HDTV MPEG2 to AVISynth to FAVC help?

[Valnar]

I capture HDTV to .mpg files with a HDHomeRun capture device. It's not a transport stream because SageTV converts it to a standard MPEG2 file on save. Since it's a MPEG file, it is not directly importable into most of the AVI to DVD type of programs. I want to use FAVC, which does not recognize it. My goal is to (down)convert some watched HDTV episodes to DVD.

What's is the simplest AVISynth file to use that will import it correctly into FAVC? Do I have to know ahead of time whether it is 720p or 1080i?, etc? I've emailed the author to request this kind of support, but in the meantime, I believe an AVISynth script would help me. It's been years since I played with this stuff, and mostly then with VDub.

Thank you.
Robert

[Soopafresh]

Download Avisynth 2.58

let's say your mpeg file is located in c:\temp


Save this line as File1.AVS

DirectShowSource("c:\temp\yourfile.mpg")

That's the easiest method, perhaps not the best. But, it'll look good regardless because the source file is HD.

[guns1inger]

Does DGIndex do HDTV mpg streams ?

[Alex_ander]

Does DGIndex do HDTV mpg streams ?

Yes, even from .TS and other file types.

#for 1080 interlaced:
LoadPlugin("...\DGDecode.dll")
LoadPlugin("...\LeakKernelDeint.dll")
MPEG2Source("...\DGIndex_project.d2v")
LeakKernelBob(order=1)# use 'order=0' if DGIndex shows BFF at preview
LanczosResize(720,480)#if NTSC, 720x576 if PAL
#ConvertToYUY2()# enable if you use CCE
AssumeTFF().SeparateFields()
SelectEvery(4,0,3).Weave()
#encode as TFF

#for 720 progressive:
LoadPlugin("...\DGDecode.dll")
MPEG2Source("...\DGIndex_project.d2v")
SelectEven()#reduces 59.94 (or 50) to DVD framerate
LanczosResize(720,480)#if NTSC, 720x576 if PAL
#ConvertToYUY2()# enable if you use CCE

P.S. Corrections: added SelectEven to the second example; neither of the scripts is for film-sourced material.

[manono]

1080i is 29.97fps interlaced, but if it's telecined film, better would be to add an IVTC into that script. 720p is 59.94fps. You'll have to at least add in a SelectEven() to get it back to 29.97fps for NTSC, and if it's film you'll want to get it back to 23.976fps through some sort of decimation. To answer Valnar's questions:

What's is the simplest AVISynth file to use that will import it correctly into FAVC? Do I have to know ahead of time whether it is 720p or 1080i?, etc?

There isn't any really simple one-size-fits-all script, and yes, it makes a big difference whether it's 1080i or 720p.

I'm glad that FAVC (and HCEnc) is catching on around here, as it'll finally force people to learn at least some basic AviSynth.

[Alex_ander]

1080i is 29.97fps interlaced, but if it's telecined film, better would be to add an IVTC into that script. 720p is 59.94fps.

Thanks for the corrections, manono. Is it always broadcasted at double framerate if 720p? I have some HDTV MPEG files (downloaded from collectors) with both 720p (29.97) and 1080i versions of the same show, but actually don't know how the 720 version was captured.
I'll add the SelectEven line to the example above and a reminder not to use it for film-sourced.

There's one more opportunity (not 100% correct) if one prefers 1080i =>progressive DVD: discarding fields before resizing. With some types of footage (not too sharp picture) it looks better than 'correct' deinterlacing (which has its own artifacts). I did this way:

#1080i =>progressive DVD (NTSC)
LoadPlugin("...\DGDecode.dll")
MPEG2Source("...\video.d2v")
AssumeTFF().SeparateFields()
SelectEven()
LanczosResize(720,480)
ConvertToYUY2()

[Valnar]

Download Avisynth 2.58

let's say your mpeg file is located in c:\temp


Save this line as File1.AVS

DirectShowSource("c:\temp\yourfile.mpg")

That's the easiest method, perhaps not the best. But, it'll look good regardless because the source file is HD.

Well I tried that script and got all excited because FAVC finally went through it's whole process. When I woke up this morning to check the output, the DVD looked like half a screen squished with no sound. It didn't work at all.

I'll try some of the other scripts, but it would still be nice of FAVC automated some of this stuff. Right now, Film Machine and DVD Flick do not work (Film Machine has bad lip sync). SVCD2DVD so far works fine.

My torture test is to make a DVD with two episodes of a HDTV news cast. One is 720p, the other 1080. If I can find an application, or front end, that can make these two things work, then I don't have to think about what the resolution is when I make a quick DVD of some TV episodes.

-Robert

[manono]

Hi-

Is it always broadcasted at double framerate if 720p?

Yeah, in the US I believe 720p is always 59.94 full frames per second. If originally interlaced 29.97fps, it gets bobbed for Hi-def broadcast. If Valnor is encoding mostly video (he mentioned a newscast), then your 1080i script is good. The 720p one still has to be brought down to 29.97fps. Oh, I see you edited the earlier post.

[Valnar]

MPEG2Source("...\DGIndex_project.d2v")

So if I read this correctly, I have to run it through DGIndex first to make a project? I hate to be a complainer, but isn't the whole point of DVD Flick, FilmMachine, FAVC, SVCD2DVD and the like to automate everything, including AVS scripts? I thank everyone for providing me examples, but this becomes no different than doing it myself. I think I can import these HDTV files directly into TMPGEnc DVD Author or Ulead Movie Factory if I wanted to without all the hassle - it would just be nice for me to be able to tell my friends how to do it easily with freeware.

I think I will just stick with SVCD2DVD, despite it using FFMPEG. So far, it works fine. QUEnc/HCEnc would be nicer though.

