MUX'ing, VSplit, and MPG2 files.

[Pr.Sinister]

Originally posted by Krokus
Is vsplitmux compatible with windowsXP. It just opens and shuts down instantly. TyFileSplit does the same thing. I have been using tytool5r2 with no problems. Does anybody else have this problem? Do I need a diferent OS for these?

Thanks for this fun stuff JDiner

Krokus

Are you just double-clicking on it? If so, it won't work. You have to run it from the command prompt.

Start | All Programs | Accessories | Command Prompt

Then change to a directory with your TY files and run it from there.

The vsplit exe should be in the same directory or a directory in your PATH.

[tweaky]

All test clips run sucessfully and stay in sync with PowerDVD XP (Windows media player plays them fine, but they are inverted, haven't quite figured that one out yet). The only issue is that they only last 5 minutes or so <Grin>.

Anxiously awaiting the full blown version.

[rpongett]

jdiner:

Is there an authoring program that accepts raw VOB files (rather than elemental streams) for its imported "movies"? I am not sure if IFO edit can create multiple new IFO files that mesh together multiple raw VOBs into playable fashioin and, even if it could, I don't know how it would create a selection menu.

If not, it seems that it may be problematic to put more than one of these newly created VOB files on a DVD such that they can each be accessible through a normal DVD player.

[mikertx]

Originally posted by rpongett
jdiner:

Is there an authoring program that accepts raw VOB files (rather than elemental streams) for its imported "movies"? I am not sure if IFO edit can create multiple new IFO files that mesh together multiple raw VOBs into playable fashioin and, even if it could, I don't know how it would create a selection menu.

If not, it seems that it may be problematic to put more than one of these newly created VOB files on a DVD such that they can each be accessible through a normal DVD player.

In linux-land there is ifogen. It will take a vob or properly formatted mpeg2 file and create an ifo file. It's not too fancy but it works. I don't have a DVD recordable drive yet but I have made a dvd iso file and mounted it on a loopback device and pointed a DVD player program at it and it worked.

--mikertx

[Pr.Sinister]

Originally posted by tweaky
All test clips run sucessfully and stay in sync with PowerDVD XP (Windows media player plays them fine, but they are inverted, haven't quite figured that one out yet). The only issue is that they only last 5 minutes or so <Grin>.

Anxiously awaiting the full blown version.

I just ran it through a bunch of Alias and Sopranos clips and
they play for the whole hour no problem. How you ask? I just
made a bunch of files of 1000 chunks. 1st one starts at chunk 0,
next at chunk 1000, then chunk 2000 etc... That way i can test
multiple parts of a whole hour show easily. Here is the script i
made to help out in doing this.

@Echo off
for %%l in (%1) do cd %%~dpl
for /L %%m in (0,1000,10000) do (
Echo Muxing file to SVCD starting at chunk %%m ...
for %%l in (%1) do vsplit -m -d -j%%m "%%~nxl" "%%~nl%%m.mpg" "%%~nl.m2a" >"%%~nl%%m.txt"
for %%l in (%1) do del "%%~nl.m2a"
)

[rpongett]

Originally posted by mikertx
In linux-land there is ifogen. It will take a vob or properly formatted mpeg2 file and create an ifo file. It's not too fancy but it works. I don't have a DVD recordable drive yet but I have made a dvd iso file and mounted it on a loopback device and pointed a DVD player program at it and it worked.

--mikertx

But will it create a menu to select diffferent VOB's for which it created IFOs when they are all burned on a single DVD?

For example, say I use jdiner's tool (when ready) to extract and generate separate VOB files for The Simpsons, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Strangers with Candy episodes (30 mins each). IFOgen then creates separate IFO files for each. How do I put them all on a DVD such that a conventional DVD player could select each individual one to play?

[jdiner]

Originally posted by Krokus
Is vsplitmux compatible with windowsXP. It just opens and shuts down instantly. TyFileSplit does the same thing. I have been using tytool5r2 with no problems. Does anybody else have this problem? Do I need a diferent OS for these?

Fine I will repost it. The archive that was in the sticky thread, but is no longer there apparently, had both versions in it.

I will do it in a minute I am kind of in the middle of something right now.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

As for how to make the IFO files. I DO NOT KNOW. Sorry. I am not there yet. No DVD burner ready to roll, no experience of any kind with DVD software.

My goal to this point has been to made a valid VOB file. Once I do that! Then other things are possible.

I have explained it before, but the bottom line is that thanks to the VFR nature of DTV streams there is no way a standard tool will work. Said standard tool will open the Elementary Stream for the video and read that it is 29.97 frames per second. And read 29.97 frames from the file and multiplex them. In doing it will get anywhere from too many up to and including WAY too many.

So... I have to make the VOB as I go so that it will stay sync'ed. Where we go from there? Again I do not know. Either a tool exists that makes a good IFO file for this, or I/we/someone will make one. That is the long and the short of it. I mean look at what has been figured out to get to this point? From nothing working in any way to clean good ES streams to mux'ing that works and stays sync'ed. We are honestly on a roll here.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Here it is... Both the Win32 and the Linux versions.

You know I was just thinking about it and the archives for vsplit #9-#12 in the other major thread I do believe had both of them in it. Anyway, here it is.

--jdiner

[jdiner]

Originally posted by Pr.Sinister
I just ran it through a bunch of Alias and Sopranos clips and
they play for the whole hour no problem. How you ask? I just
made a bunch of files of 1000 chunks. 1st one starts at chunk 0,
next at chunk 1000, then chunk 2000 etc...

