Database Develop

nexus one video conversion with handbrake

Hi,
Anyone tried using handbrake to do video conversion to mp4 h.264? I'm using 0.9.4 and not having much luck. All i get out is the audio. I can convert to 480x320 resolution on Videora but trying to get 800x480, or something close to that resolution. So i have this video i want to convert and in Handbrake i used the native 720x304 screen size at 24fps. I think i tried 29.997fps too. I am wondering if the bitrate needs to be some specific multiple like 768kbps or 1.5Mbps. Is there a configuration that will work with the Nexus? Thanks in advance.
[update] so i stumbled upon this link that may or may not help.
http://matthodology.com/n1/2010/03/02/convert-movies-for-viewing-on-nexus-one-using-handbrake/
i will try it out tonight and let you folks know.
[update2] hey what do you know, it works! i used the "iPhone & iPod Touch" preset and it looked pretty good. exciting! need to experiment with more videos. follow the instructions in the link and make sure you adjust the width appropriately. definitely don't try a resolution that is over the source resolution, that's just wasteful! hehe

I know the physical sizes of the iPod/iTouch are about the same, but isn't the resolution 2 times less?
Nexus One Resolution: 800 x 400 = 320,000 Pixels
Iphone Resolution: 480 x 320 = 153,600 Pixels
2.08 times less?
It would seem you are not getting near the resolution the phone is capable of.

my problem was Handbrake was saving everything as .m4a. Change your extension to .mp4 if you haven't already done so.

ccunningham83 said:
I know the physical sizes of the iPod/iTouch are about the same, but isn't the resolution 2 times less?
Nexus One Resolution: 800 x 400 = 320,000 Pixels
Iphone Resolution: 480 x 320 = 153,600 Pixels
2.08 times less?
It would seem you are not getting near the resolution the phone is capable of.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
somehow that particular preset works, you can adjust the output resolution in the first tab. from what i'm seeing it seems like it's working. i will use a media tool to check the resultant file's resolution tonight. good point though.

The Windows Mobile part of the forum has a great application that has thus far worked great for me.
HD Encoder by projection:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=467112

I actually just got handbrake set up doing video conversions for the Nexus, but it's at home. If I remember correctly, I used the iPod settings, then changed a couple of values (namely setting the width to 800 by default and letting it keep aspect ratio) and set a preset. Looks fantastic on the Nexus, I'll try to see if I can export the preset somehow when I get home and send it your way.

Swervo said:
I'll try to see if I can export the preset somehow when I get home and send it your way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking forward to this

try format factory... it has a preset for the N1

Handbrake is great , has alot of options, as usual it is only good if you know what you are doing, so we need a preset that WORKS.
right now I'm testing HD Encoder by projection, runnig it on Ubuntu usin Wine 1.2 Beta , well it has ceashed ... will test more.
The good thing is you have just 3 options ... so it's easy to use

OrganizedFellow said:
Looking forward to this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rats, I can't seem to find a way to export a preset, so I'll just try to type out what I set. I know I started with the iPod preset:
On Picture, I have Width = 800, then click "Keep Aspect Ratio" and let it populate height. Anamorphic set to "None", Cropping set to "Automatic".
On Video Filters, everything is set to Off and unchecked.
On Video, Video Codec is H.264 (x264), Framerate is "Same as source", Avg. Bitrate is checked with the value of "1500"
On Audio, the one track is set as Source: Automatic, Audio Codec: AAC (faac), Mixdown: Stereo, Samplerate: 48, Bitrate: 128, DRC: 0.0.
Nothing special for Subtitles or Chapters
Advanced I've got:
Reference Frames: 1
B-Frames: 0
Motion Estimation Method: Uneven Multi-Hexagon
Subpixel Motion Estimation: 6
Motion Estimation Range: Default (16)
Analysis: All
8x8 DCT: Unchecked
CABAC Entropy Coding: Unchecked
Psychovisual Rate Distortion: Greyed, all the way left.
No Fast-P-Skip: Checked
No DCT-Decimate: Unchecked
Deblocking: Both on Default.
Hope that helps!

JHaste said:
try format factory... it has a preset for the N1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how do you like that converter so far? how long does it take you to convert a full movie like district 9? i'm using aimersoft.com and they also have a N1 preset and add subtitles from srt files. you guys can get it free via torrent

Nexus One Handbrake Preset
Swervo said:
Rats, I can't seem to find a way to export a preset, so I'll just try to type out what I set. I know I started with the iPod preset:
On Picture, I have Width = 800, then click "Keep Aspect Ratio" and let it populate height. Anamorphic set to "None", Cropping set to "Automatic".
On Video Filters, everything is set to Off and unchecked.
On Video, Video Codec is H.264 (x264), Framerate is "Same as source", Avg. Bitrate is checked with the value of "1500"
On Audio, the one track is set as Source: Automatic, Audio Codec: AAC (faac), Mixdown: Stereo, Samplerate: 48, Bitrate: 128, DRC: 0.0.
Nothing special for Subtitles or Chapters
Advanced I've got:
Reference Frames: 1
B-Frames: 0
Motion Estimation Method: Uneven Multi-Hexagon
Subpixel Motion Estimation: 6
Motion Estimation Range: Default (16)
Analysis: All
8x8 DCT: Unchecked
CABAC Entropy Coding: Unchecked
Psychovisual Rate Distortion: Greyed, all the way left.
No Fast-P-Skip: Checked
No DCT-Decimate: Unchecked
Deblocking: Both on Default.
Hope that helps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this.
I am able to export presets, so after I'm done converting "Fight Club", if the settings worked, I'll update my reply with the preset attached.
[edit]
15 hours to encode...fuxit.
The preset (using Swervo's info in the above post) is attached. Remove the .txt extension.

Just downloaded and installed Format Factory... where's the Nexus One preset?! Under Google, there are two for a device called GX... neither with the correct resolution.

uansari1 said:
Just downloaded and installed Format Factory... where's the Nexus One preset?! Under Google, there are two for a device called GX... neither with the correct resolution.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you find the nexus preset...I can't find it myself

I just use the iPhone/iPod Touch setting, the resolution is lower, but it looks fine and keeps the file size down. I've converted seasons of TV shows and it works great

icegad said:
Did you find the nexus preset...I can't find it myself
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah... go to HTC/Dopod 800X480 AVC. Default settings work perfectly.

How long does converting a 700mb video in format factory take.its been 3 hrs and I'm at 72%. Is this normal?

I use to have a BB and I used this guide:
http://forums.crackberry.com/f135/dvd-storm-walkthrough-pictures-107961/
It worked on my BB and it works flawlessly on my N1.

icegad said:
How long does converting a 700mb video in format factory take.its been 3 hrs and I'm at 72%. Is this normal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on your computer's specs... but even on my laptop, which is running a core2 duo with 3gb of ram, it takes about 60% of the time of the length of the movie, or maybe a little less.

lol, takes me 7-12 minutes to encode a 2hr movie to 80% of original size

Nook Color preset for Handbrake

I created a preset in handbrake for the nook color. I've used it for several videos and they've all worked really well.
I'm not sure how to export the presets exactly. what I've done is copy my user_presets.xml file and rename it to nook_preset.txt (forums won't let me upload an xml file.)
It's the only preset in the file, so you should be able to add the preset node to your existing user_presets.xml or replace the file completely if you haven't defined any yourself.
Here's a step by step:
1) locate your presets file (this link handbrake presets will help you.)
2) rename it from user_presets.xml to user_presets.xml.bak
3) copy one of my attached files (use 0.9.5 for the latest version of handbrake) to the same directory
4) rename it to user_presets.xml
If you had any presets already, this will remove them. If you want them back, just copy them from user_presets.xml.bak into the new user_presets.xml.
UPDATE: The above instructions are not necessary. The newest version of Handbrake includes an import option under the presets menu. I've attached a zip file that contains the nook.plist file to import. This should work on all platforms.
UPDATE 1/9/2011: Added revised preset for Handbrake version 0.9.5
UPDATE 1/10/2011: Added step-by-step instructions.
UPDATE 2/9/2011: Added a plist file.
UPDATE 2/27/2011: New nook.zip - Added resolution and aspect ratio settings to the plist file

MattZTexasu said:
I created a preset in handbrake for the nook color. I've used it for several videos and they've all worked really well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you list some of the changes that you used. I'd like to compare. Thx.

