H.264 Transport Stream to uncompressed AVI?

[hhhgamewmx7]

I looked around for awhile for this but all I could find was TS to Divx/Xvid. Anyone know a program that can do this? I had tried Tsmux to extract the h.264 video but it produced a weird file with no extension and couldn't be edited.

[Midzuki]

I suppose you got a "raw" (i.e. without a container) H264 stream.
Try using Gabest's MatroskaMuxer or Haali's Gdsmux for
copying the H264 video into an intermediate MKV file. OR try Avidemux ---
I don't recall if it's able to open Transport Streams.

[hhhgamewmx7]

Thanks man. Avi demux crashes when trying to open it. By the way, its HD video.

I tried Gdsmux and it could make the mkv file, but I couldn't seem to play it, not even with VLC, it crashed. MPC played but it was in slow motion.

I have the new Hauppauge HD PVR and all I want to do is edit the captured TS file and burn to DVD. I had tried many demux programs to no avail and now my idea is to convert to uncompressed AVI, edit and then compress to h.264 and burn to DVD.

[poisondeathray]

One solution to manipulating the output form the Hauppauge HD PVR is in this thread:

https://forum.videohelp.com/topic353169.html

Just save as uncompressed instead of using a compression codec

Cheers

[hhhgamewmx7]

Thanks for that, but it seems that discussion is about capturing still frames. Do you know what program I can use to select uncompressed AVI as an output?

[poisondeathray]

It's the same approach. You do the same thing with the .avs script and DirectShowSource()

Save as uncompressed in virtualdub, instead of taking a frame.

It worked on the sample clips, both as uncompressed and XviD.

Cheers

[hhhgamewmx7]

Thanks again poison, but i am a complete novice at using scripts. I can open the video ok in DGAVCIndex and made the .dga file. Then made a text file with one line (DirectShowSource("C:\PATH\file.ts",fps=29.97,conv ertfps=true,audio=true)) but don't know what to do next and don't know how AVISynth comes into it. I'll try studying a bit more to figure it out. Help would be appreciated. Thanks for all your help so far.

[poisondeathray]

1) Install avisynth, ffdshow and haali media splitter. You need AAC audio enabled in the ffdshow audio configuration, and h.264 enabled in the ffdshow video configuration (I think they should be enabled by default - it will read "libavcodec" instead of "disabled")

2) Open up notepad and type

DirectShowSource("C:\Documents and Settings\Your User Name\Desktop\file.ts",fps=29.97,convertfps=true,au dio=true)

Adjust the syntax for "your user name", and "file.ts" or the correct path to your file and save it

Change the .txt extension to .avs

3) Open your .avs with vdub (the most current is 1.8.1 as of today).

If it doesn't open, you either have a syntax error, or didn't set up ffdshow configuration, or have missed something on install. Report back with any error messages

4) File=> Save as AVI (This will be uncompressed and HUGE, the audio will be set under direct stream copy by default - which is AAC from your recording)

If you wanted to compress the video, select video=>compression before saving, likewise you might want to alter the audio

Note you can do simple linear editing (like cutting sections, eg. commercials out) in vdub

Cheers

[DarrellS]

Can't you just use DGindex to demux the files and open with Virtualdub? You may need to demux the audio with DGindex as wave and convert to compression of choice.

Have you tried opening these TS files directly in Virtualdub 1.8.1? If you have an H264 decoder (ffdshow) then I would think that Virtualdub would be able to open the file.

[Midzuki]

poisondeathray wrote:

2) Open up notepad and type

DirectShowSource("C:\Documents and Settings\Your User Name\Desktop\file.ts",fps=29.97,convertfps=true,audio=true)

[poisondeathray]

Can't you just use DGindex to demux the files and open with Virtualdub? You may need to demux the audio with DGindex as wave and convert to compression of choice.

Have you tried opening these TS files directly in Virtualdub 1.8.1? If you have an H264 decoder (ffdshow) then I would think that Virtualdub would be able to open the file.

