OK so the title sounds like a Spam Message but it isn’t....
Im going to attempt to tell you how to cut those annoying ad's out of the TV files, edit the recording slack out of them and even author the tv recording to DVD!! wooo i hear you cry tell me more! This is also handy if like me you are always messing around with MediaPortal, as you can’t re-import your recorded TV after you have hosed your Database ïŠ
Oh did I mention you can do this with free software?
OK firstly go grab yourself the following
Projectx – a very good demuxer splits .TS files into elementary m2v and mp2 video and audio files also repairs any errors in the stream while its at it…
Get it here :-
1, If you have java installed already – http://www.oozoon.de/progs/projectx/ProjectX-v0.90.01.00-20050930.zip
2, If you want it with the java get it here - http://www.videohelp.com/download/ProjectX0901exe.zip
To install :-
If you downloaded link 1, extract the zip file to a directory and to run projectx just double click ProjectX-v0.90.01.00-20050930.jar and then agree to the terms. Its worth dropping a shortcut on the desktop by right clicking on the file and selecting send to - Desktop
If you downloaded link 2, just install it like any other program! I’d recommend link 1 personally. Just make sure you have the JAVA runtime installed.
MPEG2Shnitt – A great package also.. not the most obvious to use in the world but very very powerful. It can cut sections of demux’d video / audio and even join separate files together!
Get it here :- http://mdienert.winnt.de/Mpeg2Schnitt071.zip
To install :-
Extract the files in the zip to a directory and put a shortcut on the desktop pointing to mpeg2shnitt.exe. On startup if you require it in English then change the language in the bottomo right corner. This sets the language for the program
ImagoMPEG-Muxer – Another great little package, used for Muxing the cut video and Audio files back to MPG files
Get it here :- http://www.videohelp.com/~liquid217/ImagoMPEG-Muxer.zip
To install :-
Well… the zip contains the EXE file so you can put it in a folder somewhere and add a shortcut on the desktop, or just run it straight from the desktop! The choice is yours
Finally…
DVDAuthorGUI – Very simple DVD Author best suited for creating auto start DVD’s. Can create motion Menu’s within it, so gets as powerful as you need it to be! Can also create ISO files and deals with both PAL and NTSC
Get it here :- http://www.videohelp.com/~liquid217/download.pl?d=DVDAuthorGUI_1.005b.exe
Help file can be found here :- http://www.videohelp.com/~liquid217/dvdauthorgui.pl
To install :-
Install like a ‘normal’ program following the prompts and accepting defaults.
Now …. How to do IT!
Before starting, create yourself a temporary work folder called something like Temp TV folder and then create a sub folder in this called something like CUT TV. Got it? Ok.. carry on…
Step 1 – Demuxing the .TS file.
Ok … Open projectx
Go to File > Add
Point Projectx at your recorded TV folder ( in my case I have it set to d:\recorded tv)
Select the File that you want to edit / convert and then click the select button. This should load the file and give you a preview in projectx.
Next go to the bottom right of the interface and click on the + button next to ‘recent output directories’ and point it to the temporary Folder you created (remember the one called Temp Tv or something like that?) you don’t have to enter the folder to select it, just a single click and press select! The GUI on projectx isn’t very nice but it does the job!
Ok now go to the left hand side of the interface and press the open button this opens up the process dialog box. Just make sure that the Demux radio Button has a dot in it and then press the go button… (the one that looks like a play button!)
Projectx will split the .TS file into an audio (MP2) and video (M2V) file both with the same name just different extensions.
*** It may in some cases create several audio files (MP2) depending on how many audio streams MediaPortal recorded. MP2 files play in Mediaplayer so you need to check which of the audio files the correct one is you need to check that there is sound and it is of the correct duration. If the correct audio file happens to have a (1) or (2) in the filename delete all the incorrect AUDIO files and rename the correct one to match the filename of the M2V file.****
Ok Next step….
Step 2 - Removing Commercials / recording slack.
