Best format for Hauppauge MediaMVP

[Drewster]

Please point me in the right direction if this has been asked and answered (I've looked thru faqs and searched threads, haven't found it). What's the best DVD>Mobile option for creating files to be played back using Hauppauge's MediaMVP?

In the past I've done DVD>DVD (cuz that's what I bought), then combined using VideoRedo. There's a better way right?

I've played around with creating AVIs but none of them play right on the MediaMVP; they're in slow motion.

[GregiBoy]

If you post the specs of what the device actually supports then we may be able to assist you.

[Drewster]

Sorry, yes, good point. Thought maybe someone here would have one and have this already figured out.

From http://www.hauppauge.com/site/produc...mediamvp.html:

* Play MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and DivX® videos
* Connects to Ethernet networks with standard RJ-45 connectors!
* Create MPEG videos on your PC with Hauppauge's WinTV (optional), then play those videos on your TV set through MediaMVP. MediaMVP works with videos recorded with WinTV, WinTV-PVR and with our international digital TV tuners. MediaMVP also supports most standard MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and DivX® videos.
* MediaMVP is a Linux based digital media receiver. Inside MediaMVP is a high performance IBM PowerPC processor and a hardware MPEG audio/video decoder for MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 videos and MP3 music.
MediaMVP receives digital media from the PC via the Ethernet LAN, decodes the media and outputs audio/video to the TV set through the S-Video and composite A/V connectors.

MediaMVP video decoder specification

• Dedicated hardware decode support for MPEG-2 Transport Stream, MPEG-2 MP@ML, and MPEG-1. Decodes full CCIR601 resolution NTSC and PAL encoded MPEG-2 bit streams in real time, up to and including 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL).
• Hardware audio decoder: MPEG-1 level 2 (MP3) or level 3 (PCM audio not supported at this time).
• Decodes MPEG datarates from 1.5 Mbits/sec to 8 Mbits/sec
• Video output: composite, S-Video and RGB (Scart equipped models only)
• Upscales half screen resolution video to full screen. For example, MediaMVP will take 320x240 VCD video and play it full screen. It also offers a tunable Anti-Flicker Filter.
• Three level anti-flicker filter
• Outputs NTSC and PAL video, software selectable

MediaMVP audio decoder specification

• Dedicated hardware decode support for MPEG-1 level 2 or level 3 audio (MP3 audio).
• Decodes MP3 audio with datarates up to 320 Kbits/sec, variable or fixed
• Decodes mono and stereo. Mono audio sent to both left and right channels.

*** The following file, recorded from incoming cable (TV) using WIN-PVR as an MPG file then converted to AVI with VirtualDub, plays just fine:

General
Complete name : Sonny With a Chance-(Prank'd)-2009-09-20 (edited).avi
Format : AVI
Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
File size : 297 MiB
Duration : 21mn 34s
Overall bit rate : 1 928 Kbps
Writing library : VirtualDub build 30091/release

Video
Format : MPEG-4 Visual
Format profile : Streaming Video@L1
Format settings, BVOP : Yes
Format settings, QPel : No
Format settings, GMC : No warppoints
Format settings, Matrix : Default
Muxing mode : Packed bitstream
Codec ID : XVID
Codec ID/Hint : XviD
Duration : 21mn 34s
Bit rate : 1 820 Kbps
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 1.500
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Standard : NTSC
Resolution : 24 bits
Colorimetry : 4:2:0
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.176
Stream size : 281 MiB (94%)
Writing library : XviD 1.2.1 (UTC 2008-12-04)

Audio
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Codec ID : 2000
Duration : 21mn 34s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 96.0 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Stream size : 14.8 MiB (5%)
Alignment : Aligned on interleaves
Interleave, duration : 33 ms (1.00 video frame)
Interleave, preload duration : 512 ms

*** The following file, created using VOB passthru and renamed from .VOB to .MPG, has good video but no sound:

General
Complete name : 09 - Title8_2.mpg
Format : MPEG-PS
File size : 301 MiB
Duration : 7mn 59s
Overall bit rate : 5 264 Kbps