I used the regular ipod setting, but I changed the resolution to 854x480. I turned off all video processing, and set the audio to 48 bit / 128kbps aac.
UPDATE: I forgot that I also changed the video bitrate. Upping it to 1100 instead of 700[? I don't remember.]

Wouldn't using the iPad preset and changing the 1024x768 to 1024x600 be better?

good idea to post them, i was just about to do the same, and the good news is that i have almost identical settings. im just using slightly higher quality audio (160kpbs) and leaving it on Stereo always, everything else looks exactly the same!

epakrat75 said:
Wouldn't using the iPad preset and changing the 1024x768 to 1024x600 be better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure if that preset uses "high profile" or not. the NC only supports "baseline profile", and I know that's what the ipod setting uses.
The encodes from HD content look brilliant using this setting. I'm not sure how it could be better.

MattZTexasu said:
The encodes from HD content look brilliant using this setting. I'm not sure how it could be better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If there's no discernible difference with 480 vs 600 then forget I said anything.

Using 1024x600 would not be "better" in any way. If you want to use the hardware decoding from the NC's default app (Movies when invoked from Astro but I think a part of Gallery), the video must be H.264 Baseline, AAC audio, resolution less than 854x480.
Sent from my Nook Color using XDA App

epakrat75 said:
If there's no discernible difference with 480 vs 600 then forget I said anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't think about the resolution you specified because you could just make the iphone profile 1024x600.
If I had understood your intention, I would have made you aware that the max video accelerated rez on the NC is 854x480 in my initial reply. Instead, I just focused on your use of the ipad profile.
I don't have personal experience; but I think I read somewhere that H.264 @ 1024x600 is a slide show.

Tested with 720p Top Gun and looks perfect. Sound is a little low, but what I've read is that there is no way to adjust the audio gain in Handbrake. Thanks.

From the nook user guide
"Mpeg4 Simple Profile up to 854x480
H.264 Baseline profile up to 854x480"

I also use "DropFolders". It uses HandBrake, but adds a watch folder & destination folder. Any video you drop in the watch folder starts DropFolder & it converts it & places the converted file in the destination folder. Very convenient. Start DropFolder first & then move the file to the watched folder.
Cheers,
kev

Masterface7 said:
From the nook user guide
"Mpeg4 Simple Profile up to 854x480
H.264 Baseline profile up to 854x480"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, so it dosnt support hardware decoding past 480 huh? Good to know. I was wondering why it kept failing at 600. Turns out it's just because I cant read instructions! Still, I was running at 400 and it looked alright. Glad to know I can indeed push it a bit further.

What's the average file size you guys are ending up with? I got a 32gb card begging for movies...

It is about 530MB per hour.
Sent from my super nook color

Do we expect this 480P limitation to be lifted once a proper 2.2 ROM comes out? Or is this just the limitations of the hardware?

teknikk7 said:
Do we expect this 480P limitation to be lifted once a proper 2.2 ROM comes out? Or is this just the limitations of the hardware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a hardware limitation.

mojonba said:
Tested with 720p Top Gun and looks perfect. Sound is a little low, but what I've read is that there is no way to adjust the audio gain in Handbrake. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are correct that you cannot adjust the gain. however, (you may be aware of this already,) you can set the DRC on the Audio tab to compress the audio, which will essentially raise the quieter sections to match the louder ones. this will not make the loudest parts any louder though.

SubStation Alpha subtitles
For anybody trying to convert MKVs with SSA subtitles (i.e. sources such as anime), I had a heckuva time trying to figure out how get hard subs written to the MP4 output. Apparently the official stable release of Handbrake doesn't support SSA subs but all you need to do is download the latest nightly build and you're off to the races.
Using the settings the OP mentioned worked wonders when I was trying to convert my Hajime no Ippo episodes.
DropFolders looks interesting as well, I'm just not sure I'm crazy about using Adobe Air. Just another silly app to update all the freakin' time.
Anyway, good work, and thanks!

infinityPlusOne said:
DropFolders looks interesting as well, I'm just not sure I'm crazy about using Adobe Air. Just another silly app to update all the freakin' time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm trying drop folders right now... it's a nice idea but it consumes almost the same CPU than handbrake itself.... i think it is better to run only handbrake and let it use full CPU (and finish in around half of the time)

[CM7] All things video (CM7 only)

General Comments
I've created this thread to centralize video discussions, tips, issues, etc.
Please limit this only to those running CM7. Something that works or doesn't work in rooted stock or Froyo may have no correlation to CM7 at present. CM7 is using different codecs, different DSP kernel driver, different media backend, and different userspace ALSA.
To start things off I have attached a handbrake profile that has worked well for me.
I will update this post as more specifics are found.​
A few things to consider: ALSA
Our ALSA implementation is picky about the buffer size. Other devices that use ALSA in the same fashion have had to reduce their buffer as well. This may be due to a limitation of what can fit in the DMA buffer on the McBSP. Because the ALSA buffer scales with the audio sample rate, I recommend using 44.1K instead of 48K when transcoding videos. This is contrary to every handbrake profile I've seen folks post on XDA for the nook.​
CPU Governor
Some people have had better luck with the Conservative CPU governor rather than Ondemand or Interactive.​
Bitrate
I have found it best to limit the bitrate to something under 1000kbps.​
Resolution
The resolution should always be limited to 854x480. This is the maximum limit for the open source codecs. We do not have a license for 720P codecs yet. Perhaps B&N will get a license for their Froyo update.​

dalingrin said:
I recommend using 44.1K instead of 48K when transcoding videos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I concur....I started doing this last night, coupled with a DRC of "3" and sound is better and louder.

360Razir said:
I concur....I started doing this last night, coupled with a DRC of "3" and sound is better and louder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree about DRC. I just updated my profile with dynamic range compression of 2.

Your preset causes an unhandled exemption for me when I load or use it in handbrake. If I try to play what it outputs, it doesn't play in the stock player.
I have to turn off Weighted P-Frames to get the nook to play in hardware (stock player.)
EDIT: Attached my preset. It has all the typical preset stuff, plus 44.1/128 audio like dal recommended, and it doesn't throw a fit when I import or select it in handbrake.

chisleu said:
Your preset causes an unhandled exemption for me when I load or use it in handbrake. If I try to play what it outputs, it doesn't play in the stock player.
I have to turn off Weighted P-Frames to get the nook to play in hardware (stock player.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Weighted P-frames are off in my profile.
What version of HandBrake are you using? I have rev3736.

The other thing I have to test is my Droid X. Most of the Handbrake (HB) encoded movies I have were done for my DX last year. Like the NC, I set the movies to 854x480 for my DX and so that makes it nice to be able to test between the two devices.
My DX is now running (leaked) Gingerbread and playing the same videos between the DX and the NC, the DX is so incredibly smooth. No lag. No crackling. No slow-downs. No audio popping. Just buttery smooth. Now, I understand the screen is smaller, but again, same video resolution of the video. Not sure how the "guts" of the DX are vs. that of the NC, though?
However, what I can say, is that back in January when I first got my NC and went with AutoNooter, I was able to take my existing HB-encoded movies that I had lying around for my DX and play them perfectly on rooted stock. Since CM7, out of the 25 or so movies I have for the DX, only 7 of them play on the NC (using Act 1). The NC is picky, indeed.
The quest continues....

dalingrin said:
Weighted P-frames are off in my profile.
What version of HandBrake are you using? I have rev3736.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yours and the other guy's won't load without throwing an exemption which is where my confusion came from in the other thread.
Mine says 3728... it is 0.9.5 and says 2011010300 and says it is the latest when I try to update... going to redownload...
You are on the linux version aren't you?

