Bulk Transcoding Recordings

[Ommina]

Well. This weekend I've reserved for finding a transcoding solution that works for me.

I believe / hope that I've found one using mencoder, and assuming everything plays well, I am going to do the rename trick to put mencoder in ffmpeg's place, altering the config file to use the alternate command lines.

This will work, right?

And assuming it does, it takes me to the next question. I have ~250GB of MPEG2 recordings that I would like to transcode. Further, I would like the gbpvr database to point to the new file. I would rather not do it manually.

So, once I get mencoder in place and playing well with others, if I turn on automatic transcoding in Config, will it (gbpvr) go back and start transcoding previous files? Or is the automatic transcode limited to new recordings as they complete (which is still fine for going forward, but doesn't help me with what I already have recorded.)

If the latter, are there any tools / suggestions for making the process as painless as possible?

Once again, many thanks to you all for whatever thoughts you may offer!

[-stattik-]

I belive that turning on automatic encoding will only affect future recordings.

As far as utilities are concerned, there are a few in wiki. Here is one:

http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Utili...anscodeCut

Find one that works for you.

Hope this helps.

[Koenie]

Dirmon is a neat utility to automatically find recordings to be transcoded. It will sit and wait untill it finds and mpg (or anyting you configured) and will pass it on to a bath file specified.

[Ommina]

Hm - but does Stakkik's batch file and associated Dirmon also update the gbpvr database to point to the new .avi file? I was under the (perhaps mistaken) impression that it was more intended for use as a "Video Library" utility, whereas I am anxious to to keep things under recordings.

Or are my beliefs misguided? I admit I bypassed the Stakkik's collection in the understanding that they were solving a different problem.

[gEd]

it doesn;t need to. if gbpvr doesn;t find the mpeg, it will check to see if there is an avi file there instead.

[Koenie]

corret gEd. the only thing I noticed is that GBPVR does not pick up the playback position in a file if it has already been played partially. Further if a file has already been played GBPVR does not pick up the comskip file eighther, but it will when the playback is stopped and restarted. Hence not ideal but not a real problem. After the batch of older recordings is processed and a recording will be processed immediately the above situation seldom occurs.

[Ommina]

gRf -- :blink: :blink: -- It does? Well, that certainly changes things! Thanks for pointing this out, it opens up a whole slew of avenues to me, including Dirmon. Most appreciated.

Koenie -- Are the problems your describing occuring only when resuming playback of a file? (Presumably a file that was played first as an MPG, and the resumed as an AVI.) That is, can I expect normal behaviour so long as I'm starting the playback from the beginning?

[Ommina]

Well, I'm back.

I've made a lot of progress with the transcoding. I replaced ffmpeg with a renamed version of mencoder, and changed the config.xml to use the alternate commandline parameters. I'm very happy with the results of both a manual transcode (via video library) and the "very experimental" results of the automatic transcoding.

I've also noticed that the database (Access, see below) is immediately updated with the new (.avi) filename.

Now, I -am- experiencing the problems described by Koenie. The first time I play a recording, the comskip files are not included. These files are "never before played", it doesn't appear to have anything to do with resuming playback. Subsequent playback of the same file does include the comskip files.

BUT! And this is where I get concerned: the comskip "commercial points" no longer line up with the position of the actual commercials. That is, the commercials are displayed, while it skips right through the program. This, as you can imagine, is a source of significant concern. I don't want to give up comskip.

Note: I am _not_ using the most recent build of gbpvr, I do intend on checking the changelog to see if this is an issue that has already been addressed. (Assuming it isn't just me.)

And if it IS just me, any ideas what I can do to fix it?

[sub]

It doesnt pickup the comskip file if it cant detect the frame rate used by the AVI. This is the most likely cause. I dont really have any suggestion for you.

I seem to remember someone saying that if you left the divx file interlaced, directshow would be able to correctly detected the frame rate, and the comskip files would start working again.

[Ommina]

Interesting! Thank you for your reply, I'll see what I can find out working down that avenue.

Is it possible that the other problem (comskip showing up, but commercials placed in the wrong place) is related? That is, could Directshow be reporting an incorrect frame rate, which, in turn, causes the commercial start and stop times to be calculated incorrectly?