Video
ID : 224 (0xE0)
Format : MPEG Video
Format version : Version 2
Format profile : Main@Main
Format settings, Matrix : Default
Duration : 82ms
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 4 451 Kbps
Nominal bit rate : 9 800 Kbps
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16/9
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Standard : Component
Colorimetry : 4:2:0
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.430

Audio
ID : 128 (0x80)
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Duration : 7mn 59s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 448 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Surround: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz

Menu
Format : DVD-Video

*** The following file, created by DVD>Mobile using AVI, plays in slow motion:
General
Complete name : Title8.avi
Format : AVI
Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
File size : 102 MiB
Duration : 8mn 0s
Overall bit rate : 1 780 Kbps
Movie name : HORTON_HEARS_A_WHO.Title8.DVDRip
Writing application : Lavf52.33.0
Original source form/Name : HORTON_HEARS_A_WHO

Video
Format : MPEG-4 Visual
Format profile : Simple@L3
Format settings, BVOP : No
Format settings, QPel : No
Format settings, GMC : No warppoints
Format settings, Matrix : Default
Codec ID : XVID
Codec ID/Hint : XviD
Duration : 8mn 0s
Bit rate : 1 321 Kbps
Width : 704 pixels
Height : 396 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16/9
Frame rate : 23.976 fps
Resolution : 24 bits
Colorimetry : 4:2:0
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.198
Stream size : 75.6 MiB (74%)
Writing library : XviD 1.2.1 (UTC 2008-12-04)

Audio
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Codec ID : 2000
Duration : 8mn 0s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 448 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Surround: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Stream size : 25.6 MiB (25%)
Alignment : Aligned on interleaves
Interleave, duration : 32 ms (0.77 video frame)

Thank you.

[GregiBoy]

From the specs, I would try the generic.avi.xvid.audiocopy profile for a start to see what you feel about the results.

Use 2 pass encoding, video bitrate of 1100 and a resolution near the original DVD, usually 720 x XXX (PAL), 704 x XXX (NTSC)

Have a read of my "Best Practice: DVD to Mobile" thread in the Knowledgebase section of this forum before you start.

[Drewster]

Thank you. Found the thread (http://forum.dvdfab.com/showthread.php?t=543). In it you say "set the "Create files in subfolder of output directory" to "OFF"". Where is that setting found? Where can I learn more about what 1-pass vs 2-pass is about? Why did you say 1100 for bitrate, is that kind of standard or based on something specific to my media? 16/9 comes out to 1.777 so I have tried to find something as close to that for aspect ratio; what impact does the overall size (e.g. 704 vs 720) have? I'd imagine I'd see more difference on my PC flatscreen than my 27" CRT TV right? Thank you for the help! I appreciate learning this stuff.

[GregiBoy]

In Settings (Green tick on top rh of Fab window), General, 5th box down.

You will have to do some research on other encoding forums. A quick and dirty non-technical explanation is that 1 pass does a best guess enconding on the fly where 2 pass does analysis on the first pass and applies that analysis on the second pass.

I always have felt that 2 pass gives better results but it does take approx twice as long.

I say the 1100 bitrate from years of bitter experience as a good start point.

720 is the usual PAL DVD resolution width whilst 704 is the usual NTSC DVD resolution width. The larger the resolution the larger the file size. If you stick with the standard DVD width, you usually can't go wrong for devices such as yours, but ifyou were encoding for a smaller handheld device, you would drop the resolution back to what the device can support.

You should see the same on the PC & the TV.

[Drewster]

Thanks for all that. Thank you also for the suggestion (in Best Practice) to rip to HD first. I've been testing with an 8-min clip off DVD and it took 2-min (or longer) for all DVD>Mobile trials. Running off HD shaves a min. And 2-pass was taking 4-min, now takes 2 min. I'm getting a transcoder error; I installed K-Lite Codec Full last night. Reinstalled XviD, that didn't fix. Not sure what the right codec is for AC-3. Cheers!

[GregiBoy]

Try downloading and installing Ac3 Filter

[Drewster]

THANK YOU! I did that, rebooted, and now some AVI files play. Didn't install AC3 before, so not sure if it was that or just the reboot after installing XviD. More investigation ahead as to what will and what won't play back on my device, and what is the best format (compression/quality). I'll try to post results after some trials for benefit of future readers. Cheers!