Hauppauge Colossus HD-PVR

[jagabo]

The composite output on your satellite box will always be standard definition. Run the signal directly to your HDTV and you'll see it's SD. Capturing via HDMI with an HDCP stripper should get you HD.

[MounaLafi]

The composite output on your satellite box will always be standard definition. Run the signal directly to your HDTV and you'll see it's SD. Capturing via HDMI with an HDCP stripper should get you HD.

Thanks for your prompt reply jagabo.

I've read somewhere that even with composite output, higher resolutions can be obtained from HD channels.

Anyhow, I'll try with HDCP stripper that I've already ordered, thanks to this thread .

Thanks & Regards,

[jagabo]

I've read somewhere that even with composite output, higher resolutions can be obtained from HD channels.

Local downscaling of HD to SD can be slightly sharper and have less artifacts than SD broadcast. But it's nowhere near the original HD.

[MounaLafi]

I did some research and I found the following:

What I'm trying to do is connecting Composite A/V Cable (Video Out in my Sat Box) to Component A/V Cable (YCrCb).

According to the below link:

Difference Between Composite & Component AV Cable

Both composite and component cables carry analog signals. The video carried by composite cables is a compressed version of the video carried by component cables. As a result, the video quality of composite video is lower than that of component video.

Nevertheless, there seems to be a solution using the below device:

Component to Composite w/Down Scaling

But I don't know if it worth the try since I'm going to capture using HDMI as soon as my HDCP Stripper arrives, which is much better.

Edit: Besides, there will be no quality improvement, since the Composite A/V Cable is coming from the source not the other way around.

[jagabo]

Forget the component to composite downscaler. Your satellite box is already doing that (though from a digital frame buffer, not a component signal). You can get decent HDMI cables for the equivalent of about US$5. The difference will be night and day.

[MounaLafi]

Now I'm able to capture HD Channels using HDMI with a resolution of 1920*1080

The issue now is that I like to use the scheduler option which is available in WinTV & not available in ShwoBiz.

The other issue is that I don't see any options to control the bitrate in WinTV unlike ShwoBiz which has this option in Format Settings ----> Video Encoder.

So, which program I should use.

Also, I want to know which settings are most convenient to capture with as I want to capture documentaries and cut commercials from them and re-encode later.

Any suggestions to achieve this.

[jman98]

If you want a scheduled recording then you have no choice. You must use WinTV.

I suggest that you not record to MP4 format as many have reported audio synch problems when doing that. I record to TS format. The other settings really don't matter much and are personal preference. I change the brightness setting on some VHS captures but otherwise the only setting I ever change is bitrate.

[jagabo]

So, which program I should use.

I used to use a filter graph and rcTvCap along with Windows' Task Scheduler:
http://blog.arogan.com/2008/06/hauppauge-hd-pvr-model-1212.html

[jman98]

Very interesting, jagabo. I had not heard of any of that before.

[jagabo]

Capture graph:

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/353688-Hauppauge-HD-PVR-2-issues?p=2231644&viewfull=1#post2231644

The last (far right) filter is the Dump filter.

[MounaLafi]

So, which program I should use.

I used to use a filter graph and rcTvCap along with Windows' Task Scheduler:
http://blog.arogan.com/2008/06/hauppauge-hd-pvr-model-1212.html

I've already give a try jagabo.

The issue is that I can't find a similar Video Encoder for Hauppauge Colossus like Hauppauge HD PVR.

As you can see in the attached jpg the only Video Encoder I've found for Hauppauge Colossus is TS Encoder,
and the problem that it doesn't have "Virtual Video/Audio In".

I'm just wondering if anyone used rcTvCap successfully with Hauppauge Colossus or is it just limited to Hauppauge HD PVR?

[jman98]

I had no idea that what jagabo is doing was even possible, but I personally find the graphing system cumbersome to use. I haven't done that in a very long time. Of course, others may not feel that it is cumbersome to use at all.

The Colossus and the HD PVR family of devices use exactly the same encoding chip so if it works on one, it should work on the others.

[jagabo]

I personally find the graphing system cumbersome to use.

You only have to do it once. Then you save the graph.

[BOMOON]

Hey Everyone,

Haven't been here in a while. Hope everyone is doing well.

I've now run into another problem trying to import TS source video into Vegas Pro 12 x64 - as in, it doesn't work. I can get the TS source video to appear in the Media Bin (after a long wait when I drag the file in there) but if I then drag the clip onto the timeline, nothing happens.