Here are the videos with their specs that do currently work with Act 1 on my NC:
NOTE: most of my videos that work are in .m4v format. I had removed that setting in HB, but when I did, the video didn't play. I am sure it was probably something else getting in the way, but .m4v just seems solid for me right now, so sticking with that. To each his own.
As you can see from the attachment, the size, bitrate, dimensions, and frame rate are all over the map. Each plays well in Act 1 with Zoom set to "Aspect Full".
I will post my exact HB settings when I have something I have settled on and I am taking the suggestions from this thread, so thanks for that.

chisleu said:
... it is 0.9.5 and says 2011010300 and says it is the latest when I try to update...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here....Win7/32-bit

I am attaching my settings for HB that work well for me with regards to full-length movies. Has excellent audio/video sync, with no lag.
Highlights include:
[ Original Presets were taken from Regular > High Profile and then just tweaked accordingly ]
● Picture: Anamorphic Loose
● Video Filters: Off
● Video: H.264, Same as source, 2-Pass Encoding (Turbo 1st), Avg Bitrate (kbps) 2000
● Audio: Source (default), AAC (faac), Stereo, 44.1, 160, DRC = 3.8
● Advanced: B-frames = 0, CABAC & 8x8 & Weighted P-Frames = unchecked
Again, I am using Act 1 with "Zoom" set to Aspect Full.
Please let me know what you think if you dare to try.
EDIT: Video source is a regular DVD, widescreen, ripped into Handbrake directly

The dalingrin presets work for me with the Handbrake svn3907 on Ubuntu. My resulting conversion of my Letterman test video plays fine.

@dalingrin:
Any ideas as to why disabling WiFi would stop the madness of the lagging/stuttering in the video? Was it something my system was doing in the background or one of my widgets fetching data?
Is this just the case for my NC or can this be replicated? Any tests I can run for you to see if it is something you can help with? Thoughts? Thanks.
~ Razir

360Razir said:
Any ideas as to why disabling WiFi would stop the madness of the lagging/stuttering in the video? Was it something my system was doing in the background or one of my widgets fetching data?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's always been my guess. Things never quite settle as long as they have access to the network.
Is this just the case for my NC or can this be replicated? Any tests I can run for you to see if it is something you can help with? Thoughts? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. Same here. And, it's not just video... it makes Pandora rather unpleasant. Luckily, my primary use case for video is on a plane where network access is unlikely or expensive.
Have you tried using the Conservative governor? It helps my situation.

Some rules for this thread to consider
Let me extend this discussion and propose a few rules for this thread:
1. The source video should be made clear. If you start with poorly encoded video you're obviously going to output something similarly crappy. Provide a link to the file, or upload it yourself and provide a download link. It should be legal, i.e. if you ripped it from your blu-ray, or if you torrented it from somebody else who ripped it from a blu-ray, then it doesn't belong on this thread. My source video will be a 1080p trailer from The Eagle, downloaded (legally) from here: http://www.hd-trailers.net/movie/the-eagle/
2. The encoder and settings should be made clear. I never used Handbrake before, but this morning I downloaded Handbrake 0.9.5 and installed it on my Win7 64-bit desktop. I'm using the preset for "iPhone & iPod Touch". This defaults to H.264 encoding and m4v container. I then adjusted either resolution or average video bit rate but everything else I also left at default, since I mostly don't know what they mean anyway.
3. The player should be made clear. I used Titanium Backup to uninstall Music because of a prior FC issue, then sideloaded music.apk that I pulled from cm_encore_full-37.zip, thus I'm back in business with the stock Video player and no longer using Act 1.
4. Optional: upload your transcoded file and provide a link to it. I've made 2 clips of the eagle trailer which can be downloaded here:
Eagle trailer - 854x352 - 800K: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22573583/Eagle_854x352_800K.m4v
Eagle trailer - 576x240 - 800K: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22573583/Eagle_576x240_800K.m4v
The short of it is that both files play flawlessly on my NC running CM7 n37 with dalingrin OC kernel 040411, overclocked 300/1100 interactive. Here are some notable observations:
- The 480p-ish 854x352 resolution limited by our open-source license plays flawlessly for me up to a video bit rate of 1300K, at which point one or two random split-second audio stutters occur through the clip. You can download my 800K encoded video at this resolution. I've gone up to 3000K at 854x352 resolution with still very smooth playback. I've also been able to play an 800K clip resized to 1024x600, the native NC resolution, flawlessly.
- The 576x240 resolution for me is the sweet spot on the Nook. Text resolution is inferior to 854x352, but the playback is perfect and file size is more accommodating. Stutter-free at 800K (download my Handbrake encoded file if you want), and actually stutter free all the way up to 3000K. What's so incredible is that the high-speed scrub (put finger in middle of screen and slide right or left) at this resolution is buttery-smooth.
- Adjusting the CPU speed up or down and moving around governor setting didn't do anything good or back for video playback. Video playback was just as good at 800MHz as 1100MHz CPU speed.
I'm not an expert on video codecs and encoding, by any means, but I've been around HD-DSLR video and non-linear editing ever since Vince Laforet busted out with Reverie nearly 3 years ago.
I'll stand by my opinion, expressed previously on the kernel thread, that CM7 and dalingrin OC kernel in its current iteration (nightly 37 and 040411) absolutely rocks for properly encoded video.

360Razir said:
@dalingrin:
Any ideas as to why disabling WiFi would stop the madness of the lagging/stuttering in the video? Was it something my system was doing in the background or one of my widgets fetching data?
Is this just the case for my NC or can this be replicated? Any tests I can run for you to see if it is something you can help with? Thoughts? Thanks.
~ Razir
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it doesnt stop it for me. no wifi. no bt. still stutters randomly on good files.

sinanju said:
Have you tried using the Conservative governor? It helps my situation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I saw your post about that from the OC Kernel thread and so that is what I tried last night. It seemed to work at first, but then this morning it was also choppy using that governor. So, being on Interactive with WiFi off works.
My Droid X has many more widgets running and network access (both 3G and WiFi) and there is no hiccups or slowdowns whatsoever playing the same video. I know not apples-to-apples, but the quest is to get my NC to that kind of stability.

MedLine said:
Eagle trailer - 854x352 - 800K
Eagle trailer - 576x240 - 800K
The short of it is that both files play flawlessly on my NC running CM7 n37 with dalingrin OC kernel 040411, overclocked 300/1100 interactive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both of your videos are still choppy for me with WiFi enabled....meaning, something is fetching data in the background (Pulse, Palmary Weather, Plume, Engadget, or Google News, or even email polling) is messing with my video playback. Just wish the video was "shielded" from such things.
When WiFi disabled, all is good with your videos.

Which app you guys using to play videos? I'm using Rockplayer right now and getting audio sync issue. I had better luck with Mobo Player.

