Converting Sage .TS files

[thekaoboy]

I am using SageTV in conjunction with a Hauppauge HD-PVR to record shows from my STB DVR to my computer. Everything with the recording process works fine and now I have my .TS video files.

However, I am having difficulty editing the video and converting them to other file formats. I have typically used TMPGEnc for all my simple editing and converting needs. But with longer .TS files (over one hour), TMPGEnc freezes after just a few frames. I have used other .TS conversion tools and either they don't work at all, or I have audio sync problems.

Has anyone had success in converting their .TS files to other formats? Can you please share what you used to do so?

Thank you.

[jelwood]

I have good success with Handbrake

[razrsharpe]

Originally Posted by jelwood

I have good success with Handbrake

usually handbrake hangs on me sometime through the middle of reencoding and i need to manually kill the process. This is true using either Evilpenguins's mediashrink or the Handbrake GUI. Do you mind sharing your handbrake, HD-PVR, SageTV, and STB settings are?

[Patrick25]

Originally Posted by razrsharpe

usually handbrake hangs on me sometime through the middle of reencoding and i need to manually kill the process. This is true using either Evilpenguins's mediashrink or the Handbrake GUI. Do you mind sharing your handbrake, HD-PVR, SageTV, and STB settings are?

I'd be interested in that as well. I've been using Omniquiti Lathe for years now and have not found anything that rivals it (quality/encoding time). Only problem is it only works on XP and doesn't support .TS files.

[ghostlobster]

I'm pretty sure that Andy's DVRMSToolbox now handles .ts files natively. If that's the case, you could have DTB, working in colaboration with SA, strip commercials out of the .ts file and generate an output file in a multitude of formats.
Check out http://www.babgvant.com

[jelwood]

Originally Posted by razrsharpe

usually handbrake hangs on me sometime through the middle of reencoding and i need to manually kill the process. This is true using either Evilpenguins's mediashrink or the Handbrake GUI. Do you mind sharing your handbrake, HD-PVR, SageTV, and STB settings are?

I don't have any problems with handbrake at all, so I'm really surprised that you are having problems. I'm recording my content in 1080i, with stereo audio.

Also, below is the command line that I use to call Handbrake. (%1 is the input filename and %2 is the output filename).

HandBrakeCLI.exe" -i %1 -t 1 -c 1 -o %2 -f m4v -X 720 --crop 0:0:0:0 --decomb -P -e x264 -q 0.50 -a 1 -E faac -B 128 -R 48 -6 stereo -D 2 -x level=30:cabac=0:ref=3:mixed-refs=1:analyse=all:me=umh:no-fast-pskip=1 -v

I hope this helps... If not, then I agree with Ghostlobster, babgvant's solution using Directshow works really nicely.

[razrsharpe]

thanks ill test it out. I am recording 1080i, AC35.1... so the audio may be what is hanging handbrake... ill test it out on some new/old files (before and after the driver update) using your command line and report back. I will also check out andy's dvrmstoolbox... never used it before but this might be as good a reason as any

EDIT: I was also testing with having the output be .mkv... i notice yours is .m4v... this shouldnt matter but who knows

[babgvant]

Originally Posted by jelwood

I don't have any problems with handbrake at all, so I'm really surprised that you are having problems. I'm recording my content in 1080i, with stereo audio.

If not, then I agree with Ghostlobster, babgvant's solution using Directshow works really nicely.

I can't get handbrake to work reliably; that's why the DS method exists (w/ added benefit that it skips commercials if you want).