[mythtv-users] A New Method For Exporting .nuv Files

William Powers wepprop at sbcglobal.net
Sun Oct 26 05:35:55 EST 2003


Here's an addition to the list of methods for exporting .nuv files.  This 
one is particularly useful if you want to export to the Windows 
platform.  You will need the following software:

1.  Torbjörn Jansson's MythTV DirectShow filter:
     http://sourceforge.net/projects/dsmyth

2.  TMPGEnc:
     http://www.tmpgenc.net  (You need this even if you're not encoding to 
MPEG)

3.  VFAPI Reader Codec and Converter:
     http://www.divx-digest.com/software/vfapi.html

The way this works is that these tools allow you to set up a frameserver 
that masquerades as a dummy .avi file.  You can then open that dummy avi 
file in any application that can open a real avi file and the frameserver 
will then serve the mythtv video file a frame at a time straight into your 
application.

To keep this note brief, I'll assume everyone knows how to go about 
encoding the desired target file and I'll just describe how to set up the 
VFAPI frameserver.  Hint:  If you are planning on exporting to DivX, you 
could use virtualdub with DivX/XviD and LAME to produce an avi file.  Or, 
if you are converting to MPEG1 to make a VCD, you could use TMPGEnc, etc.

You will also need the .nuv file available on the Windows machine, either 
by using Samba to mount the mythtv video directory on that Windows machine, 
or by ftp'ing the file to the Windows box, etc.

First, install the three required pieces of software mentioned above.  Read 
the readme's for installation instructions.

Next, start TMPGEnc, cancel out of the wizard, and click 'Video source: 
Browse'  Select 'Files of Type - All Files (*.*)'.  Find and select the 
appropriate .nuv file.  The MythTV DirectShow filters allow you to see the 
program title and other info by right-clicking a file and selecting 
'Properties' and then the MythTV DB Info tab (Note:  As described in the 
dsmyth docs, you have to enable the database feature before you can use it).

Next, select 'File', 'Save Project' (or type Ctrl-S) and save the project 
file somewhere convenient.  Feel free to change the name of the project 
file to something you can remember.  Now exit TMPGEnc.

Open up the VFAPI Convert application, click 'Add file', select 'Files of 
Type' = 'TMPGEnc project (*.tpr)', then locate and select the TMPGEnc 
project file you just saved.  Leave all the options checked on the 
resulting dialog - you can change the name and location of the output file 
to whatever you like.  Then click 'Convert' and go get a cup of 
coffee.  When it finishes, click 'Quit' and you are done.

As mentioned above, the result is a dummy avi file that can be opened by 
WMP, virtualdub, TMPGEnc, or just about any other application that can open 
a real avi file.  You won't be able to jump around (seek) in the file, but 
it will read start-to-finish just fine.  You'll notice that the dummy avi 
file is actually fairly large:  As part of the conversion process, the 
soundtrack is loaded into the dummy file as PCM data.  The video data, 
however, is obtained from the original .nuv file.

As far as audio sync with this method goes, YMMV:  To make 100% sure I get 
it right before burning to DVD+R, I usually save the audio as a .wav file 
and use GoldWave to manually sync the sound with the video.  When that's 
done, I encode the sound as an .mp2 and then mux the .m2v and .mp2 
together.  You can do the same thing with virtualdub when converting to DivX.

Also, I'd especially like to thank Torbjörn Jansson for the MythTV 
DirectShow filter.    Maybe someone else will write a VFW filter for .nuv's 
someday so that you can open them with VDub! I can't unless Santa brings me 
MS Visual Studio for Christmas. :)










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