Looking for testers for MCE video conversion assistant (MCEBuddy free GPL) - Page 5

phredeaux · **25th August 2007, 01:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skarn

Played with this, nice. Noticed if I put any old video file into my recorded tv folder and renamed it to dvr-ms file type the service has no problems converting. Tried a few various avi's/mpgs filetypes.

You inspired me to play around with mencoder.exe command line. Your project is progressing perfectly for what it is, a tv recording conversion tool automated for mce2005.

I might try my ameteurish hand at making an mce interface that has a file browser, lets you select a video file, and has mencoder.exe spit out a converted file. Might be useful for those after a select and convert version rather than an automatic service.

Yes, conversion from other formats should work, though the decode is optimised for DVR-MS.

I've got the above functionality on the list for MCEBuddy (though it will still be processed by the service under the time constraints, etc. specified). If you get yours running, please let me know how you go as it might save me some time.

Cheers

Derek

Peter Cook · **25th August 2007, 06:22 PM**

This is as close to the Holy Grail of apps for converting media files to AVI. You sir are a genius.....

I have it running on my Vista MCE and it has converted all files and reduced my disk usage by around 70%. THe AVI files work perfectly on my Transcode 360 media extender so play on the 360.

I have only experienced one glitch with converting a program the other night where the Audio was OK on the end of the previous program (All Saints) but was just screeches and squwaks on the scheduled program (Life Begins). The Audio was OK on the DVRMS file.... Not sure what happenned there.

Thanks for your time and effort in producing this Gem of an application.

Peter Cook

phredeaux · **28th August 2007, 08:25 PM**

Guys, 1.0.6 is ready for beta. By this I mean a real beta (releases to date have not been beta code). I need to test the following:

1. Standard profile conversion one television (not computer monitor) displays. I'm hoping the conversion will work without the user needing to specify PAL/NTSC, but as my own system uses a Dell 30" monitor instead of a TV I can't test this.

2. I need to collect and test a new set of conversion profiles, so if you have some that are more effective than the conversion you are already getting with MCEBuddy, please pass them on so we can share the joy.

If you have time for beta test please send me an email to mcebuddy@tyrell.com.au and I will point you to the beta page.

Cheers

Derek

phredeaux · **4th September 2007, 01:52 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryce

Hi phredeaux

Wow, what an excellent concept. Simplicity at it's best. Brilliant app.
I'd add rep points but theres no thanks button.
(It would be a good idea to move this thread to another area of the forum where thanks can be given. Because your efforts are well appreciated.)
Thanks anyway.
Bryce

Things I experienced: Ver 1.01
1. UAC was shut down during setup.

2. Cannot use MCE Buddy Configuration When UAC is active.
The following error is generated.... Unable to control the MCEBuddy service
Cannot open MCE Buddy service on computer '.'.
Apart from that everything is O.K. Just turn UAC off to make changes to the configuration.

Transcodes quickly and efficiently.

Bryce, all of this is corrected in 1.0.5 and later.

phredeaux · **5th September 2007, 09:54 PM**

Beta testers, MCEBuddy 1.0.6 BETA 2 is available

if you are not a beta tester and wish to participate, please send me an email mcebuddy@tyrell.com.au

zxcasd · **7th September 2007, 11:54 AM**

I have used XP Media Center from Jan 06 to Aug 07, now using Vista Media Center. the dvr-ms container that Microsoft used was annoying. It was just a container for MPEG2 codec, but hard to maintain..... I've used SUPER(www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html), but this program seems nicer(automated...)

a few questions:
1) Is there a way to set bitrate?
2) Can there be an option to save the metadata(including Line21/closed-captioning)?
3) Since a TV Tuner on-the-fly decodes the TV video/audio to save to the hard drive, is there a way(like SageTV/MythTV) for your program to intercept this video/audio stream for (kind-of)on-the-fly encoding?
4) Progress bar helps a lot to estimate time left

davnicjou · **7th September 2007, 12:33 PM**

Thanks Great Job Even The Wife Should Be Able To Use It ?????????

phredeaux · **7th September 2007, 04:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by zxcasd

I have used XP Media Center from Jan 06 to Aug 07, now using Vista Media Center. the dvr-ms container that Microsoft used was annoying. It was just a container for MPEG2 codec, but hard to maintain..... I've used SUPER(www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html), but this program seems nicer(automated...)

a few questions:
1) Is there a way to set bitrate?
2) Can there be an option to save the metadata(including Line21/closed-captioning)?
3) Since a TV Tuner on-the-fly decodes the TV video/audio to save to the hard drive, is there a way(like SageTV/MythTV) for your program to intercept this video/audio stream for (kind-of)on-the-fly encoding?
4) Progress bar helps a lot to estimate time left

Some answers then.

1) Yes, this will be possible with mencoder profile support once version 1.06 is out of beta. Not possible at the moment.
2) Release 1.1 will move the meta data into AVI and WMV envelopes (but not MP4 at this stage). Right now close captioning is not in scope.
3) No, sorry. I'd prefer it if MCE did this by default, and then MCEBuddy (and others) would never have needed to be written.
4) This is in 1.06 as well (for encode)

Cheers

Derek

phredeaux · **7th September 2007, 05:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by davnicjou

Thanks Great Job Even The Wife Should Be Able To Use It ?????????

Hopefully, once its set up everything should be automagic.

phredeaux · **8th September 2007, 09:23 PM**

Beta testers, MCEBuddy 1.0.6 BETA 3 is available

New items in Beta 1.0.6 BETA 3:
- The all-improved singing and dancing encode release (they should all work nicely with H.264 and Xvid generating small files)
- Improved Xvid encoding - now also DIVX5 for enhanced compatibility
- iPod encoding should now work
- UI bugs fixed
- Improved Comskip defaults
- Faster 2 pass encoding

PeterPan · **11th September 2007, 11:10 AM**

Tried 1.06 Beta 3 last night

Converting H.264 (No Resize) to one directory
Second option Xvid (No Resize) to another directory
(Commercial skipping was not selected)

Woke this morning to find mencoder had crashed (Running Vista). I had tried 1.05 previously and it worked fine.

1.06's feature look great (bar the crash)

I have just restarted it just to convert to Xvid, will see how it goes .....

Pete.

phredeaux · **11th September 2007, 02:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterPan

Tried 1.06 Beta 3 last night

Converting H.264 (No Resize) to one directory
Second option Xvid (No Resize) to another directory
(Commercial skipping was not selected)

Woke this morning to find mencoder had crashed (Running Vista). I had tried 1.05 previously and it worked fine.

1.06's feature look great (bar the crash)

I have just restarted it just to convert to Xvid, will see how it goes .....

Pete.

Pete,

Did it crash on the first encode or the second? There is a bug in BETA3 with the second pass I'm looking into. Was the crash MCEBuddyService.exe or Mencoder.exe?

Cheers

Derek