Closed Caption capture using specific hardware

[jagabo]

filter graphs... It's about as no-frills as one can get but not at all beginner-friendly

But if you can get one working it should be possible to create a batch file that uses ffmpeg to open the graph and encode the video. So starting a recording could be as easy as double clicking on a batch file.

[usually_quiet]

filter graphs... It's about as no-frills as one can get but not at all beginner-friendly

But if you can get one working it should be possible to create a batch file that uses ffmpeg to open the graph and encode the video. So starting a recording could be as easy as double clicking on a batch file.

That is an interesting idea. Too bad I can't try it with my Hauppauge WinTV HVR-2250. For that card, I need to use GraphEdit (or similar) alone for capture because it encodes video with an onboard encoder chip. However, it could work for the HVR-955Q because that device uses software to encode.

[Edit] I found a web page that explains how ffmpeg can be used with DirectShow. https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/DirectShow

I decided to look into this further. As of last year, it seems ffmpeg still can't encode video containing EIA-60 CCs in the GOP user data https://stackoverflow.com/questions/57859427/video-capture-by-ffmpeg-with-closed-captions-data Has something changed recently?

Maybe one could use ffmpeg to capture the raw output from the CC pin to a file instead, but I don't know what format those CCs are in or what software would be used to read the file to create SRT subs.

[thghgv]

While I'm waiting for my HVR1950 to arrive I figured I would boot up GS (graphstudio) and see what could be had regarding the 955Q usb device...

I found do not have a video encoder module capable of taking the CC and Video inputs and combining to one out. And ALL of t he "ATI" stuff is NON existent in the graphstudio filter pallete I have here... All I have for MPEG2 encoders is Microsoft stuff for audio and video. If I try to connect EITHER CC pins to the second input of the mpeg2 encoder it fatal crashes GS. This is referenced to the HVR-955Q device.


https://forum.videohelp.com/images/attach/png.gif

The list beloware the ONLY "encoders" available to GS currently.

https://forum.videohelp.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=56231&stc=1&d=1607892748

[usually_quiet]

Everybody's system has different DirectShow filters available, depending on the devices and software installed. You'd need to install the drivers for an ATI TV Wonder 600 USB to get all the filters in my graph. Assuming that you could do that, it may or may not be possible to use those ATI encoder filters and multiplexer filters with a different capture device.

You need to look for similar filters installed with the HVR-955Q or something else, some of which you appear to have found. Look for one or more MPEG multiplexer/muxer filters and a file writer. If you find am MPEG multiplexer filter, connect the output pins from the MPEG-2 video encoder filter and MPEG-2 audio encoder to the video input pin and the audio input pin of the muxer. There might be one for CCs if the muxer handles CCs as a separate stream. The last filter in the graph is a MPEG file writer.

[thghgv]

You need to look for similar filters installed with the HVR-955Q or something else, some of which you appear to have found. Look for one or more MPEG multiplexer/muxer filters and a file writer. If you find am MPEG multiplexer filter, connect the output pins from the MPEG-2 video encoder filter and MPEG-2 audio encoder to the video input pin and the audio input pin of the muxer. There might be one for CCs if the muxer handles CCs as a separate stream. The last filter in the graph is a MPEG file writer.

This is ALL of what is available re: MPEG anything...


https://forum.videohelp.com/images/attach/png.gif

As you can see there are no encoders/muxers other than the Microsoft junk.

[jagabo]

See if you can find and install the DUMP filter for GraphEdit. That filter can be attached to any output pin and it just writes whatever it gets to a file. See if you get anything from the VBI pin.

[thghgv]

Reason I do not have any encoders in there is most likely because I use FFmpeg for encoding pretty much everything. Apparently GS doesn't know from FFmpeg.

