Convert TS to mpeg2

[thymej]

I record HDTV with BeyondTV to TP files, then use VideoReDo to remove commercials and save as TS. I then use ffmpeg to convert to mpeg2 DVD format (720x480 @ 16:9). My question is what other encoders are that that are good and just as fast as ffmpeg? What would you folks suggest as other encoders / converters I can try to compare the PQ.

ThymeJ

[Soopafresh]

That's a really fast one - ffmpeg . ConvertXtoDVD is based on ffmpeg

I guess CinemaCraft would be one that could challenge ffmpeg performance-wise.

[FulciLives]

I would try HCenc as I have found the quality to be damn impressive. You really need to use it in conjunction with AviSynth but FitCD can perhaps help you with making a script.

I haven't done much with HDTV TS files but my guess is you want to convert to a MPEG file then run it through DGIndex to demux the audio and get a D2V project file. Then create an AviSynth script to load the D2V and do any deinterlacing/IVTC and resizing etc.

All of these programs are freeware.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[thymej]

Thanks for the replies both of you.

I tried HC but it would not let me pick a .ts file as the input source. I convert from .ts to .mpg (mpeg2 with ac3).

ThymeJ

[guns1inger]

HCEnc only accepts avisynth (avs). FulciLives pointed this out in his post (above). Follow his advice and you should be OK)..Otherwise, look at HDTV2DVD or HDTV2MPG

[FulciLives]

I believe VideoReDo will allow you to save to a muxed MPEG file as well as a TS file.

Also ProjectX (which is a freeware program) can take a TS file and output a MPEG file.

Remember that a TS file is MPEG video with AC-3 audio so all of what I said merely changes the "container" from TS to MPEG.

You still have to run it through something like HCenc to make it DVD Video MPEG compatible.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[rbatty11]

Hey Fulci and all. Can someone comment on the quality of converting captured HD material to DVD using HDTVtoMPEG2 or HDTV2DVD vs. HCenc, CCE, Procoder, etc. ?? I'm working on my 1st HD to DVD conversion project (unsuccesfful as of yet using HDTVtoMPEG2 or HDTV2DVD

So am thinking I may as well try frameserving using avisynth and CCE. Thing is, in trying to write an avisynth script, all the source numbers are very different than what I'm used to (NTSC), i.e., 1280x720 vs. 720x480, 60fps vs. 30fps, etc., not to mention, interlacing or IVTC the source HD material (the captured HD material is TV shows--Lost, House M.D., etc.). I'm confused. Don't even want to begin with trying to deinterlace/IVTC.

In trying to understand the overall concept, I'm essentially trying to convert non-DVD-compliant mpeg2 source (HD: 1280x720, 60fps, 15mbps, etc.) to DVD-compliant mpeg2 (SD: 720x480, 30fps, ~9mbps). Is that correct? Also, how do I analyze the source HD video to see if it need to be deinterlaced or IVTC'd--is it still DGMPEGDec? Many thanks.

[Soopafresh]

Happy to help out, since I capture Lost and convert it to 23.976fps material via Avisynth.

The Steps for 720P:

Apps Needed (besides Avisynth)

ColorMatrix - http://web.missouri.edu/~kes25c/ColorMatrixv21.zip
TIVTC by Tritical - http://web.missouri.edu/~kes25c/TIVTCv101.zip
DGindex
DgPulldown - Both apps by Don Graft
HcEnc v0.20


Sample script

SetMemoryMax(512)

#LoadPlugin lines not needed if you copy Dlls to Avisynth plugins #folder
LoadPlugin("Dgmpegdec.dll")
LoadPlugin("Tivtc.dll")
LoadPlugin("colormatrix.dll")


Mpeg2Source("yourDgindexFile.d2v") 

ColorMatrix(d2v="yourDgindexFile.d2v")#Maintains correct colors #when downsizing HD

#ConvertToYv12()# Not needed, but Certain Encoders Want it

SelectEven()#Brings 59.94 down to 29.97
Tdecimate() #Brings 29.97 down to 23.976

BicubicResize(736,496)

Crop(8,8,-8,-8)

#ConverttoYuy2() #Needed for CCE Encoder

Dgindexing the Source file:

Make sure "Honor Pulldown Flags" is checked

Audio Output: Demux Tracks - If the output ac3 file is named "whatever delay -234ms.ac3", then you can fix the offset delay by using http://jsoto.posunplugged.com/tools/delaycut_1212_exe.zip


Encoding to Mpeg2: (I prefer 1 pass CQ since HD is so slow to encode). 16x9 aspect ratio almost always.

hcenc_020.exe -i "youravsfile.avs" -o "output.m2v"  -profile best -cq_maxbitrate 5.000 -scene -aspectratio 16:9 -autogop 12

dgpulldown output.m2v -srcfps 23.976 -destfps 29.97 -inplace

General rules of thumb with HD source material

Conan, Letterman, Leno, etc are 1080i and VideoTaped, so you should NEVER IVTC and decimate to 23.976. You can either resize and encode interlaced, or use another Tritical filter Tdeint(2) to deinterlace before resizing.

