TyTool Alpha #7r10, VSplit Alpha beta #3.31b1, DVD output...

[jdiner]

Alright. The rules in this thread are the same as the last one for my tools. A great many things have happened recently. But best to start with a charter for this thread.

Just like before these are rules for this thread, not the forum. If you want to discuss things deemed off limits here make your own threads and set your own rules. But if you decide to participate here then please follow the guidelines.

So the rules for this thread are:

1- NO FLAMES AND NO ARGUMENTS... I am through trying to be nice on this as it just plain does not work. I will without reservation delete anything that shows up here that could be considered either of the above. Enough is enough.

2- It has become clear that we have 2 distinct camps with zealots in both. Fine. Use my stuff. Use Olaf's. I couldn't care less. Many of us got dragged into a war we didn't know we were supposed to be involved in... So a new rule. We discuss ONLY my own tools here... Leave the rest in their own threads! This is not intended to be an attack but rather to stop them. You don't like me. Fine. You don't like my tools fine. You don't like those that use them. You're an ***** but fine for hating people you have never ever met so just go somewhere else.

3- NO ADVERTISING FOR OTHER TOOLS. Again this thread is again about Vsplit/TyTool. If you have something cool to use in place of or even with them the take it to a different thread. Any post by anyone about "you really should use X instead..." is gone the moment I or some of other mods see it.

This is still an open forum. Create your own thread and have at it. But such posts are entirely unwelcome here.

4- Feel free to discuss various OS/wishes/desires/etc.... At some point we should support as much as is possible.

5- Feel free to ask for features but be aware that I am making no promises except to work on things in general... I mean it. Ask. But don't hound me or anyone else, that accomplishes nothing. If you think of something that would be cool let me know. I will add it to the list.

6- I suppose I should say it... I reserve the right to disappear at any time. Just like you do. When life interferes hobbies get put on hold. Having said that it will be obvious when you look at the new toolset that I have been putting in a great deal of time on it. Hope that it helps every do what they want to with their Tivos...

--jdiner

[jdiner]

TyTool 7r10 with DVD Support. The attachment has this version of the tooset in it.

We are now at 7r10. This version is really 7r9 with the removal of the jtee.exe problems so that things work all the way through again.

This version features more general bug fixes and some serious revisions to the DVD menu code.

As always check the release notes found inside the .zip for a detailed list of what has changed.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

In this archive you will find the Win32 versions of:

TyTool7r10.exe
TyTool.ini
Vsplit3.31b1.exe
GopEditor 0.07
TyTranscodeDLL.dll


Please see the release statement for the full version for details and as always the release notes in the zip archive.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Ok. Just to be very clear. Any upcoming releases for the tools will be found in the above 2 posts. Luckily they are at the very start in this thread and so it should get rid of the last problems with people not knowing where to find them.

--jdiner

[snoopy]

AwesomeNewTools

Sync works GREAT even with pretty menus and chapters in DVD Lab 1.2.1

I go straight from the downloaded TYTool7r5 mpg, into the latest DVD Lab with absolutely PerfectResults!!

Anyone care give a little back please check this http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25526

GREAT WORK AS ALWAYS!

[eastwind]

Originally posted by snoopy
AwesomeNewTools

Sync works GREAT even with pretty menus and chapters in DVD Lab 1.2.1

I go straight from the downloaded TYTool7r5 mpg, into the latest DVD Lab with absolutely PerfectResults!!

GREAT WORK AS ALWAYS!

Snoopy.

Have you had any issues with DVD-Lab 1.2.1 and the Title(Root) Menu? I have a Sony DVD changer and when I make a DVD with 1.2.1 I never get to see the first menu. Instead it rolls right to the first movie. Pressing the various menu buttons on my remote do not help either...just back to the first movie.

EW

[snoopy]

Originally posted by eastwind
Snoopy.

Have you had any issues with DVD-Lab 1.2.1 and the Title(Root) Menu? I have a Sony DVD changer and when I make a DVD with 1.2.1 I never get to see the first menu. Instead it rolls right to the first movie. Pressing the various menu buttons on my remote do not help either...just back to the first movie.

EW

Mine does that too. It only does it for me though if I have played the DVD before. The very first time I play a DVD, I get the menu. Subsequent times, I do not. It rolls right into the first movie. Fortunately for me (and many others i think), I do have a "menu" button on the remote that puts me there.

[jmhenry5150]

jdiner -

YOU ARE THE MAN!

Audio from MPEG II works very nice on my SONY DVD player now...

One small problem, chapter stops pause on me every time. I will goto a chapter stop using the >>| button and it goes to it an freezes - the only way to get it going is to use the fast forward button...I can't remember it doing this in a previous version, however it may be because of the audio conversion...

No biggies as I now have sound for every disc I make...I can live without them...!

Thank you very much for all your work and putting up with us "users" ...

-Mike

[jmhenry5150]

snoopy -

Would you mind posting a workflow with the new version out now? I would be interested in trying that out!

-Mike

[jdiner]

Well with kmon's help I finally managed to track down the bug that was causing the directory dialogs to populate with absolutely nothing. Turns out that M$ broke something in the basic sys-libs and I was also doing something wrong.

Brakes down to 2 whole lines of code where I was doing an equals with a bit-flag rather than a bit-wise and. This is now fixed and it should solve the remaining directory problems.

Give me just a minute and I will have TyTool7r6 up.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Alright.

I have been giving this some thought. I am pretty done with audio transcoding. I will spend a few minutes looking at what it would take to get the "everything to dolby" transcoding for those that are doing movies. But I put on hold everything I wanted to do the transcoding for others.

You should all send your thanks to Rowan for TyTranscode. A nice piece of work that is...

So now what I am going to work on next. Here is my list of priorities as of this moment. But subject to change as things come up.

1- Get a vob importer so that I can fix some of the bad disks I made a while back. I actually have about 95% of this done right now. (This should work for MPEG files as well.)

2- Once the vob importer is done I can rebuild the bad disks and really start to clean off my machine. A major necessity at this point.

3- With the vob/mpeg importer done it should also be possible to generate key files and edit and what not from the generated mpegs. (Not a crucial thing for me as I just want it remux'ed as is...)

4- Add a 3rd importer (tyStream is first, vob/mpeg is second) for the already split streams. Do keep in mind that these need to be "perfect" with no holes to work. But if they were then I can decode them enought to mux back together with reasonable results.

5- Finally get back to my changes/fixes/enhancements to GopEditor. I have had some great thoughts on this over the last little while and I have not had time to do any of them. Infact it has been so long that I just realized I don't remember all of them that I was going to do. Rats...

6- Get back into the simple menu generation I built.
- Selectable font.
- Selectable color.
- Selectable BMP backdrop image.
- Templates for the overlay so that the buttons can be anywhere you want.
- Multi-page menus for show that are smaller on disk.
- Savable menu's for later editing.
- Have the menu dialog show the overall size of the selected files.
- etc... etc... etc...

Anything crucial that I have forgotten?

--jdiner

[LuckMan212]

tested w/ 7r5 and 7r6 ...

when I push "refresh" in TyTool, i get a "nowshowing.txt" file dumped into my C:\ directory...

any reason for this? if tytool needs it as a "temp file" can it automatically delete it when its done?

i like to keep my root dir "clean" .... :D


THANKS!! TyTool is THE BEST!

[asicguyca]

Jdiner,

I was having some trouble with my pc crashing and the tivo remote not responding when transferring tystreams to my pc.

My pc seems more stable and I have been able to transfer several streams overnight. I still have an occasional crash, but they don't seem related to tytool.

The remote issue is livable now that I understand what is going on. However, I think it would a nice feature to have a pause button on the tytool window to pause the download to allow normal remote function. Not worth a lot of effort if it is difficult.
It would be nice to have a CANCEL button as well.

One other nicety would be to have a button to save cut files rather than having to pick it from the menu, since all the other work centers around the buttons to start, stop and add cuts.

These are very minor ideas just for convenience and is in no way intended as criticism for these tremendous tools. I hope you don't get tired of my thanking you for your work on these tools.

I am very new to the video extraction and it has been pretty painless so far.

Another feature that I think would be very cool would be having tytool just watch for new tystreams to transfer to the pc. I don't know if this is possible, difficult, etc. Just an idea to relieve some manual work.

Thanks again

[snoopy]

Originally posted by jmhenry5150
snoopy -

Would you mind posting a workflow with the new version out now? I would be interested in trying that out!

-Mike

It's very simple...

1) Use TYTool 7r6 to download the mpg files using TYTools "multiplex mode".

2) I then use DVDLab (http://www.simtel.net/autodownload.html?mirror=4&product=64228&key=00efbae465601c71e0e9) upgraded to 1.2.1 beta (http://www.mediachance.com/files/dvdlabup121.exe) to create the CD using this quick start guide (http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/Help/quick.htm).

3) I then use the flexible (http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/history.html) multiplexer option from within DVDLab to create my DVD-Rs (http://www.allmediaoutlet.com/P-DVD-R-4XP100.html).

[jmhenry5150]

snoopy,

where is the audio conversion to AC3 fit in here?

[Toddler]

Originally posted by snoopy
It's very simple...

1) Use TYTool 7r6 to download the mpg files using TYTools "multiplex mode".

2) I then use DVDLab (http://www.simtel.net/autodownload.html?mirror=4&product=64228&key=00efbae465601c71e0e9) upgraded to 1.2.1 beta (http://www.mediachance.com/files/dvdlabup121.exe) to create the CD using this quick start guide (http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/Help/quick.htm).

3) I then use the flexible (http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/history.html) multiplexer option from within DVDLab to create my DVD-Rs (http://www.allmediaoutlet.com/P-DVD-R-4XP100.html). Snoopy,

Are there any problems with using DVD-Lab 1.1 instead of 1.2.1? For the time being I have to use v1.1.

Toddler

[captain_video]

However, I think it would a nice feature to have a pause button on the tytool window to pause the download to allow normal remote function. Not worth a lot of effort if it is difficult. It would be nice to have a CANCEL button as well.


I think you've got to set your priorities when extracting from your Tivo. If you want to watch the Tivo then plan on doing your extractions at a later time. You really don't want to be extracting while watching and/or recording as it can cause your Tivo to reboot or TyTools to crash unexpectedly. A Tivo processor can only do so much and if you tax it to the limits by running too many processes you'll have to suffer the consequences. This is not something josh needs to fix. It is, however, something you need to do to schedule your extraction and viewing chores at different times. You can cancel the extraction simply by closing TyTools.

[Toddler]

I'm surprised by how many issues some people seem to have doing extraction. I've never had my TiVo reboot on me or even had the remote lock up. One Saturday day I ripped about 50GB of shows in a batch (which took all day) and my TiVo still recorded new shows without a hitch. My remote was a little sluggish but not to the point where it became bothersome.

