Convert Ts files to What??

[fred555]

For better portability of recorded shows in ts format, What should I use to convert them and what to convert them too?

Handbrake? Convert to MP4?
Mainly interest in playing on a Samsung TV that supports MP4.
What are your experiences?
I looked at Handbrake and there are a ton of settings, confusing.

 

[osu1991]

I use Vidcoder.

https://vidcoder.codeplex.com/

It is a slimmed down version of Handbrake that is simple to use. I use it to convert ts files to mp4.

If I just want to shrink an widescreen HD or an SD widescreen file I use Normal setting and just click encode. Same for just shrinking and reencoding a 4x3 file to mp4.

If I want to change from a 1280x720 or 1920x1080 file to widescreen SD then I use Normal and click the settings buttons and then the Picture Tab and change maximum width to 720 for a 720x400 SD file (then click save as and save that file setting as 720x400 so you have it as a preset) then encode.

 

[Larry1]

I have been using VideoReDo for years. It works great for converting and editing the files. I prefer to not re-encode the files, but change the package to another type if needed to make them play on my TV. This way I have retained the quality as it was originally recorded. Everytime you re-encode the file, you will loose quality in the recording. VideoReDo is also great for cutting unwanted portions out. Another great feature is it has a Quick Stream Fix feature to repair damaged streams. You do not mention how the files are being created. Different receivers and software cause particular problems with the recorded files. For example, the GeosatPro microHD records but breaks the recording up into various pieces. The TS stream is there, but an overlap in the files occur. To piece the files back together in this case, I use TSDoctor. It deletes the duplicate portion when the files are added back together. If you do not delete this portion, you may get a small blip or breakup when playing the file. TSDoctor was recommended to me by another member here some time ago. These programs are not free, but in my view, are well worth the money for the excellent job they do as well as support offered by each of them. I have used the support of each of these and they both have always been very eager to resolve my issues.

 

[osu1991]

I use VideoReDo if I am editing a file. It is the best, no need to try others, but I just prefer Vidcoder as I already had it set to what I want.

On a 60inch screen, I don't see much difference depending on the content between a 1hr 6GB raw mpeg 2 ts file and a reencoded 1 to 1.5GB mp4 from OTA recordings. If I adjust the bitrate up a little I can get a 2GB file that I can't tell any difference in. Now this doesn't work on sports or heavy action content, that needs a larger file.

I would make some recordings and play around till you find what you like. It just depends on what you want to do with the file too. There is no need to take a huge file to watch on an 8 to 17in laptop or tablet screen.

 

[fred555]

So far VidCoder is easier to use and video looks good.
Just one question on settings. Using Normal the screen below reads to me that it will shrink it down to
532x480 from 720x480:

Then I made a custom preset that make the output resolution closer to the input:

Am I doing this right with the above preset?

 

[osu1991]

From seeing what it is auto cropping from the left and right sides. I am guessing you have a 4x3 image with black bars on the sides in the 720x480 image, if so, then yes it is correct for the Normal setting.

 

[fred555]

From seeing what it is auto cropping from the left and right sides. I am guessing you have a 4x3 image with black bars on the sides in the 720x480 image, if so, then yes it is correct for the Normal setting.

Yes it is a 4x3 image with black bars on the sides in the 720x480 image.

And why is the FRED preset I created incorrect vs Normal?

 

[osu1991]

Yes it is a 4x3 image with black bars on the sides in the 720x480 image.

And why is the FRED preset I created incorrect vs Normal?

It's changing the aspect ratio. Look at the output instead of 480 it is now stretched to 650

 

[fred555]

It's changing the aspect ratio. Look at the output instead of 480 it is now stretched to 650

Ok I must have been looking at Storage resolution and not Display resolution.

 

[fred555]

I now have many many recordings from the microHD over the past few days. I will try to convert, edit and join them today and see what happens. I will let you know what issues I run into but I hope it goes smoothly.

I am not really sure how to edit or join so I will see how it goes.

 

[osu1991]

VideoReDo is the best for editing

 

[fred555]

Ok I did it.
The recording I am working on is in two parts. I converted each part to mp4 separately with VidCoder.