[usually_quiet]

You are correct, FFmpeg is invisible to GraphStudio and similar programs, which can only "see" encoders that include a DirectShow interface. That is why jagabo suggested creating a batch file, which would contain a script for using FFmpeg with DirectShow devices. It used to be possible to use ffdshow's VFW encoders with programs like GraphStudio but ffdshow is mainly used for decoding now. Most of ffdshow's encoders have been removed.

The DirectShow encoders that are compatible with programs like GraphStudio are either installed with the device drivers for capture devices or with whatever capture software the manufacturer provides with them.

[thghgv]

I have the HVR-1950 but WinTV6 doesn't seem to recognize the device even though the driver IS INSTALLED CORRECTLY and WinTV10 actually recognizes it. So... I have scraped up some directshow codecs in order to see if I can get the CC's capped via GraphStudio. I have a graph below which doesn't currently have a file write module. Will this graph work as constructed?
Also I could use some suggestions as to what I can use to write the video data to disk. IF this graph looks like it will work where would the CC data be stored? As a separate file or integrated into a single written file? Also when the "connection" of two pins shows up RED what exactly does that mean?

https://forum.videohelp.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=56445&stc=1&d=1608940575

[thghgv]

The graph above doesn't work. Keeps saying that device is not connected... So I amended it to the one below... I get some output to a test file but it only runs for about a minute and craps itself... And No cc's that I can see, unless they are buried somewhere else?? How does one get these graphs to run for more than a minute?

What do the "red" connections mean exactly?

https://forum.videohelp.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=56447&stc=1&d=1608943183

[crazy14muzic]

I have the Hauppauge WinTV HVR-2250. This is the graph pinout I used to get my closed captioning from the analog inputs.
[Attachment 56458 - Click to enlarge]

The second CC PIN on CC Decoder filter is connected to a dump filter with a .bin extension. From there I use Captioneer from http://tsstech.org/captioneer.html to read the .bin file.

I have had little luck with ccextractor getting cc's even from OTA recordings from my 2250.

[thghgv]

I have the Hauppauge WinTV HVR-2250. This is the graph pinout I used to get my closed captioning from the analog inputs.

The second CC PIN on CC Decoder filter is connected to a dump filter with a .bin extension. From there I use Captioneer to read the .bin file.

I have had little luck with ccextractor getting cc's even from OTA recordings from my 2250.

Hey thanks for the reply! My problem at this point is to simply get Graphstudio to run the below graph for more than 1 minute 10 seconds. I gave up trying to mess with CC's for the moment and just concentrated on trying to get a WORKING vid capture routine down and then build from there... This thing below using the HVR-1950 as a hardware device will run for exactly 1:10 and captures about 11 seconds of actual video to the TEST.MPG file. I cannot get it to simply RUN until stopped. Any idea as to why it just stops recording after little over a minute?



From your graph it looks like you're running Win XP or something earlier as you have the CC Decoder filter working. I am on Win7 and I have tried to find the CC Decoder directshow filter piece meal on the net without any luck. I dont even know that if I ever did find it that it would work on windows 7 at all since they pulled it out on purpose after WinXP. I'm guessing that CC Decoder is a key piece of this puzzle that I am missing?
I guess maybe a better question would be; What is the equivalent to "CC Decoder" on the Windows 7 platform??

On your graph, specifically the "DUMP.BIN" file - what is being dumped to disk exactly? Is it video, or just encoded CC data?

Thanks again in advance

[crazy14muzic]

I also have wintv-hvr1950. Here is a working graph pinout on win 10 displaying closed captions being passed through by the 1950. I do not have the dump filter on win10 but everything else worked out of a fresh downloaded graphedit file from this site. closed caption filter included.

[Attachment 56465 - Click to enlarge]

Yes I am using winxp as my video work machine, built in 2010 first gen i7, so ten years of configuring here, there, and everywhere, I just do not like the thought of building a new updated machine to start all over!

