[mythtv-users] Channels with poor quality create HUGE recordings

[William Powers]

Static and noise don't compress well.  The higher the compression you 
normally use, the more pronounced the file size 'inflation', as it 
were.  If you find a way to clean up the picture, the files should go 
back to normal size. 

Actually, if you find a way to clean up the picture, please let me know 
so I can get rid of the fuzzy diagonal lines I get on AMC.  Post 
processing them with a temporal filter cleans them up pretty good, but 
for normal viewing it looks pretty bad.

Bill

Phil Buescher wrote:

>I've been running Myth for a couple years now.  I'm just running it
>with a software based encoder Happauge WinTV-Radio.
>
>I moved to a new town just recently, and a different cable company, of
>course - I have Comcast now.
>Anyway, onto the problem...
>
>Certain channels come in pretty fuzzy, with bad quality, showing
>diagonal lines on the screen.  Most channels come in just fine and
>look great.  These channels come in all fuzzy on a normal TV as well.
>
>Here's the big problem though - on those channels with the poor
>quality, the recording sizes are abnormally HUGE!
>We're talking about 3-4 times larger than the recordings should be. 
>For instance, a normal hour-long show will take up 0.74 gigs, but the
>ones on the flaky channels will take up anywhere from 2.5 to 3.5 gigs!
> It's really crazy!
>
>I didn't change anything besides my tvlisting feeds on my MythTV box,
>so I know it isn't something I did.  I didn't change my recording
>format, I didn't change my setup, and this is certainly a per-channel
>problem.  Only two channels I know of have this poor quality and HUGE
>recordings problem.
>
>I did get basic cable, nothing digital, no satellite or anything goofy
>- just the basic standard cable package with no need for a set top
>box.
>
>Could this be that these channels are actually HDTV, and that's why
>they're taking up so much room and come in all fuzzy on tuners that
>aren't HDTV-ready?  Or can it just be that channels with this poor
>quality problem simply take up a ton more room to record?  I have DSL,
>but could I be receiving some interferance that has to do with cable
>Internet?  I don't know - I'm totally guessing because I have no clue
>anymore.
>
>I really need some help, as the two channels we record the most shows
>off (shows that are on while we're at work), are the ones that have
>this problem - and even with over 300 gigs of HD space, I'm running
>out rather fast.
>
>I really don't want to have to re-transcode/mencode the shows after
>recording them, since that's a pain - any idea what the problem is? 
>The cable installer thought the poor quality was due to bad wiring,
>but between him and I, we replaced every single run of cable in and
>outside of the house with high-quality wiring and ends.  The installer
>even replaced the cable running from the neighborhood box that runs to
>our house.  We never did figure out why these channels come in fuzzy. 
>He left, proclaiming the problem fixed - and it wasn't fixed, he just
>checked one of the channels that come in just fine.  I even bought an
>expensive coax tester, and all the runs are totally clean.
>
>I tried putting a signal booster in front of my MythTV box, but that
>had no effect.  I also tried an RF filter, to no effect.  I'm totally
>stumped and frustrated.
>
>Please help - any suggestions or insights are appreciated.
>_______________________________________________
>mythtv-users mailing list
>mythtv-users at mythtv.org
>http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>  
>