Shows like The Office, Earl, on NBC and CBS are 1080i but FILMED, so you should IVTC and Decimate to 23.976.

ABC is 720p progressive 59.94 fps. If the source is film, then SelectEven and Tdecimate
If the Source is Video (Eyewitness News, Kimmel) then only SelectEven

[thymej]

Without getting these tools HCenc, CCE, Procoder and installing them myself, will the PQ be much better then ffmpeg and how I use it. This is what I do now:

-I use VideoReDo to remove unwanted streams and ads and save as .TS.
-I then use ffmpeg.exe to convert to DVD-Mpeg format to burn to DVD.
-I use DVDStyler to make the DVD iso

Through the complete process I leave the audio as AC3; I use the ffmpeg option '-acodec copy' to just copy the audio as it was recorded OTA. The command line options I use with ffmpeg are more or less the same ones used by HDTV2DVD (see below how I captured the command line options used by HDTV2DVD).

I looked at the various ffmpeg tool some mentioned above (HDTV2DVD, HDTV2MPG, WinFF, gui4ffmpeg), while the tool was converting the video , I used procexp.exe (Process Explorer from SysInternals) to capture the command line options used by these tools when ffmpeg ras running. I also use the ffmpag padleft/padright and crop options to take care of overscan problems.

ThymeJ

[thymej]

How does one find out if a program is filmed or video taped? Can that be found out by looking at the raw OTA recording? The programs I keep after recording are Heroes, Smallville, and AFV. I have not converted these shows yet, they are still on my HD as .ts files without the ads.

When I get around to convert them to DVD format, what frame rate should be used for these shows?

thymeJ

[Soopafresh]

Just about anything taped nightly (like the late night talk shows and the local news) is VIDEO source.

Just about anything with a cast and a "season" is FILM.


Dunno what AFV is

Heroes is FILM 1080i
Smallville is on ABC, right ? Then it is FILM 720P

I don't know the commands in ffmpeg to TIVTC and Decimate, I use Avisynth to do that. You can use both -

ffmpeg -i "YourAvisynthscript.avs" -vcodec Mpeg2Video ....etc

[rbatty11]

Thanks, soopafresh. haven't even attempted to try your guide b/c I can't get past capturing properly. The 2 shows that i managed to capture were Lost and House MD, but they ended up as .mpg files instead of .ts files. Does this render these captures useless outside of watching on pc??

If so, will capture another program tonite and try your mini guide above. I'm sure i'll be back with ?'s..

[Soopafresh]

Not at all, they might work absolutely fine.

[thymej]

AFV is Americas Funnest home Videos on ABC
Smallville is on the CW

[Soopafresh]

AFV = Video on ABC = Add Selecteven() to Avisynth script (but that's all)

Smallville = Film = can be IVTCed and Decimated to 23.976

[rbatty11]

How do you know this info? I'd like to read/study and learn how to analyze this myself, please. Does DGMPEGDec (or DGIndex?) reveal all this info after you capture from each of these stations? I though the app sometimes gives incorrect info?

As for the 2 HD mpg files I captured from (Lost from ABC and House from FOX), I can't get either to open up in any program. I tried DGMPEGDec/DGIndex and I get "PID" stream errors. I tried opening both up in MPEGVCR and Video Redo to cut out commercials -- MPEGVCR just hangs and Video Redo gives me stream errors. Then I tried using MPEGRepair--it stops at 99% and then nothing.. just sits there.

I tried searching for guides on the whole process of converting HD captures to DVD from begining to end but can't find anthing complete. Can someone point me to one? Thank you.

[thymej]

Have you tried a Video ReDo quickfix? If VideoReDo hangs when you try to open the Lost or House file, don't open it: Just start VideoReDo (with nothing loaded) and select the quickfix option. The quickfix option lets you pick what file to fix and what file to save it as. I know, I had a Lost recording that hangs VideoReDo when I would try to load it. My Lost file was corrupted because 44mins into the recording, by PC blue-screened and rebooted. A VideoReDo quickfix fixed it.

[FulciLives]

If you have a HDTV capture that is not "perfect" then turn it through ProjectX ... that program is golden.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Soopafresh]

I agree with thymej and FulciLives' suggestions, but there's something else that's much bigger of a problem going on here. Either the reception is absolute poop, or there's software corruption that's occuring during capture. Could also be Fat32 file size limits.

How did any of us learn this stuff? Trial and many, many, many errors