Advice on converting TV recorded .TS to AVI or H.264

[doveman]

I'm using MediaPortal to record TV shows from Freeview (SD), which produces .TS files.

Currently, I use VideoReDoPlus to edit the files to remove any excess and commercials, which is the best program for the job that I've used so far, and save them as .mpg. Then I load them into AutoGK and convert them to AVI, selecting an output filesize depending on the length of the program, which seems to work OK.

I just want to check that I'm going about things the right way or if it there would be any benefit in saving back to .TS files from VideoReDoPlus and also if there's any settings I need to adjust in the Options, mainly under Stream Parameters or Transport Stream Output.

Regarding the compression settings, I'm interested in what people feel is an appropriate bitrate for AVIs produced from my sources (to be viewed on a big screen TV, not a portable device) and also if I'd be able to get better quality with H.264 without major increases in filesize or the time each job takes.

[Baldrick]

I don't think it matters if you save as mpg or ts.

I would try convert to h264 mp4 or mkv with handbrake(or some other x264 gui like xvid4psp, staxrip or megui). Using the same bitrate as the avi xvid/divx you can get better quality but it will take longer to encode though..but TRY and see if it's worth it.

[doveman]

OK thanks. I'll give handbrake a go. Should I just use the Basic - Normal profile or High Profile - Television?

[Eyedoctor2]

Doveman,

What do you want to use to play the files back? PS3?

[doveman]

No, I'll just be playing them on my HTPC.

Of course, there's always the chance that I might want to share something with someone who's got a DVD player that only handles XVID/DIVX and not H.264, which is one argument for sticking with the former.

[Eyedoctor2]

I am sorry but I am having trouble understanding the need for conversion. Does your htpc playback avchd?

[doveman]

I compress the files for archive purposes, so that I can fit several recordings on one DVD.

[Eyedoctor2]

What I have been doing is taking my .ts files and editing. I save as a .ts. I then use this .ts as an input for tsMuxeR. I output as an AVCHD disc which is playable by PS3 or a my blue ray player.

I don't lose any resolution, need no re-encoding time and have had no problem with playback.

[doveman]

Yeah, that doesn't really work for me as I want to compress the files.