The source video was captured from DirecTV using the component inputs of the Colossus. Summary of source video parameters (from MediaInfo, full report at end of message):

Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.0
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 2 frames
Format settings, GOP : M=3, N=15
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 59.940 fps
Standard : NTSC
Color space : YUV
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive


The audio was AAC. I know Vegas still can't handle AAC, so I tried to separate the video and audio tracks using TSMuxer. Unfortunately Vegas couldn't load the H264 video stream either.

After a lot of experimentation with programs such as TSMuxer, Handbrake, and VideoRedo, the only program I've found that can load these files and convert them to something Vegas can read is Nero Platinum 11 Video Editor. It has no problem importing the above file. I export it to an MP4 file with all of the video parameters the same except for frame rate. Nero 11 doesn't have a template for exporting to 59.940 fps progressive in any format that I could find. So I exported the MP4 file as 29.97 Progressive, all other parameters being the same. The audio, BTW, is exported as PCM Stereo, same sample rate (48KHz).

It works sure enough but I'm wondering if this is the best way to get Vegas to read the source video. In fact I'm confused by what MediaInfo is telling me about the file, vis a vis 59.940 fps Progressive, as opposed to what Nero tells me about the output, 29.970 fps Progressive.

Is there really a difference between the two? File sizes and bitrates are about the same. How can that be if all other parameters are equal, but one has half the frame rate of the other?

Obviously I've just started experimenting with this collection of source videos and haven't had time to come up with a very organized approach yet. Still, given what I've reported about the source video and the output Nero gives me, is this a good approach to get these source files into Vegas?

Thanks for your time,
Alan Mintaka


Complete MediaInfo Report for Source Video;

General
ID : 0 (0x0)
Complete name : D:\BoDVD\@BoAnime\SpacePirates_Sub\BoVid\SpacePira tes01.ts
Format : MPEG-TS
File size : 3.74 GiB
Duration : 25mn 56s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 20.6 Mbps
Maximum Overall bit rate : 21.8 Mbps

Video
ID : 4113 (0x1011)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.0
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 2 frames
Format settings, GOP : M=3, N=15
Codec ID : 27
Duration : 25mn 56s
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 59.940 fps
Standard : NTSC
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive

Audio
ID : 4352 (0x1100)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format version : Version 2
Format profile : LC
Muxing mode : ADTS
Codec ID : 15
Duration : 25mn 56s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : -481ms

[jman98]

Based on my use of the card, I feel confident that MediaInfo is NOT reporting the correct fps and Nero is. MediaInfo gives me duplicate fps readings on my SD captures too. I can't tell you why this is happening, only that I am sure that MediaInfo is wrong.

[BOMOON]

Based on my use of the card, I feel confident that MediaInfo is NOT reporting the correct fps and Nero is. MediaInfo gives me duplicate fps readings on my SD captures too. I can't tell you why this is happening, only that I am sure that MediaInfo is wrong.

Hi Jman98,

That would explain a lot of the inconsistencies I've been seeing between the card's capturing and the various applications that report the capture file properties.

I've also been seeing user reports about DirecTV captures that did not jive in terms of frame rate with what MediaInfo was telling me. It definitely is starting to look like I may have been putting too much faith in MediaInfo and not enough in the card and other software. I should have gone for the Occam's Razor approach and focused on the simplest solution - MediaInfo, not all of the other variables.

One other thing I noticed about MediaInfo that may or may not be directly related to the frame rate reporting: sometimes MediaInfo omits some of the video properties altogether, like Scan Type, Duration, and Bit Rate Mode (variable or constant). Meanwhile, for those files that Vegas could load (or Nero and/or TSMuxer if Vegas couldn't) the missing parameters would be included in the properties. I always wondered about that.

The nice thing about using Nero Video for these latest captures is that I get some consistency: Nero gives me an exported file that has the same properties it's reporting for the capture file.

Guess I'll be shopping around for other media properties freeware, or just use Nero Video to at least read the properties.

Thanks again,
Alan Mintaka

[BOMOON]

To anyone using the Hauppauge Colossus to capture TS, and who is also having problems importing said files in Sony Vegas Pro 12 x64:

I may have found the "magic bullet" that converts the TS files into a format Vegas recognizes, while minimizing video stream re-encoding and re-sampling prior to the import into Vegas. It works regardless of whether the files are captured using WinTV 7, Arcsoft Showbiz, or the new Hauppauge Capture program.