For this you will need to open MPEG2Shnitt.
Hopefully you will of sorted your audio files out so you should have 2 files, one with an M2V extension and one with a MP2 extension
Right go to File > open video/audio
Point MPEG2Shnitt to the M2V file you created and click open. The program should then index the video file and then bring in the audio file with the same name (see it all makes sense now doesn’t it ïŠ )
To double check look in the files box (under the preview window) and expand the file listed in there. There should be audio and video in there. As another check press the ‘PLAY’ button and see if the video plays back ok and use the slider to check the sync of video to audio at different sections of the file.
Ok lets get on with the good part….
Using the slider and the left and right arrow keys (on your keyboard!!) go to the start of the program (ie after the recording slack) when you have got it to where you want it click the button that has ‘IN’ on it.. Just ‘IN’ no other characters!
Then move the slider to the end of the program (if your just cutting the recording slack), or the start of the first commercial break and press the ‘OUT’ button. Then Click the ‘NEW’ Button and you’ll notice that in the cut list (right hand side) that an entry is inserted.
If you are cutting the commercials out then you then need to use the slider to go to the start of the next part of the show and press ‘IN’ again and then to the end of that part of the show and press ‘OUT’ followed by ‘NEW’ and on and on etc etc.
Ok once you have got a full cutting list it’s a simple as pressing the ‘CUT’ button (just above ‘PREVIEW’) point it to the subdirectory that you created (remember the one called CUT TV?) change the filename if you wish and then press save! This saves a new M2V and MP2 file ready to be joined back together as a mpg file or authored on a dvd! Excited? You will be ïŠ
Step 3a – Converting back to MPG
Converting back to mpg files is easy…
Open the program ImagoMPEG-Muxer and click the button ‘SELECT VIDEO SOURCE’
Point it at the M2V file created in MPEG2Shnitt (ie in the CUT TV subdirectory!) and click open.
ImagoMPEG-Muxer will bring in the audio file automatically when it has the same name as the video file.
Make sure you set the output directory to somewhere relevant (perhaps one of your MediaPortal ‘my videos’ shares? Saves you moving it there later!)
Make sure the Output Format is set to MPG
Then click ‘Multiplex’
Once its done you should have a perfectly in sync MPEG2 file ready for playback at your leisure in MediaPortal!
Step 3b – Converting to DVD
I’ll only cover how to create a simple autoplay dvd with no menu’s if you want to get technical then feel free but don’t get asking me how to do it !!
Ok… lets go….
Open DVDAuthorGui
Select NTSC or PAL with the drop down box on the right hand side.
Click the ‘Add Title’ Button and Point it at the M2V file created in MPEG2Shnitt (ie in the CUT TV subdirectory!) and click ‘Open’, Then Select the MP2 file created in MPEG2Shnitt and click open on that also.
You should now see a title in the Titles loaded area.
I’ll cover adding chapters here as I think they are quite important!
To add chapters click the chapters button select visual editor and then ok to the warning. Either manually add each chapter wherever you want them or use the auto add chapter feature, by simply selecting the time span of each chapter and then pressing go. Each chapter should appear in the pane on the right hand side. Once done press accept and then ok to return to the main screen.
If you want to create an ISO image file for burning or storage (not required) then tick the selection under file before authoring the DVD.
To author the DVD press the ‘Author DVD’ button point it to where you want the program to create its DVD files and enter the name of the **FOLDER** that you want DVDAuthorGui to create.
Once you have clicked in save it will go off and create the DVD in the standard VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders as subdirectories of the Folder you told it to create. If you Asked DVDAuthorGui to create an ISO Image too, then that will appear at the same folder level as the one you asked it to create.
That’s it really other than burning the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders to a dvd using Nero or if you want to use a free program, use CD Burner XP pro, or Burning the ISO image using The appropriate tools!
I Hope this helps… any anomalies spotted or improvements suggested will be welcomed (with the exception of telling me the programs are Crap!)
