VCR Substitutes

I tried DScaler and it works well for just watching but it has very limited capture abilities.

The biggest problem that I have run into is audio sync problems after frames have been dropped. Here is what I do.

1) Capture in MPEG-1/VCD format.
2) Use TMPGenc to merge & cut the MPG so that there are no commercials.
3) When I play the new MPG back there are problems with audio/video sync at points where frames have been dropped.

The original file is fine, I only run into problems when I cut parts out. Id there anyway to avoid this?
 
The easy fix is a program called Terrabits (Terabits? Don't remember) Avi Editor.

Terabits will let you make micro-scale changes to your AVI's framerate, which can fix those silly audio problems. I drop a couple of frames in every hour of cap, and usually have to make a micro-change from 29.997 fps to something like 29.9965 fps.

Of course, that doesn't work if you're dealing with an MPEG or you're wanting to convert to a VCD. There are other ways to fix the problem in that case, but they're complicated and time consuming, which is why I cap MPEG destined to become .AVI files.
 
So, what would be a solution if I want to get my video in MPEG1 format after all is said and done?

I increased the task priority of the ATI software to realtime and it seems to lose a lot less frames. But is there anyway that I can tell for sure if I have lost frames?
 
Using any recent ATI card to cap, you shouldn't be losing more than a hand's worth of frames in a capture of anything up to 4MB/sec, unless you're sitting there doodling around on the PC while you cap.

The best thing to do is to open the video in something like Virtualdub that displays the number of frames, then doing some math.

Here's something for you to read, timwhit.
 
timwhit said:
So, what would be a solution if I want to get my video in MPEG1 format after all is said and done?

I increased the task priority of the ATI software to realtime and it seems to lose a lot less frames. But is there anyway that I can tell for sure if I have lost frames?
Click to expand...

When you start capture, and the little capture rectangle comes up with the name of the file you are capturing to. Right click on the elapsed time text, then choose "Show total frames"
 
..··
James said:
You need a machine that started life as a 1.3 box (even if it was later upgraded to 2.0.5 or 2.5.1) to get a useful manual recording functionality. Machines that started off as 2.0 or later won't do manual recording...

...If you need a 1.3 TiVo image there is a site to download it from. You'll really need broadband or a decent office connection to download it, it's about 350MB. Otherwise, I'm happy to burn it onto CD for you and mail it.
Click to expand...

Thanks James for the offer to send a "downgrade" (i.e. -- upgrade!) CD-R, but, I think I'll wait another few years. Maybe, JUST MAYBE, there'll be at last a hassle-free no-subscription manually-controlled video hard drive recorder on the market in the next few years, produced possibly by some maverick like Samsung or even Microsoft.



..··
 

Well, it's now 2004.

Are there any "generic" TiVo-like devices around (hard drive based) yet? I keep hearing they are close.

What I want is a small manually-operated manually-programmed hard drive based digital video recorder. Simple simple simple. No subscriptions, no phone line connections, and definitely no computer systems involved.

 
I got all excited and thought James had returned, till I saw the 2002 post date.

There are some DVD recordable/HDD combo units that have Tivo Basic, no monthly sub cost and you get three days of listings I believe. Personally I'm going to stick another 200GB drive in my Replay 5040, with the networking built-in archiving to PC is a breeze. $9.95 a month is worth it for me to have al my favourites recorded. Now I can get my locals with Dish I'll prob go with one of their DVR decoder boxes.
 
The DGStation relook-3000 is a PVR with twin digital tuners available in TV, cable and satellite models. There is also a single tuner analog model if you check the website.

Advanced Features
  • LINUX O/S
  • Max. Two Channels Recording and one Prerecorded Program Playback
  • Ultimate Trick Play on Real Time Live Program/ Recording Program/ Playback of Prerecorded Program.
  • By Auto-update. EPG shows Program information of All Satellite (You can see other satellite's EPG without channel change while watching one satellite's channel
  • Enhanced Playback by freely skip Ads./ Editing Prerecorded Program
  • USB Connection to PC
 
rd-xs32-lg.jpg


Much time has past since I queried this community about HDD video recorders. and, after all these earth years (more than 3), I finally bought something like what I originally described -- actually better.

In this case, I bought a Toshiba RDXS32, with an internal hard drive and a DVD-RAM / DVD-R / DVD-R/W recorder. The Toshiba 10-bit DAC renders a beautiful image without the visual compression artifacts that I see with many other brands DVD players. Only cost me a little over US$350 total.


http://store.yahoo.com/refurbelectronics/rdxs32-rb.html


 
We get a lot of use out of our Topfield 5000PVRt. It's twin tuners allow dual records and simultaneous playback from it's 120GB HDD (also upgradable). Has an excellent GUI, plenty of 3rd party & free apps, auto & man record setup, EPG & USB.

pvr5000t.jpg


Any recordings we want keep are either d/loaded to PC then burnt or recorded to DVD on our Sony RDR-GX300 DVD recorder via an RGB connection.

gx300.jpg


Suffice it to say, we've never missed recording and keeping anything we've wanted to see since I bought these components!
 
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