Hey thanks for the reply! My problem at this point is to simply get Graphstudio to run the below graph for more than 1 minute 10 seconds. I gave up trying to mess with CC's for the moment and just concentrated on trying to get a WORKING vid capture routine down and then build from there... This thing below using the HVR-1950 as a hardware device will run for exactly 1:10 and captures about 11 seconds of actual video to the TEST.MPG file. I cannot get it to simply RUN until stopped. Any idea as to why it just stops recording after little over a minute?

I moved the 1950 back over to winxp machine and did the graph pinout with dump filters.


[Attachment 56466 - Click to enlarge]

I was able to capture longer than your 11 seconds with that graph. Looking at your graph I believe your issue is pin connections between HVR USB2 Video capture to Microsoft audio and Mainconcept video encoders. If you look at my graph the 656 pin of the capture filter connects to the hvr usb2 MPEG encoder which is part of the HVR family.


[Attachment 56467 - Click to enlarge]

This is same graph but in graphstudio, it looks cleaner

[thghgv]

Well, some success! With the graph below (modeled after yours) I was able to at least get a display with CC's and for way longer than the 1 minute 10 seconds than I was getting previously. This was with GraphStudio and there was no attempt being made to write any data to disk and no dealing with audio. Tried regular Graphedit but the video mixing renderer 9 only had 1 pin on it as opposed to the 4 pins in your graph and the one in GraphStudio. So I know it works at least this far. Being as I am on win7 I do not have access to the "CC Decoder" module, even using the GraphEdit version from Vhelp.



The USB2 capture "656" pin dump outputs program audio AND video it seems. So all that needs to be done is to somehow mux the CC data with that "656" A/V stream and all would be shiny. The mainconcept muxer/encoder WOULD be perfect for this task if it were compatible with the rest of the graph but it seems every single time I attempt to load up either mainconcept filter (muxer or encoder) I get ERRORS. Is there a third party filter or maybe something I'm missing in the main directshow menu that will accomplish this task?

The dump of the VBI Codec "CC" data doesn't seem to be natively parseable by CCextractor any idea what format that "CC" data is in? I have been unable to get captioneer to do anything with that CC data dump either. Any idea what kind of CC data format that dump creates?

MANY MANY thanks in advance!! I'm actually making some progress here. VERY exiting!

[crazy14muzic]

I have tried to mux all three streams (video, audio, CC) on the fly in graphs. I have multiple video encoders with cc in pins and could never get it to output an mpeg file with closed captions. That is why I chose to just dump cc's to a .bin file. Anyway by dumping straight to a .bin file I eliminated the ccextractor step. This is where Captioneer comes into play. It is a great tool for creating cc's from scratch or just format converting. It can also multiplex cc's into an mpeg2 file.

Captioneer can read the .bin file and and convert to .srt subtitles but it messes with the case format (everything is lower case) of the newly created .srt. However Captioneer can export to other cc formats (scc, ccd, dat, bin).


[Attachment 56481 - Click to enlarge]

So exporting the .bin to .scc, it can now be read by subtitle edit. Subtitle edit also messes with the formatting of the .scc when saved to other sub formats. (all subs are centered and on the bottom of the screen) I like the closed caption system as it tries to avoid painting text on top of in movie text.

I have reread most of your posts trying to figure out your end game. Do you want to save your dvr dish recordings with subs or actual closed captions? Because the only way I know to save closed captions in a HD file is in the mpeg2 stream. I have not found a way to save it into an h264 stream.

Going back to post 72 the picture you posted, your test.mpg filter, what did you use to create that filter? I'm guessing the file writer filter? As jagabo's post 66 states

See if you can find and install the DUMP filter for GraphEdit. That filter can be attached to any output pin and it just writes whatever it gets to a file.

it would help you along in saving your cc's.

I have tried to copy my dump.ax over from winxp 32 bit to my win10 64 bit machine, but not sure where to put it since 32 to 64 bit can be a factor. I used the built in register function of graphstudio to register the dump.ax to no avail. If anyone has suggestions. I can upload the dump.ax here if its allowed that way thghgv can get it.

