ffmpegX/mpeg2 file

[marc1]

hello all.

i have a mpeg2 file that I got off my series1 tivo. i am trying to burn this file onto a DVD so I can watch it on a DVD player.

i have installed ffmpegX (version 0.0.9f) and its related files. I opened the applicaiton and selected the quick preset of "DVD hi-bitrate" (I selected this because it seemed to make sense).

The progress window opens but the process never completes. It seems to get stuck on

 INFO: [mpeg2enc] SETTING AltiVec for PREDICTION!

I tried turning off AltiVec under the options section of ffmpegX, but that did not seem to have any effect.

So a few questions:

General:
1. Is this the best way to burn a Tivo mepg2 file onto to a DVD?
2. After ffmpegX does its thing, can I then use Disk Copy to burn the VIDEO_TS file onto a DVD?

Specific to this problem:
3. Why does ffmpegX get hung up on

 INFO: [mpeg2enc] SETTING AltiVec for PREDICTION!

What can I do to make it complete the process?

Here is the full log from ffmpegX progress:

INFO: [yuvscaler] yuvscaler (version 1.7.0) is a general scaling utility for yuv frames
Mon Apr 26 17:34:44 PDT 2004
INFO: [yuvscaler] (C) 2001-2002 Xavier Biquard <xbiquard@free.fr>
INFO: [yuvscaler] yuvscaler -h for help, or man yuvscaler
INFO: [yuvscaler] input: frame size: 480x480 pixels (345600 bytes)
INFO: [yuvscaler] input: frame rate: 30000/1001 fps (~29.970030)
INFO: [yuvscaler] input: interlace: none/progressive
INFO: [yuvscaler] input: sample aspect ratio: 1:1
INFO: [yuvscaler] from 480x480, take 480x480+0+0, NOT_INTERLACED/PROGRESSIVE
INFO: [yuvscaler] scale to 480x480, 480x480 being displayed, NOT_INTERLACED/PROGRESSIVE
INFO: [yuvscaler] Scaling uses the RESAMPLE algorithm,
INFO: [yuvscaler] without line switching
INFO: [yuvscaler] without time forwarding
INFO: [yuvscaler] Without luminance correction
INFO: [yuvscaler] Without chrominance correction
INFO: [yuvscaler] frame rate: 29.970 fps
INFO: [yuvscaler] Scaling ratio for width is 1 to 1
INFO: [yuvscaler] and is 1 to 1 for height
INFO: [yuvscaler] Specific downscaling routing number 4
INFO: [yuvscaler] output: frame size: 480x480 pixels (345600 bytes)
INFO: [yuvscaler] output: frame rate: 30000/1001 fps (~29.970030)
INFO: [yuvscaler] output: interlace: none/progressive
INFO: [yuvscaler] output: sample aspect ratio: 1:1
INFO: [mpeg2enc] Selecting DVD output profile
INFO: [mpeg2enc] Assuming norm NTSC
INFO: [mpeg2enc] Encoding MPEG-2 video to /Users/Marc/Desktop/movie.m2v
INFO: [mpeg2enc] Horizontal size: 480 pel
INFO: [mpeg2enc] Vertical size: 480 pel
INFO: [mpeg2enc] Aspect ratio code: 2 = 4:3 display
INFO: [mpeg2enc] Frame rate code: 4 = 30000.0/1001.0 (NTSC VIDEO)
INFO: [mpeg2enc] Bitrate: 2495 KBit/s
INFO: [mpeg2enc] Quality factor: 3 (Quantisation = 3) (1=best, 31=worst)
INFO: [mpeg2enc] Field order for input: none/progressive
INFO: [mpeg2enc] New Sequence every 9999 Mbytes
INFO: [mpeg2enc] Assuming non-video stream of 0 Kbps
INFO: [mpeg2enc] Search radius: 16
INFO: [mpeg2enc] GOP SIZE RANGE 9 TO 15
INFO: [mpeg2enc] Setting colour/gamma parameters to "NTSC"
INFO: [mpeg2enc] Progressive format frames = 1
INFO: [mpeg2enc] Using default unmodified quantization matrices
INFO: [mpeg2enc] Buffering 39 frames
INFO: [mpeg2enc] SETTING AltiVec for QUANTIZER!
INFO: [mpeg2enc] SETTING AltiVec for MOTION!
INFO: [mpeg2enc] SETTING AltiVec for TRANSFORM!
INFO: [mpeg2enc] SETTING AltiVec for PREDICTION!