Here's a little brainstorming: Could it be that there is an advantage to having a 5400rpm drive? Maybe my drive is slow enough so that the processor isn't the bottleneck in the system, and therefore it's got enough free cycles to handle new requests. Maybe users with 7200rpm drives are keeping the processor busier? That could be a dumb idea, but who knows?

Anyway, I guess I'll just figure my TiVo is a magical unit and count my blessings.

[Hi8]

Originally posted by eastwind
Snoopy.

Have you had any issues with DVD-Lab 1.2.1 and the Title(Root) Menu? I have a Sony DVD changer and when I make a DVD with 1.2.1 I never get to see the first menu. Instead it rolls right to the first movie. Pressing the various menu buttons on my remote do not help either...just back to the first movie.

EW

I've had the same problem... with my Sony 715P - both my Koss, and Nextbase players don't play anything. It just goes into a PLAY mode but nothing appears on the screen and seems to lockup.

I wasn't sure where the problem was, TyTool or DVDLab, as I upgraded both about the same time.

[jdiner]

Originally posted by LuckMan212
tested w/ 7r5 and 7r6 ...

when I push "refresh" in TyTool, i get a "nowshowing.txt" file dumped into my C:\ directory...

any reason for this? if tytool needs it as a "temp file" can it automatically delete it when its done?

This was done to try and help me figure out why the refresh button is crashing on some. I wanted to see what was really in that file. It will be going away soon.

After all it creates only 1 file and just keeps appending to it.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Originally posted by captain_video
I think you've got to set your priorities when extracting from your Tivo. If you want to watch the Tivo then plan on doing your extractions at a later time. You really don't want to be extracting while watching and/or recording as it can cause your Tivo to reboot or TyTools to crash unexpectedly.
I would second this. Things work well when you play nicely with the Tivo. The following is really for everyone wondering about this stuff...

Keep in mind the MFS is where everything is stored: the title of a show, who starred in it, the actual data itself.

Only one process at a time can access the MFS. This was done on purpose. The GUI, the myworld process, runs all the time and it accesses the MFS partitions all the time.

Because it needs that same information and data so does the tserver program from the TyTool suite.

So does TivoWeb.

So does whatever the TyStdudio server is called.

So does so many other tools it is hard to count.

When I first started all of this I noticed that if a collision occured and did not clear, i.e. a deadlock, the tivo rebooted itself. This happened to me a great deal when I was first working on the NowShowing.tcl file and did not have the priority set and the backoff on collision code in place.

It has not happened to me in over a year. But as I have mentioned in the past I use my tivo differently than most. Everyone else seems to just load everything they can onto it as a "just in case I ever need that" option.

My Tivo has only the following above and beyond the basic Tivo installed files:

1- The turbonet driver. (An older version even than many others are using.) This runs all the time as expected.

2- vim - Just so I can edit things more easily. This runs only when I start it manually in the shell.

3- TivoWeb is started by the rc file now. So this is running all of the time.

4- tserver_mfs6 is started by me and left running. So for the most part this is up and running all fo the time.

That is it. As a simple as possible.

Now going back to what I was saying before about collisions. You can minimize them by being aware of what is going on and not falling into a few simple "bad" habits with the tivo.

1- I watch and record and extract from my tivo all the time. But when you use the remote you have to be aware that every button click on the remote does "things" within the myworld app which in turn touches the MFS. MAKE ABOSLUTELY SURE THAT YOU HIT ONLY 1 REMOTE BUTTON A TIME AND WAIT TO SEE IT VISUALLY TAKE PLACE ON THE SCREEN BEFORE HITTING A SECOND KEY!!!!

This one is simple and crucial. I can kill the tivo every time in less than 20 seconds. All you have to do is hit enough buttons on the remote while extracting. One of them will cross the deadlock timeout and bang you are dead. It will force a reboot thinking it has locked up.

Also keep in mind that just because tserver is running at a lower priority does not mean that it isn't taking tons of CPU. it just means that it will give up some of the CPU to other apps. This is why recording now works without glitches. But it takes a measurable bit of time for the OS to start giving time-slices to other apps including the GUI. You will find that once the GUI starts working again it will speed right back up to close to normal even while extraction is in progress. But it will be slower as there is an aweful lot of work going on for a CPU that is that slow.

2- DO NOT TOUCH TIVOWEB WHILE TYTOOL IS EXTRACTING. I MEAN IT DON'T DO ANYTHING WITH IT ESPECIALLY GET A NOW SHOWING LIST... This might seem a simple thing to do. Just one button click. But you have to look at the code to know what is going on. It touchs tons of seperate elements within the MFS for every line displayed. I had a tweaked version on my Tivo that counted the MFS calls at one point for a display on my old SATivo. It crossed 1000 seperate collidible calls to display the now showing list. Again if one of them blocks for too long the tivo will do a force deadlock reboot.

Once the actual extraction has stopped I have used it with great success to delete shows. I am using version 1.9.4. I do not know how recent it is. But like I said I use it almost every day to delete shows and everything is fine.

3- Stay out of the pick shows to record, wishlists, etc... during extraction. Again these options search the MFS in great detail while things are going on. The more that gets done the greater a chance of a forced reset.

Doing just the above I have not had a single reset/crash during extraction in over a year. And that was through several versions of the OS and other tools including mine.

I am not saying you will all be pefect afterwards. Face it you might simply be cursed. :) But if you excercise just a bit of patience and self control odds are greatly improved that you will be successful at extracting...

--jdiner

[bato]

First, please all people that want to use DVDlab with TyTool files lets move to other thread.

Now, DVDlab version 1.2.1 have some serious bugs in it, you better go back to 1.15 or 1.2 (1.2 if you want flexible muxer). Some problems reported:
- do not display menu at all in many players
- lock up some players
- do not return to the correct menu

to find out more take a look at this (http://www.mmbforums.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=148) is in mmbforums so I don't know if you need to register to see it.

This is what Oscar said about 1.2.1 beta:
The library on 1.2.1 beta has been changed and it is flawed with some serious bugs. Of course we are working on this + other compatibility issues and I will not make any more features untill this is fixed to the sattisfaction.

the 1.2.1 beta is to see and test the new features, but the compile istself isn't kosher. if the library fixing will take too long I will make a 1.2.05 -beta with the old library. (from Oscar, 6/27/2003)

To discuss TyTool and DVDlab go here (http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25608) or some how-tos with DVDlab here (http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25261)

[jdiner]

Ok. I did not realize there was a full thread about it. I will leave the messages that are here. But no more talk about DVDLab please. I am not opposed to that tool in anyway. But this thread is about TyTool and VSplit...

Thanks to one and all and especially to Snoopy and Bato for trying to help so many with fancy menus...

--jdiner

[Just4Fun]

Here is my step by step guide. It's not for anything fancy just for using the defaults and creating a DVD. I just updated it for TyTools7R6 although there were few changes. It does guide a new user through the exact steps needed to extract files from a TiVo and then creating a DVD from the files.

[ATL-TiVo]

I check back about every month or so to the threads and am amazed at how far this has come... Hats off to jdiner for this outstanding tool!

I've got 2 1/2 year old twins at home, and we've got some roadtrips coming up this summer. I've got the DVD unit in my Odyssey and need to burn some Blues Clues and Wiggles to keep things quiet in the backseats. Here's my issue...

I was using the famous 'batch' file which when run, took a .ty file and made a keyfile, ran GOP, allowed you to edit, muxed it, split it, besweet'd it, then left you with separate video and audio files. I then dumped this into Ifoedit v0.96b and burned a DVD with all sorts of episodes. There was no menu, and you could skip to the next episode with the chapter-next button. Everything was groovy, but the whole process was really intensive on my PC, I couldn't crank things out fast enough with my limited time.

Then along comes the new stuff with the DVD tools right in TyTool, I FLEW through making a full disk of episodes, and was ready to rock.. The problem is there is no 'Play ALL' button on the menu, and you can't simply pop the disc in and hit the chapter-next button to skip to the next episode... We would have to lean back, look at the screen (while driving) and try and navigate the menu, as there is no 'title' buttons on the center console, only chapter previous and next buttons.

I'm not the most savy guy with the DVD authoring programs, and am trying to get this done in DVD Lab or Maestro. Perhaps I am missing something, is there an easy way to solve my problem using Ifoedit and TyTools, or just TyTools? That's my ultimate goal, simple and FAST, so I can blast through Nick Jr. shows and burn them to DVD to keep my sanity.

If there were a way to make the VOB's come out as individual chapters instead of 'titles', I would be good to go.

We're leaving tomorrow morning for our July 4th weekend trip, any help would be appreciated!!!

-ATL-Tivo

[snoopy]

Originally posted by Just4Fun
Here is my step by step guide. It's not for anything fancy just for using the defaults and creating a DVD. I just updated it for TyTools7R6 although there were few changes. It does guide a new user through the exact steps needed to extract files from a TiVo and then creating a DVD from the files.

EXCELLENT JOB! I will be adding a reference to this post in places if you don't mind. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[jdiner]

Originally posted by ATL-TiVo
If there were a way to make the VOB's come out as individual chapters instead of 'titles', I would be good to go.

We're leaving tomorrow morning for our July 4th weekend trip, any help would be appreciated!!!

Yes. There is. I have not finished it in the tool yet. Sadly it started out that way and I changed things to the way it is now before a release was ever made. it will be going back in at some point soon. But probably not before you leave. (Unless you want a pre-release version that does that. If so email me or PM me here and i will make a quick hack version that goes back to the older stuff...)

But you can do it manually for just the last step. Basics:

1- Get the ty files.
2- Make the key files.
3- Edit with the GopEditor.
4- Mux to a VOB.

These steps are just like always before...

5- This is where it starts to get tricky. Make the full file set. I.e. generate from the menu dialog.

For the purpose of this assume that it is going into a directory called DVD1....

6- In DVD1/ there will be a file called make.bat. This is generated by TyTool.

