Best or most popular encoder for TS files?

[time_lord]

Hi I had a quick scan through the forum & wiki and couldn't spot an answer (maybe it was too obvious for me ) so I thought I'd ask here.

I've been using gbpvr for a couple of months now and letting it leave recordings in the default TS format. So the hard drive is happily filling up
I never got around to turning on that task to auto-convert recordings to mpeg2, xvid, divx, wmv or whatever because I was unsure (a) which was most efficient/fastest and (b) which created the best quality (out of the box without endless hours of testing different encoder settings). I guess I'd avoid wmv.

1) So basically, is there a general consensus on which is best, or most popular? (This forum doesn't support polls... does it?)

2) Once I enable this post-processing, will gbpvr process everything? (How will it decide what is a recent recording and what isn't)

Cheers

[psycik]

this mpeg2 or x264 based recordings?

I doubt the auto convert setting would ever be the best. For best results of mpeg2 to xvid or something you gennerally need to run a two pass conversion.

And x264 stuff, i don't think there are any converters around yet

(and you coming to drinks on the 5th?)

[time_lord]

this mpeg2 or x264 based recordings?

I'm picking up freeview dvb-t; I assume digital channels are x264 (the digital recordings create .TS files, 5Gb/hour)?
Also I'm using an hvr2200 which is a hybrid, so recording analog Prime sometimes too - those recordings are saved as mpg files, close to 3Gb for 1 hour, so I guess they need encoding to reduce size?

For best results of mpeg2 to xvid or something you gennerally need to run a two pass conversion.
And x264 stuff, i don't think there are any converters around yet

So it's looking complicated... Actually I downloaded EasyXviD and thought I'd try that out first, but as soon as I chose a .TS file it complained 'No video sequence header found' and aborted. So that's why I started asking questions

(and you coming to drinks on the 5th?)

Yeah was thinking about it, or in the very least putting some money behind the bar for sub

[psycik]

yeah the ts is really complicated, there still isn't any tools around that will take our sound.

Come along if possible, I doubt it will be a rowdy night, just a couple of quiet ones.

[psycik]

yeah the ts is really complicated, there still isn't any tools around that will take our sound.

Come along if possible, I doubt it will be a rowdy night, just a couple of quiet ones.

[JonnyCam]

Yeah, once you have TS + h264, then you have trouble.
Mpeg2 TS files are not too bad, as it's only 2 or 3 mins to transcode to normal mpeg2, but h264 is another battle

You could keep the recordings as x264, using an MKV container, and reduce the bitrate down to what you want.
Have a go with autoMKV and see if that does what you want - I think it will handle the TS files natively as well
(and you'll be able to drop one of the audio streams if you want as well)
for mpeg, I use AutoGK which has always produced good looking files with a couple of clicks.

Looking around google, ffmpeg will do the job, but I think you'll have problems trying to get these commandlines as part of the usual transcoding.

Code:

ffmpeg.exe -i "input.ts" -threads 1 -benchmark -vcodec xvid -b 3000 -an -y "output.avi"
ffmpeg.exe -i "input.ts" -acodec mp3 -ab 320 -ac 2 -vn -y "output.mp3"


2-Pass
ffmpeg.exe -i "input.ts" -threads 1 -pass 1 -vcodec xvid -an -y "Discard.avi"
ffmpeg.exe -i "input.ts" -threads 1 -pass 2 -vcodec xvid -minrate 1500 -b 2000 -maxrate 3000 -an -y "Output.avi"
del Discard.avi

Tested it with this version:
http://tirnanog.fate.jp/mirror/ffmpeg/ffmpeg.rev6199.7z

I think transcoding the A/V separately might reduce sync problems. You'll have to mux with Vdub, or AvimuxGui, or...

From http://forum.doom9.org/archive/index.php/t-117919.html (they then go on to discuss best bitrates, resolution etc)

Cheers

[time_lord]

yeah the ts is really complicated, there still isn't any tools around that will take our sound.

See what you mean, I turned on the 'auto convert TS recordings' bizzo and ended up with a couple of recordings with zero sound, so turned that off in a hurry! Luckily they were nothing too interesting.
Come to think of it, they were recordings off Prime - so does that mean the audio of TS recordings will fail for both analog and digital channels? But I'm confused - with a card like my hybrid HVR2200, do both analog and digital channels come thru as a 'Transport Stream'? Then why - after a recording - do I end up with a .TS file for a digital recording and a .mpeg file for an analog? Is it because the digital h264 stays as-is, and for analog, the stream is already mpeg, so again it's simply stored with that extension?

Yeah, once you have TS + h264, then you have trouble.
<<snip snip>>
Looking around google, ffmpeg will do the job, but I think you'll have problems trying to get these commandlines as part of the usual transcoding.

Holy crap, looks fiddly. So if there's all this tweaking to do, how do you specify the extra params etc when the 'auto convert TS recordings to' are read-only options for xvid, divx, etc, with nowhere for params? I've seen mention of processing bat files, but there's nowhere there to specify them...?


BTW, I assume I'll have just the same problems with DIVX as with xvid (i.e no sound after conversion)?
(And does anyone know - I'm sure years ago when I downloaded divx, the simple free version let you encode, just didn't have all the fancy features. But looking at the divx website now, they do their best to get you to buy... but after the 2 week pro trial runs out, can you still do basic encoding? They seem to have done their best not to tell you...)

[sub]

Come to think of it, they were recordings off Prime - so does that mean the audio of TS recordings will fail for both analog and digital channels? But I'm confused - with a card like my hybrid HVR2200, do both analog and digital channels come thru as a 'Transport Stream'? Then why - after a recording - do I end up with a .TS file for a digital recording and a .mpeg file for an analog? Is it because the digital h264 stays as-is, and for analog, the stream is already mpeg, so again it's simply stored with that extension?

Analog recordings will produce .mpg files.

The extension of digital recordings will vary depending on the mux used - but in countries that use H.264 channels (like NZ DVB-T), it'll always use the TS Mux and produce .ts files.

You pretty much have to leave NZ DVB-T recordings as .ts files at this stage, because none of the conversion utilities understand the HE-AAC audio format New Zealand has adopted for use on DVB-T. I'm sure that'll change in future when projects like ffmpeg are updated to support this new audio format. Users in other countries that dont use HE-AAC audio dont have to worry about this, and can convert their recordings to other formats.

[time_lord]

You pretty much have to leave NZ DVB-T recordings as .ts files at this stage....

Oh, thanks for all the info. Guess then that either I need a huge drive to keep stuff or maybe try zipping those things I want to archive

[stustunz]

thats why i went dvb-s for now
still digital and my tv is only 1280x720 so no real gain going to full hd anyway