off accordingly..
[i'm not sure where those options are, i know they're editable..]
ex: <Conversion name="Encode Now - DVD compatible" cmd="now {SOURCE_FILE} {DEST_FILE} " targetExtension=".new.mpg" />
[ffmpeg.exe now "from-file" "to-file"]
would get sent to my ffmpeg,which in turn would run the batch file with that as first parameter and other parameters following...
and in batch file,first statement is "goto %1"
which would take it to:
:now
Mencoder.exe %2 -priority normal -vfm ffmpeg -mc 0 -cache 2048 -idx -oac lavc -ovc lavc -of mpeg -mpegopts format=dvd:tsaf -lavcopts ldct:vqscale=5:vcodec=mpeg2video:vb_strategy=1:vqmin=3:vrc_buf_size=1835:vrc_maxrate=9000:keyint=15:vmax_b_frames=2:acodec=mp2:abitrate=128:autoaspect -o %3

section in batch file... very simple and oh-so extensible...
i already have batch setup to do que's..one profile to select to add a single file to que,another one to do processing on que,and i guess i should setup another to work for mvp...[select the processing profile in processing tab in config to do auto-processing on the que]
so far last few evenings it's worked great...
can add a file manually to the que by doing " ffmpeg add "filename" "
and start processing the que by doing "ffmpeg process"
effective and already checked for long/spaced filenames..
let me know if you'd like to see it..
i should be posting final in a day or two...
[oh and only works with new version 96.8+]