_________Crunchie Version 1.1 Released!_________
Crunchie is designed to be run nightly as a scheduled task. Its' main function in life is to find all your recordings from throughout the day and compress these very large files (3GB per hour) down to something a little more manageable.
The resultant avi file (using xvid compression), can be 1/5th the size of the original file.
NB: Crunchie was designed primarily for Australian DVB-T Standard Definition (720x576) recordings. It has also been shown to work well with NTSC SD (720x480) material. If you are attempting to use Crunchie on HD material your results may vary. A newer version capable of supporting HD (and AC3 Audio) content is being worked on. Any results of such attempts with this version would be welcomed. Please use this thread to provide any feedback regarding the program.
Please feel free to make a donation should you find Crunchie useful!
Additions in this release include:
- Check if output file exists and append a number to the end instead of overwriting the original.
- Implement include/exclude options.
- The ability to only convert to xvid if the file is older than xx days.
- Clean temp directory on startup.
- Allow direct conversion of mpg source to xvid files. (for non MCE users)
- Implement 2 pass 50fps deinterlacing (to remove motion artifacts on progressive displays)
- Implement Pal/NTSC Selection for our US friends.
- Implement single pass Encoding.
- More control over the xvid options used (via gui). i.e. bitrate, number of passes, deinterlace method etc.
Read on for full instruction on installation and usage of the program!! Enjoy! 
1.0 Thanks
Before downloading and installing I need to give thanks to the Authors of the following tools:
1. DVRMSToolbox (
babgVant from
The Green Button - Your Media Center Community).
2. mplayer/mencoder (from those
wacky linux guys. See
www.mplayerhq.hu)
without whom I couldn't have put this tool together!
Crunchie and its Author can be found at the worlds greatest MCE site:
www.xpmediacentre.com.au
2.0 Installation Guide
To install Crunchie you also need to have DVRMSToolbox and a capable xvid playback codec installed on your machine. DVRMSToolbox is available via the download section on
www.xpmediacentre.com.au and can also be found as a download link in this thread.
I use and recommend ffdshow as the playback codec of choice for all xvid content. ffdshow can be downloaded from the internet from the host of your choosing.
1. Download
DVRMSToolBox and Crunchie Version 1.1.
2. Extract and install DVRMSToolbox (remove previous version if installed).
3. Extract and install Crunchie.
NB: If you are updating from a previous version of Crunchie you will need to uninstall the old version then go to the installation folder (c:\Program files\Arksoft\Arksofts Crunchie by default), and delete the .ini file from the folder. You can then install the new version to the same folder without problems.
When all packages are installed you can run Crunchie either from the desktop or the Start menu.
On first execution the Crunchie GUI will start allowing you to set your configuration.
The following details the purpose of each configuration item and their recommended settings:
3.0 Configuration
3.1 Folder Configuration
3.1.1 DVRMSToolbox Folder
Browse for the folder location in which you installed DVRMSToolbox.
If you accepted defaults on install it will be in C:\Program Files\DVRMSToolbox.
3.1.2 Mpeg Only Checkbox
Previous version of Crunchie worked only with dvr-ms files. The new version will also convert mpg files directly to xvid. In the event that you only want to convert mpeg files you can check this checkbox. DVRMSToolbox is then not required. This has been included to allow users of other HTPC software to utilise the tool. If your card/software can record directly to mpeg2 then you also can now benefit from the simplicity or Crunchie!
3.1.3 Source Folder
Browse for the location in which your dvr-ms or mpeg recorded TV files are stored.
If you have installed Crunchie on an MCE2005 machine using the defaults, this field should already be correct, if not, adjust as necessary.
3.1.4 Temporary Folder
Browse for a folder on a drive that contains ample space for processing.
The DVRMSToolbox conversion to mpeg will result in an mpeg file roughly the size of your original dvr-ms file.
The resulting mpeg file is then converted to avi in the next automated step. Once the conversion to avi is complete, the intermediate mpeg is then removed (if configured see below) and the next dvr-ms file conversion will commence (again automatically).
Some temporary files that the program creates will also be created in this folder. These files are cleaned up automatically by the program.
Note: Processing speed will be increased by utilizing temporary storage on a separate physical drive (not partition) to your Recorded TV drive.