OK:
Using Sony's HD Experiment because it is short and high action.
http://www.demo-world.eu/trailers/redirect-high-definition.php?file=hd_other_sony_hd_experiment.rar
Encoding using the iphone and ipod touch preset.
I set 576x240 resolution and I can play completely smoothly with wifi on. File size is 4.44megs w/ RF: 25 (iirc)
I set 854x480 resolution and RF 30 it locks on whatever frame you start playing (black screen, etc.) Won't play. I set 854x480 and 800kbps avg kbps and it is also black screen. If I hit home and then go back and let it go, the video will change, but it doesn't seem like it will catch up. Definately broken.
I downloaded that 1080p trailer you linked.
start handbrake, load 1080p trailer, select "iphone and ipod touch" preset, select 854 width (auto height 368), changed to average kbps and set 800. My file size isn't exactly yours, but is very very close.
854x368 plays very well and looks fantastic, but it does have those pops/skips.
Disable wifi:
still get rare/random skips with my 854 file.
still get rare/random skips with your 854 file.
I turned "Disable Fullscreen" off on a hunch it was play a role in this:
My 854 file still skips from time to time.
My 576 file still skips from time to time, although more rarely. only once in 2 plays.
Your 854 file still skips from time to time.
Your 576 file still skips from time to time, maybe more rarely? Hard to quantify.
I encoded the eagle trailer with my 854 width, RF 25 "high quality" preset.
It is smaller than 800kbps (13.1M vs 18M)
It skips too.

tablo said:
Which app you guys using to play videos? I'm using Rockplayer right now and getting audio sync issue. I had better luck with Mobo Player.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We are mostly using the stock player because it forces hardware accel.
I prefer VitalPlayer to all. If you are having sync issues it is probably playing in software mode. I should say, VitalPlayer has never given me any sync issues at all while playing in software. Wish I had discovered that before DSP was working. haha

Video problems with Mobo switched to vital neon fixed, but not using hardware decoder

Hi All,
So I have read all the threads I could find about video players on the Nook Color, and I am still having a little trouble. I don't know if its normal, so I am looking for some help/advice/guidance. This is going to be long, but it's because I am trying to be as thorough as I can.
My Goal:
To have a 7" tablet that browses the web, reads/writes email, lets me IM, reads ebooks, plays video files from my video collection, plays music from my collection, runs Pandora, Netflix, and Hulu, and is capable of swype (slideit).
What I have:
I have a brand new Nook Color that I bought just for turning into a tablet to play with (3 days ago). I started by rooting with nooter, and flashing CM 7.0.3 stable (2 days ago) to the emmc through CWM. I have since updated to CM7 Nightly #144 (today - more on that later)
My problems:
So I was happy with everything in CM 7.0.3 except for its video playing capabilities. I was using Moboplayer (I didn't download any codecs or anything, just straight moboplayer from Market). I know that the advice of the professionals on here is to use handbrake to convert whatever video you want to watch to an exact format that is ideal for the Nook, however, I, like many other people on here, have tons of movies (7 TB), and I have tons of places that I play them (every console, psp's, ds's, laptops and netbooks aplenty, etc.). So I don't want to convert them, and I have read several threads where people are playing un-converted videos without problems. So I picked a random episode and tried to play it. Here are the specs of that video.
Total file size: 349MB
Video -
Length: 42:26
Frame width: 624
Frame height: 352
Data Rate: 1003kbps
Total bitrate: 1152kbps
Frame rate: 23 frames/second
Audio -
Bit rate: 149kbps
Channels: 2(stereo)
Audio sample rate: 48 kHz
While in 7.0.3 with Moboplayer the video runs ok and the audio is sync'd up fine, but its not silky smooth. It looks like its running at about 18fps. I don't know how to find the exact framerate, but it is just a little less then when it plays on my computer, and it is just barely low enough to cause enough chop to be annoying. So the first thing I tried was downloading Dalingrin's 042411 OC kernel for eMMC. I thought if I overclocked my processor, it might solve the problem, and my research on this forum led me to believe that was the right OC file for my version of CM. I set both the min and the max to 1300 and still had the problem. In my research I also found that many people were talking about how Dalingrin had unlocked hardware decoding in some of the newer CM nightlies. Also, the OC kernel already exists in the newer nightlies. So I downloaded the newest nightly. I am now on #144. Once I got back up and running, I downloaded Moboplayer and tried again. Same problem. Even overclocked. I saw someone mentioned using the Neon codec pack for moboplayer. For some reason the Neon codec pack doesnt show up in my market (although a bunch of other Moboplayer codec packs do). So I went to Moboplayers website and downloaded the Neon codec pack zip file. I tried to install it with CWM in recovery mode, but it keeps failing. Having done some more research I downloaded a player called VitalPlayer Neon (there is a non Neon version but I paid for and installed the Neon version). When I play that same avi file in VitalPlayer is starts it and a little window pops up at the very beginning that says "Software codec play!!" The video (and several others like it) plays silky smooth. I couldn't ask for a better video playing experience. However, if I go into the settings for VitalPlayer (Settings -> Decode Mode) and tell it to use hardware codec, when I try to play the file its says, "Can't be played!!" Am I missing something?
Summary - So my questions are:
1) Is there a way to monitor FPS?
2) Don't I want my video player running with Hardware codec?
3) Why isn't my video player running with hardware codec?
/** Note relavant to thread *
<rant>
When I am done, I am going to write (yet another) guide for how to do this the easiest way for someone looking for a tablet/ereader experience like I was, that doesn't mind paying a couple dollars to get it right. The advice I have gotten on this site has been AWESOME, I just wish it was compiled a little better. It seems like people try so hard to get the free apps to do what they want, that they miss the $1.49 app that does it perfectly. And you have to dig to find the non-free apps that do what you want. Theres a few threads where people are jumping through hoops, spending hours and days, and screwing up the CM installs to get swype to work when for $4.99 SlideIt is up and working perfectly in seconds. Money well spent for me. Also, the $1.49 for ezPDF was priceless compared to the hours I spent trying other pdf readers that wouldn't even remember what page I was on when I stopped reading. ezPDF should be the defacto standard for PDF reading IMO. I can even resize what I am reading to a legible size and it will wordwrap (text reflow) for me so I don't have to move left and right on each line.
</rant>
Thanks,
Josh

Not every zip file you see in Android is intended for flashing! Yikes! That zip you downloaded is most likely just compressing/wrapping an apk. Look in the zip.
Be glad it didn't run
I looked there, and I just see an apk.. http://update2.moboplayer.com/apk/armv7_neon-release.apk
And it says that moboplayer SHOULD automatically install a codec, so not sure it'd help but it's worth a try?

a) Just install the codec apk like any other, and MoboPlayer will automatically pick it up.
b) You can't use hardware decoding unless the resolution is at or below 854x480, period. Since your content (presumably) is higher resolution than that, software decoding is your only option. The good news is that (when overclocked) the Nook is indeed capable of dealing with pretty high resolutions, the bad news is that battery life will suffer.
Rodney

khaytsus said:
Not every zip file you see in Android is intended for flashing! Yikes! That zip you downloaded is most likely just compressing/wrapping an apk. Look in the zip.
Be glad it didn't run
I looked there, and I just see an apk.. [link removed because I am not allowed to post links yet -Josh]
And it says that moboplayer SHOULD automatically install a codec, so not sure it'd help but it's worth a try?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Khaytsus,
I am glad it didn't run. In retrospect I definately should have known better then to try to let CWM "flash" this instead of "installing" it (so tired). That website does list it as an apk, but when you download it, it downloads as a zip. Should I have renamed it to apk and tried it? MoboPlayer didn't download anything when I started it, at least not that I saw (may have done it in the background). Either way I uninstalled it because VitalPlayer is working. I just need to see if I can make it do hardware decoding.
Thanks for the help!
Josh

rhester72 said:
a) Just install the codec apk like any other, and MoboPlayer will automatically pick it up.
b) You can't use hardware decoding unless the resolution is at or below 854x480, period. Since your content (presumably) is higher resolution than that, software decoding is your only option. The good news is that (when overclocked) the Nook is indeed capable of dealing with pretty high resolutions, the bad news is that battery life will suffer.
Rodney
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Rodney,
In Re b): Since my video is Frame width: 624 Frame height: 352, doesn't that mean my resolution is 624x352 ... < 854x480? If not, how can I check to see what resolution my video is? I got those stats by right clicking the avi file properties -> details.
You're right VitalPlayer plays that video beautifully. Thanks for the tip about the batter. I will keep an eye on it.
Thanks,
Josh

gijosh28 said:
In Re b): Since my video is Frame width: 624 Frame height: 352, doesn't that mean my resolution is 624x352 ... < 854x480? If not, how can I check to see what resolution my video is? I got those stats by right clicking the avi file properties -> details.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a bit more to it than that, actually. It must be in a MPEG-4 container using the H.264 codec with baseline profile level 3.0 or less. AVIs need not apply. =)
Rodney

