[ale] OT converting old videos, cataloging dvds, storing forever

[Ron Frazier (ALE)]

PS to my prior message.  I have a generation 1 WD TV media playback device.  It plays video, photos, and music from an attached USB memory stick or hard drive.  It has been upgraded to the latest firmware (11/19/09).  It has composite and HDMI video ports.  I just tested it and it works fine.  It does NOT have wifi.  If anyone wants this device, I'll sell it for $ 40.  Please contact me off list.

Sincerely,

Ron


JD <jdp at algoloma.com> wrote:

>Inline ... lots of cuts.
>
>I didn't respond concerning things that google will easily explain with
>2
>minutes of effort.
>
>I've laid out everything here. Sorry there are so many moving parts,
>but it is
>hardly my fault.  You can do everything with VideoRedu Plus, but it is
>heavy on
>manual labor and doesn't run on Linux.  I want most of the work to
>happen
>automatically, do I don't have to do anything, with results waiting for
>me.
>
>>> Don't store the videos in MPEG2 format. Transcode them to either
>h.264/mkv
>>> or xvid/avi and the average size per hour drops to less than 1/3rd
>your 3G 
>
>> I like what you're saying.  A 4X reduction in space used would
>certainly be
>> welcome.  However, that brings up another question.  Can I produce a
>> h.264/mkv based disc that will be readable on a standard DVD video
>player
>> attached to the tv?  Or, will I have to play this disc on the
>computer.  I
>> really need something that just works in an ordinary stand alone
>device.
>
>No, you can't use a standard DVD player. You need a device that plays
>xvid/avi
>and/or h.264/mkv.  There are many of those for $50-$100 these days, so
>figure
>out whether you want 4x more storage or not.  That's a big decision. If
>you
>insist on staying MPEG2, stop reading and seek advice from others. I
>can't help.
>
>Being hung up on DVD/MPEG2 is something that you'll discover most
>people in your
>situation have left behind.
>
>HiDef recordings are usually  h.264/mp4, but I strongly prefer mkv as
>the
>container over mp4 for a number of reasons. Google explains. Android
>4.x and
>later support both, so your tablet with an HDMI output will drive a TV
>nicely,
>if you encode the content correctly.  Most Android devices that I've
>seen, even
>with hardware decoding can't handle 720p with great quality.  On my
>tablet, I've
>always had to re-encode to 592p to get the quality level I'm used to
>seeing.
>Quality and resolution are definitely NOT the same thing.
>In theory, RaspberryPI devices will playback 1080p HD h.264/mp4 with
>the $8
>codecs added. That is another option definitely worth a look.  Someone
>at ALE-NW
>is doing this already. Hopefully, he will respond.
>
>>> Initially, it will take more time to setup your process, but you
>will 
>>> automate much of it quickly.
>>> 
>>> Software list: * $0 - bash * $0 - perl / strawberry perl * $0 - Task
>>> Spooler - get your batch on and under control * $0 - Video Recording
>>> software - most tuner devices include something that is good enough;
>The
>>> only requirement is that MPEG2 files are output. * $0 - comskip *
>$50 -
>>> Video Redo TV Suite (Windows only)
>> 
>> Is Video Redo for killing commercials?
>
>Yes and no.  There is no magic bullet for removing commercials that is
>100%
>accurate, but comskip will create cut markers that many video editing
>programs
>can use as starting points or that some playback software will honor
>without
>touching the video file at all.  I do not trust VRDP to get commercial
>point
>correct and always manually validate the cuts.
>
>>> * $0 - ccextractor (probably doens't work with VHS tapes)
>> What does that do?
>
>It pulls out closed captions and stores them as SRT files. Great if you
>want to
>learn Spanish, but having the English captions can be nice too. 
>Whether these
>are displayed or not is controlled by the playback software.  This
>process is
>very fast, so why not do it?
>
>>> * $0 - handbrakeCLI
>> 
>> Assuming this is for transcoding.
>
>handbrake is the easiest and perhaps the best X to h.264 encoder
>available. It
>will output mp4 or mkv files. If your source material is DVD VOB files,
>it
>handles graphics subtitles and CC, multiple audio tracks, languages,
>chapter
>markers and the quality level is really easy to control.  An RC of 19
>is pretty
>fantastic.
>There is a CLI interface that means no pointing and clicking to do
>almost
>anything. Fantastic for batch processing. I hate P-n-C. HATE, HATE,
>HATE it.
>
>>> * $0 - mkvtoolnix to create beautiful MKV files * $0 - gaffitter to
>>> optimally fit
>> 
>> Tell me more about this.
>
>Google will explain all.
>
>> Can you elaborate on par2.  Do you scan, scrub your discs every 5
>years or so
>> to make sure they're still good and determine if they need to be
>reburned?
>
>Google will explain all.
>
>>> Buy some protective 330 disk portfolios instead.