The Hauppaguge HD-PVR files are different .ts streams. They are h.264/AAC, but do not act very nicely with most software. DGindex only works for MPEG2. DGAVCIndex should work, but there are still problems. Believe me I've tried all the combos out. Hopefully there is an easier solution, but this is the only way so far...

You can check out this thread for more info:
https://forum.videohelp.com/topic353169.html

[poisondeathray]

poisondeathray wrote:

2) Open up notepad and type

DirectShowSource("C:\Documents and Settings\Your User Name\Desktop\file.ts",fps=29.97,convertfps=true,audio=true)

Did I boo-boo? or Did you think my name was "Your User Name"

I said "Adjust the syntax for "your user name", and "file.ts" or the correct path to your file " on the next line...

I had visions of the OP putting in "PATH" for the real path...

[DarrellS]

The Hauppaguge HD-PVR files are different .ts streams. They are h.264/AAC

Virtualdub will open H264/AAC which is MP4 with the QT plugin. Maybe change the extension to MP4 or .MOV if it won't open the TS directly?

[Midzuki]

poisondeathray wrote:

Did I boo-boo? or Did you think my name was "Your User Name"

Nah, my screen name is Midzuki, not poisondeathray.
Very-long path names are annoying, to say the least.
Besides, there still exist some applications which do not like spaces
in filenames or foldernames. But I'm pretty sure you already knew
the reason why your head was being hit.

P.S.: NO ASPIRINS FOR YOU next time!

P.P.S.: I see. M******** has hired you alright.

[hhhgamewmx7]

1) Install avisynth, ffdshow and haali media splitter. You need AAC audio enabled in the ffdshow audio configuration, and h.264 enabled in the ffdshow video configuration (I think they should be enabled by default - it will read "libavcodec" instead of "disabled")

2) Open up notepad and type

DirectShowSource("C:\Documents and Settings\Your User Name\Desktop\file.ts",fps=29.97,convertfps=true,au dio=true)

Adjust the syntax for "your user name", and "file.ts" or the correct path to your file and save it

Change the .txt extension to .avs

3) Open your .avs with vdub (the most current is 1.8.1 as of today).

If it doesn't open, you either have a syntax error, or didn't set up ffdshow configuration, or have missed something on install. Report back with any error messages

4) File=> Save as AVI (This will be uncompressed and HUGE, the audio will be set under direct stream copy by default - which is AAC from your recording)

If you wanted to compress the video, select video=>compression before saving, likewise you might want to alter the audio

Note you can do simple linear editing (like cutting sections, eg. commercials out) in vdub

Cheers

Thanks for this, your help is very much appreciated. I tired to open the .avs file and I get a "DirectShowSource variable not found" error. I have ffdshow set up with H.264/AVC codec set to libavcodec.

[Schmendrick]

This error message is issued because you apparently use a pre version 2.56 Avisynth which did not convert the "convertfps" option to handle vfr (variable frame rate) videos. I don't think this option is really required so you should omit it within the DirectShowSource parameters. Instead "video=true" should be inserted as your file includes a video track.

From your second post I saw that you want to produce a standard NTSC-DVD from your HD-video. The easiest procedure I found is the following:
1. Produce a .mkv-file with Gdsmux e.g. Test.mkv on the D:-root directory.
2. Produce the following .avs-script-file:
DirectShowSource("D:\Test.mkv",fps=29.97)
LanczosResize(720,480)
ConvertToYV12()
3. Use this file either as input file for your favorite DVD-programme, if this is able to handle Avisynth-Scripts (you can e.g. use it in TMPGEnc Plus and then produce the DVD-structure with IfoEdit), or use it as input file for VirtualDub to edit your video first and either produce an uncompressed AVI-File or (which I think is better) produce a XviD-file with high quality settings. After editing this Avi-file it then can be used to produce a DVD.

4. Alternatively you can also produce a DVD-specification conforming MPEG2-file first and then edit this file with a MPEG2-editor.

Good luck!

