Joining two .ts files from an old set top DVR box

[Subtitles]

I have the last version of PavTube Video Converter Ultimate (4.9.3.0 from 2019). It has a "merge into one file" option after loading the *.ts files.

I can test how good it is for your project if you have a full DVD download link. PM me if you prefer.
BTW have you checked if your *.ts files carry a subtitle stream? TS Doctor or Subtitle Edit can extract the subtitles but if you encode the files to a different file extension, then you will loose the subtitles.

[flexmcmurphy]

@Subtitles
Thanks for the heads up.

I spent some more time learning TSDoctor. It can edit out commercials as well. It doesn't re-encode the .ts file, just cuts out the parts you specify. The audio, video and subtitles stay correctly in-sync after you cut. Basically it does everything I need.

Only small downside was when creating CutIn and CutOut points to remove commercials I found it tricky getting the CutIn points correct. Quite often I see a quick flash of the commercial that just ended right before the movie starts again.

When I use the TSDoctor CutIn/CutOut preview feature it looks correct but after I save the new .ts file with those commercials removed I often see a few milliseconds of commercial right before the movie continues from where that commerical break should have ended.

Feels like TSDoctor could do a better job of getting the CutIn/CutOut points to obey how the preview shows you they will work. It's something to do with frames vs I-frames I don't really get. It doesn't help when broadcasters don't have a natural dead/dark space for a second or so after a commercial break ends and before the movie resumes.

Anyway this is not exactly a showstopper!

Flex

[The_Doman]

Feels like TSDoctor could do a better job of getting the CutIn/CutOut points to obey how the preview shows you they will work. It's something to do with frames vs I-frames I don't really get. It doesn't help when broadcasters don't have a natural dead/dark space for a second or so after a commercial break ends and before the movie resumes.

Yes, when you doing lossless cutting without (smart) re-encoding your are limited by cutting on the key/I-frames only.
So it is best practice to navigate / mark your cuts at i-frames only.
It is the same when using other editors when you doing lossless cutting.

[lollo]

TS Doctor is designed to deal with DVB-S and DVB-T recordings, so is a must for processing such material in any case, in particular to fix the dumped stream for errors that can be present because bad reception, bad wheater, bad hardware/software, ...).

It is an excellent piece of software, and I use it succesfully since many years.