3.1.5 Avi Output Folder
Browse for the location you would like the final avi files to be stored. This should be the same location as the MyVideos directory in MCE in order to watch your converted files.
3.2 Folder Options
3.2.1 Remove Source file.
When selected, this option will remove the original dvr-ms or mpg file after successful completion of the conversion thus returning a large chunk of your recording TV drive space. This option is
off by default. Turn it on when you are comfortable that recordings and conversions on your machine and particular configuration are reliable.
3.2.2 Remove tmp mpeg files
This option when checked will remove the intermediate mpeg files created during the conversion process. This option is enabled by default.
3.2.3 Create Subfolders
When checked this will instruct Crunchie to create subfolders for your converted TV shows. This will work for shows recorded via the guide in MCE. Manual recordings and direct mpeg files cannot be automatically categorized.
e.g. If you record Doctor Who, the dvr-ms file is usually named 'Doctor Who_Channel 2_23_06_2005_18_00_00.dvr-ms'. Crunchie will store the resultant avi to your Avi Output folder in a folder named Doctor Who. In this way all your regular guide recordings will be stored in easy to find folders in date of recording order. It is recommended that this option also be used with the rename option (See below).
3.2.4 Rename dvr-ms files (not applicable to direct mpg files)
The <Show name>_Channel_dd_mm_yyyy_hh_min_sec.dvr-ms file naming convention is very cumbersome when searching for a show to watch in MyVideos as it is too long to be affectively displayed in the MCE interface.
Checking this option will rename the resultant avi file to an abbreviated <Showname>(yyyymmdd).avi format.
Used in conjunction with the Create Subfolders option and using our example above the final avi file would be stored as <Avi output dir>/Doctor Who/Doctor Who (20050623).avi. This forces sorting in date of recording order and is far more readable in the MCE interface.
3.3 Encode Options
3.3.1 2 Pass Encoding
2 Pass encoding can increase the output quality of the created avi file substancially. It will also increase the encoding time. It is recommended to use 2 pass encoding however, if your machine is a little underpowered or you just want a fast conversion uncheck this tickbox and single pass encoding will be used.
3.3.2 Double Rate Deinterlace
Double rate deinterlace can help remove any artefacts seen as a result of the deinterlacing of interlaced video. I would recommend this be used for anyone that has a progressive display device (plasma, projector, lcd) as the resultant avi will be extremely smooth when played back using this method.
In technical terms this switch will convert 25 frames per second interlaced video to progressive 50 frames per second (and 30 fps NTSC to 60 fps) respectively and is the only true way of deinterlacing interlaced material.
3.3.3 Force 4:3 Aspect
This option should only be used if your recording was made on an analog card. Crunchie by default will sample the source video and choose a valid aspect ratio and crop setting suitable for the source material. Analog recordings are always in a 4:3 aspect ratio (even when widescreen material is being shown).
Checking this option will ensure that 4:3 analog material is encoded with the correct aspect ratio for playback.
This option is
NOT required for Digital recordings and will result in incorrect aspect output video if used with 16:9 material.
3.3.4 TV System
Self explanatory. Choose PAL or NTSC based on where you live.
3.3.5 Bitrate
Set the bitrate you wish to use for your conversions. The default (2500) will result in very high quality conversions. You can set this value as low as 600 and as high as 5000. The lower you go the lesser quality but the smaller the output file size will be. The higher the figure the better quality (to a point), but the larger the output file size will be. I recommend around 1500 for good quality at a reasonable file size.
3.4 Recording Selection
3.4.1 Include
The include section allows you to tell Crunchie exactly what files you would like included when it scans your source folder for files to be converted. In the above case I have instructed Crunchie only to compress files with the words Doctor and Wimb in their title. You can include as many search strings as you like in this field. Wildcards are permitted.
If you would like Crunchie to process all files in the source folder then use a single asterix ‘*”, without the quotes to tell Crunchie to accept every file in the directory for processing.
3.4.2 Exclude Checkbox
Checking this box will enable a new text field in which you can list exclude search strings for Crunchie to compare against show title names. Any title name matching your search criteria will not be included for conversions. Crunchie will first include files from the include selection, then apply the exclusion list to the names of files included to arrive at a final list of files to be processed.