I was wondering how long it would take for this to happen. Longer than I expected actually. So at this point I ask 2 things:

1- Don't ask me any questions or make any bug reports about a stitched together mpeg using this script or 1 like it. I have nothing to do with that side of things. (Things will not line up perfectly at the cuts due to how it works...)

2- Please continue to test the versions as they come out with the appropriate clips.

As for the rest of it, do whatever puts wind in your sails.

--jdiner

[Pr.Sinister]

Originally posted by jdiner
I was wondering how long it would take for this to happen. Longer than I expected actually. So at this point I ask 2 things:

1- Don't ask me any questions or make any bug reports about a stitched together mpeg using this script or 1 like it. I have nothing to do with that side of things. (Things will not line up perfectly at the cuts due to how it works...)

2- Please continue to test the versions as they come out with the appropriate clips.

As for the rest of it, do whatever puts wind in your sails.

--jdiner

Hehehe... Well i've been doing it for a while now... Ever since there was audio in the muxing code... It's just that nobody ever asked...

1- I wasn't planning on asking any questions on that... Obviously if you didn't code something where i could get a stitched file, i have no business asking questions about a non-existing feature . Actually i use the files as-is. No stitching.

2- I always do test the versions you put out. I'm not gonna stop now. I am eager to help.

The only reason i made this script was to put shows that already have no commercials (HBO, Showtime etc...) on SVCD. That way i create an SVCD with ±5-7 minute chapters and use no menu and put no pause in between them. I was running out of space on my computer... If you had told me back in 1988 that i would be complaining about running out of space on a computer that has over 200 gigs, i would have told you that you were out of your mind!

[FreydNot]

Originally posted by jdiner
Then onto editing. I have been toying with ways of doing this and I can do it pretty easily in terms of the actual editing. The interface on the program is another matter. So what I am thinking right now is a 2 step process. 1 to identify the cuts and the second to actually do it.

What you are describing is very similar to how video editing studios do things. First you digitize in all of your master tapes at a low resolution so it's easy to shuttle through it. Using those clips, you make all of your editing decisions. Once you are done, your editing software writes a file called an Edit Decision List (often refered to as an EDL). You feed the EDL to the tape machine/switcher and it does everything using the master tapes at full resolution.

Lots of pro and semi-pro editing software will write out an EDL in a standard format. Adobe Premiere and M2-Edit are two that come to mind immediately.

Seems like it would be a good idea to use a standard EDL format to exchange the edit points between step 1 and step 2.

I'll post some more info on EDL's in a few minutes.

[FreydNot]

Okay, EDL's can be more complex then we need (think multi sources and different types of transitions). There is a good document with all of the gory details here http://www.editware.com/Editware-DOCs/EDLformat.PDF


Here is an example EDL created by M2-edit 5.0:

# TYPE=EDL
# VERSION=3.0.0
# EDIT MODE=FRAME ACCURATE
# TCC FRAME RATE = 29.97
# filename tags
# 3c0 = D:\TivoVid\SyncClips\vsplitmux-1i\3c.mpg

3c0 VA C 00:38:02:22 00:39:22:21 00:00:00:00 00:01:19:29
3c0 VA C 00:40:15:23 00:41:03:23 00:01:19:29 00:02:07:29
3c0 VA C 00:41:24:19 00:41:58:21 00:02:07:29 00:02:42:01

This is an example of a Grass Valley EDL exported from Premiere 6.0

UNTITLED3
GVG SUPER EDIT V4.X - V7.X FROM ADOBE PREMIERE V6.0
SMPTE FRAME CODE

0001 UND001 A12V   C        00:00:00:00 00:00:04:07  01:00:00:00 01:00:04:07    
* REEL UND001 IS CLIP JET DESCRIPTION WITH AUDIO (SQU
0002 UND001 A12V   C        00:00:00:00 00:00:08:23  01:00:04:07 01:00:13:00    
* REEL UND001 IS CLIP JET DESCRIPTION WITH AUDIO (SQU
0003 UND001 A12V   C        00:00:00:00 00:00:12:27  01:00:13:00 01:00:25:27    
* REEL UND001 IS CLIP JET DESCRIPTION WITH AUDIO (SQU
0004 UND001 A12V   C        00:00:00:00 00:00:15:22  01:00:25:27 01:00:41:19    
* REEL UND001 IS CLIP JET DESCRIPTION WITH AUDIO (SQU

Looks like there is some differences in the "standard". In any event, if you structured your cutter program to take data in using this kind of number, we should be able to code up a quick format converter and use off the shelf programs

[Wooly]

hehehe...My server here at home is JUST for storing .ty files waiting for the finale of vsplitmux, so that they can be edited and such. It has 1.4 TB (that's right, not GB, but TB), and it has 24 gigs free right now. I'm going out today to buy another 160 gigger to hold additional stuff.

I feel your pain.

Originally posted by Pr.Sinister
If you had told me back in 1988 that i would be complaining about running out of space on a computer that has over 200 gigs, i would have told you that you were out of your mind!

[keither]

I really do think than an "offline" editing solution (like the pro-grade ones mentioned above) is best. I've tried several editors and found they get really bogged down on larger files.

Perhaps this is due to the fact that the mux was from TMPG and not perfect.

For me, I don't mind a "preview scan" step where key frames are extracted for quick seeking. Plus, that would allow the creation of a frame index into the file for very quick random access seeking. Most sound editors (Sound Forge especially) will go through the entire file when you first load it and generate peak data. This ensures quick seeks in the file.

There's some overhead when you first load up, but the quickness you acheive during seeking and editing makes up for it.

Also, how are "chapters" handled in SVCDs and DVDs? I'd love to go through, search for scene changes and add "chapter points" then have the .ty file automatically turned into 1 (or many) properly constructed file(s) that handle it correctly so I can scene skip.