[pixeljammedia]

Tivo MPEGs are not standard. They place code that allows for easy ffwd, rewind and jump inside the file. You need something to strip the non standard stuff like tystudio on the pc. This page should do the trick. I doubt that it is ffmpegx's fault.

[marc1]

Thanks for the reply.

I used TyTools on a Windows machine to extract the mpeg2 from my tivo. I then copied the file from my Windows machine to my Mac (i don't have a burner on my Windows machine).

I have been to the page you suggested. The page explains how to convert a tivo TY stream into an mpeg2 file. But I don't have a TY stream. So I am not sure how that information helps me.

When I extracted the file from Tivo using TyTools, wouldn't that have removed the "non standard" code? The file seems to play fine with VideoLAN and Quicktime (with the MPEG2 component).

[pixeljammedia]

Are you setting it for terminal to open a window? If so then there might be nothing going wrong here. When you try to close the terminal window does it warn you that you will end a process if you close the terminal? Encoding may just be going and you need to wait. I like to keep it with the open terminal window box unchecked so that I get a progress window.

Also if you have an mpeg already, then consider just authoring your DVD with Sizzle. Just select the mpeg as a title and let it build a DVD image. If your file is greater than 4.3 GB then use the dvd9>dvd4 button in ffmpegx's tool section (or use DVD2One X on the VIDEO_TS folder in the built Sizzle image)

[thoughton]

Specific to this problem:
3. Why does ffmpegX get hung up on

 INFO: [mpeg2enc] SETTING AltiVec for PREDICTION!

What can I do to make it complete the process?

Just wait.

If you watch the process log, the last thing it will say before starting to produce the m2v file is "Setting altivec for prediciton". After this point there will be nothing new in the process log for a looooong time. Just wait 10-20 hours and it should finish. If you're worried it's hung find the m2v output file in the Finder, if you highlight it you should notice that the size is slowly growing.

Cheers,

[marc1]

thanks guys. i will leave it running overnight and see what happens. had no idea it would take so long.


as far as using sizzle, i tried that a few weeks ago. the problem was that the audio and video became out of sync. so i had given up. if there is a way to fix that, i would love to hear about it.

[pixeljammedia]

demuxing and remuxing the mpeg before bringing it into sizzle can solve many problems.

[marc1]

i have a program that demux that works well. what do you recommend to use to remux?

[pixeljammedia]

I usually use ffmpegx, mpeg2 works, missing mpeg tools, will also re-multiplex for you. Sizzle will as well, if you select the elementary streams rather than a single vob/mpeg, but I would rather remultiplex and check the mpeg first than put it straight into sizzle.

[marc1]

if i use ffmpegx to re-multiplex, which mux profile should i use DVD or MPEG-2?

[pixeljammedia]

Either. DVD would probably be preferable.

[marc1]

thanks pixeljammedia for your input. here is an update....

the original MPEG2 file i got off my tivo has its audio and video in sync. however, when i demux and then re-mux, then audio and video are no longer in sync.

any ideas?

[marc1]

Just wait.

If you watch the process log, the last thing it will say before starting to produce the m2v file is "Setting altivec for prediciton". After this point there will be nothing new in the process log for a looooong time. Just wait 10-20 hours and it should finish. If you're worried it's hung find the m2v output file in the Finder, if you highlight it you should notice that the size is slowly growing.

Cheers,

ok, i tried leaving this sit for many hours....when i came back i had the following information listed just after "SETTING AltiVec for PREDICTION!"