Schmendrick

[hhhgamewmx7]

This error message is issued because you apparently use a pre version 2.56 Avisynth which did not convert the "convertfps" option to handle vfr (variable frame rate) videos. I don't think this option is really required so you should omit it within the DirectShowSource parameters. Instead "video=true" should be inserted as your file includes a video track.

From your second post I saw that you want to produce a standard NTSC-DVD from your HD-video. The easiest procedure I found is the following:
1. Produce a .mkv-file with Gdsmux e.g. Test.mkv on the D:-root directory.
2. Produce the following .avs-script-file:
DirectShowSource("D:\Test.mkv",fps=29.97)
LanczosResize(720,480)
ConvertToYV12()
3. Use this file either as input file for your favorite DVD-programme, if this is able to handle Avisynth-Scripts (you can e.g. use it in TMPGEnc Plus and then produce the DVD-structure with IfoEdit), or use it as input file for VirtualDub to edit your video first and either produce an uncompressed AVI-File or (which I think is better) produce a XviD-file with high quality settings. After editing this Avi-file it then can be used to produce a DVD.

4. Alternatively you can also produce a DVD-specification conforming MPEG2-file first and then edit this file with a MPEG2-editor.

Good luck!

Schmendrick

Thanks for the suggestions. I tried your instructions but still get the same error. In VDub, you need to select "all files" to actually open the .avs file, I don't know if this makes a difference as VDub doesn't recognoise .avs files as a script.

I am using 25.00 fps 1920x1080 video and just want to convert to uncompressed AVI, edit and then re-encode to h.264 to keep as much quality as possible and to fit on a standard DVD. The best option would be to demux the TS file, and then edit the h.264 file and use smart render but it looks like thats not an option.

[Schmendrick]

May be you should try to use VirtualDubMod as it already has a built in ability to handle Aviscript files. I tried the method I had explained with one of the linked Hauppauge-HD-PVR-files and it worked.

But why do you want to decode the h.264-file to uncompressed avi and then reencode it again? H264ts_cutter is able to edit h.264-files directly! It has some limitations towards the ts-file format.

I am recording h.264-transmissions BBC HD and other tv station that are transmitting via satellite her in europe and then edit them cut them an produce compatible BluRay-structures from them which can be played in their native format on most BluRay-players without that I am reencoding the tracks in between.

So the only problem with your source files I see is that an AAC-audio track is not BluRay-compatible. Therefore I suggest that you demux the mkv-file with MKVExtractGUI into a h264- and an aac-file. Winamp is able to convert this aac-file into a WAV-file which then you can encode to AC3 with e.g. BeLight/BeSweet. Then you can mux this AC3-file with the original h264-file with Tsmuxer. The ts-file then you have produced should be editable with h264ts_cutter. The cutted part then can be remuxed into a BluRay-structure with TsRemux and then burnt as an AVCHD-disc on DVD which should be playable on most standalone BluRay-players.

Schmendrick

[hhhgamewmx7]

I just realised I was opening the .avs file wrong. I was using "run script" instead of the normal "open video file". I am getting somewhere now but anytime I run it, my PC really struggles to open it and then I get an error message that the file doesn't have a video stream.

[hhhgamewmx7]

May be you should try to use VirtualDubMod as it already has a built in ability to handle Aviscript files. I tried the method I had explained with one of the linked Hauppauge-HD-PVR-files and it worked.

But why do you want to decode the h.264-file to uncompressed avi and then reencode it again? H264ts_cutter is able to edit h.264-files directly! It has some limitations towards the ts-file format.

I am recording h.264-transmissions BBC HD and other tv station that are transmitting via satellite her in europe and then edit them cut them an produce compatible BluRay-structures from them which can be played in their native format on most BluRay-players without that I am reencoding the tracks in between.

