[mythtv-users] Re: DVD recording sync issues with PVR 350

[Michael T. Dean]

John Kondis wrote:

>  --- "Michael T. Dean" <mtdean at thirdcontact.com> wrote: [...]
>
> > So, as suggested by Nick in this thread, I tried Project X. I just
> > opened the video and demux'ed with default settings. It threw away
> > a ton of broken video (11.278 seconds total! Started at
> > 2:05:55.422 and ended at 2:05:44.144). Afterwards, I could open
> > the video in Avidemux2, specify an external MPEG audio stream, and
> > the recording was in sync.
>
>  You and Nick rock.

I think Nick deserves the credit.  I just took his advice.  After all, 
I'd tried just about everything else, so why not one more approach.  :)

>  So now I have done the same thing. Figuring out ProjectX wasn't as
>  easy as I thought since most of the docs are in Dutch.

Wow.  I didn't recognize that one.  Good to know, though.

>  ... Actually, on my Duron 1.6 (not the actual mythbox, just my
>  general purpose server) it didn't take long to process at all - just
>  a few minutes.

I can't believe that.  My Athlon XP 2400+ took about 1:1 time to 
process.  It's not a Myth box (it's my main desktop system), but it does 
run Linux.  I started the process, saw it moving slowly and walked 
away.  There are no server apps on my desktop to interfere with the 
process, so the only thing I can imagine is that the file was, as I 
said, "particularly nasty."  I guess since it removed 11s of video, that 
seems reasonable.  (How much video did it remove from yours?)  Maybe 
next time I'll start it with more memory and see if that helps.

>  It turns out ProjectX has a CLI (command line interface). It's
>  a little tricky to figure out, but this now works great for me:
>
>  java -jar <compiled_projectX_file> -c <projectX_ini_file> -n
>  <output_stream_basename> -o <dir_to_put_streams> <input_nuv_file>

Good to know.  I hadn't explored it too much.  I was mainly interested 
in testing it, but this will be very useful...

>  ... Also, when I ssh'ed into my box without "-X", projectX failed to
>  start, apparently because it needs to feel like it's accessing an X
>  server even when it isn't going to use one. (Go figure.)

You can specify to the Java virtual machine that it should run headless 
(i.e. without the use of a GUI).  (Headless mode requires Java 2 version 
1.4 or above.)  So, I tried starting it with:

java -Djava.awt.headless=true <the rest of the command line you used>

Unfortunately, though, Project X is not written to support headless mode 
so you get a HeadlessException.  Maybe if I get a few minutes...

>  So if you don't have an X display defined it may not work from the
>  command line.

True--at least for now.

> > HTH.
>
>  It did, but I'm not sure I owe you the beer, since you didn't tell me
>  about the commandline interface. ;)

I'll agree.  If you owe anyone a beer, I think it's Nick.  I think maybe 
I owe him one, too.

Mike