The contents of a test of mine are:

C:\Joshua\TyTool\dvdauthor -o c:\joshua\dtivo\dvd5 --title -c0,300,600,900,1200,1500,1800,2100,2400 --instructions post=vts1 --file="c:\joshua\dtivo\MacGyver-1x05-The Heist.ty.vob"

C:\Joshua\TyTool\dvdauthor -o c:\joshua\dtivo\dvd5 --title -c0,300,600,900,1200,1500,1800,2100,2400 --instructions post=vts2 --file="c:\joshua\dtivo\MacGyver-1x06-Trumbo's World.ty.vob"

C:\Joshua\TyTool\dvdauthor -o c:\joshua\dtivo\dvd5 --title -c0,300,600,900,1200,1500,1800,2100,2400 --instructions post=vts3 --file="c:\joshua\dtivo\MacGyver-1x07-Last Stand.ty.vob"

C:\Joshua\TyTool\dvdauthor -o c:\joshua\dtivo\dvd5 -T --menu --button 19x84-331x126,vts1 --button 19x144-331x186,vts2 --button 19x204-331x246,vts3 --file=c:\joshua\dtivo\dvd5\menu.mpg


The first 3 lines turn each vob into a final ready to use VOB file, good NAV PES packets, and the last one the 4th line turns it into a system with a menu.

7- Option 1 - Since it sounds like what you want to do is the simplest possible. Change the above lines, again as appropriate for what you are building, to do the following:

C:\Joshua\TyTool\dvdauthor -o c:\joshua\dtivo\dvd5 -c --file="c:\joshua\dtivo\MacGyver-1x05-The Heist.ty.vob" -c --file="c:\joshua\dtivo\MacGyver-1x06-Trumbo's World.ty.vob" -c --file="c:\joshua\dtivo\MacGyver-1x07-Last Stand.ty.vob"

This will load the files 1 at a time into different chapters but all in 1 title. It will be made with no menu, it will auto play at startup, and it will run one show right into the next.

8- Option 2 - Do the same general thing but keep the chapter timestamps to be able to chapter around. I.e...

C:\Joshua\TyTool\dvdauthor -o c:\joshua\dtivo\dvd5 -c0,300,600,900,1200,1500,1800,2100,2400 --file="c:\joshua\dtivo\MacGyver-1x05-The Heist.ty.vob" -c0,300,600,900,1200,1500,1800,2100,2400 --file="c:\joshua\dtivo\MacGyver-1x06-Trumbo's World.ty.vob" -c0,300,600,900,1200,1500,1800,2100,2400 --file="c:\joshua\dtivo\MacGyver-1x07-Last Stand.ty.vob"

To be honest I have never tried Option #2 but it seems like it should work. I have definately tried option #1.

--jdiner

[ATL-TiVo]

This is exactly what I was looking for, I should have known to look in make.bat to modify the dvdauthor settings... I guess that's why I'm not a software developer...

I'm gonna try it now, looks like it should work no problem!

Thanks for saving my sanity tomorrow. It would be cool if you could include that option of modifying the make.bat on the fly with a checkbox option in one of your next releases.. ;) Something like a 'chapter per clip' checkbox on the DVD Author menu...

[bcombee]

Hi, jdiner and everyone. I'm starting to use these tools to extract and archive a public access TV show that airs here in Austin (The Show With No Name). I'm the studio engineer on the show, and these will serve as backups for our DV tapes that we make during the live performances.

The show consists of a lot of different segments, and I can use GOPEditor to trim off the message board before and after the show. However, I was wondering if I could also use it to set chapter points in the show that will drive the VOB creation.

Right now, I'm trying to set those points by introducing a cut at the chapter mark with the same start and end time. However, it looks like the processing of cuts just throws away those zero-length cuts without actually adding an entry to the chp file for the VOB. It would be nice to allow this, or even better, to support just setting a non-cut chapter mark in GOPEditor.

One other GOPEditor feature I'd love to see would be the ability to edit an existing cut. This could just be as simple as letting a double click on a cut repopulate the start/end fields in the dialog. To change a cut, you'd double click on it, hit del cut, then fix the start or end time.

Anyway, these aren't huge issues. I'm very grateful for the tool. It's been working very well for me.

[jmhenry5150]

One small problem, chapter stops pause on me every time. I will goto a chapter stop using the >>| button and it goes to it an freezes - the only way to get it going is to use the fast forward button...I can't remember it doing this in a previous version, however it may be because of the audio conversion...


An Update to this issue...

I create my first true DVD - not using a DVD-RW and the chapters worked perfectly...I wonder if it is because it was burned using the DVD-RW?

hmm...anyways just letting everyone know!

-Mike

[Toddler]

Originally posted by jdiner 7- Option 1 - Since it sounds like what you want to do is the simplest possible. Change the above lines, again as appropriate for what you are building, to do the following:

C:\Joshua\TyTool\dvdauthor -o c:\joshua\dtivo\dvd5 -c --file="c:\joshua\dtivo\MacGyver-1x05-The Heist.ty.vob" -c --file="c:\joshua\dtivo\MacGyver-1x06-Trumbo's World.ty.vob" -c --file="c:\joshua\dtivo\MacGyver-1x07-Last Stand.ty.vob"

This will load the files 1 at a time into different chapters but all in 1 title. It will be made with no menu, it will auto play at startup, and it will run one show right into the next.

8- Option 2 - Do the same general thing but keep the chapter timestamps to be able to chapter around. I.e...

C:\Joshua\TyTool\dvdauthor -o c:\joshua\dtivo\dvd5 -c0,300,600,900,1200,1500,1800,2100,2400 --file="c:\joshua\dtivo\MacGyver-1x05-The Heist.ty.vob" -c0,300,600,900,1200,1500,1800,2100,2400 --file="c:\joshua\dtivo\MacGyver-1x06-Trumbo's World.ty.vob" -c0,300,600,900,1200,1500,1800,2100,2400 --file="c:\joshua\dtivo\MacGyver-1x07-Last Stand.ty.vob"

To be honest I have never tried Option #2 but it seems like it should work. I have definately tried option #1.

--jdiner [/B]THANK YOU for posting this information. This is the icing on the cake for me. With the transcoding now in TyTool, this was the final piece I was wishing for. In fact, it was about the only reason I was interested in the DVD-Lab process. Thanks again, jdiner. Amazing stuff!

[jdiner]

Originally posted by bcombee
The show consists of a lot of different segments, and I can use GOPEditor to trim off the message board before and after the show. However, I was wondering if I could also use it to set chapter points in the show that will drive the VOB creation.

One other GOPEditor feature I'd love to see would be the ability to edit an existing cut. This could just be as simple as letting a double click on a cut repopulate the start/end fields in the dialog. To change a cut, you'd double click on it, hit del cut, then fix the start or end time.

The mux'er has been built to handle chapters. Which is all well and good. But you can't create them with the GopEditor yet. It was on the todo list I back-burnered until I had the audio code redone correctly.

As for the editing of existing cut points it will be in the next version. There is quite a list of things that will be in the next version. :)

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Alright I plan to make a release a bit earlier than I had intended with support for a no-menu DVD like so many wanted.

Also a couple of other small things I have been thinking about I will try to add.

--jdiner

[hancocks]

Jdiner,

Apologize in advance for any dupes -- I don't always see everyone else's requests.

1) A way to automate the keyfile generation process on the tail end of extraction. I suppose ideally this would be added to the request for "automatic" extraction (i.e., upon completion of the recording of a show -- don't know exactly how that would be handled). If not coupled with auto extraction, at least auto keyfile generation would be one less manual step.

2) A way to batch the DVD generations -- I suppose this would involve creating a joblist of DVD generation jobs and then kicking that off. Would be a great lights-out operation.

3) Menu creations that would auto-adjust the font to fit in the space provided, given the number of titles and characters/title used. At least as an option.

4) Coupled with that (and your font feature you mentioned) the ability to have longer titles and menus would be just great.


Having said all that, I need to say (as so many have done), thanks. Thanks for your time, effort and diligence. This is just a great toolset. I'm so drawn to using it. Been cleaning up lots and lots of stuff, burning DVD-Rs...feel the pull back to the lab...staying up late...getting up early...

Regards,

- Stu

[jdiner]

Ok. Someone else rebuilt a machine that I had been using from work for a different task without asking me. So my laptop which had the unix versions of the GUIs on it is gone. My only backup is so old as to be little more than a RAD test of wxWindows.

I have gotten a number of messages from people recently about being programmers and wanting to help. So I am asking for some volunteers. If I can't find something more recent from my own work to step in and build the GUIs for the unix variants.

So if anyone really does want to get involved then give me a shout.

--jdiner

[ttabbal]

Originally posted by jdiner
Ok. Someone else rebuilt a machine that I had been using from work for a different task without asking me. So my laptop which had the unix versions of the GUIs on it is gone. My only backup is so old as to be little more than a RAD test of wxWindows.

I have gotten a number of messages from people recently about being programmers and wanting to help. So I am asking for some volunteers. If I can't find something more recent from my own work to step in and build the GUIs for the unix variants.

So if anyone really does want to get involved then give me a shout.

--jdiner


That sucks. I really want a UNIX version too. I'd be happy to do some GUI work on Linux for you. I hate booting Windows just to do extraction/DVD creation. Just tell me what you need and what tools you want me to use to be compatible with your work.

Excellent work, BTW. I love this toolset.

[newbie]

Originally posted by jdiner
Alright I plan to make a release a bit earlier than I had intended with support for a no-menu DVD like so many wanted.

--jdiner

Thanks. I can use that.

[jdiner]

Alrighty then... for the unix users amoung us I finally took the time to get VSplit and TyTranscodeDLL.so compiled up and ready for release.

It looks, acts, and works just like the Win32 version. Trancoding is all in there etc...

I ran a few test files through it and it definately outputs the transcoded audio and everything remains in sync.

One caveat... The library must be in the same directory as vsplit. I did this on purpose to make it easier, on me at least, to deal with things. Also it is then "just like" the Win32 versions.

Let me know if you have any problems.

--jdiner

[Pro-289]

jdiner, ever give much thought to putting telnet commands into TyTool?

That way you tell TyTool to connect, and it will telnet to the Tivo and send commands like "./tserver_mfs6" just as if you typed it yourself, then continue with getting the Now Playing list. You get your shows. Then you press Disconnect and it'll send a "ctrl-c" and close the telnet connection. That way it's automated for those who don't run tserver_mfs6 all the time. But maybe I should just shove it in the rc.sysinit file.

[jdiner]

Alright. Some bad news and some good news.

The good news is here is a mac version of vsplit.

The bad news. No transcoding.

I can't get GCC to build the dynamic library on the machine. There are global variables and the stupid thing is complaining about them.

I know so little about the mac that i tried but can't fix it.

If anyone around is a mac expert developer and wants to help feel free. But otherwise no transcoding for the mac native programs... :(

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Originally posted by Pro-289
jdiner, ever give much thought to putting telnet commands into TyTool?

That way you tell TyTool to connect, and it will telnet to the Tivo and send commands like "./tserver_mfs6" just as if you typed it yourself, then continue with getting the Now Playing list. You get your shows. Then you press Disconnect and it'll send a "ctrl-c" and close the telnet connection. That way it's automated for those who don't run tserver_mfs6 all the time. But maybe I should just shove it in the rc.sysinit file.
Ummm. No. I won't be doing that in the next little while.

