TS Transcode for MVP

[Bobins]

I've been trying to setup a new GBPVR server (on Vista) with a dual satellite tuner. I can watch, record and playback HD & SD TS channels on my PC fine but fail miserably on the MVP.

There appear to be a few bugs in GBPVR's Config.xml preventing TS to MPEG transcoding from working (automatic or manual). I've applied a few tweaks suggested in other threads but still can't get things right.

"On the fly" transcode of a recorded SD TS file gives a good picture & audio.....just never in sync.
"On the fly" transcode of a Live SD TV (TS file) starts playback but then fails. Increasing the pre-delay improves the time before dropout but only by 1-2 seconds. Get to 7500ms delay and the mvp disconnects.

Playing a manually transcoded SD TS file works fine

Any attempt to watch Live HD TV, a HD recording or a transcoded HD TS file fails.

Question. Would the prerelease ZProcess allow me to transcode TS files "on the fly" to watch on the MVP (both HD and SD)? If so, what specific transcode engines do I need (Mencoder, FFMPEG, VLC etc?).

Any advice appreciated

[zehd]

I've been trying to setup a new GBPVR server (on Vista) with a dual satellite tuner. I can watch, record and playback HD & SD TS channels on my PC fine but fail miserably on the MVP.

There appear to be a few bugs in GBPVR's Config.xml preventing TS to MPEG transcoding from working (automatic or manual). I've applied a few tweaks suggested in other threads but still can't get things right.

"On the fly" transcode of a recorded SD TS file gives a good picture & audio.....just never in sync.
"On the fly" transcode of a Live SD TV (TS file) starts playback but then fails. Increasing the pre-delay improves the time before dropout but only by 1-2 seconds. Get to 7500ms delay and the mvp disconnects.

Playing a manually transcoded SD TS file works fine

Any attempt to watch Live HD TV, a HD recording or a transcoded HD TS file fails.

Question. Would the prerelease ZProcess allow me to transcode TS files "on the fly" to watch on the MVP (both HD and SD)? If so, what specific transcode engines do I need (Mencoder, FFMPEG, VLC etc?).

Any advice appreciated

Sorry I missed this post until now...

Well, yes the pre-release 'tries' to let you transcode on the fly HD and SD TS files.

You'll need, the alt FFMpeg and MEncoder RC2 as described on the wiki

Being able to transcode on the fly is mostly dependant on the speed of your computer, but it sounds like you should have enough.

[Bobins]

Thanks for that, I'll try this later today.

Can Zprocess be set to transcode a HD TS file to MPEG automatically post recording yet? Seen to remember reading somewhere it didn't support that in the prerelease.

[zehd]

Thanks for that, I'll try this later today.

Can Zprocess be set to transcode a HD TS file to MPEG automatically post recording yet? Seen to remember reading somewhere it didn't support that in the prerelease.

Not Quite. Mostly documentation though... in other words I think it does, just have to figure how to explain it...

[Bobins]

Ok, I'm struggling now. Here's my progress so far.....

Installed each of the required software pieces in sequence in default directories. Discovered Vista wouldn't run the support software install bat file (even when set run as admin!). Installed & registered files manually. Noted scrun.dll file already present in system32 directory but much later version. Didn't overwrite the newer file.

Started Zprocess and went through config routine. Tried to transcode simple avi file on the MVP. MVP disconnected from server. Tried 2nd time (as suggested in documentation) same result. Installed "Sorry" file. Tried 3rd time....sorry video plays.

Tried a manual transcode with ZTranscode ..... The sweet spot for the MVP file name selection isn't visible and doesn't initially work. Managed to find that a double click in about the right spot, expands the window to include more visible fields. Clicking on the where the sweet spot should be now inserts the MVP file name.

Tried transcode... fails again. On checking logs suspected Vista UAC is getting in the way as starting ZTranscode was prompting for permission.
Disabled UAC so all processes will now run with admin privs.

Tried ZTranscode of .avi file again.... success with a fps circa 100 (yes 100!)
Tried transcode of a SD TS file..... success again with a fps of circa 98.
Tried transcode of a HD TS file.... success but fps down to 20 which will not be enough to transcode HD files "on the fly". CPU utilisation 25%.

