H.264 stream driving me insane!

[Jroom]

Please help - I've got a library of .ts streams, a mix of DVB-T and DVB-S captures.

I'd really like to organise them in iTunes and playback on iPhone / iPad, but WITHOUT having to transcode or go the Handbrake route.

It's not to save time so much as quality - I hate the idea of encoding when it's already H264.

But the H264 within the stream just seems incompatible with Mac OS / Quicktime playback and therefore iTunes import.

I've tried MP4Tools, iFFmpeg, Subler, VLC Export, iFlicks, IVI and many others.

If anyone likes a challenge, could you look at the sample stream and tell me how I can create an iTunes compatible .m4v from it without having to transcode?

https://myshare.box.com/s/x36semw8ywkdunuv9624hmb0r1zcvbnf

Thanks!

[Jroom]

I forgot to add - they play fine under VLC, and if I re-wrap with passthru under iFFmpeg or MP4Tools, they're still fine under VLC, but the Quicktime / iTunes compatibility is still missing without a recode, and I'd really like to organise my videos within iTunes if possible.

[poisondeathray]

It's not to save time so much as quality - I hate the idea of encoding when it's already H264.

Except when it's not already h.264. It looks to be MPEG2 video

Did you upload the correct file?

Format : MPEG-TS
File size : 105 MiB
Duration : 2mn 50s
Start time : UTC 2015-05-19 17:58:54
End time : UTC 2015-05-19 18:01:44
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 5 161 Kbps
Network name : London
Original network name : UK Digital Terrestrial Television
Country : GBR / IRL
Timezone : +01:00:00 / +01:00:00

Video
ID : 301 (0x12D)
Menu ID : 4288 (0x10C0)
Format : MPEG Video
Format version : Version 2
Format profile : Main@Main
Format settings, BVOP : Yes
Format settings, Matrix : Custom
Format settings, GOP : Variable
Format settings, picture structure : Frame
Codec ID : 2
Duration : 2mn 49s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 4 647 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 15.0 Mbps
Width : 704 pixels
Height : 576 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Active Format Description : Letterbox 16:9 image, with alternative 14:9 center
Frame rate : 25.000 fps
Standard : PAL
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Interlaced
Scan order : Top Field First
Compression mode : Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.458
Stream size : 94.1 MiB (89%)

Audio
ID : 302 (0x12E)
Menu ID : 4288 (0x10C0)
Format : MPEG Audio
Format version : Version 1
Format profile : Layer 2
Codec ID : 3
Duration : 2mn 50s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 256 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : -814ms
Stream size : 5.21 MiB (5%)
Language : English
descriptor_tag_extension : 6 / 6

Text
ID : 305 (0x131)
Menu ID : 4288 (0x10C0)
Format : DVB Subtitle
Codec ID : 6
Duration : 2mn 44s
Delay relative to video : 3s 522ms
Language : English

Menu
ID : 300 (0x12C)
Menu ID : 4288 (0x10C0)
Duration : 2mn 50s
List : 301 (0x12D) (MPEG Video) / 302 (0x12E) (MPEG Audio, English) / 306 (0x132) (MPEG Audio) / 305 (0x131) (DVB Subtitle, English) / 350 (0x15E) () / 311 (0x137) () / 7201 (0x1C21) () / 7202 (0x1C22) () / 7203 (0x1C23) () / 7204 (0x1C24) () / 7401 (0x1CE9) ()
Language : / English / / English
Service name : BBC THREE
Service type : digital television
UTC 2015-05-19 17:58:00 : en:This Is BBC Three / en:BBC Three. The best in new entertainment, comedy, contemporary drama and music for the digital generation. Stay tuned for 60 Seconds news. / undefined / / 00:02:00 / Running
UTC 2015-05-19 18:00:00 : enon't Tell the Bride / en:Best Ever: Radio 1's Scott Mills presents a countdown to the best episode ever, as chosen by viewers who have tweeted, blogged and voted online from a shortlist of 20 programmes. [S] / news/current affairs / / 01:00:00 / Running

[Jroom]

Hi Poisondeathray - I'm so sorry, but it was the wrong file. I've swapped it for the right one.

Same link as before - https://myshare.box.com/s/x36semw8ywkdunuv9624hmb0r1zcvbnf

[themaster1]

Best tool to edit dvb streams is VideoRedo Tv suite (not free to you can try it for a few days)

[Jroom]

Thanks themaster1 - but I've only got access to Macs.

[Baldrick]

Maybe quicktime doesn't like the mpeg layer 2 audio. Try reconvert it to aac and copy the audio part with iffmpeg.

