[mythtv-users] The Final Nail in MythTranscode?

[Michael T. Dean]

On 03/05/2013 02:42 AM, Richard Morton wrote:
> On 5 Mar 2013 03:04, "Michael T. Dean" wrote:
>> On 02/25/2013 03:11 AM, Ian Evans wrote:
>>> Really screwed with mythtranscode and space now.
>> Did you know that hard drive prices have reached new lows--even lower
>> prices than before the flood?
>>
>> Mike, a firm believer that transcoding recordings is a waste
> Mike, Why?
> I think I know what you are about to say but before I launch into why I
> really think you are wrong I thought I would check...
>

a) transcoding is lossy (generational loss at minimum, and if you really 
are using smaller bitrate--to create smaller files--can result in even 
more losses, depending on CODECs (where, generally, cutting bitrate 
without losing quality requires going to a more-efficient CODEC, that 
requires even more power--and potentially multiple passes--when 
transcoding))
b) transcoding takes a lot of CPU power--and, therefore, electricity 
(generally worth more than the hard drive space you save) and more hard 
drive space may not take any additional power (can actually take less 
power by replacing older, less-power-efficient drives with newer, 
larger, more efficient drives)
c) transcoding wastes a lot of human time--the time required to edit the 
recording and ensure cuts are where they should be (and blindly trusting 
the commercial detection to place flags is a bad idea for destructive 
process, such as cutting while transcoding)
d) in many locations, such as the USA, DVRs can be used only for time 
shifting content--meaning delaying the viewing of broadcast 
content--therefore, you don't own the content, and, really, are not 
allowed to keep it/archive it after viewing (and, some strict 
interpretations of the time shifting fair use rule say that there's a 
"reasonable" time limit associated with time shifting, some people 
claiming it's as short as "within 30 days of broadcast")
e) if it's really good enough that you would be willing to waste your 
own free time editing the recording and spend money on electricity to 
transcode it down to a smaller size, just buy it on DVD/BluRay and get a 
good copy without the advertisements/bugs/logos/rating boxes/weather 
alerts/news flashes/interruptions/...
f) mythtranscode only transcodes into MPEG-4 (or the useless RTJPEG) 
inside NuppelVideo container--which is completely wrong.

Note that I never said cutting is a waste.  Cutting without transcoding 
is fine--assuming you're keeping the recording long enough to waste your 
own time editing the recording to ensure cuts are done at the 
appropriate locations.  However, if you're really only just time 
shifting--record, watch, delete--even cutting isn't worthwhile with 
today's hard drive prices.  (I saw a 3TB HDD for $109.99 on Feb 22, and 
have seen 2TB HDDs for $69.99 recently.)

So, if you must transcode (i.e. to watch content on some 
limited-functionality device, such as a tablet or phone), don't use 
mythtranscode to do it--use a real tool that was designed by a project 
specifically focused on creating transcoding tools.  Ideally, though, 
you would never transcode and only ever cut commercials.  IMHO, that's 
the only use for mythtranscode--and if it's not working, then those who 
actually care to cut commercials with "lossless" transcoding need to get 
in there and fix it.

Mike