[Seth C]

Hi there,

I have a load of old home video footage shot on Mini DV tape on my Sony DCR-PC120E digital camcorder.
I have ripped the files to my PC using WinDV ( http://windv.mourek.cz).
I want to play the files on my Western Digital HDTV media player, which is connected to my TV. However, the codec is not supported. And yes I do have the latest firmware 1.3.1

I am thinking of getting either a Popcorn Hour or the new Western digital HDTV Live player (for networking capabilities).

How can I find out if the Sony codec is supported in these players? I don't even know what the codec is!

When I play the files in Mediaplayer Classic this is what I find under properties:
Video: DVSD 720x576 25.00fps 28800Kbps [Video 0]
Audio: PCM 32000Hz stereo 1024Kbps [Audio 1]

Ideally I get a player that supports the sony codec so that I don't have to re-encode hours and hours of files.

Any help or insight greatly apprecited.

Regards
Seth

[rogs]

It's not specifically a Sony codec you need, it's just any standard DV one.

And no, WDTV doesn't support DV!
Looking at the spec for the new 'Live' model, I don't think that does either.
And as the Popcorn Hour uses the same chipset, I'm afraid that doesn't either. Not what you need to hear!

I convert my DV files to Mpeg4 using Streamclip, for replay on my WDTV player. Bit inconvenient, but on the up side the files are a lot smaller, and I don't notice any loss of quality.

[Seth C]

Streamclip looks good, thanks.

If I am going to have to convert all these files, I guess I need to find software that preserves quality (not really bothered about the size of the files).

Also it would be handy to be able to do batch conversions on a number of files at the same time (so I can just set it running and leave it!).

Do you know if streamclip does this?

Seth

[rogs]

Don't know if you can batch convert with Streamclip or not. If not, then you certainly can using another freebie - Virtualdub - Video software and downloads - VideoHelp.com

Very good at handling DV files.

There are anumber of options for storing your output, without any visible loss of quality. My two favourites from within Virtualdub are by using either the Xvid or x.264 codec, both variations of the MPEG4 standard.
Bit of experimentation with parameters might be in order, using a small test file, and then batch convert all your files using the 'Job Control' function.

[Seth C]

Thanks again, I will check both out and post my findings!!

Still - pity western digital and popcorn hour couldn't just support the codec... it must be fairly common.

Seth

[senu]

No media players support DV AVI
In truth , at 13Gb / hr it was not meant to be a " delivery" format except off the tapes it was recorded on

[Seth C]

Hey Rogs,

Sorry to bother you!

Been testing out Streamclip, but I'm having problems. I can export a file OK, but it still won't play in my western digital HDTV player...

I go to 'export to MPEG4' and then choose the H.264 compression. There are various other options for size, audio, interlacign etc

It's probably somethign obvious I am missing... any clues? Am I actually converting the codec to somethign usable? The inability to play the files suggests not.

Cheers
Seth

[rogs]

I think the default field order in the Streamclip mp4 preset is 'upper field first'. DV is always lower field first.
Try setting the preset to 'lower field first'. Should than play on WDTV player.

Edit: confirmed - my WD player won't play a DV to mp4 conversion unless I reset to 'lower field first'

[Seth C]

Thanks a million... I'll try that.
Seth

[Seth C]

Mmm, still having problems getting file that will play in the Western digital HDTV. I've tried the lower field option, different bit rates etc. Also tried the Apple compression option.

I'm using the 'export to MPEG-4' option, rather than the 'convert to...' option. The convert to options are greyed out. Is this the problem? What's the difference between the export and convert options?

Maybe I need to download a codec package for this to work properly?

Seth

[rogs]

Hmmmm..... very odd!

Yes, the 'convert to' options are greyed out on my copy too. I'm guessing that these require an MPEG2 encoder, which is probably a payware extra, but I'm not certain.

I am starting with 4x3 DV AVI files from my Canon camera. four code codec id is: dvsd.
Standard DV, interlaced, PAL, lower field first.

Open the file in Streamclip. You can get information on the file by clicking on 'Show stream info'.
I get:
'Video Tracks: DV-PAL,720x576,25fps,28.8Mbps'

'Audio Tracks: 16 bit Little Endian, stereo, 48KHz, 1.54Mbps'

Select 'Export to MPEG-4', and then click on the 'reset all' button near the bottom, to set everything to default.

Change 'Field dominance' to 'Lower Field First'

Nothing else changed.

Press 'Make MP4' and then 'Save'.