  INFO: [yuvscaler] End of stream!
   INFO: [yuvscaler] Normal exit: end of stream with frame number 34827!
   INFO: [mpeg2enc] Guesstimated final muxed size = 548384008
error: could not convert audio track!
**ERROR: EOF in WAV header
**ERROR: failure reading WAV file
   INFO: [mplex] mplex version 2.2.2 ($Date: 2003/05/13 20:27:15 $)
   INFO: [mplex] File /Users/Marc/Desktop/untitled folder 2/movie.m2v looks like an MPEG Video stream.
**ERROR: [mplex] Unable to open file /Users/Me/Desktop/movie.mp2 for reading.

[SERBIAN]

You can find some more info on ReplayTV conversion here, here and here...

[marc1]

You can find some more info on ReplayTV conversion here, here and here...

thanks, but I have Tivo, not Replay.

[SERBIAN]

Huh...

SORRY...My mistake...Too late here, and I should go to sleep...

Maybe You should check this, this and this then...

[NoCalME]

There's really no need to use ffmpegX to process your TiVo files. If you're using TyTool, set the Network Option to "TyStream Mode" and extract. Once you have your .ty file on your hard drive, select "VOB-Mux (new format) 1" to process the file. From here, you can import directly into DVD-lab. Depending on the speed of your processor, a half-hour program can be extracted and processed using the above procedure in less than 15 minutes without any degredation to the picture quality.

[thoughton]

If he has a PC in addition to that Mac he's running ffmpegX on, you mean

[NoCalME]

If he has a PC in addition to that Mac he's running ffmpegX on, you mean.

He stated in this thread that he used a PC to extract the video from his TiVo, then transferred the file(s) over to his Mac for burning.

[thoughton]

Oops

My excuse is that this thread was started so long ago I had forgotten the 'transfer from PC to Mac' part

[marc1]

whoa. hey guys sorry about not responding...for some reason i stopped getting notifications when replies were being posted.

thanks for the info. I tried NoCalME's suggestion. I ended up with a VOB file on my PC.

Should I now take that file over to my Mac and use Sizzle to create the DVD? Why are you suggesting I use DVD-lab on the PC?

ps my PC is really old (slow) and the Mac is new, so i would prefer to as much on the mac as i can.

[NoCalME]

since I don't have a DVD burner on my PC, shouldn't I move the file over my Mac after I select "VOB-Mux (new format) 1" from TyTool? Instead of using DVD-lab.

Yeah, save the file on your Windows box first, then transfer it to your Mac.

what should I use to author the DVD?

The reason I suggested using DVD-lab is that it plays nice with TiVo MPEGs and is relatively inexpensive. But if your PC is really old, it likely doesn't have enough processing power even if you went out and purchased a DVD burner.

That leaves you with two options when it comes to Mac DVD authoring--Sizzle and DVD Studio Pro. Sizzle is freeware and works fine with TiVo MPEG files, but it's limited in its capabilities. DVD Studio Pro 2.0 is the app. I use, but it doesn't come cheap. Version 3.0--which just came out--will run you $499. DVD Studio Pro smokes any PC DVD authoring app. in my opinion. Forget about trying to use iDVD.

If you decide to purchase DVD Studio Pro, let me know as there are several extra steps you have to complete in order to get your TiVo MPEGs imported into the program--none of which require re-encoding.

One last thing. Do you have a Series I TiVo or DirecTiVo?

[marc1]

I updated/clarified my post as you were replying...sorry for any confusion.

ok, i will give Sizzle a try with the VOB file I created from Tytools. Sizzle did not work with the other MPEG file I had. The sound and audio got out of sync.

One last thing. Do you have a Series I TiVo or DirecTiVo?

Series 1 SA Tivo.

[NoCalME]

The nice thing about the SA TiVo is that you can record at the BEST quality setting and the video will be in DVD compliant 720x480. If you end up going with DVD Studio Pro in the future, having the video at 720x480 will save you some steps. With my DirecTiVo, it only records at 480x480, so I have to "trick" DVD Studio Pro into thinking the video is in DVD compliant form.

Another option is authoring your DVD using TyTool. I have yet to use this feature in TyTool, but others have reported great success in creating very basic DVDs. Although, this doesn't help you in trying to incorporate your Mac into the process.