Then, not wanting to spend any money just yet found a decent program called Avidemux-2.6-64bit.
http://fixounet.free.fr/avidemux/
It is super simple to use. And the wiki page has some pretty extensive documentation.
And most important of all with free video editing software, no spyware included.

Open the program and set output to MP4 muxer. Leave all the other settings alone. Click on File, Open and open the first mp4 file. Click on the A button at the beginning of what you want to cut out. Now here is the most important part, navigate with only the up/down arrows on the keyboard when cutting, this will land you on "keyframes". As I understand it keyframes are were you want to splice, if you don't do it this way, the program will warn you when you try to save the result.

Anyway navigate with the up/down arrows, click A where you want to start the cut and B where you want to stop the cut then click Edit, then delete. When all the editing is done, its time to join the next part.

Click on File, then Append, and chose the second part. finish up the next part with up/down and A/B.
Once you get the hang its pretty quick to do. The join points in the final product were slight to semi noticeable but not bad at all.

Then just click on File and Save.

Fairly simple controls. Use the media controls for preview and postview of your cuts not for navigating to cut points. Use up/down keys on keyboard and A and B buttons for cutting. File and Edit menu items at the top were used.

Initial recording in ts format: 2GB
Final size of edited mp4: 329MB

Once I get the hang of this, and if I want to continue, I will definitely look into VieoReDo.

 

[osu1991]

I was using avidemux before I decided to buy VideoReDo. Avidemux works very well on most things. I had problems with editing stuff I recorded from NBC oTA with my Silicon Dust tuner and NextPvr. I would get audio dropouts every few minutes in the output file. That's when I switched to VRD for all my editing. Personally I can edit a file much quicker in avidemux.

 

[Conky]

I edit with VideoReDO and encode with Handbrake. Unless the recorded stream is always perfect you could end up with audio/video out of sync. VideoRedo will take care of that. Are there any free/open source programs that edits less-than-perfect recordings as good as Vidoredo?

 

[highskies]

Initial recording in ts format: 2GB
Final size of edited mp4: 329MB

Do you recall how long it took to do that? Meaning once it started converting to mp4 and that it ended up as 329 MB?

 

[osu1991]

Do you recall how long it took to do that? Meaning once it started converting to mp4 and that it ended up as 329 MB?

It depends on your computer. It usually takes me 45 mins to reencode an 8GB 1280x720 ts file to a 1.5GB 1280x720 mp4. The last time I converted down to a 720x400 mp4 it took about 15mins for a half hour show. I usually use my laptop which is an i7 with 8gb ram.

 

[fred555]

Do you recall how long it took to do that? Meaning once it started converting to mp4 and that it ended up as 329 MB?

Most of the shows I record are in Black and White at 720 so not very long, about 6 minutes per GB of ts file to convert to MP4. Combat above took less than 15 minutes to go from 2GB ts to 329MB MP4.

 

[osu1991]

yeah didn't think about the older stuff. I convert some stuff from the Create OTA subchannel for my mom, the original TS is so small being from an OTA subchannel. I use the Normal setting and don't do much more than convert it to mp4. It takes less than 5 mins on those. Most of what I convert are HD sources for taking when I travel. Those take the longer times

 

[fred555]

Yep, low res and no color goes quickly.

Trying to build a collection of the following classics (never know when channels will disappear):
Combat - in color about half the time
12 o'Clock High - rarely in color
The Rebel
Branded - rarely in color
Wanted Dead or Alive
The Rifleman
And maybe Rat Patrol at some point.

The edit process is so easy with Black and White, I hold down the up arrow until I see color, back up a little mark it, hold down the up arrow until I see Black and White. I'm getting good, an hour show I can edit in a couple of minutes.

 

[osu1991]

I've done that in the past for my mom on some shows that started appearing on subchannels that she likes. I have about 3TB's of old shows she likes, setup on a NAS for her to watch through a WDTV Live SMP box. I'm upgrading my server at home and starting to use Plex more also so she can then just access them from the Tivo.

I upgraded the hard drive in the Tivo to 3Tb so it holds a lot of the old westerns and such now, without me having to do anything