Steve
Im going to attempt to tell you how to cut those annoying ad's out of the TV files, edit the recording slack out of them and even author the tv recording to DVD!! wooo i hear you cry tell me more! This is also handy if like me you are always messing around with MediaPortal, as you can’t re-import your recorded TV after you have hosed your Database ïŠ
Oh did I mention you can do this with free software?
OK firstly go grab yourself the following
Projectx – a very good demuxer splits .TS files into elementary m2v and mp2 video and audio files also repairs any errors in the stream while its at it…
Get it here :-
1, If you have java installed already – http://www.oozoon.de/progs/projectx/ProjectX-v0.90.01.00-20050930.zip
2, If you want it with the java get it here - http://www.videohelp.com/download/ProjectX0901exe.zip
To install :-
If you downloaded link 1, extract the zip file to a directory and to run projectx just double click ProjectX-v0.90.01.00-20050930.jar and then agree to the terms. Its worth dropping a shortcut on the desktop by right clicking on the file and selecting send to - Desktop
If you downloaded link 2, just install it like any other program! I’d recommend link 1 personally. Just make sure you have the JAVA runtime installed.
MPEG2Shnitt – A great package also.. not the most obvious to use in the world but very very powerful. It can cut sections of demux’d video / audio and even join separate files together!
Get it here :- http://mdienert.winnt.de/Mpeg2Schnitt071.zip
To install :-
Extract the files in the zip to a directory and put a shortcut on the desktop pointing to mpeg2shnitt.exe. On startup if you require it in English then change the language in the bottomo right corner. This sets the language for the program
ImagoMPEG-Muxer – Another great little package, used for Muxing the cut video and Audio files back to MPG files
Get it here :- http://www.videohelp.com/~liquid217/ImagoMPEG-Muxer.zip
To install :-
Well… the zip contains the EXE file so you can put it in a folder somewhere and add a shortcut on the desktop, or just run it straight from the desktop! The choice is yours
Finally…
DVDAuthorGUI – Very simple DVD Author best suited for creating auto start DVD’s. Can create motion Menu’s within it, so gets as powerful as you need it to be! Can also create ISO files and deals with both PAL and NTSC
Get it here :- http://www.videohelp.com/~liquid217/download.pl?d=DVDAuthorGUI_1.005b.exe
Help file can be found here :- http://www.videohelp.com/~liquid217/dvdauthorgui.pl
To install :-
Install like a ‘normal’ program following the prompts and accepting defaults.
Now …. How to do IT!
Before starting, create yourself a temporary work folder called something like Temp TV folder and then create a sub folder in this called something like CUT TV. Got it? Ok.. carry on…
Step 1 – Demuxing the .TS file.
Ok … Open projectx
Go to File > Add
Point Projectx at your recorded TV folder ( in my case I have it set to d:\recorded tv)
Select the File that you want to edit / convert and then click the select button. This should load the file and give you a preview in projectx.
Next go to the bottom right of the interface and click on the + button next to ‘recent output directories’ and point it to the temporary Folder you created (remember the one called Temp Tv or something like that?) you don’t have to enter the folder to select it, just a single click and press select! The GUI on projectx isn’t very nice but it does the job!
Ok now go to the left hand side of the interface and press the open button this opens up the process dialog box. Just make sure that the Demux radio Button has a dot in it and then press the go button… (the one that looks like a play button!)
Projectx will split the .TS file into an audio (MP2) and video (M2V) file both with the same name just different extensions.
*** It may in some cases create several audio files (MP2) depending on how many audio streams MediaPortal recorded. MP2 files play in Mediaplayer so you need to check which of the audio files the correct one is you need to check that there is sound and it is of the correct duration. If the correct audio file happens to have a (1) or (2) in the filename delete all the incorrect AUDIO files and rename the correct one to match the filename of the M2V file.****
Ok Next step….
Step 2 - Removing Commercials / recording slack.
For this you will need to open MPEG2Shnitt.
