Capturing with DVB-Card

[omoses]

I have a serious problem, and be sure, I'm not a beginner.
I have a DVB-Card (digital satelite receiver), to capture movies to my HD. As long as I only capture and play the resulting files, no problem. But when I try to cut these files (MPEG2), some tools don't like them ("illegal header") and all others get totally out of sync . I just want to cut and clue them together without annoying advertise.
The only thing that works brilliant is using dvd2avi to make a d2v-file, converting the mpa to wav, converting the d2v to avi using vfapiconv, and then cutting and frameserving with virtualdub (using the "delay Audio by xxx ms" to make the audio sync the video).
So why isn't there any decent MPEG-Tool for cutting the MPEG directly? I almost gave up. There maybe is one tool to work with, but it's so slow and bad to use (nanocosmos nanopeg), that it's no help at all.
Do you have any suggestions?

[Craig Tucker]

Personally I find it better to capture to AVI then use vdub to cut out ads and frameserve to TMPGEnc to make my mpeg. I find this gives better quality.

If you want to edit an mpeg try TMPGEnc merge and cut under the mpeg tools section.

Craig

[baker]

so just to get this point right whyu can't you open them in vdub?

Baker

[Barnabas]

If I understand correctly, you are capturing mpeg2, right off the bird, without the need to compress to mpeg2? If so, what's the resolution of the captured files? What programs have you tried to cut the files with?

[SatStorm]

go to www.google.com and search for mpeg2vcr version 3.13. Then search for the svcd patch. It will downgrade the program to 3.10
It is good but buggy cutter.
Always de-mux/re-mux the files with TMPGenc, 'cause mpeg2vcr always adds padding and make files huge (sometimes even 500% up!!!!)

Have you ever though visiting Spain? VCD is very popular in SP!

Also, try re-encode to CVD (352 X 576) with the compination of DVD2AVI and TMPGenc. It takes time but looks excellent.

[omoses]

If I understand correctly, you are capturing mpeg2, right off the bird, without the need to compress to mpeg2? If so, what's the resolution of the captured files? What programs have you tried to cut the files with?

Well, I do. These videos come in with a resolution of 480*576 (like SVCD), but with higher Bitrate (I think about 3-4 MBit, TMPG says 15Mbit, but thats too much, maybe VBR with a max of 15Mbit), and there are at least 2 channels that are sending sometimes Dolby digital AC3-Audio. These digital videostreams are coming in via the Astra- and Eutelsat-Satelites (Europe). But I think there are some more satelites that are transmitting these. I cut all the "open" programms that are comming in, but mainly german TV-programs.

[omoses]

Personally I find it better to capture to AVI then use vdub to cut out ads and frameserve to TMPGEnc to make my mpeg. I find this gives better quality.

Well, why capture to avi when the stream is comming in as MPEG? These satelites are sending MPEG, not analog video.

If you want to edit an mpeg try TMPGEnc merge and cut under the mpeg tools section.
Craig

These are the problem. After cutting audio and video are absolutely out of sync. Most of the time about 1/2 a second.

[omoses]

go to www.google.com and search for mpeg2vcr version 3.13.

Have you ever though visiting Spain? VCD is very popular in SP!

Also, try re-encode to CVD (352 X 576) with the compination of DVD2AVI and TMPGenc. It takes time but looks excellent.

I just got the mpeg2vcr, wil lgive it a try.
Yes, i have been to spain (when I was 8 and 10) and when I was 20 (15 years ago now). But I think I will visit again, it's a beautiful country

[baker]

I can't see your problem. Just open the mpeg 2 in bbmpeg and remultiplex it to svcd standard. That should be handy enough.

Baker

[omoses]

I can't see your problem. Just open the mpeg 2 in bbmpeg and remultiplex it to svcd standard. That should be handy enough.

Baker

Well, the big problem is: As long as I do not touch (i.e. cut or edit) the file, it plays back well. No problems. But simply remux or cutting or something like that with TMPG, BBmpeg or other tools that like this MPG-File (not all do), causes it to lose sync, the audio is always about half a second late! There is the problem.
Normaly, when I use dvd2avi to create the audio and d2v-file from a mpeg-file (from DVD or something), the audio has an offset of 0ms, but with the DVB-files, the offset is (as long as I reid) always between -350 and -600ms, but never 0ms! I can compensate that with vdub (audio-interleave, audio-offset in ms).
Well, that is my problem. I do anything (cutting, remuxing, etc) and the audio is out of sync!
Ok, any idea?

[Craig Tucker]

Omoses

The reason to capture to avi first is that when encoding to mpeg the quality can vary greatly depending on the encoder you use. TMPGEnc is widely regarded as the best encoder out there, many that capture directly to mpeg are far inferior.

Even though you are capturing from a digital signal, your reciever converts it to analogue, so that your TV can recieve it. If you were transferring a digital signal to your pc then fine but I suspect you are not. You are most likely capturing an analogue signal and then encoding it to mpeg. Hence you want to use the best encoder possible, which is why I suggest TMPGEnc.

For example I have some software that captures direct to mpeg, but the quality is no where near as good so I don't use it. I find the extra time taken to capture in avi and convert to mpeg well worth it.

Give it a try on a short clip and see what you think.