So the only problem with your source files I see is that an AAC-audio track is not BluRay-compatible. Therefore I suggest that you demux the mkv-file with MKVExtractGUI into a h264- and an aac-file. Winamp is able to convert this aac-file into a WAV-file which then you can encode to AC3 with e.g. BeLight/BeSweet. Then you can mux this AC3-file with the original h264-file with Tsmuxer. The ts-file then you have produced should be editable with h264ts_cutter. The cutted part then can be remuxed into a BluRay-structure with TsRemux and then burnt as an AVCHD-disc on DVD which should be playable on most standalone BluRay-players.

Schmendrick

Thanks again Schmendrick. I wan't to convert to uncompressed AVI to do editing like fading and audio editing and then lining up with the video, just basic stuff. There doesn't seem to be a good h.264 HD editor around that can do this without having to convert to another format.

[Schmendrick]

You should try to open your .avs-file with windows media player. If media player is unable to open your .avs-file then you either do not have avc/h.264-video decoder installed which is able to handle the video or your video file is somehow corrupt. The newest ffshow-video decoder is able to handle most h.264-streams with still some exceptions. The cyberlink avc/h.264-video decoder which is included in PowerDVD Ultra, the Elecard/Mainconcept-avc/h.264 decoder which is included with the AVC-plugin for the XMuxer, the SonicCIneplayerHDDVD decoder and the CoreAVC decoder are capable to decode any avc/h.264-video.

Schmendrick

[hhhgamewmx7]

You should try to open your .avs-file with windows media player. If media player is unable to open your .avs-file then you either do not have avc/h.264-video decoder installed which is able to handle the video or your video file is somehow corrupt. The newest ffshow-video decoder is able to handle most h.264-streams with still some exceptions. The cyberlink avc/h.264-video decoder which is included in PowerDVD Ultra, the Elecard/Mainconcept-avc/h.264 decoder which is included with the AVC-plugin for the XMuxer, the SonicCIneplayerHDDVD decoder and the CoreAVC decoder are capable to decode any avc/h.264-video.

Schmendrick

I try to open with WMP but it crashes.

[Schmendrick]

Then it is obvious! You need to install a compatible avc/h.264-video decoder. First you can try to install a recent version of ffdshow. If you already have installed ffdshow then deinstall it and install a recent version of it. After installation you have to enable avc/h.264 decoding in the video decoder options.

As long as your video cannot be decoded properly on your system you also cannot convert it into an uncompressed format as you have to be able to decode it properly for this purpose.

Schmendrick

[hhhgamewmx7]

Ok, I installed the recent ffdshow and it finally opened in VirtualDub! Thanks very much!

Now I had a go at saving a direct stream copy and then as uncompressed AVI and looks to take 3 times the length of the video to encode. Is this normal even for uncompressed AVI, i thought it might have been faster. But if i can direct stream copy and keep h.264 and find other ways to edit the audio, I can live with it. I played it in Vdub and the audio seemed out of sync. I'll try to save and see what the ouput it like. Thanks again!!!

[Schmendrick]

If you produce an uncompressed AVI-file then decoding and writing the huge AVI-file requires most of the processing time and then the processor speed also determines how quick you are able to decode.

The proper determination of the audio synch offset value in the origina ts-file is usually done by the video/audio-decoders as within the ts-file programme elementary streams for the video and the audio streams are encapsulated which are flaged with presentation time stamps (PTS). These PTS-values are used to keep the stream synchronous at display. If you demux the streams then you discard this PTS-data.

There is a PTSCalc- or PTSCalc2-programme available to determine this time offset, but both programmes are not able to handle all variants of ts-files so far. If you want to use a Hex-Editor then you can find these PTS-values yourself from the original ts-file.

If you are interested how this is done I can explain it in Detail.
In german language I already have explained it on my website along wioth some utilities for this purpose:

http://www.alice-dsl.net/schmendrick/

Schmendrick

[hhhgamewmx7]

I don't think this is gonna be efficient. It goes about 3-4 fps encoding for uncompress AVI and direct stream and the file size is ridiculous (20gb + for less than 5 minutes). I was going in with the idea it would be quick to process to uncompressed AVI and then edit. Now I don't know what to do. Hauppauge have made this so difficult just to do simple editing.

