mp2's suck ass!

[Goatgod77]

Hello all. My problem is this, I have an ATI tv wonder card. Would prefer to capture programs in MPEG-2, however the capture/pvr that comes with it records all MPEG-2 files in mp2 format. TMPEG will not open these. In fact, it shows up registered as a winamp extension! This is total crap, and I am almost sure there is a way around this proprietary format. Any ideas?

[nanosec]

audioconvert

Get a program called audioconvert, it handles .mp2 conversions to other file types and back if you so desire.

I agree about .mp2 being a pain in the ass, been thru this one already

[farscape]

Hello,

You could use DVD2AVI to make a projectfile for your mp2-captures. Then convert those using VFAPICONV. Those converted projectfiles files can then be read into TMPEnc or virtualdub.
Guidelines on how to install and use VFAPIConv can be found on the web.

I use dvd2avi and vfapiconv in combination with virtualdub to convert my captures of episodes like farscape into divx-format.

Hope this helps,

Farscape

[Goatgod77]

ok, now what??


OK, I got the file to open in Virtual Dub using avisynth. The video is fine, but there is no audio. If I go back to the original .mp2 file, it plays in Media Player WITH SOUND! However, if I encode the file into a divx doing an avisynth into Virtual Dub, there is no audio at all. WTF can I do about this one? Thanks to anyone who has, and who will respond. P.S., I installed the Nimo codec pack, including support for mpeg2 audio, and no luck.

[techno]

SCREW THAT CARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They are ************************************************** ********

sorry u had to read that

ATI are nothing but trouble, the quality stinks as well as other problems.

Try installing Ligos or cyberlink powerdvd for the MPEG2 filters...........uninstall nimo's first...

[Goatgod77]

nope

First off, the quality I achieve with my card is 100% acceptable considering the alternatives. Second, I have also tried Ligos, no dice. As for Power DVD, my crack for it is not current, but I used Power VCR at one point and it sucked more than life itself. Anyone have any useful, non-card bashing advice? I am about to just go back to MPEG-1 capturing, it's way easier.

[farscape]

Hai,

When using dvd2avi to make your projectfile you will also get an mpa-file (mpeg-audio). You can use f.i. GOLDWAVE or COOLEDIT or something similar to convert this file into a .wav-file.
In virtual-dub you then select wav-audio under the menu for audio.

If you captured your audio in 44.100 khz, you will probably find that the audio-stream is slighty longer than the video-stream. (This problem accured to me when using my all-in-wonder 128pro).
You can adjust the length of the audio-stream with the programs mentioned above.
That the audio-stream is longer, is reflected in the name for the audio-stream (name MPA T01 delay 99 ms.mpa, although this delay was not always accurate)
By how much you have to adjust the length is probably different on each system. For me it was approximately the time in minutes * 9.5.
A capture of 55 minutes * 9.5 gave me appr. 520 ms by which I had to warp the duration of the audio-stream (using Goldwave).


Farscape

[balthasar]

dont know if this will help any but i use virtual dub to capture from a tv capture card, first encoding it with picvideo mjpeg codec( because it requires hardly any cpu power) than encode again with divx 5.02. end result is as good as i can get with a capture card

[balthasar]

ive also used power VCR and it worked great untill i lost sound, i had sound from line in or aux then turn on powerVCR and no sound, turn powerVCR off and the sound returns. dont know what caused it but at least i found out how to capture with virtual dub

[Goatgod77]

There is no justice

OK, dvd2avi WILL NOT open the mp2 under any circumstances. It has an option to open m2p, but not mp2. Capturing with virtual dub is lame. I am never home to manually record the shows when they come on, that is why the pvr function of the card I have is irrepalcable. Again, Power VCR is a joke, nothing more. At least on my machine it is. Am going to try the MJPEG crap again, except I will use ATI MMC to do the capturing, I tried it once before and it dropped more frames than it actually captured. I am about to just go back to the peaceful, easily edited MPEG-1 capture. I don't want to have to use 15 different DVD ripping tools, when I am not even ripping a DVD. Thanks to everyone who has helped so far!!!!! Most of you have suggested very insightful ideas.