Hey,
As an update to this thread, I used Chisleu's Handbrake profile from this thread, and converted the video with the specs above. The new video did play with hardware decoding in both the stock player, and VitalPlayer Neon. It did not look quite as good (just an iota of a difference) as leaving the file the way it was and letting the software decode it. However, when I ran the new file with software decoding it didn't look quite as good as it did with hardware decoding (again miniscule difference). Summary: The original file looked the best, but wouldn't play with hardware decoding. The Handbrake'd file looked just a tiny bit worse (hardly worth mentioning) with hardware decoding, and just a little worse still with software decoding. Below are the file specs from right-click -> properties -> details.
new Handbrake'd file = left / old as downloaded file = right
File Size: 186MB / 349MB
Length: 42:58 / 42:59
Video -
Frame Width: 624 / 624
Frame Height: 352 / 352
Data Rate: 475kbps / 988kbps
Total Bitrate: 603kbps / 1137kbps
Frame Rate: 23fps / 23fps
Audio -
Bit Rate: 128kbps / 149kbps
Channels: 2 stereo / 2 stereo
Audio Sample Rate: 44kHz / 48kHz
Also noteworthy: In refference to the battery suggestion, since I upgraded from CM 7.0.3 to CM 7 Nightly #144, my battery performance has been stellar.
Thanks,
Josh

gijosh28 said:
Hey,
As an update to this thread, I used Chisleu's Handbrake profile from this thread, and converted the video with the specs above. The new video did play with hardware decoding in both the stock player, and VitalPlayer Neon. It did not look quite as good (just an iota of a difference) as leaving the file the way it was and letting the software decode it. However, when I ran the new file with software decoding it didn't look quite as good as it did with hardware decoding (again miniscule difference). Summary: The original file looked the best, but wouldn't play with hardware decoding. The Handbrake'd file looked just a tiny bit worse (hardly worth mentioning) with hardware decoding, and just a little worse still with software decoding. Below are the file specs from right-click -> properties -> details.
new Handbrake'd file = left / old as downloaded file = right
File Size: 186MB / 349MB
Length: 42:58 / 42:59
Video -
Frame Width: 624 / 624
Frame Height: 352 / 352
Data Rate: 475kbps / 988kbps
Total Bitrate: 603kbps / 1137kbps
Frame Rate: 23fps / 23fps
Audio -
Bit Rate: 128kbps / 149kbps
Channels: 2 stereo / 2 stereo
Audio Sample Rate: 44kHz / 48kHz
Also noteworthy: In refference to the battery suggestion, since I upgraded from CM 7.0.3 to CM 7 Nightly #144, my battery performance has been stellar.
Thanks,
Josh
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want the handbrake transcoded file to look as good as the original then you're going to need to match the video bitrates.
I generally transcode my videos with handbrake before I use them on my Nook. It doesn't take too long on my PC and the battery savings with hardware codecs is worth it to me.
Media playback is still a work in progress. The hardware codec "pickiness" isn't going to get much better but things like Flash and higher resolution and bitrates should improve in the not so distant future.
No miracles though =)

dalingrin said:
The hardware codec "pickiness" isn't going to get much better but things like Flash and higher resolution and bitrates should improve in the not so distant future.
No miracles though =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
/drool
Me thinks previously mentioned optimizations are coming along...... cannot wait!

dalingrin said:
If you want the handbrake transcoded file to look as good as the original then you're going to need to match the video bitrates.
I generally transcode my videos with handbrake before I use them on my Nook. It doesn't take too long on my PC and the battery savings with hardware codecs is worth it to me.
Media playback is still a work in progress. The hardware codec "pickiness" isn't going to get much better but things like Flash and higher resolution and bitrates should improve in the not so distant future.
No miracles though =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it gets no better then it already is, I am extremely satisfied. I left yesterday with a full charge at about 3pm. I went back to my room, watched an episode of Numb3rs (thats the file I was using for my tests above) with software decoding, played about an hour of airport mania, and read some Isaac Asimov for an hour. It is now 2AM (11 hours later) and my battery is at 74%. I even have the Bubbles live wallpaper which is supposed to eat up my battery. This thing is almost perfect in that it does everything I want, does it well, and does it efficiently. Thanks for your hard work on it Dalingrin.
Now if I could just figure out my music problem from the other thread, I'd be golden.
Josh

Are you streaming or copying to the nook and playing? If streamimg, you can use vlc convert and stream to transcode on the fly, otherwise handbrake is the way to go.

Critique my setup for streaming Tivo recordings to Chromecast

I have been working for a few days on setting up a process to pull my Tivo recordings off my Tivo onto my PC, and then get them into a format where they can stream to my chromecast on another TV. In other words, a poor man's multi-room viewing. I am in over my head on several aspects, and while I have gotten it to work, I have had to make some sacrifices. I'd like to see if someone can "poke holes" in my setup and suggest a better way to get the job done.
First, here is the hardware...
Asus AC66U (currently, no qos enabled)
TivoHD (wired connection)
Fairly-new PC with capable processing power (wired connection)
Chromecast in the next room (gets full bars on wifi icon)
The setup...
1. I am using kmttg to automatically pull the recordings off the Tivo, decrypt them to an mpeg file, and then encode that mpeg file into an mp4 file that is compatible with chromecast. Kmttg has both ffmpeg and handbrake encoding capabilities.
2. I store the encoded mp4 files in a folder on my PC that is shared with everyone on my network.
3. I use Localcast on my android phone to locate the shared folder, then the file I want to view, then Localcast takes it from there.
ETA:
3. Plex Media Server on the PC
4. BubbleUPnP android app
The Plex Media Server and BubbleUPnP app solve the problem that Localcast caused by using the phone as the connection between the PC and Chromecast. Plex Media Server and BubbleUPnP allow me to connect the PC directly to Chromecast, lowering network traffic considerably and allowing me to cast a much higher quality video without the stuttering.
This setup works, however there are some problems I need to correct. I have issues with stuttering/buffering streams. I have tried to correct this by using encoding profiles that create a very small file size, which solves the buffering problem, but video quality suffers as a result. At present, I either have to decide between HD quality video that causes stutters ever few minutes, or a file that streams smoothly but has a video quality around SD quality. In seeking help on another forum for the best encoding profile, the suggestion was made that it wasn't the file size, but my wifi setup that could be the problem. Researching my wifi setup brought be to this post, which makes me wonder if localcast is my bottleneck. I was under the impression that Localcast was just creating a direct stream from my PC, similar to a direct stream from Netflix. However, if it is actually forwarding the stream from my PC through my phone to the chromecast, that would explain the poor performance (the stream has to go out to the phone and then back to the router and then out to the chromecast).

Greetings (again) fellow TiVo user! I refuse to give up my lifetime subscription and Series3 display!
Here's what I suggest...
Install Serviio on the PC with the converted videos on them. This will make your PC a DLNA/UPnP server. Be sure to configure the library so the folder with the videos is accessible.
Install BubbleUPnP on your phone.
Set the BubbleUPnP Library to your Serviio PC (it should show up in the list).
Set the BubbleUPnP Renderer to your Chromecast.
Go to the Library and find something to play. Depending on the metadata, you may need to use the Folder view rather than categories.
I tested it and the BubbleUPnP client app that runs on Chromecast seems to grab the stream directly from the server, rather than brokering the stream through your phone. That ought to help your bandwidth issue so you can use higher bitrates to get better quality.
I like what you're doing, it's something I'd like to do eventually too.
Localcast might do the same as BubbleUPnP once you get Serviio running, I haven't used it.