The server can be run from rc.sysinit. many here are.

There is stuff that is actually important to do before I get to things like that. Sorry but I place better menus and such above the need not to have open a telnet box.

Someday maybe. But for now I want function over form. As somewhat evidenced by the GUI for the whole thing... :)

--jdiner

[sirfergy]

Someone could just write a batch file that does this easily.

[newbie]

I'm getting DVD's that play fine on the PC but won't load in SA DVd players (players that should work). If I use tystudio--IFOEDIT--NERO I have no problems.

I used tytools 7r6, extract, create key file, edit key file (chop beginning and end of movie) save key file, vob mux then IFO create. DVD works fine on PC but no in stand alone players. Menu has 1 element.

Use the same ty file but use tystudio procedure above DVD works fine.

I'm going to delay further experiments until I get some -RW (I don't need any more coasters) but in the meantime does anyone have any suggestions?

[eastwind]

Originally posted by newbie
I'm getting DVD's that play fine on the PC but won't load in SA DVd players (players that should work). If I use tystudio--IFOEDIT--NERO I have no problems.

I used tytools 7r6, extract, create key file, edit key file (chop beginning and end of movie) save key file, vob mux then IFO create. DVD works fine on PC but no in stand alone players. Menu has 1 element.

Use the same ty file but use tystudio procedure above DVD works fine.

I'm going to delay further experiments until I get some -RW (I don't need any more coasters) but in the meantime does anyone have any suggestions?

More information needed:
What type TiVo? SA or DTV? If you're using a SA you might need to transcode the audio. I have no experience with DirecTiVo. What about the video size? Is it a DVD standard like 352x480 (NTSC) or 720x480 (NTSC)? If not the IFO generator might not be doing exactly the same thing that IFOEDIT does for you. You might compare the IFO files generated by the different tools to see what the differences are and let us know if there is anything different.

EW

[newbie]

It's a Dtivo, the stand alone players are a Mintek and Norcent (both of which can handle the 480 X 480 resolution).

I am not transcoding the audio (not necessary).

I think I'm going to go back to using tystudio (for the DVD's that don't require editing or menus) and order some DVD -RW so I can try some things.

[Toddler]

Originally posted by jdiner
The server can be run from rc.sysinit. many here are.Could someone show me how to do this? I have tserver_mfs6 and NowShowing.tcl in /var/hack right now. I tried adding "/var/hack/tserver_mfs6" from rc.sysinit, but it would not get the show list. It kept saying "sh: ./NowShowing.tcl: No such file or directory" when I would try to connect with TyTool.

Any thoughts?
Todd

[snoopy]

Originally posted by Toddler
Could someone show me how to do this? I have tserver_mfs6 and NowShowing.tcl in /var/hack right now. I tried adding "/var/hack/tserver_mfs6" from rc.sysinit, but it would not get the show list. It kept saying "sh: ./NowShowing.tcl: No such file or directory" when I would try to connect with TyTool.

Any thoughts?
Todd

tserver_mfs6 MUST be loaded from within the directory it is housed. This is very important. Many have gotten that error as a result of this. It is perhaps, the most common mistake. I have not ever run tserver from rc.sysinit but the rules are the same. Use a period to specify not using a path statment to run the command.

Example: From Telnet, I would get the same error you did if I simply typed tserver_mfs6 (even though I am already in the /var/hack directory). On the other hand, if I type ./tserver_mfs6 I do not get the error.

[Toddler]

Ok, put it this way. When I telnet to the TiVo, I have to enter the command on two lines:

bash-2.02# cd /var/hack
bash-2.02# ./tserver_mfs6

That's the only way I can get NowShowing.tcl to pull up in the TyTool client.

I can't find a way to launch it via a one-line command. If I telnet to the TiVo and start it like this...:

bash-2.02# /var/hack/tserver_mfs6

...or this...:

bash-2.02# /var/hack/./tserver_mfs6

...then it runs but either command gives me "No such file or directory" in the Telnet window when I try to get Now Showing via the TyTool client.

The only reason I want a one-line command is so I can use that in the rc.sysinit file.

Thanks!

[lord_oberon]

First of all jdiner you the MAN thanx for all the good work.(also everyone who helped)

While everyone wasn't having to much trouble me and Neutronflux have been trying to get a working extraction of our shield season 2 episodes from a sat-t60 but we couldn't do anything with tytool or tystudio. ty studio made total trash mpeg i mean some of thease file would crash DVDMaestro (yes i still use it, love dvd lab but prefer maestro also i have a hollywood decoder card so it kinda fits.) Anyways the video was crap and the audio always off sinc. I found an acceptable solution.

Whell first of all AC3 audio has embeded timecode.

1) Now I would make a dump with tytool with vsplit, standerd mux, multiplexed.

2) Demux with tmpeg.

3) In the log that tytool makes it tells you what the offsinc is (take a note of it).

4) run BeSweetGUI you have an option where you can change the offset (set delay to [ ] and you input the offset that was in the log put with a postitve modifier (+) ie +.024, you re-encode mp2 to AC3 and voillat you have a synced audio file.

5) The follwing is for vidoe issues (or if still off sync). If the video is bad I would open the .m2v in rempeg and it would tell me the stats of the File takeing not of average bitrate and peek bitrate.

6) Then i would run tmpeg and re-encode with a 2-pass VBR and set the average a bit higher and the max as the peek but also a bit higher (about 500kbit/s more P.S. do not excede 6000 this is max bitrate at XP speed 1 hr on a 4.7 gb disc) and encode with the same settings 480x480 non-interlaced with progressive source 4:3 and force i picture.

7) and you have a clean mpeg about the same size as the original and 95% the quality almost indesernable.

So thier you go guy just thought i would share.

[6021tivo]

Originally posted by newbie
I'm getting DVD's that play fine on the PC but won't load in SA DVd players (players that should work). If I use tystudio--IFOEDIT--NERO I have no problems.

I used tytools 7r6, extract, create key file, edit key file (chop beginning and end of movie) save key file, vob mux then IFO create. DVD works fine on PC but no in stand alone players. Menu has 1 element.

Use the same ty file but use tystudio procedure above DVD works fine.

I'm going to delay further experiments until I get some -RW (I don't need any more coasters) but in the meantime does anyone have any suggestions?

I am having the same frustrating problem, Firstly if I use the menu option when making ISO in 7r6 (or 4) the DVD player apears to lock up(Will not let me select the text and play). If I manually run dvdauthor with the two commands in the old thread, the vobs are fine, the dvd plays in the PC with power DVD ok, but in the SA dvd player just stays on the DVD players MENU, with the clock playing on the from of the DVD player ok.

BTW It is a SA UK TiVo.

I don't want to go back to tystudio as I was having loads of lip sync problems as the movies got near the end. And tytool looks better and quicker, also I like the idea of doing every thing all at once to get to the vobs. Great work so far, just wish I could read them on a SA dvd player??

[bato]

Originally posted by Pro-289
jdiner, ever give much thought to putting telnet commands into TyTool?

That way you tell TyTool to connect, and it will telnet to the Tivo and send commands like "./tserver_mfs6" just as if you typed it yourself, then continue with getting the Now Playing list. You get your shows. Then you press Disconnect and it'll send a "ctrl-c" and close the telnet connection. That way it's automated for those who don't run tserver_mfs6 all the time. But maybe I should just shove it in the rc.sysinit file.
Maybe this will help you, I just downloaded it and will try it this weekend, again maybe. This is from the readme:
Telnet Scripting Tool v.1.0
by Albert Yale ay@aci.qc.ca http://ay.home.ml.org/
--------------------------------------------------
Description
-----------
a utility to automate telnet sessions (like calling dip on a remote
linux system)
Installation
------------
download, unzip, run
Usage
-----
execute with no arguments and you will get a help window that
explains everything
Easter egg
----------
somewhere in the about box
Size
----
TST10.zip 194,928 bytes
--------
| Enjoy! |
-------- You won't be able to call this from TyTool unless jdiner put this into it, but hey, you can create a script and execute without user interaction (as the readme say), or you can create a script for teraterm as shown below :D

[rd001]

Originally posted by Toddler
When I telnet to the TiVo, I have to enter the command on two lines:

bash-2.02# cd /var/hack
bash-2.02# ./tserver_mfs6

That's the only way I can get NowShowing.tcl to pull up in the TyTool client.Most of us use TeraTerm for telnet. I do the following to automate the tserver startup.

In Teraterm.ini, I set StartupMacro=TYTOOL.TTL. I then created the TYTOOL.TTL file in the TeraTerm directory with Notepad and put the following in it:

connect "192.168.1.100"
wait 'bash-2.02#'
sendln 'cd /var/hack'
wait 'bash-2.02#'
sendln './tserver_mfs6'

Now, when I open TeraTerm, my tserver starts every time. If I just want to use bash, I hit Ctrl-C to kill tserver and get the bash prompt. Works on 25Xtreme at any rate and I see no reason it won't work for everyone else. BTW, this info was posted a long time back but every now and then someone asks for basically the same thing so I thought I'd repost it.

[bato]

I think the problem with DVDs locking up players or not playing right must be the DVDAuthor portion in TyTool7r6, I guess this is related problem with DVDlab 1.2.1, maybe the DVDAuthor creator changed something in his code and now have some compatibility problems.

jdiner: did you upgrade to a new version of DVDAuthor for TyTool7r6? maybe that version is causing problems. Are you using dvdauthor-338 (alpha) or 0.5.3 (release)?

[Pro-289]

Originally posted by bato
Maybe this will help you, I just downloaded it and will try it this weekend, again maybe.
Thanks. I made the script below.

90.0.0.201
WAIT "/var/hack# "
SEND "./tserver_mfs6\m"
WAIT "/var/hack# "

It loads up with one click. :) But closing it I have to go to the window and press CTRL-C, then it waits for the prompt again then quits.

Is it bad to abort a Telnet session when tserver_mfs6 is running? i.e. says "Waiting for an incomming connection" then you close telnet.

[jdiner]

Originally posted by lord_oberon
While everyone wasn't having to much trouble me and Neutronflux have been trying to get a working extraction of our shield season 2 episodes from a sat-t60 but we couldn't do anything with tytool or tystudio.
Sounds like you have a real winner there. Send me the TyStream file if you would. I would like to see what is going on with it that is causing TyTool such problems. If I can fix the issues then in the future really bad streams like this one won't be much of a problem.

Also how does it do with the latest versions of TyTool?

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Ok. There is a new tserver_mfs program on it's way. I changed a few things to make it faster to get the nowshowing list and try to cut back on some of the errors people are seeing...