Resulting MP4 file is about one tenth of the original size, and plays in VLC player, Media Player Classic, and even Windows Media Player.

Copy file to USB stick - connect USB stick to WDTV Player -connect WD Player to TV via HDMI lead.

Play file through TV.

Is your procedure different from that?


I've just noticed in your original post that you describe the audio sampling as '32KHz' .
Standard DV footage uses 48KHz 16 bit sampling, but some DV cameras have the option to allow 4 track 'audio dubbing' which is 32KHz 12 bit, if memory serves me right.

I've just converted the audio on a short piece of DV to 32KHz sampling, and it still plays in the WD player!

What I can't simulate is 12 bit 32KHz, only 16 bit. For some strange reason, Streamclip has resampled the rate as 44.1KHz -even though I left the sample rate window on the default 'Auto' ??

Try and save a file with no audio (click on the tab to the right of the MPEG 4AAC window, and select 'no sound'.

will that play in WDTV ?

[Seth C]

Yes I noticed I was slightly different on the audio from you.

So I have tried exactly what you suggested - the exact proceedure, with and without audio. Neither play on the WDTV.

I've also tried a couple of other bits of software, xvid4psp & Handbrake.

Handbrake is the only one that I can get a playable file from.

So unless you have any other clues, I think I will just use Handbrake... pity cause Streamclip seems great and very clear to operate, some of the options on Handbrake are not so obvious, I guess I should read the instructions!

Do you know if Handbrake is any good?

Thanks for all your help, really appreciate it...


Cheers
Seth

[rogs]

'Curiouser and curiouser' (as Alice said! )

I've not tried Handbrake, but read good reports. I tend to us Virtualdub myself. Bit of a steep learning curve, but very powerful!

Trying to think of what it could be. Only two further suggestions

I have installed 'Quicktime alternative 1.81' and not any other Quicktime. Is that what you have installed?

Can you post a short sample somewhere online of one of your DV files -say 5 seconds -so I could try it at this end?

With DV using 13GB per hour, you won't want to post much more!

[Seth C]

No I've just got the standard 'bundled with Itunes' Quicktime version 7.6.4.

Can I install the Quicktime alternative aswell as this?

I do have K-Lite Codec Pack installed with Media Player Classic.

I have to say I tried virtual dub but got a bit lost, couldn't work out how to convert with it! Is there anywhere you know of any simple instructions for this task?

Been playing with Handbrake, and even though it's good you can't do batch processing, which I really need cause I've got literally hundreds of files to convert. So I can't really use that.

In the meantime I'll try and get a short sample together!

[rogs]

Full Stop

Seth - thanks for the short sample. I did exactly what we have been describing above in Streamclip - then in Virtualdub - Neither file would play in my WDTV player.

Or rather it would not appear on the WD video list. So I wondered..... maybe you can't start the file name with a full stop??

And you can't!!!!!!

Rename the file, without the full stop at the beginning of the name, plays fine!

You learn something everyday --although I'll bet the computer geeks will be saying: 'fancy not knowing that'!


One thing I think you might try in Streamclip. As well as selecting 'lower field first' click the 'De-interlace video' box.

That sample of yours plays quite a lot better - especially with all those stripes!

[Seth C]

!*^'*!%#~!!!
I can't believe it is a simple as that!!
Thanks a million, I would never have guessed.
I always thought that the file naming was weird (it was the default from WinDV when I ripped the files). I must try and find a way to lose that full stop when I rip the rest of my DV tapes.
In the meantime I have 1-200 files to rename... I suppose it could be worse.
Thanks for the tip on deinterlacing too.
And thanks a million for your time on this I REALLY appreciate it.
I will now go and rename all the files and I can spend the Xmas holidays looking at old videos of the nippers.
Cheers
Seth

[rogs]

Glad we managed to sort it out!

Once you've changed your file names, you should be able to speed things up by using the 'batch list' function from the 'list' tab drop down menu to do batch conversion in Streamclip.

Happy converting!

[Seth C]

Just removed the full stops using Bulk Rename Utility http://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/

Now ALL the test conversions I made work on the WDTV, including the ones where I used the 'upper field first' option.

Now to batch process all my remaining files as you suggest using streamclip.

Once again, thankyou so much for your help.

Seth

[rogs]

Useful looking program - sure beats doing them all individually!

Interesting that you found the 'upper field first' option worked. I need to check the USB stick I tried it on -I've suspected it in the past, looks like that is probably the reason. Not a helpful additional factor to problems of this kind!

Glad I could help