HDTV Conversion

[Paul0800]

Greetings,

I have a Fusion HDTV card installed and can record without a problem (.tp file format) the problem I am having, is trying to convert to a more user freindly format to enable these files to be copied to a DVD for playing back on a standard DVD player. Whilst I have read the forum here on converting over (using HDTVtoMPEG) I cannot get the audio to work, when "viewing" the conversion (in WINDVD) as suggested.

Does anybody know the trick to rectify this problem......??

Thankyou

[RTP_Rich]

HDTV Conversion

Here's what works for me...

Take the Fusion HDTV .ts stream into HDTVtoMPEG2 V1.10.5 or better.. edit if you'd like and convert to a .mpg. Make sure you set the max file size high (like 50GB) so that you get ONE file.

Take the .mpg into DVD2AVI or DGIindex and Demux the audio - choose Demux All Tracks and "Save Project". This will create a .ac3 file with the delay built into the file name.

Take the .ac3 into AC3DelayCorrector and let the program strip off the correct number of frames - Write to a new file -> .ac3 with "0" delay

Take the .mpg or .d2v from DVD2AVI/DGIndex into TMPGEnc either standalone or Express. Pick NTSC 16:9 at the beginning (I'm assuming you're in the US), clip off the bottom 8 lines if the video comes in as 1920x1088 and reencode (I use 2-pass VBR 6000-8000 Kbps, 10 bit DC, and High Quality). Choose FS- Keep Aspect Ratio. When you're done encoding (about 10 hours per 1 hour of HD Video on a 3GHz machine) you'll have a DVD-compliant 720x480 MPEG2 16:9 format .m2v file.
DO NOT DO ANY SOURCE EDITTING IN TMPGENC.. we'll do that later, otherwise your audio will not synch up. You can easily do 1 hour long videos - for longer you're going to have to start squeezing the bit rate - maybe 4000-5000Kbps.

Finally, fire up TMPGEnc Author 1.6 and bring in the .m2v file above and the delay corrected .ac3 file. This even works for DD 5.1 formats! You can edit out the commercials in TMPGEnc Author - or edit out the football in the SuperBowl and just leave the commercials!

It's long, it's messy, it's time consuming.. but at the end of the day you have near-HD quality 16:9 video and a pristine .ac3 audio - bit for bit what was broadcast.

[Paul0800]

Greetings RTP_Rich. Thanks for the reply. I will give it a go and let you know how it turns out.

IS there any other (shorter) way of doing this conversion..??

[RTP_Rich]

Basically it's only the reencode that takes any time...

for 1 hour of HDTV transport stream (8-9GB), roughly:

HDTVtoMPEG2 10min
DGIndex 2min
AC3 Delay Corrector 15sec
Reencode to 720x480 6-10 hours depending on settings

I have a 2nd XP3000 dedicated to encodes - just fire 'em up and go to bed. You'll also need another 6-7GB for the HD .mpg and 3GB for the DVD image.

[setarip]

You might want to read the postings in this thread:

http://forums.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17292

[RTP_Rich]

That's a good guide if you want to create a DivX highdef MPEG4 with MP3 audio.. what my approach does is create a 16:9 aspect ratio compliant DVD with the original DD ac3 audio. Something you can burn to DVD+-r and play back on the zillions of cheap Chinese DVD players in the world. About the highest quality DVD you'll ever see, btw, since the digital source is pristine - and the video equivalent of making a 4x5 print from an 8x10 negative.

[Moritzio]

Here's what works for me...

Take the Fusion HDTV .ts stream into HDTVtoMPEG2 V1.10.5 or better.. edit if you'd like and convert to a .mpg. Make sure you set the max file size high (like 50GB) so that you get ONE file.

Take the .mpg into DVD2AVI or DGIindex and Demux the audio - choose Demux All Tracks and "Save Project". This will create a .ac3 file with the delay built into the file name.

Take the .ac3 into AC3DelayCorrector and let the program strip off the correct number of frames - Write to a new file -> .ac3 with "0" delay

Take the .mpg or .d2v from DVD2AVI/DGIndex into TMPGEnc either standalone or Express. Pick NTSC 16:9 at the beginning (I'm assuming you're in the US), clip off the bottom 8 lines if the video comes in as 1920x1088 and reencode (I use 2-pass VBR 6000-8000 Kbps, 10 bit DC, and High Quality). Choose FS- Keep Aspect Ratio. When you're done encoding (about 10 hours per 1 hour of HD Video on a 3GHz machine) you'll have a DVD-compliant 720x480 MPEG2 16:9 format .m2v file.
DO NOT DO ANY SOURCE EDITTING IN TMPGENC.. we'll do that later, otherwise your audio will not synch up. You can easily do 1 hour long videos - for longer you're going to have to start squeezing the bit rate - maybe 4000-5000Kbps.

Finally, fire up TMPGEnc Author 1.6 and bring in the .m2v file above and the delay corrected .ac3 file. This even works for DD 5.1 formats! You can edit out the commercials in TMPGEnc Author - or edit out the football in the SuperBowl and just leave the commercials!

It's long, it's messy, it's time consuming.. but at the end of the day you have near-HD quality 16:9 video and a pristine .ac3 audio - bit for bit what was broadcast.

I'm trying to follow this, but have two questions:
1. In TMPGEnc, don't I have to convert to non-interlaced when I am doing a video size change?

2. If so, don't I have to change frame rates and apply 3:2 pulldown afterwards?

[RTP_Rich]

HD Transport Streams to DVD

1. No need to mess with the frame rates..

for 1080i sources it's already 29.97 fps interlaced

for 720p sources I let TMPGEnc encode in progressive mode (59.97 fps)

either interlaced or progressive will work as input for compliant MPEG2 DVDs..

2. 3:2 pulldown is for 24fps movies.. no need to do this if you're encoding from a digital OTA source

There's also a much easier way to do this now.. works pretty well directly from the .ts source

HDTV2DVD

http://www.svcd2dvd.com/HDTV2DVD/default.aspx

you'll need to install Microsoft's .NET framework as well

[Moritzio]

Thanks. I am trying HDTV2DVD now.