And post the full details from mediainfo. View->Text.

[Jroom]

Thanks Baldrick - I've had no luck with different audio formats, or even no audio track at all.

Here's the file info:

General
ID : 2050 (0x802)
Complete name : /Users/janinemoors/Downloads/20150519-185800-this-is-bbc-three.ts
Format : MPEG-TS
File size : 200 MiB
Duration : 2mn 50s
Start time : UTC 2015-05-19 17:58:51
End time : UTC 2015-05-19 18:01:32
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 9 804 Kbps
Network name : ASTRA
Original network name : Astra Satellite Network 28,2'E
Frequency : 10847000000
OrbitalPosition : 28.2E

Video
ID : 5600 (0x15E0)
Menu ID : 6951 (0x1B27)
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Format settings, GOP : M=8, N=24
Codec ID : 27
Duration : 2mn 50s
Bit rate : 8 867 Kbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 25.000 fps
Standard : Component
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : MBAFF
Scan order : Top Field First
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.171
Stream size : 180 MiB (90%)
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709

Audio #1
ID : 5601 (0x15E1)
Menu ID : 6951 (0x1B27)
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Mode extension : CM (complete main)
Format settings, Endianness : Big
Codec ID : 6
Duration : 2mn 50s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 192 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : -681ms
Stream size : 3.91 MiB (2%)
Language : English

Audio #2
ID : 5602 (0x15E2)
Menu ID : 6951 (0x1B27)
Format : MPEG Audio
Format version : Version 1
Format profile : Layer 2
Codec ID : 3
Duration : 2mn 50s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 256 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : -682ms
Stream size : 5.22 MiB (3%)
Language : nar

Text #1
ID : 5603 (0x15E3)-888
Menu ID : 6951 (0x1B27)
Format : Teletext
Language : English

Text #2
ID : 5604 (0x15E4)
Menu ID : 6951 (0x1B27)
Format : DVB Subtitle
Codec ID : 6
Duration : 2mn 45s
Delay relative to video : 5s 123ms
Language : English

Menu
ID : 262 (0x106)
Menu ID : 6951 (0x1B27)
Duration : 2mn 50s
List : 5600 (0x15E0) (AVC) / 5602 (0x15E2) (MPEG Audio, nar) / 5603 (0x15E3) () / 3846 (0xF06) () / 3847 (0xF07) () / 3849 (0xF09) () / 5604 (0x15E4) (DVB Subtitle, English) / 3840 (0xF00) () / 3841 (0xF01) () / 3842 (0xF02) () / 3843 (0xF03) () / 3844 (0xF04) () / 2321 (0x911) () / 2322 (0x912) () / 2323 (0x913) () / 5601 (0x15E1) (AC-3, English) / 5605 (0x15E5) () / 5606 (0x15E6) ()
Language : / nar / / / / / English / / / / / / / / / English
Service name : BBC Three HD
Service provider : BSkyB
Service type : advanced codec HD digital television
UTC 2015-05-19 17:58:00 : en:This Is BBC Three HD / en:BBC Three HD. The best in new entertainment, comedy, contemporary drama and music for the digital generation. Stay tuned for 60 Seconds news. / / / 00:02:00 / Running
UTC 2015-05-19 18:00:00 : en: / en:Best Ever: Radio 1's Scott Mills presents a countdown to the best episode ever, as chosen by viewers who have tweeted, blogged and voted online from a shortlist of 20 programmes. [S] / / / 01:00:00 / Not running

[Jroom]

Bump. Anyone?

[KarMa]

That's a really high bitrate for Ipods/Iphones/Ipads to play. Maybe you can try using MKVmerge to put them in an MKV, which will allow you to remove one of the audio streams along with the menu and teletext, but not sure how well MKVs play with Apple stuff. A raw .TS can be tricky for some players, so anything will be better.

[ezcapper]

maybe quicktime likes files without cabac better? Meaning if you use the baseline profile for future files instead of the high profile, and change the container to .mov, it might go smoother. I am not sure how to make the current file work better without reencoding, hopefully someone will know how. When I try to remux your clip to a quicktime movie file, I get an error, but when I try with baseline h.264 files, no error. Not sure if that is the problem.

[ManiKz]

The files wont work in iTunes even if they are h.264 due to the fact that the stream is interlaced content and iTunes doesn't like that.

If you want your library to be in iTunes and to play back on apple devices then you're going to need to re-encode the files.

Handbrake can do the job fine and encode the streams to progressive. The results should be fine as long as you select de-interlacing when encoding.