[farscape]

In order to see the .mp2-files in dvd2avi you have select ALL FILES for file-types in the open-selection-box. Then you can simply select the mp2-file. It doesn't matter if the file extention is mp2 instead of m2p.

I use a radeon all in wonder to make my captures in mpeg-2 and I have never had any problems opening those files using dvd2avi.

I don't know what your system-configuration is, but if you have a lot of dropped frames during capturing, there are a number of things you can do.

1) Get the latest version of ati mmc that is appropraite for your card.

2) use msconfig to deselect anything from the startup-tab that you don't really need for running windows. f.i. qttask, nerocheck, office startup etc. Because they only consume valuable resources.

3) Shut down all non essential programs during capture. Even the smallest program running in the background can have an impact on the capturing-performance.

4) reduce your capture-settings. f.i. size (I use 640x576), if you have fast and big enough drives, you should set the bitrate as high as possible depending on what your os is capable of (I use 12Mbit/sec CBR). The idea is that the higher the bitrate, lees compression is needed, hence less cpu-power is needed.
Reduce the motion estimation to about 70/75%.

I use an amd 1800XP+ but even with this I can only go to about 85% on the motion estimation.

As said, a lot depends on your system-specs.

Don't give up to soon.

Greetings,

Farscape

[Goatgod77]

Paydirt!!! Thanks, fellow ATI user.

[Goatgod77]

One more time.....

Hello all. I am back with another set of issues, maybe you can help me again, Farscape (?) Anyway, I have successfully opened the mp2 files and encoded them to divx with full synched audio, here is the new problem, when I open these divx files to cut the commercials and such, Virtual Dub responds like shit! It slows down severely (V-dub) and wont let me advance frame by frame. Is there something causing this that I can prevent from happening? Am I just too damn picky about cutting commercials? When I open MPEG-1 files, it runs smooth as silk. Is this just a limitation of AVI?

[farscape]

Hello,

I cannot explain why virtual-dub would slow down on your system.

I can give you some pointers on how to cut the commercials using virtual-dub.

First you create your projectfile (name.d2v) and convert it with vfapiconv. Next convert the audio.mpa file to wav.
Now you can open them both in virtual-dub. Choose your compression (probably mp3) for the audio.

Under video/filters you can add the filters you wish to use. I usually set up some filters to remove noise, a blending filter (general convolution), resize and a second blending filter.

How to get rid of those commercials breaks.
Because it is best to cut at key-frames, you should cut the commercials before you start compressing.

Under virtual-dub you will have noticed the buttons at the bottom. With two of these you can set a start-mark and an end-mark. You set the start-mark at the start of the commercial break and the end-mark on the first frame after the commercial vreak. Once both are set you can use the delete-key on your keyboard to "delete" that part from the capture.
That's one way. I wouldn't use it though because in my experience it isn't always accurate. What I usually do is the following.

I set up all my filters and the compression (divx low-motion, key-frame every 3 seconds, crispness 80% and bitrate at 4200 or even higher.
Then I choose SAVE AS AVI. This opens the save-box. At the bottom of the box you can check the option <Add operation to job list and defer operation>. Now all the settings are written to a job-controll-file. This file is located in your virtual-dub folder under the name virtualdub.jobs. This file contains sylia-script commands and can be edited using notepad. If you look under FILE/JOB CONTROL, you will see a list of all the jobs, either waiting, ended or postponed.
(By adding it to the job list, we can run it at a later time f.i. during the night).

I take out a piece of paper and pen and locate the parts with the commercial breaks. (You can use <ALT> + arrow-keys right and left to skip 50 frames at a time or you can drag the sliderbar at the bottom).
Locate the first frame of your captured episode and write down the frame-number. Next locate the first frame of the commercial and write this one down also. Next locate the first frame after the commercial break (= the start of your second episode-part) and write this down also. Do this for the rest of your capture.
You would get something like this:

start end
episode episode #frames
10345 35055 24710
42012 73225 31213
79690 90720 11030

end episode = actually the start frame of the commercial block !!!!