--jdiner

[snoopy]

Originally posted by jdiner
Ok. There is a new tserver_mfs program on it's way. I changed a few things to make it faster to get the nowshowing list and try to cut back on some of the errors people are seeing...

--jdiner

Forgive my ignorance about this. Will this new version of tserver_mfs affect crontab and tivotitle?

[Toddler]

Thanks for all the telnet advice, but I'm still hoping for a way to have the TiVo run tserver_mfs6 on startup from rc.sysinit. If anyone is able to do it, I'd love to know exactly how.

[bato]

This is with TyTool7r6:

If I create the key file multiple times, each time a new filename is created, like test.ty.key, test.ty-2.key, test.ty-3.key, then I edit test.ty-3.key and it create test.ty-3.cut file, but when I VOB-mux the file I can only select the ty and test.ty.key is used and not test.ty-3.key.

So I think is best to overwrite test.ty.key file everytime, is ok to create test.ty-2.vob and not overwrite test.ty.vob if it's already in the output directory but the .key file?

[snoopy]

Originally posted by Toddler
Thanks for all the telnet advice, but I'm still hoping for a way to have the TiVo run tserver_mfs6 on startup from rc.sysinit. If anyone is able to do it, I'd love to know exactly how.

If you figure that out, I would like to know also :)

[Pro-289]

How's this for a GUI skin? :D

[snoopy]

Originally posted by Pro-289
How's this for a GUI skin? :D

Wowie, Can I have closer look?

[cullen_simpson]

Originally posted by Toddler
Thanks for all the telnet advice, but I'm still hoping for a way to have the TiVo run tserver_mfs6 on startup from rc.sysinit. If anyone is able to do it, I'd love to know exactly how.

You should be able to do something like this in the
rc.sysinit:

if [ -f /var/hack/tserver_mfs6 ]; then
cd /var/hack
./tserver_mfs6 &
cd -
fi

I have not tried it as my box is recording now, but that should work.

The if statement makes sure the executable file is there,
otherwise, it does nothing.

The & tells tserver_mfs6 to run in the background so that it
does not hangup the rc.sysinit.

If no one is brave enough to try it, I will later tonight and let you know if it works.

[jdiner]

Originally posted by Toddler
Thanks for all the telnet advice, but I'm still hoping for a way to have the TiVo run tserver_mfs6 on startup from rc.sysinit. If anyone is able to do it, I'd love to know exactly how.
Search a bit more carefully on here. People figured it out over a year ago.

The key is that you have to do the following:

cd /var/hack/<whatever...>
./tserver_mfs6

There is a way to do with with shell scripting. I swear it has ()'s in it. But that is all that i really remember. I have no problems telnet'ing in to start and shutdown the server. It is just not a big deal to me at all.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Originally posted by bato
This is with TyTool7r6:

If I create the key file multiple times, each time a new filename is created, like test.ty.key, test.ty-2.key, test.ty-3.key, then I edit test.ty-3.key and it create test.ty-3.cut file, but when I VOB-mux the file I can only select the ty and test.ty.key is used and not test.ty-3.key.

So I think is best to overwrite test.ty.key file everytime, is ok to create test.ty-2.vob and not overwrite test.ty.vob if it's already in the output directory but the .key file?

I will look into it. I am not sure what is best yet. But it should either use the same keyfile/cutfile or it should just overwrite. One or the other will solve the problem I am just wondering which is really better.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Originally posted by Pro-289
How's this for a GUI skin? :D

Wow. You know I really like that. Hummm.

The only problem I can see is that it also isn't particularly "clear" in the process that would be taken... I keep blasted for that. So at some point I will have to put some thought into it.

--jdiner

[bato]

Originally posted by jdiner
I will look into it. I am not sure what is best yet. But it should either use the same keyfile/cutfile or it should just overwrite. One or the other will solve the problem I am just wondering which is really better.

--jdiner
My 2 cents:
- no need to create differente keyfiles (overwrite)
- maybe is needed to create new cutfile (increment)
- at mux stage use cutfile X (select)

maybe check if there is any .cut for any .ty so you only display those .cut to select one and then process the .ty, if there is no .cut for some .ty then display those .ty to process without cuts.

Clear as mud as always right? :D

[snoopy]

Originally posted by snoopy
Wowie, Can I have closer look?

Ooops. It came up in poor quality. I figured it out though. Sorry about that.


I like the way you have embeded the word TyTool. We definitely need a great logo. Perhaps even a "freedom" theme of some sort for the look of the GUI, maybe with red, white, and blue colors... CuRvEs... etc.

What do you think?

[bato]

Originally posted by Pro-289
How's this for a GUI skin? :D It's more clear than the current one, but some questions:

- if I download a .ty from Dtivo it will end in input directory or output directory? (if Input there is no logic, if output see second question)
- if it end in output directory and select make keys, then the input directory is empty and can't find the ty?

to fix above maybe instead of input directory name it "ty directory" then there is where all ty will reside and from where the .key .cut .mpg .vob files will be created and end in output directory or better yet "working directory"

and how about big bold numbers like:
1.- download ty
2.- make key for a ty
3.- edit key
4.- Vob/mux
5.- if 4=VOBmux - Create IFO files/dirs

And how about a "Stop" or "Abort" button, so if I have a clip that is sending many errors so I can stop the process, making key, muxing or whatever process.

[bato]

Originally posted by Toddler
Thanks for all the telnet advice, but I'm still hoping for a way to have the TiVo run tserver_mfs6 on startup from rc.sysinit. If anyone is able to do it, I'd love to know exactly how. Maybe you can try this (http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22422&highlight=tservermfs6+rc.sysinit)
I telnet so I don't know if that work.

[bato]

Originally posted by Pro-289
Is it bad to abort a Telnet session when tserver_mfs6 is running? i.e. says "Waiting for an incomming connection" then you close telnet. Are you afraid of the zombies? ;)
You can close this program (or press abort) and will close your telnet session and tserver with it, no problems.

[snoopy]

Originally posted by bato
Are you afraid of the zombies? ;)
You can close this program (or press abort) and will close your telnet session and tserver with it, no problems.

Perhaps it would be best at some point, to build tserver right into TyTool and give TyTool an 'option' to automate starting and stopping tserver directy. This would be done automatically, from within the GUI, whenever TyTool is loaded and closed by the user.

[Stephen]

Snoopy:


The file in the "wheres the files" seems to be a invalid zip file and I cant seem to fix it.... is anyone else haveing the same problem? I tried for multiple computers on different networks and the "save as" option.

[jdiner]

Look I can add telnet support at the protocol level for running the server. But look at the todo everybody loves to add to.

It is really higher priority for the majority than fonts, increased DVD compatibility, etc... I still say no. But that is just me.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Originally posted by bato
It's more clear than the current one, but some questions:

Oh sure. Just pick on the poor GUI. What did it ever do to you? :)

--jdiner

[bato]

Originally posted by jdiner
Oh sure. Just pick on the poor GUI. What did it ever do to you? :) I posted after you said Wow. You know I really like that. Hummm. so I guess you started picking the poor GUI :D

[jdiner]

Hey. My only excuse is that it has been a tough job just getting the core working code to this point. The GUI has always been a very low priority for me.

I suppose I should take it as a compliment that people now seem to think that is what I should be working on... :)

--jdiner

[POTI]

The only thing that is truely important JDiner is what you want :) it is your tool and you call the shots... Just take these as suggestions for future aditions... (at your leisure)

For the time being I just told my tivo to not record the AC3 streams no biggy really on that part... and the server I start via telnet..again your right now biggy

keep up the great work!

[snoopy]

Originally posted by Stephen
Snoopy:


The file in the "wheres the files" seems to be a invalid zip file and I cant seem to fix it.... is anyone else haveing the same problem? I tried for multiple computers on different networks and the "save as" option.

hehe you noticed that did ya. I kinda fudged on the zip. most file compression utilities will open rar format filess, which is actually what this is. i had to in order for it to fit in the post. I may make some reference but don't want to confuse people downloading. it is my impression that most zip utilities will handle rar format files just fine as if they were zips. you might try www.rarsoft.com if you are having issues. sorry. i'll take some things out of it if it prooves to be problematic.

[Stephen]

hehe you noticed that did ya. I kinda fudged on the zip. most file compression utilities will open rar format filess, which is actually what this is. i had to in order for it to fit in the post. I may make some reference but don't want to confuse people downloading. it is my impression that most zip utilities will handle rar format files just fine as if they were zips. you might try www.rarsoft.com if you are having issues. sorry. i'll take some things out of it if it prooves to be problematic.

Weird... I use Powerarchiver which works with Rar files.... Ill try winrar and post my success/failure results

[Stephen]

Sure enough it works (winrar) to save others from haveing this problem you might want to say something in that thread that you have to use winrar to extract it... I havent tried 7zip to see if that has a problem or not yet but I THINK most ppl outside of the warez industry use other programs than winrar

[snoopy]

Originally posted by Stephen
Sure enough it works (winrar) to save others from haveing this problem you might want to say something in that thread that you have to use winrar to extract it... I havent tried 7zip to see if that has a problem or not yet but I THINK most ppl outside of the warez industry use other programs than winrar

yep, ideally i would like to use a standard zip format but it just won't compress it tight enough.

[superscan]

Originally posted by jdiner
Wow. You know I really like that. Hummm.

The only problem I can see is that it also isn't particularly "clear" in the process that would be taken... I keep blasted for that. So at some point I will have to put some thought into it.

--jdiner

Josh-

Maybe the answer is a drop down box at the top of a GUI like this that has the different functions to choose from.

Function: Extract, Key File, MUX ...

Then the appropriate buttons appear based on that choice. (Get, Get Selected...)

Great work. You should see this conversation as the icing on the cake. Your tools work, period. We would not be having these discussions if it weren't for your hard work.

-ss

[jmhenry5150]

Hey...

just some thoughts on the GUI - mabye a wizard would be in order....Like it would guide you throught the process...

Screen 1: Select Ty Files to download
Screen 2: Select Ty Files to create key files
Screen 3: Select Key files to edit
Screen 4: Select Audio Transcoding options
Screen 5: Create Seperate Audio / Video Files? Yes-No
Screen 6: Select Files to VOB/MUX
Screen 7: DVD Creation screen

Something like that...I know I left alot out, just trying to give a quickie example...

Just .02!

-Mike

[brett63]

The following things are all pretty minor, and I have workarounds for each of them, but if they were integral to TyTool, it would make my life much simpler (and hopefully be valuable to others as well):

1. Option to transcode to 192k AC3. For 2 channel audio, it seems like a waste of space to upsample from 192k MP2 to 384k AC3.