1. First I use VideoRedo TV Suite | Quickstream. I start by opening the captured TS file in VideoRedo. Then I access Tools | Options | Output Transport Stream and set the Output Mux Rate to "Automatic". Finally I run Tools | Quickstream. In the long run this turns out to fix a nonlinear async between the audio and video streams in the captured TS file. However this file cannot be imported into Vegas

2. I run TSDoctor | DeMuxer with the Quickstream output file. This produces an H264 video stream which can be imported into Vegas.

3. The audio stream produced by TSDoctor | DeMuxer has thus far been in 3 different formats: if it's MP2, it'll import into Vegas with no problems. If it's ES, I use the freeware wave editor Audacity to convert it to WAV, which can be imported into Vegas. If it's EAC3, I have to use an audio converter such as AnyAudioConverter (freeware) or AVS Audio Converter (paid license, part of "AVS Media Tools") to convert it to WAV.

Unless I use Quickstream before the last two steps, the DeMuxer output streams are out of sync. The async is nonlinear and can't be fixed by shifting or "stretching" tracks in Vegas.

The end result is a pair of audio/video streams which import into vegas, are in sync, and preserve the video bitrate, frame rate, and resolution of the captured TS file.

It's a pretty iffy solution given that any changes in VideoRedo TC Suite, TSDoctor, Sony Vegas Pro 12 x64, the various capture programs, and the Colossus drivers could easily wreck the whole approach. For now, at least, it works.

Hope this info helps somebody somewhere,
Alan Mintaka

[SHS]

Here my idea dump Sony Vegas Pro and get CyberLink PowerDirector and your problem would been solved long ago

[BOMOON]

Here my idea dump Sony Vegas Pro and get CyberLink PowerDirector and your problem would been solved long ago

I'd certainly jump if Cyberlink Powerdirector had video and audio filters and effects analogous to those in Vegas. I'm kind of locked into using a lot of those to clean up on-air captures and convert stereo audio to 5.1 channel surround.

The video effect filters I use in Vegas are Sony Unsharp Mask, Sony Saturation Adjust, Sony Sharpen, and Sony Brightness and Contrast. Cyberlink Powerdirector probably has equivalents for the last 3, but I'll have to research it to see if it has anything like the Unsharp Mask. It may have it because the Unsharp Mask is based on an old photographic technique involving layering of negative and slightly out of focus positive color transparencies. In other words, Sony doesn't have a patent on the process.

The audio effects I use with Vegas are the VST stereo/5.1 channel surround converters/simulators developed by Steve Thomson. It sounds like voodoo, but it really does a pretty good job rendering stereo as 5.1 surround. Obviously it's not perfect but it does beat stereo and somehow it does place ambient sounds where they're supposed to be.

That said, I'm sure open to suggestion when it comes to Vegas. I'll definitely look at Powerdirector. I have a license for Cyberlink PowerDVD so maybe I could even cop an upgrade price for PowerDirector. At this stage in my life, money is the real gating factor.

Thanks for that recommendation,
Alan Mintaka

[SHS]

Here my idea dump Sony Vegas Pro and get CyberLink PowerDirector and your problem would been solved long ago

I'd certainly jump if Cyberlink Powerdirector had video and audio filters and effects analogous to those in Vegas. I'm kind of locked into using a lot of those to clean up on-air captures and convert stereo audio to 5.1 channel surround.

The video effect filters I use in Vegas are Sony Unsharp Mask, Sony Saturation Adjust, Sony Sharpen, and Sony Brightness and Contrast. Cyberlink Powerdirector probably has equivalents for the last 3, but I'll have to research it to see if it has anything like the Unsharp Mask. It may have it because the Unsharp Mask is based on an old photographic technique involving layering of negative and slightly out of focus positive color transparencies. In other words, Sony doesn't have a patent on the process.

The audio effects I use with Vegas are the VST stereo/5.1 channel surround converters/simulators developed by Steve Thomson. It sounds like voodoo, but it really does a pretty good job rendering stereo as 5.1 surround. Obviously it's not perfect but it does beat stereo and somehow it does place ambient sounds where they're supposed to be.

