Capture settings with GraphEdit / GraphStudio

[CaZeek]

Saw a couple of mentions of this, so started playing around the past day. This is an awesome tool. I'd been looking for capture software that supports hardware MPEG-2 controls w/ my ATI Theater 550, but didn't realize this was possible.

I'm using GraphStudio, w/ Windows 7 x64. I've had success- I can now capture in AVI, MPEG-2, etc, but a couple of questions. To start...

Within the Hardware MPEG Encoder, I have options for bitrate, resolution, etc, but the VBR target rate can only be 3.0Mbps, 4.0Mbps, 5.0Mbps, etc. I cannot enter my own number, only use those presets. Is there anyway to work around this? What defines/limits these features and presets?

[SHS]

From what I recall of ATI 550/650 they are fix bitrate profile

[usually_quiet]

It doesn't seem likely that there is a way around the problem using GraphEdit or GraphStudio to perform hardware encoding. It is just the way this particular Direct Show filter is designed to behave, and I don't think there is another stream multiplexer that would work with the hardware encoder on the card.

ATI Catalyst Media Center can set the peak bitrate for a compatible card to a specific number, and ATI Multimedia Center probably can as well, but they most likely don't use this Direct Show filter to control this setting, or if they do use it, the function calls used provide more options than the user interface for the filter that we have available in GraphEdit or GraphStudio.

[danno78]

Saw a couple of mentions of this, so started playing around the past day. This is an awesome tool. I'd been looking for capture software that supports hardware MPEG-2 controls w/ my ATI Theater 550, but didn't realize this was possible.

I'm using GraphStudio, w/ Windows 7 x64. I've had success- I can now capture in AVI, MPEG-2, etc, but a couple of questions. To start...

Within the Hardware MPEG Encoder, I have options for bitrate, resolution, etc, but the VBR target rate can only be 3.0Mbps, 4.0Mbps, 5.0Mbps, etc. I cannot enter my own number, only use those presets. Is there anyway to work around this? What defines/limits these features and presets?

[Attachment 3785 - Click to enlarge]

You can`t use your numbers. Only those presets are working. I think the limitation come from hardware.

[usually_quiet]

I verified that ATI's Catalyst Media Center definitely installs a Direct Show video encoder filter, so there may be a work-around after all. It is capable of setting specific bitrates. I can't tell for sure but I think it could use the hardware MPEG-2 encoder.

I have been trying to figure this out for a while but couldn't find the right combination of filters until last night. Below is a picture of a graph (with a few notes) that I used to make a few successful captures. I'm definitely still a novice at using GraphStudio, so if something could be done better, it wouldn't surprise me.

[CaZeek]

Thanks.. very interesting. I haven't used that VBI output yet.. what exactly is that? Is it strict video? Any idea what makes it different from the YUV or Video Cap out?

Only thing I'd also question is that ATI MPEG video encoder still using the hardware or not.

How'd you get Catalyst Center loaded up? It won't run on my computer properly.. figured I needed some key or something that came w/ a card bundled with it.

[usually_quiet]

Thanks.. very interesting. I haven't used that VBI output yet.. what exactly is that? Is it strict video? Any idea what makes it different from the YUV or Video Cap out?

Only thing I'd also question is that ATI MPEG video encoder still using the hardware or not.

How'd you get Catalyst Center loaded up? It won't run on my computer properly.. figured I needed some key or something that came w/ a card bundled with it.

The VBI (vertical blanking interval) contains various information that is not part of the picture in analog video, including closed captions and copy protection flags, among other things. The MPEG-2 standard allows closed captions to be encoded into the user data, and not having ability to store them in the MPEG-2 video previously was a disappointment. I've verified that part of the graph works, which is great.

Taking another look, you are likely right about this not being hardware encoding. Since the VBI Codec filter is necessary for CC encoding to take place, it probably means the MPEG-2 encoding is being done by software. ...and that only the "good", "better" and "best" profiles in Catalyst Media Center utilize hardware encoding.

I have Windows 7 32-bit and run Catalyst Media Center using XP SP3 compatibility mode. I've had no problems using it with the analog tuner or S-Video. I can't use the digital tuner with it now, but I think it did work before I set up Windows Media Center.

[danno78]

The first two pins from are for uncompressed output. The graph filters show above d`ont use internal hardware engine compresion.
If want hardware compression see these posts:

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/311161-Theater-Pro-550
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/306619-VHS-capture-hardware?p=1886013&viewfull=1#post1886013

[danno78]

Theater 550 uncompressed output with software encode + resize + custom bitrate + Open GOP: Other software encoder can be used. Mine come from ArcSoft TotalMedia 3.5.

[themaster1]

Is there an HELP file for this software ? I don't understand how it work, i wanna try it.
How can i connect filters to each other ?

[danno78]

Push and hold down with left button from mouse one pin and release on other pin.
My recommendation is to start with some examples built by others.
http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?t=33792569