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Ok, I have been trying for the past few days to again, get HD converting to work.  I used this guide, and was able to convert one file, just one, it took 8+ hours to convert, (vista ultimate x32, 2gb ram, 2.13 core 2 duo) using WMEncoder.  While following the same exact steps for any other file it fails.  One crashes WMEncoder at 1%, and two others get to 30%, and 52% finished before prematureally ending the encoding process.

I know that guide is kinda old, and it said that it would be easier with 1.2.0.9, which came out awhile ago, so i'm sure there's an update to the process somewhere.

Currently I'm using DVRMSToolbox version 1.2.1.0, so if there's any way to currently get it to work would be great.

Even if you can walk me through creating a profile in it that will work.  So far by using the guide mentioned before, and some common sense on my part, I've been able to make a few profiles that can cut out the commercials, send it through the graph program, and export it as an avi, & an mpg (i get two files, plus the dvrms temp). 

I would really, really love to be able to finally get HD converting to work.

thanks,

~lord xeon 

What is your goal?  Are you simply trying to archive off DVR-MS content?  If so, mencoder can do it in one pass (including removing commercials), and I believe it is close to or faster than real-time.  It can even do it to WMV, although it's WMV2 and it's not 100% compliant.  I also don't think it will do 5.1 audio.

well, my complete goal is this:

1. remove the commercials, from dvrms file,  

2. convert dvrms file to something else (avi (any divx encoding will work), wmv, mpg) 

3. finish

i just want to know the easiest way to get the original HD recordings to be compressed to something that is smaller then the 6.2gb files that windows records them as.

hope that helps 

Try the attached Profiles.  You need to determine if the FPS is 30 or 60.  Also, add these to your mencoder.conf file:

[WMV-Archive-30fps]
profile-desc="WMV Archive Quality - 30fps"
lavdopts=threads=2
vf=pp=md,scale=640:-10,harddup
ovc=lavc=yes
oac=lavc=yes
lavcopts=vcodec=wmv2:vqscale=8:acodec=wmav2:abitrate=128
of=lavf=yes
ofps=30
#DtbExtension=wmv
#dtbhres="-vf pp=md,scale={0}:-10,harddup"

[WMV-Archive]
profile-desc="WMV Archive Quality"
lavdopts=threads=2
vf=pp=md,scale=640:-10,harddup
ovc=lavc=yes
oac=lavc=yes
lavcopts=vcodec=wmv2:vqscale=8:acodec=wmav2:abitrate=128
of=lavf=yes
#DtbExtension=wmv
#dtbhres="-vf pp=md,scale={0}:-10,harddup"

One last thing - for some reason I had trouble with SA, so I had RunExternal calls instead of using the in-built SA support.  It was likely just my system, so you could replace that with the normal "find commercials" Action.

Ok, i downloaded and added the attached profiles, and edited my Mencoder.conf file with the stuff you posted, and let it run, it failed, and this is the output i get:

Full processing mencoder archive WMV.log

the frames per second of the original dvrms is 60.

any ideas as to what went wrong?
 

In the Mencoder Action of the Profile, uncheck the "quiet" box, and try again.  That will give a full log.

lord xeon:

Ok, i downloaded and added the attached profiles, and edited my Mencoder.conf file with the stuff you posted, and let it run, it failed, and this is the output i get:

Full processing mencoder archive WMV.log

the frames per second of the original dvrms is 60.

any ideas as to what went wrong?

 

Is there any chance you can get me a sample of your DVR-MS file?  Mencoder couldn't detect the fps correctly (notice in your log it gave the warning and said the fps was 42.46.  This is very wrong.  Since you know what the fps is, you could try the conversion again and set the fps (use the switch -fps 60). However, if you have a way to get me the dvr-ms file I'll work on Mencoder and see if I can get it to detect the fps correctly (can you offer the file via Bittorrent?).

I did that, and i still get the same error in the log, and it doesn't look much longer, but here it is anyway:

Full processing log2 

 

@jelwood

I should be able to get you the file, but it will take a day or two.  Right now I'm at school, (Bittorrent is blocked, and gets your internet turned off here), but I can transfer it to my computer at home, and set up a torrent there.  But it will take some time to upload it to myself. 

send me an email lord.xeon [at] deadlycomputer.com and I'll try and work all of it out with you.