Now we end virtual-dub and open the job-controll-file (virtualdub.jobs) in the virtualdub folder.
You get something like the following.

To really read this properly, you should cut and paste it to notepad!!


// VirtualDub job list (Sylia script format)
// This is a program generated file -- edit at your own risk.
//
// $numjobs 1
//

// $job "Job 1"
// $input "P:\Capture1\Stargate-vfapi.avi"
// $output "S:\DeadmanSwitch2.avi"
// $state 2
// $start_time 01c2702f 9a741d70
// $end_time 01c27049 1931e8e0
// $script

VirtualDub.Open("P:\\Capture1\\Stargate-vfapi.avi",0,0);
VirtualDub.audio.SetSource("P:\\Capture1\\Stargate .wav");
VirtualDub.audio.SetMode(1);
VirtualDub.audio.SetInterleave(1,500,1,0,0);
VirtualDub.audio.SetClipMode(1,1);
VirtualDub.audio.SetConversion(48000,2,2,0,0);
VirtualDub.audio.SetVolume();
VirtualDub.audio.SetCompression(85,48000,2,0,12000 ,1,12,"AQACAAAAIAEBAHEF");
VirtualDub.video.SetDepth(24,24);
VirtualDub.video.SetMode(3);
VirtualDub.video.SetFrameRate(0,1);
VirtualDub.video.SetIVTC(0,0,-1,0);
VirtualDub.video.SetRange(0,0);
VirtualDub.video.SetCompression(0x33766964,0,10000 ,0);
VirtualDub.video.SetCompData(120,"AwBNUwAAAAAAAAAA AGiwQFAAAAADAAAAAAAAAFgbAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIgTA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA");
VirtualDub.video.filters.Clear();
VirtualDub.video.filters.Add("chroma noise reduction (1.1)");
VirtualDub.video.filters.instance[0].Config(1, 192, 78, 0, 231, 91, 0, 231, 91, 0);
VirtualDub.video.filters.Add("dynamic noise reduction (MMX)");
VirtualDub.video.filters.instance[1].Config (6);
VirtualDub.video.filters.Add("general convolution");
VirtualDub.video.filters.instance[2].Config(16,16,16,16,128,16,16,16,16,128,0);
VirtualDub.video.filters.Add("brightness/contrast");
VirtualDub.video.filters.instance[3].Config(4,16);
VirtualDub.video.filters.Add("resize");
VirtualDub.video.filters.instance[4].Config(640,480,6);
VirtualDub.video.filters.Add("general convolution");
VirtualDub.video.filters.instance[5].Config(12,12,12,12,160,12,12,12,12,128,0);
VirtualDub.subset.Delete();
VirtualDub.SaveAVI("S:\\DeadmanSwitch2.avi");
VirtualDub.Close();

// $endjob
//
//--------------------------------------------------
// $done


We will replace the line

VirtualDub.subset.Delete();

with the following 3 lines (depending on how many commercial breaks there were)

VirtualDub.subset.AddRange(10345,24710);
VirtualDub.subset.AddRange(42012,31213);
VirtualDub.subset.AddRange(79690,11030);


These sylia-commands add only the parts that you want to your finished avi-file.


I hope this helps you on your way.

greetings,

Farscape

[Goatgod77]

Ok, everything works up until the actual encoding, I wrote down start/end frames for all 3 commercial breaks and edited the joblist file, but now even after 850kbps divx 5.02 and 128kbps Mp3, ths file is over 500 mogs for a half hour of video. Where did I go wrong? I am attaching a copy of the jobfile thing for you to look at. See if I did anything wrong. THanks!!! Btw, my email is usurper77@aol.com, if you like you can respond directly to there.

P.S. it also left all the commercials intact. Wtf?