how to record a TV-Show and encode it to divx

[speedster-guy]

my question is simple, the answer is not (i guess)

how to record a TV-Show and encode it to divx-xvid?

i've been trying for some time now to record a tv-show on my computer and convert it to a compressed file using the X-vid codec and Mp3 sound ...

i use:

IUVCR to record the live stream in video :uncompressed format (1 GB a minute wow...) and audio MP3 @ 192 Kb/s

then i convert it with virtualdubmod and compress the video with the X-Vid codec (2 pass) (i use DX50 as fourcc code for compatibility)

i find the X-vid gives much better quality results than the Div-X 5.2 codec so....

PROBLEM:

the output file plays perfect on my PC i use for the encoding

the output file plays with "video-hik's" and audio lag on another PC and about the same way on my standalone DIV-X player (yes that's a hardware divx player ) with output on my television....

easy solution: i could record them with the VCR but then i couldn't share them with you guys...

my question is?????

how do you encode the files, what are the specifics for compatibility @ great quality

because the files i got from TG and 5Thg are very compatibel (torrent downloads)

thanx to anyone who helps me out, i've tried about everything ....

virtualdub, xvid.org, koepi's, doom9, non of them give me satisfaction....

[ESPNSTI]

I am suspecting the problem could possibly be the FourCC.
Have you tried changing it to XVid and seeing if it plays better on the PC with the problem?
Also I've seen video-hik's and audio lag before on a machine that didn't have the codecs in order.
Try using VLC-Player on the machine with the problem, and see if it plays ok in there.

[TechZ]

Why do you record it uncompressed? Do a direct to DivX!

and doom9.org are very helpful.

[Jostyrostelli]

I want to share my rally videos here, in a month the rallyseason starts and I'm gonna make vids, last time i wanted to get it on the computer it didnt had sound. Problem is I can't do the old vids right now cause I don't have the camera anymore, so if I get it again I want to upload it to my comp.

Anyone know good sites that explain SIMPLE?

I'm a n00b so talking about FourCC or whatever codes I don't understand don't really get me anywhere..

Sorry I did it in your thread speedster-guy but didn't want to make a new thread about it.

[ESPNSTI]

Originally Posted by TechZ

Why do you record it uncompressed? Do a direct to DivX!

and doom9.org are very helpful.

Ideally, you want to record uncompressed (or with lossless compression).
The reason is that you then can do all your editing on uncompressed material (and not lose any quality), before finally compressing it.
Also if something goes wrong during compression, you won't be SOL if the source is "live".
If you're using two or more passes for compression (which you want to do), then I don't think you can do that with a "live" source.

[Overheat]

uncompressed?! Are you mad? Do you know how much disk space that would require. Best thing to do imo is record it in MPEG2 and then use AutoGK to convert it to XviD.


Currently Listening To: Rock N' Roll Lies - Razorlight - Rock N' Roll Lies 7" (2003)

[ESPNSTI]

Well I'm talking ideally here, but with a lossless compression method (something like Huffyuv, which gets between 2:1 to 4:1 compression ratio) that is a bit more realistic.
And yes, ideally you have a couple of empty 200 GB drives for video capture and editing.

Of course if the source is already digital (like a sattellite MPEG2 stream), then it's of course best if you can capture that digital stream directly, so that it doesn't get decoded to analog and then re-encoded to digital when you capture that analog signal.

Huffyuv : http://neuron2.net/www.math.berkeley...g/huffyuv.html
http://www.videohelp.com/tools?tool=197

http://www.100fps.com/file_sizes_of_...ompression.htm

[speedster-guy]

--> Tech Z:

I really recommend recording in uncompressed format it's about 1 Gigabyte a minute so for a two hour movie this give's you 120 Gigabyte

that's not sooo much these day's

i have a dedicated disc for this purpose (maxtor 160Gb = ±140minutes recording time ...)

YOU never should record a live stream in another way,
unless ,off course you have a digital source
you could use a hardware compression (MPEG or DIVX-) encoder device on your tv card, but trust me i've tried beautie's that cost about 400€uros and none of them get a result in the way i'm doing it

(for those who don't know a hardware device is the real thing if you don't have it, you need To emulate an encoder with software and the emulation speeds depends on your computer's speed, so the hardware is much much faster, A DVD player for example has a hardware MPEG II decoder built in to decode the DVD source (wich isn't compressed so much anyway....)

i guess there's no way of recording (encoding) a live stream (PAL = 25 Fps or NTSC = 30 fps) without frame drop's (not on my computer = P4 3.0Ghz HT800Mhz ~ RAM = 1GB ....) with any type of compression.

trust me i've tried huffyyuv codec .... no way ....(or any other "losless")

what do you call losless anyway when your computer is stuttering or getting half a cardiac arrest and dropping frames....

guess i need a pentium 8 @ 55 Terrahertz or something ....

--> ESPNSTI

i'll try changing the FOURCC, i only did it because it's adviced for compatibility (koepi's doom9 ,etc...)

DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW THE TG OR 5th G episodes are recorded ???

my goal is to play them on my standalone DIV-x player in my living-room

and this works very fine with all the downloaded stuff

(but not with mine )

THANX TO ALL FOR GOOD ADVICE !!

--> Jostyrostelli

look at what i've written above and get yourself a VCR + A fast computer with a big HDD with a state of the art TV-card an some software, that should do the trick and follow the toppic here!

take a look on the doom9 site....

[Cruzz563]

About the Top Gear and Fifth Gear eps, PM VUK or sandys, they can tell you how they are encoded.

[Buba]

Ooh, I guess, I can solve your problem concerning the compatibility on your DivX Playa... If you used Xvid, you might have used the packet bitstream thingy... This makes stuttery video on some chips... It doesn't have anything to do with the FourCC Code, but if your Playa supports it, you can leave it to Xvid...

You don't need to redo the conversions you already did, google for "mpeg4modifier" it can unpack the packetbitstream, takes no time at all. But it need the .net framework to function...

Also, I wouldn't go above VGA resolution for your vids...

Buba

[speedster-guy]

thanx BUBA

but i don't use the packet bitstream , you introduced me to a new tool to remove it if i need it, thanx for that

I've tried every FourCC i could still getting the same result

could the problem be the audio? MP3 @128 kbps

i'm lookin around when i find the answer i'll post it here ... eventually ...


thanx all!

[Buba]

Well, most Divx Playas support audio up to 448 kps ac3, so that should be the least of the probs...

If I can't help you, I can get rid of one of your probs... hehe..

Which resolution you got on your encodings, and which DVD playa do you have?

[SiR_dude]

Slightly o/t, does the same apply to caputring via a security camera?? I have absolutley no clue about this, totally new.....

But don't go too much o/t for speedster