 
The second time i ran it, i did notice that it couldn't find the framerate, and thought that that may be the cause.  I'll try adding the -fps60 to the Mencoder.conf file and try it again.

EDIT:

i may have spoke too soon, even though in the log it says

Action did not complete successfully

 In the folder where i said to output the file, i have a 1.27gb wmv file with the same name, and length, the only thing missing is the meta data

i'm confused now? 

Cid it really take 2 hours to complete (that's what the log says)?  If so, it sounds like it's doing something.  I'm also guessing that it's not removing commercials.  Make sure the EDL files are being created, and that the Mencoder Action is looking in the right place for the files.

Really, the key to all of this is the mencoder settings.  I've been using this for awhile, and it seems to work fine.  However, mencoder only supports WMV2 (not WM3), and it's a little hinky (the files playback fine, but I can't convert them in TMPGEnc Xpress).
 

Well, I've done a few more files, and now weird things have happened.  DVT says that the process completed, and saves the log file, and it only gets to about 10% finished before DVT closes.  Mencoder however is still running using about 50% of my processor, and converting the file.  after about and hour or so maybe, (i have no way of telling for sure), it stops, and there is a 1.2gb wmv file, no metadata, but from what it looks like, it's a compressed version of the original, (which is what i want).

Here's the log (i changed the settings, added the -60fps to mencoder.conf, and changed the path to SA (still didnt cut out comms, and turnned quiet mode off) 

@jelwood, i don' think i'll be able to set up a torrent, at least not anytime son, I can't access my computer right now.  If you still want to try, send me an email, there are other ways to get files.  

You should test each step manually to verify the problem is within DTb.  So, I suggest:

1. Manually run SA on the file to get the commercials EDL.
2. Manually run mencoder using the EDL from above. If this chokes, try it without the EDL.
3. Create a DTb profile to migrate metadata from the DVR-MS file to the WMV.

It sounds like DTb is crapping out, but this will confirm it.

onlydarksets:

You should test each step manually to verify the problem is within DTb.  So, I suggest:

1. Manually run SA on the file to get the commercials EDL.
2. Manually run mencoder using the EDL from above. If this chokes, try it without the EDL.
3. Create a DTb profile to migrate metadata from the DVR-MS file to the WMV.

It sounds like DTb is crapping out, but this will confirm it.

Well, i ran SA on the file and got the EDL from it, i couldn't manually run mencoder because it complained that i didnt have the right codecs, no idea why it said that, i havent changed anything since last week.  so instead i ran mencoder with DBT, mistake, that took over 18 hours to do  but it did create a 485mb wmv file, the problem is the audio is not synced up at all.  Also, even if it was synced up, 18 hours is not worth it.

Another Log file (5mb)

So, I am stuck again? 

after playing around with settings for alittle while i think i may have finally gotten it to work, i set it running and got a 1.2gb wmv file with no commercials and everything synced up (as far as i can tell i skipped around a little).  I'm currently running it again on another file just to be sure, I'll post back here with the results of that run.

Ok, hd converting works! (yay!) it doesnt take too long about (2.5-3.5) hours depending on if i do anything else with my computer at the same time (dreamweaver, photoshop).  Here is the profile i used in case others want it.

full-process-Mencoder-Archive-WMV-60-SA

 

I also added this to my Mencoder.conf file:

[WMV-Good-60fps]
profile-desc="WMV Good Quality - 60fps"
lavdopts=threads=2
vf=pp=md,scale=720:-10,harddup
ovc=lavc=yes
oac=lavc=yes
lavcopts=vcodec=wmv2:vqscale=4:acodec=wmav2:abitrate=128
of=lavf=yes
#DtbExtension=wmv
#dtbhres="-vf pp=md,scale={0}:-10,harddup"

 

The only problem that I have is that DVT isn't copying the metadata, It's not a major problem, but it's nice to have it, anyone know how to fix that particular problem? 

It could be the 120 minute timeout.  If it's taking 2+ hours, you might be terminating the process prematurely.

Also - you don't need to write commercial spans as XML.  That's from before SA/Comskip could export as XML natively.