Hopefully you will of sorted your audio files out so you should have 2 files, one with an M2V extension and one with a MP2 extension
Right go to File > open video/audio
Point MPEG2Shnitt to the M2V file you created and click open. The program should then index the video file and then bring in the audio file with the same name (see it all makes sense now doesn’t it ïŠ )
To double check look in the files box (under the preview window) and expand the file listed in there. There should be audio and video in there. As another check press the ‘PLAY’ button and see if the video plays back ok and use the slider to check the sync of video to audio at different sections of the file.
Ok lets get on with the good part….
Using the slider and the left and right arrow keys (on your keyboard!!) go to the start of the program (ie after the recording slack) when you have got it to where you want it click the button that has ‘IN’ on it.. Just ‘IN’ no other characters!
Then move the slider to the end of the program (if your just cutting the recording slack), or the start of the first commercial break and press the ‘OUT’ button. Then Click the ‘NEW’ Button and you’ll notice that in the cut list (right hand side) that an entry is inserted.
If you are cutting the commercials out then you then need to use the slider to go to the start of the next part of the show and press ‘IN’ again and then to the end of that part of the show and press ‘OUT’ followed by ‘NEW’ and on and on etc etc.
Ok once you have got a full cutting list it’s a simple as pressing the ‘CUT’ button (just above ‘PREVIEW’) point it to the subdirectory that you created (remember the one called CUT TV?) change the filename if you wish and then press save! This saves a new M2V and MP2 file ready to be joined back together as a mpg file or authored on a dvd! Excited? You will be ïŠ
Step 3a – Converting back to MPG
Converting back to mpg files is easy…
Open the program ImagoMPEG-Muxer and click the button ‘SELECT VIDEO SOURCE’
Point it at the M2V file created in MPEG2Shnitt (ie in the CUT TV subdirectory!) and click open.
ImagoMPEG-Muxer will bring in the audio file automatically when it has the same name as the video file.
Make sure you set the output directory to somewhere relevant (perhaps one of your MediaPortal ‘my videos’ shares? Saves you moving it there later!)
Make sure the Output Format is set to MPG
Then click ‘Multiplex’
Once its done you should have a perfectly in sync MPEG2 file ready for playback at your leisure in MediaPortal!
Step 3b – Converting to DVD
I’ll only cover how to create a simple autoplay dvd with no menu’s if you want to get technical then feel free but don’t get asking me how to do it !!
Ok… lets go….
Open DVDAuthorGui
Select NTSC or PAL with the drop down box on the right hand side.
Click the ‘Add Title’ Button and Point it at the M2V file created in MPEG2Shnitt (ie in the CUT TV subdirectory!) and click ‘Open’, Then Select the MP2 file created in MPEG2Shnitt and click open on that also.
You should now see a title in the Titles loaded area.
I’ll cover adding chapters here as I think they are quite important!
To add chapters click the chapters button select visual editor and then ok to the warning. Either manually add each chapter wherever you want them or use the auto add chapter feature, by simply selecting the time span of each chapter and then pressing go. Each chapter should appear in the pane on the right hand side. Once done press accept and then ok to return to the main screen.
If you want to create an ISO image file for burning or storage (not required) then tick the selection under file before authoring the DVD.
To author the DVD press the ‘Author DVD’ button point it to where you want the program to create its DVD files and enter the name of the **FOLDER** that you want DVDAuthorGui to create.
Once you have clicked in save it will go off and create the DVD in the standard VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders as subdirectories of the Folder you told it to create. If you Asked DVDAuthorGui to create an ISO Image too, then that will appear at the same folder level as the one you asked it to create.
That’s it really other than burning the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders to a dvd using Nero or if you want to use a free program, use CD Burner XP pro, or Burning the ISO image using The appropriate tools!
I Hope this helps… any anomalies spotted or improvements suggested will be welcomed (with the exception of telling me the programs are Crap!)
Steve
United States of America