Craig

[baker]

right two ponits:

1. Craig is acctually more lost than me (if that is possible!!)
He will make you have less quailtyso ignore him.

2. I have no expeirence in this, even though i would love to be able to get a dvb card as i have a dvb system i can't afford it and the thing is it would gretly up the quailty of my encodes.

right heres what to try,:

Find the program xmpeg and the plug-in avisynth frameserver.

Now open the mpeg file in xmpeg and frameserve into cce (i presume you are making a svcd??) encoded as normall and you syncy prob should be gone!!

Baker

[Craig Tucker]

Sorry did't read your post properly

Just saw sattelite reciever and assumed you were capturing using an analogue capture card.

Which if that was the case the method I suggested would be appropriate.

Sorry if i misled you

Craig

[9110]

Hi, here are you solutions.

First do not capture in mpg, Capture in pva.

Second. Download Pvacuter, it will alow you to cut out the ads from the pva file... it´s not frame acurate but close. it cuts at the I frames.

Third. Download pvastrumento it´s a great program. It will help you alot. It will dropp incorrect gops for ya. fix audio sync, even thouht that does not alwas work. It will tell you you max bit rate and average bit rate.

Here is how I do my vcd or svcd from a dvb stream.

1: Capture in pva.

2: Cut the file with Pvacuter

3: Demux the file in pvastrumento with default settings

4: Run the video file in dvd2avi and save as project

5: Make an avs script and load the d2v file in there with some filters etc.

6: Oppen the avs in CCE and encode it. Only video thought.

7: Use the frontend besweet to encode the mpa file into a mp2 file, and do some manual syncing. Usealy it´s off by -50-80 ms.

8: Multiplex with bbmpg

9: Make a cue bin file with Vcdeasy and burn it

10: Start on a new project =)

Regards, Kristoffer, sweden

[baker]

y not try rempeg??

Baker

[9110]

what do you mean by rempeg?

He wants to cut out the ads from a dvb stream.

There are not many programs that can do that. I know, I have tried several. The one that works great is Pvacuter.

//Kristoffer, Sweden

[omoses]

Hi, here are you solutions.

First do not capture in mpg, Capture in pva.

Well, I would do, but the software is not able to. It directly captures to MPG.
I do now use dvd2avi, vfapi-conv, vdub and TMPG to re-encode to SVCD, my original goal was to save the original, but cut stream for max. quality. But it seems, that is not possible. Maybe I will get a DVB-s card (with MPEG-Chip) that supports saving PVA-Streams. The "cheaper" cards without MPEG-Chip (they are receivers only) are almost all from Technotrend, and the software does not allow PVA-saving.

[kwag]

I have a serious problem, and be sure, I'm not a beginner.
I have a DVB-Card (digital satelite receiver), to capture movies to my HD. As long as I only capture and play the resulting files, no problem. But when I try to cut these files (MPEG2), some tools don't like them ("illegal header") and all others get totally out of sync . I just want to cut and clue them together without annoying advertise.
The only thing that works brilliant is using dvd2avi to make a d2v-file, converting the mpa to wav, converting the d2v to avi using vfapiconv, and then cutting and frameserving with virtualdub (using the "delay Audio by xxx ms" to make the audio sync the video).
So why isn't there any decent MPEG-Tool for cutting the MPEG directly? I almost gave up. There maybe is one tool to work with, but it's so slow and bad to use (nanocosmos nanopeg), that it's no help at all.
Do you have any suggestions?

Hi omoses:

I am aware of your problem, because I had similar issues capturing in my DMR-E20 DVD-RAM from C-Band Satellite receiver.

The problem is that your MPEG-2 stream is not 100% standard. There are headers and other sync, CRC, etc. issues embedded in the DVB stream.

I had the same problem when I tried to read my DVD-RAM captures in my pc.

So here is the way I do my "Stargate" episodes.

I take the .VRO file ( The actual captured Hybrid MPEG-2 file ), which is similar to a VOB file, and I process it with DVD2AVI.

After this, I process the .d2v with TMPEG via an AviSynth script with TemporalSmoother filter and decomb.dll to do IVTC.

Now in TMPEG, I encode to different files my captured episode
by selecting only the parts of the actual episode, jumping all the commercial spots.

And last, I join all the mpeg parts, and I have a single file ready to burn.

And because it has been processed via .d2v->AviSynth->TMPEG, now the file is a standard mpeg file, with all DVB related data completely removed.


Hope this helps.

kwag

[Panash]

Wiljo Heinen has written a set of tools that will do the conversion from DVB complient MPEG to something acceptable to TMPGenc etc.

You can find them at

http://www.offeryn.de/index.html

PN

[sat985]

I'm fairy certain its that 188byte tag that is put on the ts files. there are some programs to get rid of that, then run it through your mpeg2 encoder an your done. search around for hdtv on the forums im sure theres somthin on it.

[9110]

I remeber that his tool pvas2019 can make an pva file from a mpg file.

So if you convert you mpg file to a pva file you should be able to cut the file by using pvacuter. It worth a shot

//Kristoffer, Sweden

[baker]

i think flaskmpeg-vdub-cce is the best you are going to be able to do. Stick with it, it may be coumbersom but at least it works.

Baker