[mythtv-users] choosing an archive format for recordings

[Leo Weppelman]

I am struggling with the question of choosing a good backup format for
the shows I recorded and that are interesting enough to keep. I just
want to archive the shows after I have cut off the slack on the beginning
and end and without the commercials.

My system is an Epia-V10000 with an pvr-350. This system works pretty well
for recording/playback. Watching dvd's works pretty much OK too. The
problems start when trying to play avi's full screen. The C3 has not
enough power to do the scaling and from what I figured out on the various
mailing lists, it is not possible to let the pvr350 do the scaling :-(
(btw. I am using mplayer with the ivtvosd patch).

I have tried to create full screen avi's with nuvexport, but this did not
work either, not enough cpu-power... Latest thing I tried was:
'export to DVD' in nuvexport. The resulting mpeg file is somehow not playable
with the patched mplayer and ivtvosd (the error hints at an ivtv-driver
problem though: Error with sending DMA to ivtv FB! Argument list too long).
I can play the file by copying it to the original '.nuv' file and play it
as the 'normal' recording. It plays well and it is full screen. I realize
that this method is 'not done', but at least it proves that the concept
works and the resulting mpeg file has the correct content.

I also noticed a thread about mpeg2->mpeg2 with cutlist support but
without re-encoding in mythtranscode. But this project has stopped as far
as I could tell :-( That would have given an opportunity to save the
resulting nuv&sql and archive them.

Are there people using the same setup as me who have an acceptable solution
for the above problems? 

Leo.