Yeah, I'm not ready to give up my old Tivo either! My wife has been bugging me that she can't watch recorded shows
I played around with my setup last night and found some things that work. I installed Plex Media Server on my PC and the BubbleUPnP on my phone. The BubbleUPnP app automatically detected the Plex Media Server and casting to my Chromecast was very easy. And you are right, this setup allows casting directly from PC to the Chromecast. I was able to stream my files without any stuttering! I have to go back now and re-encode my existing files to a higher video quality, but that is a price I am willing to pay.
Plex Media Server downloads the metadata about the recordings from the internet and automatically names, organizes and adds thumbnails for each recording. This is really cool. It took me a few attempts to figure out how the folders and files needed to be stored on my PC to get it to work right, but I think I have the hang of it now.
The only small trouble I have in the process is it seems like Tivo's episode information is incorrect on some of the recordings. For example, Tivo thinks a particular recording is Episode number X, but really it is Episode number Y. Tivo's Episode Title is correct, but Plex seems to just look for the Season/Episode information to pull the metadata, and then overwrites the Episode Title with the downloaded info. I have to go back into my PC and correct the episode number, which then corrects the trouble on Plex at the next download. However, this has just happened on a couple of recordings and it may not be a big issue.
I'll take a look at Serviio and see how it compares to Plex.
My next project is to see if I can find a way to stream recordings from my Mega cloud account. With 50bg of free storage, that would allow my Tivo recordings to be available wherever I am. I see Mega has a mobile app, and they say that it is possible to stream files from it, but I haven't been able to get it to work. You can long press on a file and share it to BubbleUPnP or Localshare, but I get an error message on Chromecast saying the file type is not supported. It would be nice if Mega added Chromecast support. That would rock. Even if I can't cast it to Chromecast, being able to stream it on my phone would be great. However, when I click on the file, it just tries to download the file to my phone's storage. I see there are 3rd party apps that claim to stream Mega files, but I'm wary of trying them since they don't look to be widely used.

Good move with the Bubble and Plex addition....
The two of those give a great one two punch and really make all the other options for streaming pretty lackluster IMO...
Do these Tivo files have CC embedded?
Might think about moving to an MKV container and using Handbrake for the conversion.

Asphyx said:
Good move with the Bubble and Plex addition....
The two of those give a great one two punch and really make all the other options for streaming pretty lackluster IMO...
Do these Tivo files have CC embedded?
Might think about moving to an MKV container and using Handbrake for the conversion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
kmttg lists closed captioning data as one of their features. I haven't tried it so I can't say if/how it works.
It also has the ability to detect and cut out commercials, but they suggest you manually check the cuts before they are made since the detection system isn't always accurate. I want this process to be totally automated, so I haven't tried that feature out fully either. The few times I have chosen to cut the commercials, something has gotten messed up with the audio sync. This would be a great feature if I can figure it out.
Thanks for the suggestion of the MKV option. I tried that encoding profile in the beginning and I kept getting errors each time the file started saying that something wasn't compatible and possibly the audio wouldn't work. Everything seemed to stream correctly, but the error message was annoying each time. Additionally, now that I have Plex installed, it doesn't seem like the old leftover MKV files are showing up in my library...as if it is an unsupported file type. I'll work on it some more. It could be the particular MKV profile I chose, or some other issue that I can work through.

whitenack said:
The only small trouble I have in the process is it seems like Tivo's episode information is incorrect on some of the recordings. For example, Tivo thinks a particular recording is Episode number X, but really it is Episode number Y. Tivo's Episode Title is correct, but Plex seems to just look for the Season/Episode information to pull the metadata, and then overwrites the Episode Title with the downloaded info. I have to go back into my PC and correct the episode number, which then corrects the trouble on Plex at the next download. However, this has just happened on a couple of recordings and it may not be a big issue.
I'll take a look at Serviio and see how it compares to Plex.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, the TiVo guide info has been spotty lately, which is not a good thing since the guide info is what the subscription is for!
Some episodes are incorrectly numbered (though the back-to-back dual-episode premieres and finales always tend to be confusing), some don't have episode numbers at all. Almost seems like they're pulling from two sources and when the "good" source doesn't have info, we get the generic version.
Asphyx said:
Do these Tivo files have CC embedded?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Plex's metadata library really is one of its strong points
TiVo recordings do have embedded CC AFAIK, but I haven't looked to see if it's encoded as MPEG subcode like on DVD or differently. My guess is it's subcode, as it's embedded in the original transport stream.
whitenack said:
It also has the ability to detect and cut out commercials, but they suggest you manually check the cuts before they are made since the detection system isn't always accurate. I want this process to be totally automated, so I haven't tried that feature out fully either. The few times I have chosen to cut the commercials, something has gotten messed up with the audio sync. This would be a great feature if I can figure it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've successfully used VideoReDo TVSuite 4 to edit both native TiVo .tivo and MPEG transport streams. It has some nifty features to fix rubbished streams and also has commercial detection. It's not free, though since I already have it, this auto-processor may just have reserved a few future weekends... Hmm, I might have to get a new machine after all (granted, my desktop is over 5 years old - I just dislike change, haha).

whitenack said:
kmttg lists closed captioning data as one of their features. I haven't tried it so I can't say if/how it works.
It also has the ability to detect and cut out commercials, but they suggest you manually check the cuts before they are made since the detection system isn't always accurate. I want this process to be totally automated, so I haven't tried that feature out fully either. The few times I have chosen to cut the commercials, something has gotten messed up with the audio sync. This would be a great feature if I can figure it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep I understand the automated want...PITA to have to manually do it. Commercials are always a PITA to cut out. You can just as easily FF through them later.
whitenack said:
Thanks for the suggestion of the MKV option. I tried that encoding profile in the beginning and I kept getting errors each time the file started saying that something wasn't compatible and possibly the audio wouldn't work. Everything seemed to stream correctly, but the error message was annoying each time. Additionally, now that I have Plex installed, it doesn't seem like the old leftover MKV files are showing up in my library...as if it is an unsupported file type. I'll work on it some more. It could be the particular MKV profile I chose, or some other issue that I can work through.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm it could be the CC Subtitles that are the actual issue with compatibility. You might be able to tweak that profile properly but if you don't need them why bother. I only asked because I have a few family members who watch my library but seem to need CC to help them so I have been forced to add embedded CC subtitles to my Library system (mostly MKV) and was curious if you had that capability.
bhiga said:
Plex's metadata library really is one of its strong points
TiVo recordings do have embedded CC AFAIK, but I haven't looked to see if it's encoded as MPEG subcode like on DVD or differently. My guess is it's subcode, as it's embedded in the original transport stream.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For guys like us (and other XDA folk) it's probably not as important to have a nice and easy interface to navigate with but since we all have friends and family who need to navigate these things Plex just makes the whole process a lot simpler to teach for those uninitiated users.
One of the biggest downsides to the DLNA architecture is it's lack of metadata and good interface system.
Uninitiated want to see box covers not file listings.
As for your old computer it may be 5 years old but that still makes it a good prospect for a media server...Throw a bit more ram in and run Linux and it should be good enough for transcode and serving.
But you know that already! LOL

Asphyx said:
Yep I understand the automated want...PITA to have to manually do it. Commercials are always a PITA to cut out. You can just as easily FF through them later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, precisely why I haven't really put much effort into dealing with them to date. Still, when you're archiving hundreds of hours, those commercials add up.
Asphyx said:
I only asked because I have a few family members who watch my library but seem to need CC to help them so I have been forced to add embedded CC subtitles to my Library system (mostly MKV) and was curious if you had that capability.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That describes me perfectly. Something's either wrong with my hearing, audio system, or both.
Asphyx said:
As for your old computer it may be 5 years old but that still makes it a good prospect for a media server...Throw a bit more ram in and run Linux and it should be good enough for transcode and serving.
But you know that already! LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a dual quad-core with 32GB of RAM, so still quite capable for my needs, which is why I haven't upgraded (aside from cost), but as an encoding machine its fans SCREAM so I usually throttle encoding tasks outside of sleep times using Battle Encoder Shirase. The other alternative is to switch to liquid cooling, but my system is not mainstream (AMD Socket F server board) so doing that will likely require more than a weekend.
This just reminded me though... I do have my previous desktop which was a quiet machine. Nowhere near the same horsepower, but it was quiet... Hmm... Now ALL of my precious spare time has been shot! LOL!!

