Fastes way from Topfields .rec file to DVD ?

[diern]

I wonder what is the fastest way to create a DVD from files recorded on a Topfield 5000 PVR.

In general I want to use only:
1.) Altair - to transfer the files from the Topfield to my PC
2.) VideoRedo (V2.5) to cut out comercials and trim beginning and end (maybe later define the chapters as well)
3.) use GUI for DVDauthor to autor the DVD

I need some ideas as to how to optimise steps 2+3).

-GUI for DVD can only read mpg (but only with navigation packs)
-it can read elementary streams, but then I have to de-mux in Videoredo and later re-mux in DVDauthor (time consuming)
-DVDauthor can read VOB files if I simply rename them to MPG (obviously VOB files include navigation packs)
-What about Qickstream-Fix? If I want to filter, set GOP=15 and aspect ratio to 16:9 and do a general checking of the .rec file. QuickstreamFix will only work on the complete file, and not only on the cut and trimmed file.
-thus adding another path

How to fix and cut the .rec file in one path, and make it ready to be used in DVDauthor?

What is the fastest (secure) way to complete the task?

[DaVinci]

This is my method:

This is simple too:

1. Transfer the *.rec file to PC.
2. Start VideoReDo Plus.
3. Open the *.rec file with Video ReDo Plus.
4. Edit and Save as *.mpg
5. Start Nero Vision Express
6. Go to burn DVD option. Drag the *.mpg file to the working window in Nero.
7. Follow the Nero steps
8. Burn.


Leonardo

[Anole]

That sounds pretty simple.
How long does Nero Vision take to author (and possibly re-encode) your hour show?
If it's under half an hour, that sound like a winner.
If over an hour, I might suggest alternatives.

(for comparisons, once I turn loose my authoring program, it can do about 4gb of video in around 10 minutes)

edit: by the way, agonizing over demuxing or not is not the point.
Time is the point.
VRD will save multiplexed or demultiplexed video/audio in roughly the same time.
My authoring tools will demux first if fed multiplexed video/audio, wasting time.
If the one save out of VRD is demuxed, that is actually quicker, overall.

[diern]

OK, I had some spare time and thus did some tests to answer my own questions above...

I have a 1h video (1756108KB ~1.75GB) taken from satellite on my Topfield 5000 MP PVR.
How long does it take to get that movie onto a DVD+RW(4x) media?

And the answer is: 23 minutes (from Topfield to DVD)


1.)Transfer from Topfield to PC via USB and ALTAIR 1,25:
13:50 min -->Turbo mode,
30:00 min --> non-Turbo mode.

2.) I used VideoRedo in various ways to prepare the video to go into DVDauthor.
Output was always set to aspect ratio 16:9/ GOP=15
1:10 min -> elementary stream .mpv + .mpa
1:29 min -> DVD complient .vob file (this needs to be renamed .mpg to go into DVDauthor)

(optional and normally not needed for files from Topfield)
1:47 min --> .mvp+.mpa QuickStreamFix
3:39 min --> .mpv+.mpa QuickStreamFix + filter
3:41 min --> .vob no filter
3:40 min --> .vob with filter option

3.) DVDauthor, no gimmicks, just create DVD structur onto harddisk
5:07 --> from .mpv+.mpa files, (it needs to re-mux, thus is slower...)
2:17 --> from .vob file (remux not necessary...)

So the fastest is clearly to use .vob file as output from VideoReDo. VRD ist pretty fast in creating it, and DVDauthor has no need to remux and that saves some minutes!!

4.) 5:20min --> to Burn the DVD from a DVD structure created on harddisc by DVDauthor. DVDauthor uses the nero burn-engine no need to explicitly start nero. It's just a click in DVDauthor (nice and easy to do)

Let's calculate a little: 13:50+1:29+2:17+5:20= 22:56min.

Here we can see, that the most time consuming part is the transfer from the Topfield to the PC.
Real USB 2.0 or even better a 100MBit ethernet port is desperately needed on those PVR's.

This all was done on a AMD Athlon 2800+ with 1GB of RAM.

Hope I was not too boring when bringing you these figures ..

[baer]

Thank you for these informations. I use rec-files on my topfield, too (save as elementary streams -> GFD).

What are your settings in VR to edit topfield rec-files ? I'm not sure vr gets 100% sync results.

[diern]

@baer
What settings are you interested in?

I use the defaults as they are set when the programm installs. Then I open the video from the topfield, place my cuts/trimms and write it out as .vob file. To me the most important option in that "save" dialog is GOP=15.

That's it. Anything else you are interested in ?

[baer]

Thank you for your answer.

[DaVinci]

That sounds pretty simple.
How long does Nero Vision take to author (and possibly re-encode) your hour show?
If it's under half an hour, that sound like a winner.
If over an hour, I might suggest alternatives.



About an hour ... don't think it's over the hour.

[DaVinci]

OK, I had some spare time and thus did some tests to answer my own questions above...

So the fastest is clearly to use .vob file as output from VideoReDo. VRD ist pretty fast in creating it, and DVDauthor has no need to remux and that saves some minutes!!

Hope I was not too boring when bringing you these figures ..

No. not boring at all. Interesting. So, the software is DVDauthor (company?) - TPMG DVDAuthor?

Thanks

DaVinci