[marc1]

ok, here is an update...I got the program off my tivo using the TYstream Mode. Then I processed VOB-Mux (New format). This was the output...

Mux'ing (with cuts): c:\My Downloads\The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.ty
Detected Tivo Type: Standalone -> US
Detected Audio Stream Type: MPEG Layer II
Final standardAudioSize = 880
Final standardFrameLength = 864
Final standardAudioDiff = 3240 or 00:00:00.036
First Video PTS: 00:00:01.202
.........  100.........  200.........  300.........  400.........  500
.........  600.........  700.........  800.........  900......... 1000
......... 1100...Found an OOB packet... The Audio Diff is: 00:00:00.180
Is it in sequence??? It is OFF by exactly 5.000000 frames.
It is in the right range. Let's see if it lines up.
It is in sequence. Starting back up after the 'hole'...
..
DiffTime = 113.808005 (113808) == 1.896800 Minutes
total = 150863872 (143 MB)

Done with 'c:\My Downloads\The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.ty'...

Then once i put into Sizzle and created a Disc Image, the audio and video were out of sync. Any ideas?

Also, should I be selecting 720x480 ins Sizzle? It defaults to 352x480.

[NoCalME]

Are you using the latest version of TyTool, which is Alpha#9 rel 14? Under 'Options' in TyTool, make sure 'Audio' is set to 'Patch Audio Holes...".

Try extracting a different program you have saved on your Tivo. The output tells me there might be something wrong with that particular program. I've had situations occur where I record a Pay Per View movie that plays fine on my DirecTiVo, but is all messed up when I go to extract.

You mentioned your PC is really old. Can you give me a rundown on its specs?

[marc1]

I really appreciate all your help.

Are you using the latest version of TyTool, which is Alpha#9 rel 14? Under 'Options' in TyTool, make sure 'Audio' is set to 'Patch Audio Holes...".

Yes, using TyTools Alpha #9 rel 14. The Patch Audio Holes was not turned on. I turned it on now.

Try extracting a different program you have saved on your Tivo. The output tells me there might be something wrong with that particular program. I've had situations occur where I record a Pay Per View movie that plays fine on my DirecTiVo, but is all messed up when I go to extract.

You mentioned your PC is really old. Can you give me a rundown on its specs?

Pentium II, 192MB Ram, Win 98

[marc1]

Try extracting a different program you have saved on your Tivo. The output tells me there might be something wrong with that particular program.

Ok, I tried using a different program. TyTools gave me no complaints when I processed it with "VOB-Mux (new format) 1." I then used Sizzle to create the Disk Image. The audio & video are very slightly out of sync, but it is much better than before. So after months of trying, I think I have created my first DVD from a Tivo file.

The nice thing about the SA TiVo is that you can record at the BEST quality setting and the video will be in DVD compliant 720x480.

What "video format" setting should I use on Sizzle? My recordings are not at best quality. Sizzle defaults to 352x480.

[NoCalME]

What concerns me is you're still having audio sync issues, albeit to a lesser degree than before. You are not making any cuts to the program being extracted, so audio/video sync should be perfect.

Here's two things you can try:
1) Extract a different program again to see if the problem persits. What is your source--cable or satellite?

2) Install TyStudio on your Mac and use that app to extract a program. Set Video to: "Elemental Stream" and Audio to: "No Transcoding". This will give you audio and video elemental streams that can be inserted into Sizzle.

"Video Format" in Sizzle should be set at 720x480.

[marc1]

What concerns me is you're still having audio sync issues, albeit to a lesser degree than before. You are not making any cuts to the program being extracted, so audio/video sync should be perfect.


1) Extract a different program again to see if the problem persits. What is your source--cable or satellite?

Cable

2) Install TyStudio on your Mac and use that app to extract a program. Set Video to: "Elemental Stream" and Audio to: "No Transcoding". This will give you audio and video elemental streams that can be inserted into Sizzle.

I did this. TyStudio gave me two files. One was a .m2a file and the other was a .m2v file. When I "Add a title" in Sizzle, it accepts the .m2v file. When I try to add "Audio", I cannot select the .m2a file.