Asphyx said:
Hmmm it could be the CC Subtitles that are the actual issue with compatibility. You might be able to tweak that profile properly but if you don't need them why bother. I only asked because I have a few family members who watch my library but seem to need CC to help them so I have been forced to add embedded CC subtitles to my Library system (mostly MKV) and was curious if you had that capability.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nevermind. I see my problem now. It's not the MKV that is causing the problem, its the fact I don't have the folder set up correctly for that particular show (the only recordings for that particular show were MKVs). I dropped an MKV file into an existing show folder and it recognizes it. Awesome. So, at this point I just need to figure out which encoding profile I need to use to generate the best video quality for the smallest file size.

whitenack said:
So, at this point I just need to figure out which encoding profile I need to use to generate the best video quality for the smallest file size.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Individual quality judgements will vary (and so will Spouse Approval Factor), but as a matter of reference, DTV streams are typically 19 Mbps MPEG-2, so they're already squashed, which roughly translates to around 4 Mbps in MPEG-4.
Commercials are good for threshold purposes, especially those with the tiny text at the bottom of action commercials that says "Professional stunt person - Do not attempt." One because those types of commercials have a lot of action and scene changes, and two because the text at the bottom tends to be small, and that's usually the first thing to go blocky/fuzzy when you drop too many bits.
Watch out of the car commercials though, the SUPER tiny text on those is usually already destroyed by the cable company's compression.

bhiga said:
Individual quality judgements will vary (and so will Spouse Approval Factor), but as a matter of reference, DTV streams are typically 19 Mbps MPEG-2, so they're already squashed, which roughly translates to around 4 Mbps in MPEG-4.
Commercials are good for threshold purposes, especially those with the tiny text at the bottom of action commercials that says "Professional stunt person - Do not attempt." One because those types of commercials have a lot of action and scene changes, and two because the text at the bottom tends to be small, and that's usually the first thing to go blocky/fuzzy when you drop too many bits.
Watch out of the car commercials though, the SUPER tiny text on those is usually already destroyed by the cable company's compression.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We cut the cable cord a few years ago, so unfortunately I am accustomed to uncompressed quality. Having said that, the Chromecast is connected to our bedroom TV and it isn't exactly a high quality display. It was one of those Black Friday specials where they pretty much give it away. Thanks for the tip on the commercial text test. That will be handy.

bhiga said:
It's a dual quad-core with 32GB of RAM, so still quite capable for my needs, which is why I haven't upgraded (aside from cost), but as an encoding machine its fans SCREAM so I usually throttle encoding tasks outside of sleep times using Battle Encoder Shirase. The other alternative is to switch to liquid cooling, but my system is not mainstream (AMD Socket F server board) so doing that will likely require more than a weekend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get one of those corsair pre-built models...
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...1366_2011_AM2_AM3.html?tl=g30c321&id=Ar4dvGLz
That should be more than enough for Encoding/Transcoding...You would only need more for Gaming....
But I agree you are a far way off from needing an upgrade with that rig!
whitenack said:
Nevermind. I see my problem now. It's not the MKV that is causing the problem, its the fact I don't have the folder set up correctly for that particular show (the only recordings for that particular show were MKVs). I dropped an MKV file into an existing show folder and it recognizes it. Awesome. So, at this point I just need to figure out which encoding profile I need to use to generate the best video quality for the smallest file size.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As for Profile everything I have currently is H.264 4-10Mbs with AAC Stereo, AAC Surround and in some cases where it was available AC3 or DHT.
But that is not conducive to automated encode really...
What I do for most of my movies is if it has AC3 or DHT I add in AAC Stereo, AAC Surround based off the Dolby track and add any subtitle tracks I need as well.
So what I wind up with is a virtually device wide compatible Video track and Multiple Audio and subtitle tracks to choose from depending on the output device.
Probably don't need something that comprehensive for TV shows...Just make sure there is at least one AAC audio track.
File Size will really be dictated by Video Bitrate which @bhiga already mentioned...4MBs is probably the most you could need given the source quality.

Asphyx said:
Probably don't need something that comprehensive for TV shows...Just make sure there is at least one AAC audio track.
File Size will really be dictated by Video Bitrate which @bhiga already mentioned...4MBs is probably the most you could need given the source quality.
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I just checked a file I had encoded earlier using a profile that has a description of "same res h.264 video", which I assume means the video quality is not altered in any way. I looked at the details of the file and it shows this:
Code:
Data Rate - 2511kbps
Total bitrate - 2704kbps
Frame Rate - 59 fames/second
Forgive me for being a noob, but is this saying that the total bitrate doesn't even exceed 3MBs? So even if I picked an encoding profile that limited the file to 4MBs, I would still be getting original video quality?

whitenack said:
I just checked a file I had encoded earlier using a profile that has a description of "same res h.264 video", which I assume means the video quality is not altered in any way. I looked at the details of the file and it shows this:
Code:
Data Rate - 2511kbps
Total bitrate - 2704kbps
Frame Rate - 59 fames/second
Forgive me for being a noob, but is this saying that the total bitrate doesn't even exceed 3MBs? So even if I picked an encoding profile that limited the file to 4MBs, I would still be getting original video quality?
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Same res = same resolution, but the bitrate can still affect video quality.
That said, the parameters you're showing should produce good results.

An AIO corsair or any other closed loop would start getting costly for him. Remember he has more than one CPU to cool, so you'd really wants go open loop cause you need two CPU blocks and I don't know anything else about the system so I won't guess how many rads you would need. Maybe change the fans out if there too loud, but I'm assuming you need something very powerful like delta fan's to keep it cool. Anyways that site recommended above does have a nice selection of quality water cooling components and fans. Check out alphacool, I use there rads with a swiftech block, but watch out for the clearance its around 60mm.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