2. Ability to VOB-Mux when extracting in Multiplex mode. This might be a user error, but I couldn't find a way to do this. I use MPEG2VCR to edit, so it would be ideal if I could have a DVD-Author ready file directly out of TyTool. Fewer files, and less processing time!

3. (already mentioned) The ability to create a DVD without a menu.

4. (already mentioned) The ability to include multiple files as chapters instead of titles when creating a DVD.

And thank you Josh, for almost singlehandedly building a foundation for my favorite hobby! Keep up the good work!

[Toddler]

Alright, here's where I'm at in getting tserver_mfs6 to run from rc.sysinit:

_________________

Telnet to the TiVo and type the following:

mount -o remount,rw /
echo "/var/hack/tserver_mfs6" >> /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit
echo "cp /var/hack/NowShowing.tcl /var/tmp/NowShowing.tcl" >> /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit
echo "chmod 700 /var/tmp/NowShowing.tcl" >> /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit
mount -o remount,ro /

Restart the TiVo

_________________


Every time the TiVo reboots, the contents of /var/tmp get deleted. So this should start tserver_mfs6, then copy NowShowing.tcl to /var/tmp and mark it for execution. The problem is that NowShowing.tcl is either not getting copied or otherwise is not in /var/tmp after startup. Does anyone see offhand what might be wrong with this process?

In any case, at least this runs tserver at startup, and all you have to do at that point is copy NowShowing.tcl to /var/tmp and mark it for execution. Then you'll never have to Telnet in again until you reboot your TiVo. But I'm sure someone who knows Linux could get us the rest of the way home.

Todd

[jdiner]

I have been having similar thoughts on a wizard.

I like the flexibility of the current interface. I have no illusions about it being easy to use. But you can find darn near everything if you know where I put it. (I won't even say where to look because things are a real mis-mash...) But I also understand that there is a severe learning curve for people that are just getting started.

In that vein the mockup that someone posted here the other day is way better than everything smashed into menus like we have now. (Things are broken up more nicely but I hate having to go down multiple levels to even see what options has been selected...) So something like that as the base user interface I still think would be very good for experienced people...

But then put on the top a newbie wizard. One that has simple wizard type stages.

Page 1- On the first page pick a major option tree.
- Titled: ???
- Download TYs. (This would close the wizard and do an automatic refresh with focus on the show listbox.)
- SVCD output (Each of these would go to wizard page 2...)
- MPEG output
- DVD output

Page 2- A list box showing the selected files to process.
- Titled: Select TyStreams to Process:
- standard buttons: Add TyStream, Back, Next.
- This page could display the size of the Selected TyStreams as well.

Page 3- On this page we get the new option:
- Titled: Edit Files, Cut Commercials, etc...
- "Edit Streams", Back, Next.
- When Edit streams is selected it would automatically make Key Files and open GopEditor on each one. etc...

Page 4- Keep this simple...
- Titled: Process Files...
- Buttons: Process Files, back, next.
- When process files was clicked it would know what to do from the master Wizard type. It would then do whatever had been selected and with any cut files that has been made. I.e. SVCD output, MPEG output, DVD output, Split-Mux output, Split output etc...

Page 5- This one would be OPTIONAL. The IFO/Menu output if DVD was the output selected.

Page 6 - Cleanup.
- Titled: Cleanup Ty Files:
- Buttons: Delete Files, back, next, etc...
- Delete would get rid of the .TY, .Key, .Cut, .TXT, etc... files for each processed one.

Page 7 - At this point it would I assume loop back to Page 1 in the wizard.

Oh and a close/cancel wizard button would be needed on each page...

That way I think a newbie would know what to do with ease. And once they understood what was going on could easily do whatever they wanted/needed with more flexibility in the main program display.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Originally posted by Toddler
Alright, here's where I'm at in getting tserver_mfs6 to run from rc.sysinit:
Perhaps I was not clear in my last message about it.

A new version of tserver_mfs is on it's way. It has a few new options.

It will run as a background daemon nohup style as a CLI argument.

It will allow you to give a location for the NowShowing.tcl file as a CLI argument.

This way you can do something like:

/var/hack/1/tserver_mfs7 -n /var/hack/1/NowShowing.tcl -z > /var/hack/1/out.txt

from either the command line or the rc.sysinit.

Or from rc.sysinit you could do it with the & option at the end of the line.

However I am right now in the middle of finalizing the MPEG/VOB reprocessing engine and I want to finish that before moving onto something else.

--jdiner

[koreth]

Great to see lots of new ideas here -- hopefully some of them will lead to an easier-to-use tool. In terms of my personal use of the tool, though, I'd much rather have enhanced menu-building support (font/color selection, background images) than a new interface to replace one that already gets the job done.

As a user I only had to climb the learning curve once and now I know how to use the existing UI to do everything it can do. But missing functionality won't appear on its own no matter how streamlined the UI becomes.

Put another way, I'd prefer to see "impossible to do" addressed before "requires learning to do."

[snoopy]

Originally posted by koreth
Put another way, I'd prefer to see "impossible to do" addressed before "requires learning to do."

I agree in part, that it would be great to have new "impossible to do" things as opposed to lessening the learning curve.

However, most of what some thought would always be "impossible" as spelled out in the tagline at the very bottom of this article written in 1997, http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22book+b%22+AND+dvd&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=5gv0vd%2452r%241%40doffen.uninett.no&rnum=1 has already been accomplished. My side of this argument leans more toward making things redicuclously EASY and attractive to someone with little or no knowledge of this hobby. My reason for this is more political. It is my belief that, the easier it is for the masses, even if the product is not yet "completely" perfected (after all, who can define that?), the more rise it will give to others getting interested in the game. I am not to worried about Dave. He already knows of the problems he faces and that battle is being waged regardless. I would like to see it become a VERY easy, more 'mainstreamed' product for the purpose of getting a greater audience, and therefore more development, and so on...

[eastwind]

Originally posted by Toddler
Alright, here's where I'm at in getting tserver_mfs6 to run from rc.sysinit:

_________________

Telnet to the TiVo and type the following:

mount -o remount,rw /
echo "/var/hack/tserver_mfs6" >> /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit
echo "cp /var/hack/NowShowing.tcl /var/tmp/NowShowing.tcl" >> /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit
echo "chmod 700 /var/tmp/NowShowing.tcl" >> /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit
mount -o remount,ro /

Restart the TiVo


Todd

Am I overlooking something obvious??

What prevents you from adding a cd in rc.sysinit.author to the tytools directory (where the NowShowing.tcl file is) so that tserver starts from the directory that has the NowShowing file that it needs?


#!/bin/bash
/var/hack/bin/tivoftpd &
tnlited 23 /bin/bash -login &
cd /var/hack/tytools
./tserver_mfs6


Is there some problem with this that I am unaware of? Should I stop doing this on my TiVo?

EW

[Toddler]

By the question "should I stop doing this on my TiVo" then I take it you have the answer that I (and others) have been looking for. Your code means nothing to me, since I'm totally out of my element at Linux. Why don't you just type up the steps for those of us who don't know Linux and are fumbling our way through? I don't seem to have an rc.sysinit.author file on my TiVo, or if I do I can't find it.

[eastwind]

Okay,
I know next to nothing about Linux also, but I'll try to make a step by step to follow.

If you want this in your rc.sysinit you can just replace the lines you were echoing with the ones I have. I used an editor (joe) to edit my rc.sysinit.author file and put the lines in it that way. Not sure how to create a file from a bash shell though.

If you type 'cat /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit' it will show you the whole rc.sysinit file as it is right now on your system. The last few lines are the ones you recently added (starting tsrever and copying NowShowing to /var/tmp). If you have access to an editor on your TiVo you should probably remove those lines. If you happened to make a backup or your rc.sysinit file you should copy the backup over the changed one:

mount -o remount,rw /
cd /etc/rc.d
cp rc.sysinit.bak rc.sysinit
echo "cd /var/hack/tytools" >> rc.sysinit
echo "./tserver_mfs6" >> rc.sysinit
mount -o remount,ro /
reboot


If you don't have access to an editor on your TiVo and you don't have a backup of your rc.sysinit file, you will probably have to ftp the file to your PC and edit it there (preferrably with an editor that will allow you to save in UNIX format) and ftp it back to the TiVo. Make sure the file you put back has UNIX line ends or you will be hosed. If you use Notepad you will need to run the file through DOS2UNIX to convert it.

I haven't tried to do any of this, so I'm unsure about the syntax of the echo command (I used an editor). And I editted on my TiVo so I'm not sure about the ftp system either (I think I remembered all the steps). And the cp command may need an argument to overwrite an existing file (my editor makes backups automatically). Always make a good backup first !!!!!

EW

[Toddler]

Originally posted by eastwind
I haven't tried to do any of this, so....Well that's the part I should have paid attention to, because I followed those instructions to the letter and now my TiVo is toast. It hangs at the startup screen and I don't even get network support loaded.

Edit: I can't get beyond the root login using the MFS Tools Boot CD, even though all the drives are detected. I hit enter but nothing happens at all, not even drive activity. I do notice though that somewhere in there it says "hdc: unknown partition table." Good lord.

How do I explain this to my family? All of my daughter's shows are on the TiVo. Boy, do I feel like an ass right now.

Todd

[rbiro]

Originally posted by Toddler
I can't get beyond the root login using the MFS Tools Boot CD, even though all the drives are detected. I hit enter but nothing happens at all, not even drive activity. I do notice though that somewhere in there it says "hdc: unknown partition table." Good lord.



Relax. Before any of the old-timers proclaim the truth behind Darwin's survival of the fittest, let me try to get you out of the jam.

The tivo hard-drive is byte swapped with respect to Intel-based PCs.
If you use the MFSTool 2.0 cd, at the boot prompt, before the kernel is loaded, you need to pass in the byteswapping parameters

vmlnodma hdX=bswap hdY=bswap ...

where X,Y, ... are the UNIX names for the physical drives. Where IDE_1_Master=HDA, IDE_1_Slave=HDB, IDE_2_Master=HDC, IDE_2_Slave=HDD.

You only need to mount your Tivo A.
You only need to byte swap the Tivo drives, not the native ones in the PC.

Go back and re-read the posts surrounding Steve Jenkins' how-to on TivoCommunity.com. (tivo.stevejenkins.com)

(Note: The original Tivo Boot CD {Tiger? Kazymyr?} already had the byte swapping for all drives except HDA)

Now that you've gotten the Tivo A Drive in the PC and recognized by the Linux OS, you need to mount the active primary partition (4 or 7) and re-edit your rc.sysinit.

