[mythtv-users] Automated mpeg2 recordings chopping with avidemux

[Paul de Bruin]

> I have done some similar automation using avidemux2.

Interesting. Do you use similar options for avidemux on the command
line?

> Can you tell me what version of avidemux your are using?

2.0.16

> I'm satisfied with using avidemux2, but as of a couple weeks ago I
> haven't been successful finding a version of avidemux that will
> recognize my PVR-250 files.

What advantages are there to using avidemux instead of avidemux2? 

> My results with concatenation have been poor. I haven't found a tool
> that will do it properly without causing problems that the cut points
> with either element streams or program streams.

I processed two shows and a long movie (4 segments). The only problem I
found was that there was a slight audio delay (<1s) in the last segment
of the movie.  The two shorter shows looked ok. I have not yet burned
and tested the files on my dvd player. Are you referring to problems
with playing after burning?

> For making DVDs I just leave the segments unconcatenated. That is, I
> pass all the segments to a single title for dvdauthor, which by
> default generates a chapter marker for each segment which works out
> pretty nicely.

Excellent idea. I was playing with mpgtx to create files such that I
could fit the movie on two cd's.   

> > 2) avidemux needs X to operate and will popup all sorts of annoying
> >    progress windows during processing.
> 
> Yah, I wish avidemux2 had a more pure commandline mode, but I guess
> we're lucky to even have what it does.

Exactly, considering that there are at least three other options that do
not work:

1) transcode - can use the frames from cutlist, but has no video copy mode
2) mencoder  - uses time offset (which is always way off the specified
               time), but has option to process a number of frames from
	       the offset.
3) mpgtx     - also use time offset (and also never matches specified time)

> My homebrew method for making
> DVDs has been working so well I haven't had time to polish it up or
> integrate it better. I have no doubt somebody will beat me to it. ;)

I remember reading a previous discussion on this topic, but never saw the
required options for avidemux. Since these are not trivial I posted my
results for reference (many hands etc.).

Paul