Windows Media Center / DVR-MS Files

[LoKyBuckeye]

I just got a new computer with the media center on it... seems pretty cool so far. The one thing that's [censored]ing me off is that when you record a TV show it records it in a DVR-MS file and these files can not be edited... or so they say. Does anyone have any idea of how to edit one of these things. What I want to do is be able to edit out commercials etc. I don't really want to have to do 25 steps to convert it to MPEG or AVI and I don't want to have to use a bunch of different software to do it and so far that's the only way. I tried to import the file to Vegas Video and it kept locking up.... same thing with Premier. I have access to Final Cut Pro but it's not on my machine and I don't want to screw it up. I'm not too worried about it because I can use my DVDR/HD like I used to but I think that there would have to be an easy way to do.

Rant over... any tips?

[tones3778]

http://www.fstop-blues.com/2005/04/w...rn-dvr-ms.html

According to this blog, Nero Vision Express can handle editing and burning of DVR-MS files. More info at http://ww2.nero.com/us/NeroVision_Express_2_prev.html

I have a Dell MCE computer, but have not tried recording,editing, and burning to DVD yet so that is the best I have at the moment. Below is a post from ghostlobster at The Green Button on this page

Ahh yes, the "holy grail" of MCE... Recording TV to DVD. Should be easy, no? NOT! I've been tinkering with this subject for a while and have the following observations. I have not user SonicPrimetime. If soumeone can draw comparisons to the below and add it on, go right ahead please!

A - NeroVision Express.
Advantages:
1 - Burn direct from dvr-ms to DVD, no sweat.
2 - Offers an interface to edit the item first

Disavantages:
1 - I've yet to be able to burn a DVD of what I would consider decent quality. I always record on the "best" setting, and when converting and burning with NVE3, it generally compresses it too much and makes it look like crap. There may be a way to get this to convert better, but I have not found it...which brings me to point 2...
2 - Horrible user interface. Come on guys, how about a frame by frame advancement option when editing. Also, if you make one small screw up, it has a habbit of re-ordering your segments, and doing other weirdness. Generally, the interface for editing SUCKS.
3 - Not free! You'd think that with the above shortcomings, they'd throw this to us as a free add-on or something.

B - TMPGEnc Express 3.1 (3.0 does not support dvr-ms)
Advantages:
1 - Great user interface
2 - Wonderful editing features (Ahead could learn something here for their next NeroVision product.) Frame by frame advancement, easy to understand cut functions, etc. I loved this product.
3 - Support not just for dvr-ms, but all kinds of files and converting. Just a great tool!
4 - Control over quality of the output. I've been able to make some great DVDs of movies I've recorded with MCE using this product. Again, Ahead, take notice!

Disadvantages:
1 - Not free...quite costly as a matter of fact, all things considered.
2 - Add on required for DVD editing due to the AC3 audio stream. You've got to be kidding me!? You can't make that part of the product rather than tap me for another $30?
3 - Very resource intensive and time consuming. Don't plan on sitting there watching these convert. Best if done before bed and then just queue up a batch. By the time you get home from work the next day, you'll have some VIDEO_TS directories to burn.

C - Sonic Encoders
Advantages:
1 - Free (you can find them on the web as per the prior post. I believe they're free!)
2 - Support within the MCE interface. Just click Create DVD/CD from the MCE interface, select the files, drop a blank in and away you go!
3 - Pretty quick about burning.
4 - Very very very easy to use.

Disadvantages:
1 - No editing at all. You burn what you recorded...period
2 - Quality of resulting burns os somewhat lacking.
3 - No menu options. All the DVDs you make will have the same blue MCE Background with the title there. Take it or lea...err, no, wait, you can't leave it....it puts it there, period!