This advice about changing directories was a lot of bunk. Do a little independent thought and suddenly you wonder if you are streaming FROM the Tivo over the network, why would you care about the inital directory? The Ty/TMF/etc streams live in MFS, not /var/hack/someplace.

In the rc.sysinit (or following Steve Jenkins' advice, your own rc.sysinit.author) you always use the fully qualified path to the app/script you are starting.

[Toddler]

Thanks for the help, guys. I ended up finding the answer over at tivocommunity.com and it was indeed the byteswapping that was preventing me from mounting my TiVo drive. Once I got it mounted I just had to copy rc.sysinit.bak to rc.sysinit.

My entertainment center sure is a mess now. That will take me another 30 minutes to fix, but I sure will sleep easier now.

And jdiner...I don't have a problem running a telnet session anymore. Thus ends my quest to have tserver_mfs6 run from rc.sysinit.

Todd

[6021tivo]

Well further on from my problems, I have now got this far.

Using a SA UK TiVo
TYTOOL 7r6 (Great stable program, was getting fed up of tyserver locking up my tivo)

Anyways, previously I was having problems with my SA DVD player, either outputting nothing, but the time counter in the display going up, or just audio and the screen would stay on the DVD HW screen (like on power on).

If I use tytool to get the TY stream, then key, then edit key.
If I then make the VOB-MUX, then ISO. I get the problem described above, it I just do the VOB-MUX and load that into DVD-LAB, I also get the same problem. Initially I thought it may be a problem with DVDAUTHOR, but it appears that the output from the VOB-MUX process struggles on my dvd SA player (Model UK Pacific 1002).

Now if I get the TY, key it, then edit key, then Multiplex file from the first menu into a MPG, this then loads into dvd-lab/neadvd etc and writes and pays on the SA dvd player ok.

So I can only presume that the VOB-MUX process is giving me the problems??.

Now any ideas guys please.

[eastwind]

Originally posted by rbiro

This advice about changing directories was a lot of bunk. Do a little independent thought and suddenly you wonder if you are streaming FROM the Tivo over the network, why would you care about the inital directory? The Ty/TMF/etc streams live in MFS, not /var/hack/someplace.



Yes, but the tserver_mfs6 looks for NowShowing.tcl in the directory it starts from. For me if I telnet in I have to cd to /var/hack/someplace and start the tsever with a ./tserver_mfs6 from the same directory where the NowShowing.tcl lives. I surmised that by changing to that directory from rc.sysinit.author I could start (and have running all the time) tserver_mfs6. And, BTW, it works for me. Toddler did point out a problem trying to use fully qualified path in his original post.
Originally posted by Toddler
Alright, here's where I'm at in getting tserver_mfs6 to run from rc.sysinit:

_________________

Telnet to the TiVo and type the following:

mount -o remount,rw /
echo "/var/hack/tserver_mfs6" >> /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit
echo "cp /var/hack/NowShowing.tcl /var/tmp/NowShowing.tcl" >> /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit
echo "chmod 700 /var/tmp/NowShowing.tcl" >> /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit
mount -o remount,ro /

Restart the TiVo


Todd




Todd,
I'm glad you were able to get your TiVo up and running again. I still haven't tried to do this any other way than the way I said I did it that works for me. If you edit the rc.sysinit.author file the way I said and it doesn't work, let me know because it means I have some fluke system running.

EW

[RxMan]

You guys might read over the rules for this thread posted by JDiner. Let's keep things on topic and start new threads for other matters.

[Toddler]

Originally posted by RxMan
You guys might read over the rules for this thread posted by JDiner. Let's keep things on topic and start new threads for other matters. Wow, harsh.

[newbie]

I am continuing to have some compatability problems with stand alone DVD players (that normally can handle Tivo output).

Tytools 7r6, 1 item on the menu. On my Norcent player the arrow keys won't move the menu bar and the select button doesn't work. If I press play the movie will start playing the audio but the vidoe stays on the menu screen.

I love the interface and 1 tool for everything but need to get the compatability issue solved. Does anyone have any suggestions?
I'm getting better compatability with tystudio BUT I like the cut synch and DVD authoring of tytools better.

[6021tivo]

Originally posted by newbie
I am continuing to have some compatability problems with stand alone DVD players (that normally can handle Tivo output).

Tytools 7r6, 1 item on the menu. On my Norcent player the arrow keys won't move the menu bar and the select button doesn't work. If I press play the movie will start playing the audio but the vidoe stays on the menu screen.

I love the interface and 1 tool for everything but need to get the compatability issue solved. Does anyone have any suggestions?
I'm getting better compatability with tystudio BUT I like the cut synch and DVD authoring of tytools better.

Sounds exactly the problems I am having, I too love the interface, especially for speed, I do however had sucess mutiplexing files them using dvdlab, but it is so slow. I would to just IOS, then the INF, and for this to work??.

Please help, thanks..

[eastwind]

Originally posted by RxMan
You guys might read over the rules for this thread posted by JDiner. Let's keep things on topic and start new threads for other matters.

You're absolutely right.....in my defense I can only say "OOPS! I forgot" :(

EW

[Toddler]

Ok, here's a TyTool question:

Under "Mux Options", what does "ULead Tools Fix" do? I've searched the forums but I can't find a specific answer. I'd like to use TyTool to produce cut MPGs and then use ULead DVD MovieFactory 2 to produce the menus and final DVD. It works, but I notice some funny issues with the timestamp & chapters. Does that option have anything to do with this?

[newbie]

Originally posted by Toddler
Ok, here's a TyTool question:

Under "Mux Options", what does "ULead Tools Fix" do? I've searched the forums but I can't find a specific answer. I'd like to use TyTool to produce cut MPGs and then use ULead DVD MovieFactory 2 to produce the menus and final DVD. It works, but I notice some funny issues with the timestamp & chapters. Does that option have anything to do with this?

From the release note (in the zip archive)
[QUOTE]6- In conjunction with the Split Mux feature in the Option menu there is now an option called "Ulead Tools Fix". This will change the way the split mux'ing is done and as a result the "the file is not video" or something close to that (I don't remember exactly) will now be fixed. And every segment should load.

The end result of this fix is that the cut/edit point will be less clean. Still accurate but to keep it working with Ulead's stuff there is a needed amount of data that must be present. (Hopefully someday they will fix the import support just a touch...)

[jdiner]

Originally posted by eastwind



mount -o remount,rw /
cd /etc/rc.d
cp rc.sysinit.bak rc.sysinit
echo "cd /var/hack/tytools" >> rc.sysinit
echo "./tserver_mfs6" >> rc.sysinit
mount -o remount,ro /
reboot




I thought I would chime in on this one. I do know linux.

All this will do is put the call to the tserver executable into rc.sysinit. Which is what everyone else has been talking about. It can't be safely run this way at present. Now it will work as tserver looks for the NowShowing.tcl file ./ and it is found there after the CD takes place.

BUT... anything else that might get added after that by another cat call or editing session will be in the wrong directory. It is bad pratice to change the directory in your startup script. Please wait for the new version.

I am almost done with what I am working on.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Alright. Got it.

You can now use either TyStream file, just as before, or you can use an MPEG file as input to VSplit and TyTool. With full feature support.

I just pulled some VOBs back off of some DVDs that I have made.

I made cut files for them. Re-edited to get rid of some more stuff (not commercials because they didn't have any but just show data, but you get the point) then split and it worked, mux'ed and it worked, and did VOB output and it worked. All of this with an without cuts.

You can also transcode the audio as part of the process or switch and go to SVCD output.


And this is sweet... Perhaps the best news for this is that you can use MPEG/VOB files as created by other tools as well. I have tested with BBMpeg, mplex, tmpgenc. All worked like a charm.

So those that put things on DVD with commercials before can now edit things as desired and reburn the disk...

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Oh. And it anyway tries redo'ing VOBs from before into the new form. The final file is a bit smaller. But no data, audio or video, is lost in anyway. Things are just packed up better than ever...

My most recent test went from:

865,446kb

to

864,481kb

so not a savings worth redo'ing a disk to get. Just rest assured that nothing real is lost.

EDIT: While I get a few more things finalized here is the dump output from VSplit:


Processing 'VTS_01_1.VOB': (10 chunks per tick)
Detected Tivo Type: VOB/MPEG File
Detected Audio Stream Type: MPEG Layer II
Final standardAudioSize = 576
Final standardFrameLength = 576
Final standardAudioDiff = 2160 or 00:00:00.024
......... 100......... 200......... 300......... 400......... 500
......... 600......... 700......... 800......... 900......... 1000
......... 1100......... 1200......... 1300......... 1400......... 1500
......... 1600......... 1700......... 1800......... 1900......... 2000
......... 2100......... 2200......... 2300......... 2400......... 2500
......... 2600......... 2700......... 2800......... 2900......... 3000
......... 3100......... 3200......... 3300......... 3400......... 3500
......... 3600......... 3700......... 3800......... 3900......... 4000
......... 4100......... 4200......... 4300......... 4400......... 4500
......... 4600......... 4700......... 4800......... 4900......... 5000
......... 5100......... 5200......... 5300......... 5400......... 5500
......... 5600......... 5700......... 5800......... 5900......... 6000
......... 6100......... 6200......... 6300......... 6400......... 6500
......... 6600......... 6700.......

Total Time: 46.609000


That was the output from straight repack call. The original played with the jerkiness on my hardware player. The end result plays without issue on the same player.

--jdiner

[bato]

Originally posted by jdiner
And this is sweet... Perhaps the best news for this is that you can use MPEG/VOB files as created by other tools as well. I have tested with BBMpeg, mplex, tmpgenc. All worked like a charm. Too sweet to be true. I guess my dishrip/mux/GOP fix/edit/save routine is going to end. I can't wait.

[jdiner]

Well. The old adage about "never assume anything" is an old adage for a good reason. I made an assumption about only seeing 2 video pictures in a given amount of space to find out that there were instead 3 in this one file and it total throws everything off. I am working on it now... Gonna take me a bit longer to get this thing out the door.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Ok. I would invite all of you doing DVD/SVCD creation to post your finding in the new sticky thread I just created. I would like to see what kind of results you are all getting and get it all put in one place. I think it will help others and I also want to try and increase the current compatibility issues...

--jdiner

[idokle]

Originally posted by jdiner
Alright. Got it.

You can now use either TyStream file, just as before, or you can use an MPEG file as input to VSplit and TyTool. With full feature support.

I just pulled some VOBs back off of some DVDs that I have made.

I made cut files for them.
--jdiner

How did u make the cut files? I mean I have a VOB file that got of one fo my old DVDs and not I cant make a cat file.

This would really help me a lot.

thanx

[jdiner]

Originally posted by idokle
How did u make the cut files? I mean I have a VOB file that got of one fo my old DVDs and not I cant make a cat file.

