[mythtv-users] transcode?

[Brian Wood]

On Apr 20, 2008, at 11:17 AM, Mark Knecht wrote:
>
>   I'd like to investigate transcoding that significantly reduces file
> size since our interests here are less about perfect quality and more
> about saving episodes. We currently run out of disk space about every
> 4-5 days making it hard to take a two week vacation, etc.

Transcoding mpeg2 files to mpeg4 should reduce the files to about half  
the size, depending on the precise parameters you choose. You can  
reduce them even further but the quality at that point begins to  
suffer. If you're playing them on an iPod or the like you might want  
to go for further reductions though.

One problem is you increase the CPU horsepower needed to play the  
files, and eliminate the possibility of getting help from XvMC.

There is the possibility of transcoding the files to mpeg4 and re- 
transcoding them back to mpeg2 on the fly to play them back. This is  
resource intensive but it has been done by devices like the MVP.

Hard drives are pretty cheap these days :-)

beww