Conclusion:
Different needs will dictate which choice you make. For those items that I just want to drop on DVD for someone, for example, a friend of mine missed 24 last week. I dropped a blank DVD in my machine, went into MCE told it to make the DVD (using the Sonic encoders) and within about an hour, I had the DVD burned. He can live with the bad quality and having to fast forward through the commercials (nice friend I am, huh!) So, for things like that, you can't beat the Sonic Encoders.
However, after recording A Bugs Life the other week, I wanted to hack the commercials and create a DVD from it for my collection. Using NeroVision Express, I screwed up a few times, started over from scratch, etc. Upon completion, I ended up with a sub-par quality DVD. I sat down later on with TMPGEnc Express 3.1, went through the same excercise and ended up with a very good DVD. However, my trial has expired for the shareware version of it, and I'm not about to plunk down that cash for it. Just not worth it.

For everyday use, just use the Sonic Encoders. If you're a power user, and don't mind dropping a few bucks, get TMPGEnc. If poor video quality and a bad user interface is worth paying for, then by all means, get NeroVision Express!

[NorthShoreBuck]

As referenced above Sonic MyDVD Studio 6.1 is supposed to have this capability. Read about it on a WAREZ board so I do not know how well it performs.

[LoKyBuckeye]

Thanks for all the info. I'll have to start checking some of it out. Vegas ususally handles anything I throw at it but not this time. I'll check out MyDVD... I think I used to have at one time but got rid of it.

I've used most of these programs at one point or another... I'll have to load it into TMPGEnc and see what happens... I don't think I have 3.0.

[ScarletInMyVeins]

Originally Posted by loky

I'll have to load it into TMPGEnc and see what happens... I don't think I have 3.0.

Where can I get this from? I'm getting ready to start messing with recording, editing, and burning on my Vaio MCE and want to do it as smoothly as possible. Let me know what works best for you Loky so I don't have to have very many headaches

[LoKyBuckeye]

You can get TMPGEnc here... but apparently TMPGEnc Xpress is different. I have not used Xpress but you can get a 14 day trial.

http://www.tmpgenc.net/e_main.html

TMPGEnc Xpress

http://www.pegasys-inc.com/en/downlo...n_license.html

I'll let you know if I get either of them to work... I just need to find the time to be able to do it. Maybe tonight.

[LoKyBuckeye]

Tried both.... TMPGEnc Xpress is the one that worked out of the two. Really easy to use. If you try it just remember to use the import wizard if you are going to import a DVR-MS file becuase you have to select that type of file. I edited the commercials out of a 30 minute episode of King of Queens. It took about 45 minutes to encode to a MPEG 1 file. Quality seems good... I'll have to burn to a DVD to see what it looks like on the big screen.

This is the trial version... it costs 58 bucks to purchase. I might have to see if I can find a crack.


EDIT: Video was MPEG 2 and Audio was MPEG 1

[ScarletInMyVeins]

I downloaded Nero 6 ultra edition (suite) last night but haven't messed around with anything yet. If you find a crack let me know.

[MililaniBuckeye]

LoKy, how'd the DVD look on a regular TV?

[LoKyBuckeye]

DVD looked really good. I didn't see much loss in quality. It was just like I recorded it on the set top DVDR and played it back. When it was recorded it was set at the highest quality and it didn't lose much in the encoding/burning process. The downside to that is the file was 1.5G for 24 minutes of TV. I have recorded some shows for my kids at a lower level and burned them. They still looked good on the TV.

[rocketman]

A friend at work showed me this plugin called dCut. Apparently it edits and compresses DVR-MS file to I guess would be .wmv with a touch of the remote! You still have to edit the files by hand, but the entire process can be done using your remote, simply be selecting the parts of the video you want to keep. Their website is down cause of bandwidth issues but from what I've heard the software (which is free, btw) is in it's beta stages yet it is very useable and works great.

EDIT: Of course, I just discovered THIS - DVRMSToolbox which seems to be able to do anything! Namely, converting DVR-MS to MPEG AND cutting the commercials out automatically.

Run that, and then run AutoGK to convert the mpeg to divx....and I think I just figured out what to do when I start recording games

[LoKyBuckeye]

Very cool... I'll have to check it out.

[ScarletInMyVeins]

That DVRMSToolbox looks pretty cool. There is and austrailian MCE site that has that and another program called crunchie. I guess the two are supposed to work hand in hand but I didn't feel like reading the whole thing.