That said, I'm sure open to suggestion when it comes to Vegas. I'll definitely look at Powerdirector. I have a license for Cyberlink PowerDVD so maybe I could even cop an upgrade price for PowerDirector. At this stage in my life, money is the real gating factor.

Thanks for that recommendation,
Alan Mintaka

I don't see anything close to what you ask for as Unsharp Mask
I never heard of the audio effects plugin

[BOMOON]

I don't see anything close to what you ask for as Unsharp Mask
I never heard of the audio effects plugin

Sorry, I should have provided a link for the VST audio effects plugin. Here it is:

http://www.stevethomson.ca/vi/

According to the documentation, you can use these plugins with a number of different A/V editing programs. My only experience with them so far has been with Sony Vegas Pro 11 x32 and 12 x64.

[nambi]

Does anyone use their Hauppauge Colossus to live stream their tv? I use to to stream via lan (wireless) to a laptop or another computer hooked up to TV via HDMI and wondering if there are ways to improve quality, The flwo player settings are set to the highest but the movement isn't as smooth as I would like and colours are off. Wondering if there is something else I can use other software. Trying to make this work similar to slingbox.

[SHS]

I use SageTV Server with 3 Colossus and 1 HD-PVR 2 and 3 Client but we don't live TV any more we use lee watch it the next day.

[nambi]

I like Sage TV but I was unable to register it, Did you have any tips? I would have continued to use it if it weren't for the registration obstacle.

Someone suggested using VLC media to stream Live, I tried it last night and the quality was substantially better.

Thanks for the tips.

[SHS]

You buy a used copy of off SageTV forum or look on eBay your only other option is look in to NextPVR, XBMC and MediaPortal

[Caple]

Does anyone have new information about the AC3 audio capture?
My set top box does not have the option to choose dolby or not, but the audio coming from the HDMI port is AC3.
If I capture with the "Disable HDMI AC3 Support" I get mp2 audio and a clear imagem. If the option is unchecked I get AC3 audio, but jerky playback on both audio and video.
Any tips?

[godai]

you try with arcsoft showbiz?
also can try with new program of hauppauge , hauppauge capture

its important you have all update. sometimes software of hauppauge its very tricky

[SHS]

Does anyone have new information about the AC3 audio capture?
My set top box does not have the option to choose dolby or not, but the audio coming from the HDMI port is AC3.
If I capture with the "Disable HDMI AC3 Support" I get mp2 audio and a clear imagem. If the option is unchecked I get AC3 audio, but jerky playback on both audio and video.
Any tips?

There not point it doing AC3 if all your channel are only in stereo the point with AC3 is for Dolby Digital 5.1.
HDMI+AC3 can be a real pain to get working so if have Digital Optical output on your Cable Box use it to HD-PVR 2 other then that as far I know of only Console seem to work the best AC3 as you have option to choose and manual select audio output formats like AAC, Dolby Digital, DTS and Linear PCM.

[Caple]

you try with arcsoft showbiz?
also can try with new program of hauppauge , hauppauge capture

its important you have all update. sometimes software of hauppauge its very tricky

I'm using Hauppauge Capture.
I bought the card second hand. The seller didn't send the DVD with the software, but I already asked for it.

[Caple]

Does anyone have new information about the AC3 audio capture?
My set top box does not have the option to choose dolby or not, but the audio coming from the HDMI port is AC3.
If I capture with the "Disable HDMI AC3 Support" I get mp2 audio and a clear imagem. If the option is unchecked I get AC3 audio, but jerky playback on both audio and video.
Any tips?

There not point it doing AC3 if all your channel are only in stereo the point with AC3 is for Dolby Digital 5.1.
HDMI+AC3 can be a real pain to get working so if have Digital Optical output on your Cable Box use it to HD-PVR 2 other then that as far I know of only Console seem to work the best AC3 as you have option to choose and manual select audio output formats like AAC, Dolby Digital, DTS and Linear PCM.

I have channels that broadcast in 5.1 also. But they usually broadcast 5.1 when it's a live concert or something like that.
But I'll have the problem if it's broadcasting in 5.1. It seems to be a problem when the channel uses AC3.
If the broadcast is mpg audio I have no problems capturing, with the option turned on or off.
But as the card is advertised as capable of capturing AC3 on HDMI, I'd like to do that. Don't want to use optical. :/
BTW, I'm using a Colossus, not a HD PVR 2. But they are almost the same, right?