Coupled with the inclusion list it is now possible to construct strict rules on what to convert and what to ignore in the source folder.
For instance you may find that you have trouble with conversions of programs recorded on Channel 10. Or for some reason you do not wish to compress CSI Miami and Doctor Who as you'd rather watch those in an uncompressed format.
To do this enter an “*” for the include list and then a
comma separated list of your exclusion criteria in the exclusions text box.
In this example the exclusions would be:
CSI Miami,Channel 10,Doctor Who
Crunchie will use each comma separated string to exclude any show that has that string in it's title. The search and pattern matching is
case sensitive.
3.4.3 Only Compress files that are more than xx days old
Checking this text box and entering a number of days will allow you to use age based criteria to choose what files you want converted. You can instruct Crunchie to compress files that are older than 5 days old. Thereby keeping your disk usage to a minimum by making sure that older recordings (that you haven’t yet had time to watch) are compressed and kept.
The combinations of the above criteria (include/exclude and age) now present a very functional list of ways to instruct Crunchie what to do on a daily basis. Complex rules such as “Compress all CSI shows except CSI Miami if they are more than 7 days old” can now be achieved with ease.
3.5 Defaults/Save and Exit.
3.5.1 Reset to Defaults button
This will reset the Crunchie configuration to default values.
3.5.2 Save
Saves the changes to your configuration when complete.
3.5.3 Exit
Exits the GUI.
4.0 Using Crunchie
Once your configuration is complete you can run Crunchie by double clicking on the Crunchie icon on the desktop or the Start Menu program group.
Crunchie runs in a dos window (I recommend changing the width of the window to 150 characters and saving that size to the shortcut that started the program) so that future invocations start at the correct size. As each file is converted logging information will scroll up the screen until the program completes. A log of all activity can also be found in the program group directory where you installed Crunchie.
Crunchie can also be run from the command line.
4.1 Making Configuration Changes
If you need to adjust the configuration of Crunchie (after the initial execution), you can double click on the Crunchie Configurator icon on the desktop or Start Menu program group. This will start Crunchie in GUI mode and allow you to modify and save your configuration.
4.2 Scheduling Conversions
Crunchies' main purpose is to save you space. It is designed to be run at a time when you are not recording or using the MCE machine.
For me this is from around 1am-midday.
Crunchie can be scheduled to run via the windows task scheduler. To do this use Control Panel -> Scheduled Tasks to create a new task that runs Crunchie nightly to convert all your recorded shows to avi format. Set the task to wake the computer and the machine should resume from standby, convert all your recorded shows for the day, and then return to sleep. Next night you can sit down to enjoy your recorded TV knowing that your shows are 1/5th of their original size! If you'd like to archive those shows, you can fit far far more on a single DVD now!
This is the second full release of the product and has been extensively tested by a team of testers. Myself and the moderator team at
www.xpmediacentre.com.au will help in any way we can with your issues should any arise.
Be warned that the program uses the freeware tools DVRMSToolbox and Mencoder and I have no control over bug fixes or revisions within either of those products.
Crunchie was written to automate a complex task and add some extra functionality to MCE.
5.0 Miscellaneous
Additions to the program may occur from time to time, on my
POSSIBLE todo list (someday/maybe) are:
1. Automatic advertisement removal (via DVRMSToolbox).
2. Further Advanced encoding options for advanced users.
3. A quality vs size slider control for those not in the advanced category of users who would like further control over the output.
4. More possibilities around scheduling and possibly conversion priority to allow crunchie to run in reduced priority mode whilst you are using your MCE machine.
6. Space management options to allow Crunchie to compress shows automatically if your recorded TV drive space gets low.
At this point in time I'd be happy to hear any feedback however please accept the program for what it is and what it was designed to do.
It will most likely never:
- Have built in cutting features (aka dcut). I would suggest pre-cutting with dcut should you require this functionality.
- Be able to write wmv files (with meta tags and FF capability).
- feed your dog when you're not at home.
I am open to suggestions regarding functional improvements, however, I ask you not to be upset if I tell you it isn't possible or won't be done!
I hope you find the program useful!!
-Arkay.
