andy vt's tools & blog

If you downloaded the package before September 9th, please get it again.You can find the latest copy here or in the download section

As for getting the directshow (ffdshow+AVIVO) mode to work, make sure you have AVIVO and ffdshow installed. Links are at the top of the thread and on the Wiki

I was having the same problem and I downloaded the ATI Avivo codec again.  For some reason things started working after installing it a second time.  Can't explain it... just thought I'd share with someone having the same frustration as I was a having.

I downloaded 9/6/2007  9:40 p.m. CST - same result.  The only DPC that shows up in the GUI is 'Export to iPod with AVIVO".  No export using ffmpeg or mencoder....????? 

 

I mean't 9/9/2007

 

If you are using a Vista build of DTb and are not seeing the "export to iPod using ffmpeg/mencoder" profiles, you need an updated durrant.plugins.dll.

You can install the required files by following the directions here: http://babgvant.com/blogs/andyvt/archive/2007/08/09/Convert-with-Ffmpeg.aspx

DTb XP 1.1.0.6 should already have convert with ffmpeg.

I had to reinstall DTb and the iPod Conversion add-in.  It used to work fine, but now I can't even see the export_to_ipod profiles in the DTb GUI.  I installed 1.1.0.6 and can see the export_to_ipod profiles in the DVRMSToolbox/Profiles directory, but not in the GUI.  I also installed the latest AVIVO codecs and ffdshow.  Any ideas?

Uh-oh, big SNAFU!

DTb 1.1.0.6 can't load profiles created or modified by 1.2.0.8. I just verified it by installing DTb on my old XP laptop and moving profiles back and forth. DTb 1.2.0.8, however, can load profiles created by 1.1.0.6.

I've attached a .zip with 1.1.0.6 compatible ffmpeg and mencoder profiles. Drop the contents into your profiles directory. I can't do much for the AVIVO profile, because I don't have the AVIVO filters on my XP machine and the profile won't save without them.

Hopefully the next Vista build's profiles will be compatible with 1.1.0.6.
 

 

That worked for me.  Thanks.  Is there a difference in the output quality between ffmpeg, mencoder, and AVIVO?  Is there a reason why I'd use one over either of the others?  Thanks again, your iPod profiles are awesome!

• AVIVO is fastest by far, but possibly the lowest quality. This profile is proving to be rather unstable: Hangs and crashes in the AVIVO filters are common. Also, ffdshow's settings are global. If you tweak ffdshow to provide the best audio/video on your system you will probably break the graph used by this profile.
  
• FFmpeg produces good quality and realtime or better encoding speed on a moderately powerful system.
• Mencoder may do a better job on damaged DVRMS files. Mencoder uses an EDL list to skip commercials during transcoding, whereas the other profiles use a DVRMS-to-DVRMS splice to cut commercials.

UPDATE: DTb 1.1.0.6 for XP MCE is out and 1.2.0.9 for Vista is in early access. These new builds include the ffmpeg and mencoder components. I've updated the ZIP with profiles saved by 1.2.0.9. Hopefully these will be compatible with 1.1.0.6. If not, use the profiles I created using 1.1.0.6.

Is there a way to specify what recordings get transcoded?  Like I want to only transcode one or two shows a day to iPod format for use at the gym.

 Sus

I am thinking of doing the same thing, autmatically transcode one or two shows only. I think this could be done by the processing conditions.

I have been trying to transcode some stuff that i recorded on HBOHD but via a stb so it is not really HD and it only transcodes about a minute and thats it? Is this because its a pay channel?

 Secondly i was transcoding The ellen degeneres show which i recorded on the HD channel using an HDhomerun and all went well using ffmpeg but the aspect ratio is off, everything looks skinny and taller.

Well i just tried to add a new precessing condition and it appears that its not even attempting to look at the new condition and it just skips right over it in the log without even mentioning that it is not a match

I restarted and cleared the logs and its working now as expected. Lets just see if it adds to itunes properly.

 

shaft1543:

Well i just tried to add a new precessing condition and it appears that its not even attempting to look at the new condition and it just skips right over it in the log without even mentioning that it is not a match

You have to restart the service.  It only reads the profiles and processing conditions when it starts up.

Come to think of it, it would be nice to have a button to restart the service to make it easier to change profiles/PCs.
 

Well running the export to ipod with ffmpeg as a automatic processing condition seems to work up until the add to itunes part. The log says that the script runs but itues never opens and the file is never imported. My current setting outpou the mp4 to public\users\dvrmstoolbox\output and my itues is set to copy the file when adding to library. The import will run fine from the gui but not as an automatic procecess.

shaft1543,

When/if you get this setup and running, can I get a small instruct on how you setup the processing conditions?  That would be great.

 Sus