You use the as yet unreleased new version of vsplit or TyTool and pass it a .vob file, where you used to only be able to use .ty stream files, and the -k option.

It will auto-detect an MPEG file and make a .key file.

Then do the same general thing with a -c file.cut and a -b and you get a new vob without commercials. :)

All in all it works very slick except for this one clip I have. I had made tons with no problems. Then all of a sudden I get one that has a b-frame that is 327 frickin bytes long. I had never seen a frame less that 2k before. I made some assumptions in the code that were proven way wrong by this occurance...

It will only take me about 15 minutes to clean up but I was at work all day long and I am just getting home and to it now. Sadly there are still a few things I have to do first. I will be making a release as soon as I can get it redone and tested out...

--jdiner

[KEC]

I only tried tytool7r6 on one file. I tried vsplit3 on four files.

vsplit3 and tytool7r6 seemed to stop processing (or crash) after the cut between the first and second segments.

I wanted SVCD MPEG output in separate files. I tried several combinations of options (e.g. with/without -f or -a).

I believe that the minimum set of vsplit3 options for multiple file SVCD MPEG output would include: p, m, t, and c.

[jdiner]

Well. This sucks. At newbie's insistance I took several hours to check into what is going wrong with playing the output on Mintek/klh/and certain new APex players.

The "problem" here is that you get a disk that won't play. Sometimes you get audio. Sometimes you don't. But the video never starts to move forward or really play in any way.

I figured it out. Darn it. It really is not my fault this time. :)

There is a field in the mpeg-2 video ES that is supposed to be something completely left alone.

"plays no part in the decoding process."...

But it is being set wrong in many DTV streams and from what I can tell in all SA Series1 streams... and so the end result is that these players which all seem to share a decoder chip/firmware all freak out and die while trying to play it. Those that are different, the JVC and the Panasonic that I have for instance, all work. Luckily the fix is about 15 lines of code. I will get it into the next release.

If you were having problems with make a video stream that would not play at all then this should solve the problem for you.

--jdiner

[newbie]

Thanks for tracking down the bug. You might put a note in the standalone DVD player thread. No sense people posting failures until people are using the fixed tytools.

I found APEX,MINTEK,NORCENT all had the problem.

It's not worth the trouble but I wonder if a firmware flash might correct the DVD players.

[jdiner]

Originally posted by newbie
Thanks for tracking down the bug. You might put a note in the standalone DVD player thread. No sense people posting failures until people are using the fixed tytools.

I found APEX,MINTEK,NORCENT all had the problem.

It's not worth the trouble but I wonder if a firmware flash might correct the DVD players.
In this case I doubt it. It isn't the drive it is the MPEG decoder itself. Unless that is flashable in some way. But I honestly expect that will be a chip rather than some form of a prom.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Originally posted by KEC
I only tried tytool7r6 on one file. I tried vsplit3 on four files.

vsplit3 and tytool7r6 seemed to stop processing (or crash) after the cut between the first and second segments.

I wanted SVCD MPEG output in separate files. I tried several combinations of options (e.g. with/without -f or -a).

I believe that the minimum set of vsplit3 options for multiple file SVCD MPEG output would include: p, m, t, and c.
Humm. They must be really bad. You mention that they are old. How old? Did they work with previous versions of TyTool or VSplit?

If you want to cut the problem segments for me to look at feel free.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Originally posted by jdiner
Humm. They must be really bad. You mention that they are old. How old? Did they work with previous versions of TyTool or VSplit?

If you want to cut the problem segments for me to look at feel free.

Oh man. Darn it. The menu code still does not work on the mintek. It would appear there are 2 completely seperate issues there. Sadly most of the menu code comes from dvdauthor and I have no great familiarity with it...

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Well. I am gonna check 1 more thing for some possible menu issues and then I am gonna quit. Menu's don't work on the mintek. I have no idea why. Everything is legal as far as my information goes.

So Apex/panasonic work completely.

JVC works but you can't see it on the screen.

Mintek you can't get any of it to work.

But you can hit chapter forward to get to the first chapter of the first show. Then each chap foward after that step through each show 1 chapter at a time.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Heh. Alright. Cool. I found the problem with menu's on the mintek.

I also found the problem with menus on the JVC.

The only one I can fix is on the mintek.

The JVC issues with menus are at the IFO file level. Not part of my code or the areas where I have been playing. It is limited to the IFO file generation. And I honestly know nothing about that part yet. I don't even have any tools that solve the problem of just being able to see what is going on in the IFO files.

So sorry boys and girls. But while I intend to fix the Mintek menu issue, which catches everything with the same chipset, I am going to give up on fixing the JVC issues. I will post something about it in the DVDAuthor lists but I can't even hazard a guess as to when or if the author of it will look into that particular problem. :(

--jdiner

[newbie]

I am looking to maintain maximum compatability (loaning DVD's with friends and for purposes of future DVD player purchases). Is the JVC problem present if we use other tools (TMGENC DVDAUTHOR or DVD labs for example)?

I understand you can only do so much with DVD Author, the question is if we (and even you) should consider other tools.

[bato]

IFO file level is created with DVDAuthor, so unless they found the bug and fix it, there is nothing jdiner can do about it (other authoring tools will have other issues, maybe not this one). He can "fix" the problem with Mintek because is a mpg issue, he can change it to make that chipset happy, not that he need to change the mpg, because other players do not have problems, but because he wants and he can.

[PIXEL_CRUNCH]

Not sure if this will get me squashed for asking this here.... (Posting with out proper research on this board seems to get you beat up ;) )

Looks like TyTool's functionality is pretty far along after reading most of this thread! My question / offer - are there any other programmers helping with TyTools? If there is anything that can be dished off I would love to help - I am darn good C/C++ programmer looking to lend a hand with this cool tool to extract video from my DTivo...

[KEC]

Originally posted by jdiner
Humm. They must be really bad. You mention that they are old. How old? Did they work with previous versions of TyTool or VSplit?

If you want to cut the problem segments for me to look at feel free.

--jdiner

I get a set of vid*.m2a and vid*.m2v files if I use the following command line:
vsplit3 -dfa -t2 -c vid.ty.cut vid.ty vid dummy

I get a single vid.mpg file if I use the following command line:
vsplit3 -dmfa -t2 -c vid.ty.cut vid.ty vid dummy


I seem to be able to use fewer options (e.g. eliminate -f or -a).

Processing gets stuck or crashes if I use the command line that I believe would create a set of SVCD *.mpg files:
vsplit3 -dmp -t2 -c vid.ty.cut vid.ty vid dummy


I tried the vsplit3 provided with the TyTool7R4 and TyTool7R6.

I believe that all streams are from a DTivo 3.1. (The very oldest may be from a DTivo 2.52.)

PC operating system is Win2K / SP3.

[jdiner]

Alright that has it. Wow. What a pain. Several things are very picky on these new cheap players. The more recent was again not my fault.

I had to recompile the latest version of mpeg2enc to get it to work. Something in the video I-Frame created for the menu was unhappy. Coupled with all of the other issued with the subpic and it is no wonder it did not work.

I can now make a the standard menu in the normal TyTool way with a disk with 3 VOBs on it, 2 Dtivo, 1 SA with transcoded audio and everything plays perfectly on all three players.

I just need to finish the mpeg-input that I was working on last night and I will be able to release this dog...

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Originally posted by newbie
I am looking to maintain maximum compatability (loaning DVD's with friends and for purposes of future DVD player purchases). Is the JVC problem present if we use other tools (TMGENC DVDAUTHOR or DVD labs for example)?

I understand you can only do so much with DVD Author, the question is if we (and even you) should consider other tools.
The errors on the mintek were severe and honestly there was no work around.

The errors on the JVC are seriously minimal. On the JVC you can use the arrow and enter buttons to navigate and it does work. But you see nothing on the screen that indicates where you were at. Or you can do what I do and just hit the number key on the remote for the show (1 == first show etc...). Outside of that everything works perfectly on the JVC. As far as I have had reported to me this menu problem is found only on the JVC units.


Now as for what you "should do for the best compatibility..." pretty much do whatever you want to do? Take your pick and do whatever suits your fancy. My stuff with give the best sync because of how things are made. But the DVDAuthor program I am using has it's flaws. So does everything else. At present the -jvc-menu appears to be the only flaw I still have that is related to DVDAuthor itself.

tmpgenc's DVD Author program is improving by leaps and bounds. Much better menu control etc... But for right now it is still problematic. If there is an error in the stream then you lose A/V sync and it never comes back.

DVDLab is also improving by leaps and bounds. For people wanting "fancy menu's" this has become my recomendation. I just ran my clip that has an actual error/hole of about 3 seconds in it through it and sync was maintained perfectly. Meaning that he and the SDK guy are finally hanging onto the values I am generating during the mux and in so doing all of the repair work I do is being kept. (This is great new and a serious first. Kudo's to the guys building this one...)

It will accept with a warning the DTivo non-standard resolutions and it honestly is a pretty slick interface for getting nice looking menu's. On the downside it has had it's own share of growing pains. Most notably not all players will load it's disks. It is getting better all the time and soon should be truly production worthy.

TyTool - My own personal preference runs toward the faster and easier the better. So I still use my own stuff. I can whip out a menu very quickly with it. And it plays everywhere with enough success for my own personal use.

Again, use whatever you want just be aware that each has it's own issues... :)

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Originally posted by KEC
Processing gets stuck or crashes if I use the command line that I believe would create a set of SVCD *.mpg files:
vsplit3 -dmp -t2 -c vid.ty.cut vid.ty vid dummy
With the 7r6 version of Vsplit3 I just did:

vsplit3 -d -p -t2 -c Smallville-2x01-Vortex.ty.cut Smallville-2x01-Vortex.ty vort101 junk

which is doing what you were talking about.

-d = svcD mode.
-p = Produce seperate files. Although why you want to do that part is beyond me... :)
-t2 = Transcode into SVCD audio format.
-c file = use this cut file. (The one I used had 6 cuts in it.)

and outputs the files int vort101.mpg through vort101-5.mpg...

And smash. It crashed after 1300 chunks. That is not good. You found a bug. Looks like something in the roll-over after a cut is broken. No idea what yet. Ummm. With the other things I am working on not sure when I will get to this one...

--jdiner

[jdiner]

And thus ends our broadcast day. I was going to make the release with all of this new stuff. But I figured I had better wait and put it through it's paces before I do that. So probably tommorow sometime.

--jdiner

[newbie]

Thanks for the information, I also prefer the interface of tytyool but IT'S useful to know what other tools work.




Originally posted by jdiner

Now as for what you "should do for the best compatibi