[mythtv-users] Simple transcoding format questions

[Don Brett]

Hi, I've read the docs and sifted through the posts, but haven't found
what I'm looking for.  I think transcoding is the answer, but I'm not
sure.  Here goes:

Distro - Slackware 9.1
Kernel - 2.4.27
MythTv version - 0.16
Myth box - 900 Mhz athlon
Capture board - Hauppauge pvr-350
ivtv driver - ckennedy - ivtv-0.3.1s

>From the MythTv documentation:

"After marking commercials, the transcoder can be run manually to delete
the commercials from the file (thus further saving space)"

- This sounds like it's exactly what I want to do.  Commercial detection
worked very well, I did some minor adjustment, now all I need to do is
re-write the file without the commercials.

1. MythTv saves movie clips in .nuv format, which I understand is
mpeg2.  I can rename a .nuv file to .mpg and play the file on several
players.  When I transcode, is it converting the file so something other
than mpeg2?

2. From the mythtv docs:
"For either manual or automatic transcoding: start mythbackend start
mythfrontend select setup, and the Transcoding recording profile. now
select either RTjpeg or MPEG-4."

- Is it converting the file to something else?

3. What is RTjpeg?  From what I've read, it's the basis of the
NuppelVideo stream.  What does this have to do with mpeg2?  I thought
the .nuv file was mpeg2.

4. The transcoding menu selection in Mythfrontend has a selection that
reads "From RTjpeg or Mpeg4".  Is the captured .nuv file in one of these
formats?

5. I see that lots of people transcode to Mpeg4.  If I remember
correctly, mpeg4 uses the same stream format as mpeg2 (but I'm not sure
about that).  I plan to use DvdStyler to produce DVD's, which requires
the format to be mpeg2.  Should it still work with mpeg4?

6. This is a little off-topic.  I tried to do a transcode. Play movie ->
press 'x' to start transcode -> transcoding started.  It was working on
a file that was about 2.8 gig.  It created a .tmp file, but continued to
transcode well past 2.8 gig.  I killed it at 6 gig.  I didn't do any
settings, or profiles, or anything.  I just pressed 'x'.  Where do I
start looking to solve this?

Thanks for the help,
Don