[crazy14muzic]

The dump of the VBI Codec "CC" data doesn't seem to be natively parseable by CCextractor any idea what format that "CC" data is in? I have been unable to get captioneer to do anything with that CC data dump either. Any idea what kind of CC data format that dump creates?

Looking at your post 74 screenshot I do not see a dumped file. I'm not sure what data you tryed to parse off to ccextractor.

The .bin file I am getting is actual cc data. It cannot be read in a txt editor. To work on cc data directly the .ccd format is best but still confusing.

Not to add more confusion but McPoodles site has lots of info and tools.

[thghgv]

That is why I chose to just dump cc's to a .bin file.

Everything I have tried to import that CC data dump into has failed. CCe, Captioneer both. Reason I wanted to mux video/audio/CC into an MPEG2 was to make it easier, having a template to refer to when realigning the eventual subtitles to the H.264/DD file.

I have reread most of your posts trying to figure out your end game. Do you want to save your dvr dish recordings with subs or actual closed captions? Because the only way I know to save closed captions in a HD file is in the mpeg2 stream. I have not found a way to save it into an h264 stream.

I need to create a .SRT file to re-align and mux into a edited HD H.264/DD5.1 matroska file.

Going back to post 72 the picture you posted, your test.mpg filter, what did you use to create that filter? I'm guessing the file writer filter?

I used the "dump filter". I tried doing a dump of the "656" pin off the capture filter. The resultant file I saved was a MPEG2 that has both a video and audio stream in it. According to Sony Vegas there is CC information in it as well. Although when I tried getting Vegas to display the CC's I got nothing. Also the audio stream that was recorded from that pin 656 dump was EMPTY - as in a audio stream container with no audio information in it at all...

[jagabo]

I have this for registering 32 bit dump dump.ax on 64 bit Windows:

c:\Windows\SysWow64\regsvr32.exe DUMP.ax

put that in a batch file in the same folder as dump.as and run it as Administrator.

Note that my suggestion for using dump was just to see if something was coming out of the filter. I don't expect it to be of any direct use.

[crazy14muzic]

Everything I have tried to import that CC data dump into has failed. CCe, Captioneer both. Reason I wanted to mux video/audio/CC into an MPEG2 was to make it easier, having a template to refer to when realigning the eventual subtitles to the H.264/DD file.

I made a new graph on win10 using the VBI Codec filter that I see in your screenshot post 74. What I do not see in that screenshot is the dump filters being applied.


[Attachment 56498 - Click to enlarge]

I also attached in that screenshot where to apply the video and ccdata files in Captioneer.

[crazy14muzic]

I have this for registering 32 bit dump dump.ax on 64 bit Windows:

c:\Windows\SysWow64\regsvr32.exe DUMP.ax

put that in a batch file in the same folder as dump.as and run it as Administrator.

The dump.ax didn't show up in a 64 bit version of graphstudio, however when I used a 32 bit version of graphstudio it was there.

[jagabo]

I have this for registering 32 bit dump dump.ax on 64 bit Windows:

c:\Windows\SysWow64\regsvr32.exe DUMP.ax

put that in a batch file in the same folder as dump.as and run it as Administrator.

It didn't show up in a 64 bit version of graphstudio

Only 64 bit filters can be used in 64 bit A/V programs. Only 32 bit filters can be used in 32 bit A/V programs.

I don't know if it will help but I have a 32 bit mpeg muxer (from CyberLink) that works with graphedit/studio. I can upload if it will be of use to anyone.

[thghgv]

I made a new graph on win10 using the VBI Codec filter that I see in your screenshot post 74. What I do not see in that screenshot is the dump filters being applied.

I also attached in that screenshot where to apply the video and ccdata files in Captioneer.