whitenack said:
I just checked a file I had encoded earlier using a profile that has a description of "same res h.264 video", which I assume means the video quality is not altered in any way. I looked at the details of the file and it shows this:
Code:
Data Rate - 2511kbps
Total bitrate - 2704kbps
Frame Rate - 59 fames/second
Forgive me for being a noob, but is this saying that the total bitrate doesn't even exceed 3MBs? So even if I picked an encoding profile that limited the file to 4MBs, I would still be getting original video quality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but thats what your encoding profile says not the source bitrate right? You should experiment a bit and see at what bitrate you see little to no quality loss or find some way to figure out the bitrate of the source file (since it's in some proprietary format might not be possible).
Then just make sure your target bitrate for re-encode is slightly higher with the same frame rate and you should be fine. from the looks of it it sounds like your FPS may be too high. And that might be a cause of loss of quality. Great for movement but the frames and pixels suffer.
Think if it similar to the following
The VBrate is like a bottle holds all the data for video and comes once a second.
FPS determines how many pictures are in that bottle with each picture being limited to the data size that allows all pictures to fit in that bottle.
Resolution (1080, 720) determines how many pixels must be REPRESENTED (but not always actually present) in each picture.
SO...
a VBRate with 4000K and 60 fps means 66.6K worth of pixel data per frame,
VBRate of 4000k and 30 fps means 133.3K worth of data per frame
Divide that number yet again by the number of pixels (resolution) and you get the data allotment for each pixel. As that number gets smaller the pixels actually get larger and blockier by trying to make one pixel tell the story of 4 or 8 pixels to fit into the limits of the picture so the pictures (FPS) can fit into the limits of the bottle (VBRate) and the dynamic range of each pixel gets compromised as it must use a shorter pallette for Light Dark, and RGB (Red Green Blue).
By the same token this is also why Upconverting often leads to blockiness not because of the limits of the Output but the limitations of the input. And no BETTER quality is actually possible.All the encoder does is double the pixels or framerate using the VBrate for each but you are not actually getting any better quality just magnifying the pixels. And that is just like looking at a screen with a magnifying glass. You see how blocky the pixels really are in the original and those blocks just get BIGGER on the upconvert.
I suggest you see what the top Bitrate and resolution of the source files are and then set your profile accordingly to at least get parity for the best quality possible.
Resolution and FPS should exactly match and then the VBrate as long as it is the same or slightly above will ensure your getting everything there is to get out of the source...
Nizda1 said:
Remember he has more than one CPU to cool,...
...Anyways that site recommended above does have a nice selection of quality water cooling components and fans. Check out alphacool, I use there rads with a swiftech block, but watch out for the clearance its around 60mm.
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Yes good catch I missed the DUAL and just saw the Quad...The Dual CPU does complicate things.
I have used Frozen for most of my Personal Builds of rigs but mostly because they are so damn close to me that I get the shipments almost next day even when I ship it ground.
IMO Cooling is the most overlooked and underrated part of Rig Building...
I happen to have a Cosmos S case I use for all my main rigs (Just keep changing the guts) because it's just so versatile no matter what I decide to do, Water, Fans and plenty of room for all of it.

Asphyx said:
Yes but thats what your encoding profile says not the source bitrate right?
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Click to collapse
Yes, that file had been encoded, but at a much higher rate than what it ended up at. I think the bitrate was set at either 4000 or 5000, but still only produced a file at a bitrate of about half. Therefore, I assume that the Tivo file is set at that bitrate?
You should experiment a bit and see at what bitrate you see little to no quality loss or find some way to figure out the bitrate of the source file (since it's in some proprietary format might not be possible).
Then just make sure your target bitrate for re-encode is slightly higher with the same frame rate and you should be fine. from the looks of it it sounds like your FPS may be too high. And that might be a cause of loss of quality. Great for movement but the frames and pixels suffer.
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Yeah, these are .TiVo files, and I can't find any information on it. You were right about the frame rate...too high. I adjusted to 30 and that helped. I then tried about 4 or 5 different bitrate settings and am still looking for the perfect match between video quality and file size. I currently have one (480xheight, 1250 bitrate, 1500 max rate) that is a nice file size but a little fuzzy for my tastes. Then I have another one (1280xheight, 2000 bitrate, 2500 max rate) that looks great. What I'll try to do tonight is work on trimming the bitrate down a bit on the higher quality one until I notice a quality change, and then see if it changes the file size enough to justify the loss of quality.
Think if it similar to the following
The VBrate is like a bottle holds all the data for video and comes once a second.
FPS determines how many pictures are in that bottle with each picture being limited to the data size that allows all pictures to fit in that bottle.
Resolution (1080, 720) determines how many pixels must be REPRESENTED (but not always actually present) in each picture.
SO...
a VBRate with 4000K and 60 fps means 66.6K worth of pixel data per frame,
VBRate of 4000k and 30 fps means 133.3K worth of data per frame
Divide that number yet again by the number of pixels (resolution) and you get the data allotment for each pixel. As that number gets smaller the pixels actually get larger and blockier by trying to make one pixel tell the story of 4 or 8 pixels to fit into the limits of the picture so the pictures (FPS) can fit into the limits of the bottle (VBRate) and the dynamic range of each pixel gets compromised as it must use a shorter pallette for Light Dark, and RGB (Red Green Blue).
By the same token this is also why Upconverting often leads to blockiness not because of the limits of the Output but the limitations of the input. And no BETTER quality is actually possible.All the encoder does is double the pixels or framerate using the VBrate for each but you are not actually getting any better quality just magnifying the pixels. And that is just like looking at a screen with a magnifying glass. You see how blocky the pixels really are in the original and those blocks just get BIGGER on the upconvert.
I suggest you see what the top Bitrate and resolution of the source files are and then set your profile accordingly to at least get parity for the best quality possible.
Resolution and FPS should exactly match and then the VBrate as long as it is the same or slightly above will ensure your getting everything there is to get out of the source...
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Click to collapse
Thanks for all the help. I came to this post knowing nothing about any of this and all the information I have is from you guys and reverse engineering some existing profiles. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you guys.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I see there may be an option to access my Plex Media Server from other networks over the internet. Looks like BubbleUPnP also supports setting up media servers over the internet, so I will work on that next.

whitenack said:
Oh, I forgot to mention that I see there may be an option to access my Plex Media Server from other networks over the internet. Looks like BubbleUPnP also supports setting up media servers over the internet, so I will work on that next.
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Yeah I would shoot for 720P (1280 X 720) as that is likely the best quality your likely getting from the sources you have recorded.
I don't see where encoding set at one bitrate would actually wind up with a lower bitrate output, unless of course you have it set to Auto Match Bitrate. Which really shouldn't be done because the new codec you are encoding to might require a higher bitrate to get the same quality (Remember different codecs compress differently and as a result require more or less bandwidth than other codecs to get the same quality)
So you have to choose the target bitrate that works best for the codec you are encoding in. In the case of H.264 and 720P 4Mb is a good balance of size and quality. That will translate to roughly 1Gb of file per hour of programming give or take how active the footage in the material is.
As for remote Streaming...Yes both Plex and Bubble support this. You do have to have a machine up and running at all times and you must set up your router to port forward the ports used by these servers to be sent to the server. Make sure also that the Server has a static IP or that you have set a DHCP reservation in yor router for the server machine so it has the same IP address every time.
Remote streaming will almost always require you to ask for a reduced bandwidth version of the stream since your ISP is unlikely to give you enough upload speed to get full quality but it has helped me pass the time on those long days where I have nothing to do and just waiting around to pass the time.

Asphyx said:
I don't see where encoding set at one bitrate would actually wind up with a lower bitrate output, unless of course you have it set to Auto Match Bitrate. Which really shouldn't be done because the new codec you are encoding to might require a higher bitrate to get the same quality (Remember different codecs compress differently and as a result require more or less bandwidth than other codecs to get the same quality)
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Hmmm, we are quickly getting over my head. I don't have any experience in encoding, I am hijacking example encoding profiles and tweaking them a bit. Can you take a look at my profile and see if I am making any mistakes?
Code:
FFMPEG -y -i INPUT -threads CPU_CORES -vcodec libx264 -level 31 -subq 6 -me_range 16 -qmin 10 -qmax 50 -g 300 -s 1280xHEIGHT -r 29.97 -b 2000k -maxrate 2500k -acodec aac -strict -2 -ac 2 -ab 160k -ar 48000 -f mp4 OUTPUT
I think I pulled this code off an example iPhone profile. I have tweaked the resolution, bitrate and max rate a bit to experiment, but am not really sure what anything else does other than the fps and stereo aac (which is all I need).
Remote streaming will almost always require you to ask for a reduced bandwidth version of the stream since your ISP is unlikely to give you enough upload speed to get full quality but it has helped me pass the time on those long days where I have nothing to do and just waiting around to pass the time.
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Ok, forget that then. I hadn't thought about my ISP upload speed. I have TWC and my download speeds are enough for my needs but my upload speeds are pretty weak.