>> 
>> Interesting idea.  The portfolios I saw at Frys weren't too
>impressive
>> though.
>
>If you want impressive, open your wallet.  The important part to my
>catalog
>method is that disks be stored sequentially, in order.  Finding a disk
>with the
>specific files we'd like to see is random access this way, after a
>grep/script
>is used to look up which numbered disk the files are on happens.  I
>think it is
>better than alphabetical by title, since you KNOW exactly which disk
>the video
>is on every time. No questions.  It is like a library card catalog
>system, but
>much easier to use and maintain. TEXT is the ultimate in portable
>information.
>
>> The procedure for recording analog from my DVR will be the same as
>with
>> the VCR, although it would produce much higher quality.  As far as I
>know,
>> there is no way to record the HDMI output.  Buying from Hollywood
>(for
>> example Star Trek) is about $ 3 / show.  That doesn't sound like much
>until
>> you consider how many shows there are.  I'd like to get by cheaper
>and still
>> legal.
>
>There are deals on complete series collections from time to time.  For
>example,
>the almost 100% complete version of 2003 Battlestar Galactica on Bluray
>was on
>sale two weeks ago for $80.  Stargate, Startrek and other series go on
>sale from
>time to time.  Have you figured out how much money and time will be
>needed doing
>your VHS conversion?  Time/money/quality.
>
>I'm 100% with you on being legal.
>
>Many people find better ways to get recordings off their DVRs.  I used
>a TiVo
>and was able to pull recordings to a PC, remove the tivo-DRM, clip
>commercials
>and convert those into xvid/avi files with better quality than any VHS
>recording
>or "press play" recording. The S2 Tivo recorded at 480x480 resolution.
>It isn't
>bad, but it isn't HD either.  It is noticeably higher resolution than
>VHS tape.
>
>The analog hole only works well for component cables.  That's  a
>Hauppauge 1212
>device or similar.  A friend uses a different device with AT&T U-Verse.
> It
>requires an IR-blaster to control it.  Previously, he used a firewire
>control
>method to the Comcast digital cable box.
>
>>> Video and audio sync has not been any issue for years, neither has 
>>> macrovision, at least with the recording hardware I've used.
>> 
>> I made a test recording from my cable box dvr using the analog out
>and the
>> digitizer I just returned.  There is a .3 sec sound sync variance in
>the mpeg
>> file between the audio and video.  I can compensate by playing
>through VLC
>> and tinkering with it but I'd rather fix it then save it.
>
>If you are seeing audio/video sync issues, then you've got crap
>recording
>hardware and software or the box doing the work is under powered or has
>too much
>going on.  You have something wrong in your setup.
>
>A cheap Hauppauge 950Q will do what you want for SD recordings just
>fine.  A few
>months ago, I converted an old 6 hour VHS tape with a a few really bad
>late
>night scifi movies - so bad they were good - to h.264/mkv.  I used a
>Core2Duo
>laptop and 950Q connected over USB2.  USB2 is plenty fast, even for
>1080p, but
>the CPU will need to handle some aspects of the recording.
>
>I guess if you are just starting out, you'll want to fight all the
>battles
>yourself that I've already fought.  That's the best way to learn.  The
>abosultely mandatory things are
>* a way to capture the content and store it into mpeg2.
>* a way to transcode the content into h.264/mp4.  You can use
>avconv/ffmpeg,
>handbrake, mencoder, or any of a thousand "not-free" GUIs that are
>based on
>ffmpeg.  Just search for "video conversion" to find all the scam
>artists with a
>"special GUI" just for iphone or ipod or {insert device name here}. 
>These are
>simply GUIs with ok settings over ffmpeg/avconv. Nothing more.
>
>GUIs are hard to automate.  Give me a CLI interface.
>
>If you aren't hung up on being legal, like I am, it is much easier to
>pay for an
>encrypted Usenet subscription overseas somewhere and grab the shows you
>want
>using RSS feeds.  Lots of "how-to" guides out there. Look up sickbeard
>to get
>started. The people producing them are all doing the things that I've
>outlined
>... except they don't usually worry about captions.
>
>Good luck. Do some more research and I'm happy to answer questions that
>google
>won't answer easily.
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--

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Please excuse my potential brevity.

(To whom it may concern.  My email address has changed.  Replying to former
messages prior to 03/31/12 with my personal address will go to the wrong
address.  Please send all personal correspondence to the new address.)

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Ron Frazier
770-205-9422 (O)   Leave a message.
linuxdude AT techstarship.com