RE: Your AV MPEG2 file - did it actually contain audio information? When I recorded from that pin I got a MPEG2 file with video in it and an audio container within the MPEG but there was no audio data in the container.

edit - I think I might have figured out why the audio is missing from the MPEG file. It seesm that whenever I first call up the graph or add/subtract filters etc, the audio connection drops off from crossbar to capture and I have to keep reconnecting it...


[Attachment 56500 - Click to enlarge]

[crazy14muzic]

Yes, I did get video and audio wrapped together in the the video-audio.mpg file.

I believe that the Hauppauge HVR USB2 MPEG Encoder filter is the hardware encoder of the 1950 box, because when you right click it and select properties, it opens a tabbed window for audio settings and video settings.

[thghgv]

Yep. that was it. Dam graphedit keeps disconnecting the X-Bar to Capture audio unless I keep close tabs on it before running the graph...

Between these tools and I guess the CC medium itself the subs are sort of a mess for the most part. A LOT of cleaning up and re-adjusting, misspelled words, cut off sentences etc...

[thghgv]

I have been trying to get similar results with the HVR-955Q with limited success. Seems the 955Q lacks the basic tools in Graphedit to even push a live image to activemovie. If anyone else has any experience with the 955Q let me know...

This graph is what I have been trying to use thus far to get a display and dump CC's. Haven't gotten a display more than likely because of the "conexant format converter". The NATIVE hauppauge format converter/2 will not connect to the 955Q for some reason.


[Attachment 56517 - Click to enlarge]

[jagabo]

Are you aware that you can right click on an output pin and select Render Pin? It will preferentially connect to any filters you have already loaded (sometimes automatically loading an intermediate filter). If none is suitable it will look through the other available filters. That can sometimes be useful.

[thghgv]

Are you aware that you can right click on an output pin and select Render Pin? It will preferentially connect to any filters you have already loaded (sometimes automatically loading an intermediate filter). If none is suitable it will look through the other available filters. That can sometimes be useful.

Well yeah, sort of.. Thanks for that tho.. Now I know about "render pin". But graphStudio has the "intelligent connect" mode that pretty much does the same thing I believe. In this case the input pin of Hauppauge WinTV Color format converter filter that is needed to connect to the VMR9 renderer will simply not connect to the vid capture out. Using the HVR955Q hardware that is.. This is all totally doable with the HVR1950 hardware.

[usually_quiet]

I wanted something with Windows 10 drivers to replace an old ATI USB tuner that I have, so I ordered a $19 used Hauppauge WinTV HVR-950Q from eBay that comes with the USB cable and the analog breakout cable. It is supposed to arrive on January 8. I'll see if I can do anything with it using Graph Studio.

[thghgv]

I wanted something with Windows 10 drivers to replace an old ATI USB tuner that I have, so I ordered a $19 used Hauppauge WinTV HVR-950Q from eBay that comes with the USB cable and the analog breakout cable. It is supposed to arrive on January 8. I'll see if I can do anything with it using Graph Studio.

Well I just grabbed a dump of Captions from a 1 hour long piece of content with the HVR-955Q. Captioneer pushes the .BIN file all out to an .SRT for use with SubEdit and eventual MUXing with the HD matroska file. The one caveat is that there is no way I can see to cobble together a monitoring display of the source due to the pin conflict between the capture filter "capture" pin (i.e. video out) and the format converter filter input pin using the HVR-955Q hardware. This is no problem at all using the HVR-1950 - smooth as silk. I guess it doesn't really matter - the captions get dumped whether you can see the source or not.

And just for the record you are totally correct about hauppauge tech support. Pretty useless. If it weren't for this forum I wouldn't have been able to accomplish what I have...

[usually_quiet]

I think that I used a DirectShow filter called the "Infinite Pin Tee Filter" to split the output of a pin so I could monitor and capture video at the same time. The "Infinite Pin Tee Filter" is registered in the "qcap.dll" so it should be in all Windows 7 systems.