[hhhgamewmx7]

If you produce an uncompressed AVI-file then decoding and writing the huge AVI-file requires most of the processing time and then the processor speed also determines how quick you are able to decode.

The proper determination of the audio synch offset value in the origina ts-file is usually done by the video/audio-decoders as within the ts-file programme elementary streams for the video and the audio streams are encapsulated which are flaged with presentation time stamps (PTS). These PTS-values are used to keep the stream synchronous at display. If you demux the streams then you discard this PTS-data.

There is a PTSCalc- or PTSCalc2-programme available to determine this time offset, but both programmes are not able to handle all variants of ts-files so far. If you want to use a Hex-Editor then you can find these PTS-values yourself from the original ts-file.

If you are interested how this is done I can explain it in Detail.
In german language I already have explained it on my website along wioth some utilities for this purpose:

http://www.alice-dsl.net/schmendrick/

Schmendrick

Ok, Ill have a look at this, thanks again!

[Schmendrick]

If you want the comfort of editing using VirtualDub then you can either encode the video directly with the x264vfw-codec into an avi-encapsulated h.264-video (again decoding and especially encoding in full HD-resolution is extremely slow) or (what I would recommend) you do not reencode at all especially if you do not want to reduce the resolution of the video and just remux the video stream and only reencode the audio stream for better compatiblity. This is much much quicker than reencoding the video stream.

Some HD-streams also can be remuxed into the avi-container. These avc/h.264-stream then have to have IDR-frames with their video stream, which Hauppauge streams aparently have. avc2avi together with avc22avi_gui can be used for this purpose. This programme only muxes an elementary avc/h.264-stream without the audio stream into an avi-container. This file then can be opened using VirtualDub provided you have avc/h.264-decoding activated within the VFW configuration of ffdshow. Using VirtualDubMod then you can add the audio stream provided it can be supplied either as wav-file, Mpeg-audio-file, AC3-file, OGG-Vorbis-file or DTS-file. AAC is not suppoerted, so if you have an aac-audio-file you first have to convert it e.g. to AC3-format.

The other option as I already have mentioned above is to produce a h264ts_cutter-compliant avc/h.264-ac3-ts-clip be reencoding the audio-stream and remuxing it using Tsmuxer.

I just have found out that MediaInfo ( http://mediainfo.sourdeforge.net/en ) is able to determine the audio delay value which you require to synchronize the video and audio stream during remuxing with Tsmuxer. The audio delay value is the last information what is given if you open the original ts-clip with it in the resulting information which is given for the clip.

Schmendrick

[hhhgamewmx7]

I tried the avc2avi method by first using tsmux and then using avc2avi. The file prodcued was odd as it only has the top half of the video when played in WMP and has interlace issues. When played in MPC, its full screen but fails to play properly. When brought into VDub, its shows the top half again only and every frame must be loaded to view it. I have no idea how to get the avc stream from tsmux into a mp3 or avc3. Thanks again Schmendrick, you've been a great help!

[Schmendrick]

The problem with the original avc2avi is that is has a bug which results that it does not recognize interlaced files properly and only shows half the vertical resolution. Please use avc2avi_mod instead:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/avc2avi

To demux the ts-clip please first feed your ts-file to Gdsmux to produce a .mkv-file. Then use MKVExtractGui to extract the elementary h.264- and the aac-stream as separate files. Winamp then can be used to convert the aac-file into a wav-file. Then Belight can be used to produce an AC3-file from the wav-file. The audio delay obtained from the original ts-file with Mediainfo then is used with the produced AC3-file and the demuxed h.264-file from MKVExtractGui in Tsmuxer to produce a suitable ts-file.

This ts-file now can be edited using H264ts_cutter. The edited ts-file cut into about 4.3 GB pieces then can be remuxed into AVCHD-disc compatible structures using the BluRay-option of Tsremux. Only the BDMV-directory of these AVCHD-structures should be burnt in UDF-2.50 format onto DVD-R/RW with Nero or ImageBurn.

Schmendrick