[mythtv-users] Best HD transcoding setup & settings?

[Bryan Mayland]

Joe Borne wrote:
> I've been recording several series this year in HD. I now have an 
> almost complete collection for my own use/review over the summer when 
> the seasons end.
>
> However, the 8.5GB per episode size is a bit cumbersome. I've tried 
> transcoding a bit and I'm not having much luck. Has anyone ever 
> written up a howto on exactly what you want to have installed (and how 
> to set it up) for transcoding?
>
You can use the standard MythTranscode jobs without having to resort to 
installing extra software or setting up custom jobs.  If you're using 
SVN HEAD, you can create even a recording profile -> transcoding for 
each source resolution.  Go to:
Utilities / Setup ->
Setup ->
TV Settings ->
Recording Profiles ->
Transcoders ->
Now create a new profile for each source res with the naming convention 
"Autodetect from X" (eg. Autodetect from 720p). 

I have the following common settings:
Lossless Transcoding NOT checked
Resize Video while transcoding NOT checked
Codec: MPEG4
Scale bitrate for frame size NOT checked
Enable high-quality encoding checked
Enable 4MV encoding checked
(I believe the sound settings aren't used currently)
For 1080i I use Bitrate=3500
For 720p I use Bitrate=2500
For 480i I use Bitrate=1500
For both interlaced profiles, I have "Enable interlaced DCT encoding" 
and "Enable interlaced motion estimation" checked.

To transcode them you just go to the recording from Watch Recordings and 
hit the right arrow -> Job Options -> Begin Transcoding (you can also do 
this from the OSD menu while watching it, or via mythweb).  You can also 
set MythTV to autotranscode after recording.

If you have any specific questions be sure to ask them and we can get 
you through it.