Robert

[Soopafresh]

My torture test is to make a DVD with two episodes of a HDTV news cast. One is 720p, the other 1080. If I can find an application, or front end, that can make these two things work, then I don't have to think about what the resolution is when I make a quick DVD of some TV episodes.

-Robert

Depends on whether the source is Film or Video. A 1080i TV newscast is video, as is Conan, Letterman, Leno, sports pograms. Processing that requires either interlaced resizing or deinterlacing and resizing, keeping the video at 29.97fps

As mentioned above, 720P video requires every other frame to be thrown away, ala the SelectEven() command in Avisynth, or you can use weave to convert the progressive video to interlaced 480i.

Regular HD movies (film) require Inverse Telecine and decimation to bring them back to original 23.976 film, then pulldown to set the playback flag to run at 29.97 for regular DVD players to handle them.


It's all pretty confusing when you're starting out. Lots to consider. Not quite one click

[Valnar]

Depends on whether the source is Film or Video. A 1080i TV newscast is video, as is Conan, Letterman, Leno, sports pograms. Processing that requires either interlaced resizing or deinterlacing and resizing, keeping the video at 29.97fps

As mentioned above, 720P video requires every other frame to be thrown away, ala the SelectEven() command in Avisynth, or you can use weave to convert the progressive video to interlaced 480i.

Regular HD movies (film) require Inverse Telecine and decimation to bring them back to original 23.976 film, then pulldown to set the playback flag to run at 29.97 for regular DVD players to handle them.


It's all pretty confusing when you're starting out. Lots to consider. Not quite one click

I'm aware of the differences between video, film, interlaced and otherwise, although admittedly not good at creating scripts to handle all the different formats. One would think the purpose of an "all-in-one" program is the author would do all the heavy lifting so each individual user (such as myself) would not have to reinvent the wheel each time. I totally realize there is a fine line between being lazy and not wanting to learn it -vs- just getting it done. I have fortes in other areas; I'd rather not spend the time on video conversion. Most FAVC/SVCD2DVD type authors recognize my type, which is partially why they write these programs. I just hope FAVC becomes one of them for HDTV sources.

At the moment my choices are doing it all by hand to use CCE/HC Enc or use SVCD2DVD which uses FFMPEG. I can also drag out Ulead DVD Movie Factory too, but was hoping for a good single-click option for friends.


I was heavily into these forums many many years ago when learning how to convert all my analog sources (VHS) to DivX and/or DVD. HuffyUV and TMPGEnc back then were my friend. Things have changed. There are so many more choices. I could easily catch back up, but I don't have the 1-2 months to do so. I thank all the authors for their continued support it making it easier for the rest of us.

Robert

[Soopafresh]

AutoMKV comes very close to that, but the output is h264 or Xvid rather than Mpeg2

[Valnar]

Alex_ander's scripts worked for video, but I had no audio. I think I missed that part since DGIndex demuxed the AC3 into a separate file. I didn't see a way for FAVC to import it separately. In any case, the author of FAVC is working on HDTV support per a PM from him. I will use SVCD2DVD until then.

Thanks
Robert

[manono]

Alex_ander's scripts worked for video, but I had no audio.

It's not supposed to have any audio. You add in the audio when authoring for DVD. So, you have a nice video, and you're going to abandon it for something inferior because the audio isn't already muxed in? Wonders never cease.

By the way; I've never used SVCD2DVD. Maybe it's good. Maybe it does a proper conversion. But it can't be any better than what you got by following Alex_ander's script, and the chances are it's worse, maybe a whole lot worse.

[Valnar]

Alex_ander's scripts worked for video, but I had no audio.

It's not supposed to have any audio. You add in the audio when authoring for DVD. So, you have a nice video, and you're going to abandon it for something inferior because the audio isn't already muxed in? Wonders never cease.

By the way; I've never used SVCD2DVD. Maybe it's good. Maybe it does a proper conversion. But it can't be any better than what you got by following Alex_ander's script, and the chances are it's worse, maybe a whole lot worse.

How far should somebody go to use an all-in-one tool when I have to manually do some pre and post work? So I need to re-author it yet again even though FAVC already did that, thus re-doing work twice? I'm saving TV shows to watch, not preserving my wedding video. Does it make sense to do that manual labor 20-30 times when another tool is good enough? I don't do this for movies or anything of relative value.

-Robert

[manono]

FAVC, I forgot, and I apologize. None of us gave you a script that added the audio back in. Looking over the only guide for FAVC with which I'm familiar, you're right that there doesn't seem to be a way to add in a separate audio track:

http://www.digital-digest.com/articles/FAVC_Video_to_DVD_Guide_page1.html

Since you seem to be in touch with the developer, you might mention it to him.

[Alex_ander]

I think there's still a way to get audio back for loading the whole thing into FAVC, but it would be a decompressed to wav track (demuxed by DGIndex):

video=last#or add 'video=' in the beginning of the last line 
#in the script for video
audio=WavSource(...\audio.wav)
AudioDub(video, audio)
DelayAudio(-0.200)#use the value in seconds from 
#the file name of demuxed by DGIndex

I never work with audio in AviSynth and derived this from docs so please correct me if something is wrong in the above.

[manono]

I don't handle the audio in my scripts, either. But there's a way to do the same thing as you outlined, but with the original AC3 audio (or DTS or MPA audio), and that's with the NicAudio.dll and NicAC3Source:

http://avisynth.org/warpenterprises/

[Alex_ander]

Does it simply decode anything? Anyway, useful for e.g. decoding DTS and downmixing if wanted.
Found updated version here:
http://nic.dnsalias.com/nixaudiostuff.html