Back to the mvp. Tried to watch the avi file. It fails and you get the sorry video. Tried to run ZTranscode manually again and it works :confused:

Ran ZProcess manually, select file and mvp file name (sweet spot works in ZProcess). Start transcode, mvp.mpg file is created but the transcode dies and leaves a small file. The logs don't seem to indicate why the transcode dies.

Given the transcode works under ZTranscode, why would it fail under ZProcess?

I've attached the logs for the manual ZProcess run and the manual ZTranscode run.

[Bobins]

Update on previous post....

Having read other posts in this section of the forum, I tried un-ticking the lock to MVPScreen Position box and voila, the transcode of the avi works.

Now tried a SD TS file and that works too. Thought I was on a roll so tried a HD TS file. That now fails

Checked a manual ZTranscode with the HD TS file and that fails too.

When I load the file, in ZTranscode, most of the top boxes are empty (video, Audio, Bitrate, Demux, Ch and Size) only fps 25, aspect ratio 4:3 and duration have numbers).

The ZProcess log contains: GetFileInfo:
01/02/2009 16:50:58 : E:\Recordings\Manual Recordings\BBC HD_20090126160000.ts: MPlayer cannot get File Information
01/02/2009 16:50:58 : ZT: GetFileInfo: Using some make-believe numbers

the transcode.log file contains: Exiting... (error parsing command line)
The mpeg file gets created but is only a couple of mb long.

Noticed that the Profile in settings is coming up Trans2MVP. Manually changed it to 4ts and the HD TS file will transcode so it looks like the problem may be the file contents for the HD TS file aren't being identified correctly before the transcode begins.

Something else I've noticed, when transcoding a TS file the % complete figure reaches 100% and keeps on going. On the short HD file up to 420% complete :confused:

Any ideas?

[zehd]

The ZProcess log contains: GetFileInfo:
01/02/2009 16:50:58 : E:\Recordings\Manual Recordings\BBC HD_20090126160000.ts: MPlayer cannot get File Information
01/02/2009 16:50:58 : ZT: GetFileInfo: Using some make-believe numbers

The problem is that since ZProcess can't actually determine the type of file (inside the TS actually) and what dimensions the file is, It has to make guesses.

When you hold its hand and select 4ts, then it works.

You have been helpful digging through the logs, and certainly pinpointed the problem.

Here's the rub... I'm actually digging in to VB .net. That's not to say that I won't be supporting ZProcess. I'm just screwed for time...

BTW, ZProcess2 will be the last to be updated to .net. It has too many features that (contrary to this post) is working well, that I don't want to mess things up...

Anyway, what I'd love is a clip (maybe a few hundred MB) of the HD TS that you want converted. It's probably better for me to just make it work, rather than find out how to tell others to set it that way...

It will probably something like user configurable values (when it has to guess, so it actually guesses right) and make sure that ZTranscode selects 4ts when transcoding on the fly...

[Bobins]

I'd be happy to provide a sample file however even just a couple of minutes of recording is 600-700mb long. :eek: Not sure how we could easily transfer that.

I did try playing some of the HD TS files (which are standard recordings off BBC HD in the UK) using mplayer. It identifies the file as H264 but can't identify the fps etc. Audio is detected successfully. The player outputs the audio but no video and the background CMD box show a message "no Video"

I also tried the latest mplayer build and that doesn't detect the video properly either. According to GSpot, the video is H264 and uses the Cyberlink H264 codec. The files play great under the Cyberlink power cinema. If I run Windows Media player, the file plays using Haali.

If I Ztranscode the file manually using the 4ts profile and ffmpeg-alt, the resulting mpg plays perfect sound but the video is in sloooow motion and out of sync. If I transcode again with 4ts but select the default GBPVR ffmpeg, the transcode produces a perfectly playable mpg file.

fps during the transcode is about 40.

It just seems the file just isn't being identified as a HD file properly.

This is tantalisingly close.... but not quite there.

[zehd]

I'd be happy to provide a sample file however even just a couple of minutes of recording is 600-700mb long. :eek: Not sure how we could easily transfer that.

There's no question that I will need a sample. That means finding a file share server uploading and giving me a link...

I know that I will get this working, just can't do it by remote control...

[Bobins]

OK.... you asked for it!

I'll PM you the link to a short HD TS file. It's in multipart zip as the share service limits individual files to 100mb