marto_martin Posted October 25, 2004 Posted October 25, 2004 Ok I know that there has been several threads over time with ways of converting the .rec files to dvd format, but have only been able to find some through searching (sure I have read some in the past which I cant find through search). I have finally puchased a notebook with builtin +rw dvd burner and am after the most simple safe way of a beginner getting my recorded files to dvd. Cheers in advance for any help and support!
iodine Posted October 25, 2004 Posted October 25, 2004 Project X (converts .rec -> .mpv & mp2 & ac3) Tmpgenc DVD Author (converts the above mpv, mp2 and ac3 sound into vob files)
tonymy01 Posted October 25, 2004 Posted October 25, 2004 There must be a thread discussing this here high up in the list, it gets spoken about daily! Try the Topfield forums too, and of course my website!
iodine Posted October 25, 2004 Posted October 25, 2004 Further note... once you have the vob files from tmpgenc dvd author.. if you'd like to make an XVID encoded avi from the vob files. Grab Auto GK (Auto Gordian Knot) and this package will take vob files and create XVID encoded avi files. Check out www.doom9.org for download locations of Auto GK.
fossil1503559605 Posted October 25, 2004 Posted October 25, 2004 Marto...I will place this post here as well... I find these methods by far the easiest way...but certain programs are needed and are available for trial. foss Hi ...I have been absent getting my laptop back to full operation with all programs running smoothly after reformatting... With Nero 6, it needs to be Nero 6 Vision express..Below is some info I have just posted in the other forum...as far as doing HD goes, the result is great but far too fiddly and time consuming...like 2.5- 3 hours against 35 mins for a 1 hour file of a .rec dropped directly to Nero Vision Express. other forum Eka...if you have Nero 6 vision Express and Elecards Moonlight Player loaded, you can drop .rec files direct into Nero 6 without demuxing....If you want to edit it you can do that direct in Nero, or easier in Wombles MPEG Video Wizard and the file will be as you think it should be as far as resolution and size and pal type which are all selectable...I have done many disks of many programs, and if you don't mind ads, and you get the correct codecs loaded,(these are generally loaded when the Moonlight player is installed...) then demuxing is not needed, otherwise I find the best editors is Wombles...it will let you edit .rec files without demuxing and outputs the file without recoding...it is renamed as MPG...Wombles MPEG Video Wizard also makes a great player and needs no codecs...it plays as is without extra codecs...and is extremely quick with no rendering lag... The end results with SD are fantastic. EDIT Oh....I forgot to mention....the times not counting transfer from the Toppy to the PC...(I am probably using a different method than you) are.... from dropping the file direct to Nero and finishing burning a 1 hour file is about 35-40 minutes..... allowing for transcoding from the .rec file a format Nero can burn to finishing burning. This makes it very tempting to not do the editing process which takes about five minutes and another 5 minutes to output it....so ...If I want a clean file that has better quality than a bought DVD I will edit it...if not, I burn it with ads and the same good quality...although some of the saved time by dropping straight to Nero is negated by editing out 20 mins of ads...for example, in the program called The Practice, it only contains 35 minutes of program...Stargate always contains about 40 minutes as an example. Tonight I have edited 4 separate hour programs and have written them to disk editing and burning concurrently and the whole process for four hours including editing and burning took less 2.5 hours Total....I could have placed two on each disk, but with disks only costing 68 cents, I burnt separately, because the programs were different...Australian recently produced HD programs process better than American HD programs for some reason...but really, for the 10% improvement if that, it just not worth processing HD Ask away and I will answer what I can. foss PS....I should mention that to drop .rec files direct into Nero Vision Express 2 you will need to rename the .rec file to mpg, although there have been times when I have been able to just drop it with the .rec extension instead of mpg....otherwise click the load file and load as an all file... f
Donald Posted October 25, 2004 Posted October 25, 2004 Mmgmpff (taking the foot out of the mouth) - Nothing to say, now. PS - can you delete a post?
ToeCutter Posted October 26, 2004 Posted October 26, 2004 Foss where can I get Elecards Moonlight Player?
fossil1503559605 Posted October 26, 2004 Posted October 26, 2004 Moonlight They have a complex registering system with the latest version... You get a free trial, and then a dancing nag logo foss EDIT...This decoder package is needed to display HD .rec files. Decoder package Or it will display in wombles Player portion of their program
ozxplorer Posted October 26, 2004 Posted October 26, 2004 Ok, one obvious question is why do we have to use third party software to convert? Burning the DVDs I can understand but I would have expected Topfield to provide it's users officially supported conversion software to DVD video format, seeing that they provided altair for file transfer. Don't get me wrong, it's not that these 'freeware' aren't any good but just expected TF to provide one because they probably know the .rec format (and handling of glitches in recordings) better than anyone else perhaps.... I'm a Toppy newbie, so that's my excuse for now....
tonymy01 Posted October 26, 2004 Posted October 26, 2004 LOL... Topfield don't even advertise that you can copy recordings out of the Toppy. Altair is advertised for its ability to add TAPs and MP3 recordings to the Toppy, not to pirate copyrighted broadcast material!!
peteru Posted October 26, 2004 Posted October 26, 2004 Ok, one obvious question is why do we have to use third party software to convert? Burning the DVDs I can understand but I would have expected Topfield to provide it's users officially supported conversion software to DVD video format, seeing that they provided altair for file transfer.Don't get me wrong, it's not that these 'freeware' aren't any good but just expected TF to provide one because they probably know the .rec format (and handling of glitches in recordings) better than anyone else perhaps.... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Because Topfield are not in the business of selling PC software. They make PVRs and STBs. They also document .rec file format - which is how I managed to write the Topfield file converter. Last, the payload of a .rec file is actually just the partial transport stream as sent by the broadcasters. Topfield are using the hardware and SDKs from NEC to process that data. In practice, Topfield engineers don't have to know anywhere near as much about the nature of the data in those files as you may think. I would much rather if Topfield exposed even more of the internal and low level APIs in the box and skipped the PC software. Third parties would then be able to do a much better job of providing all sorts of goodness. Topfield certainly have accumulated a critical mass of skilled third party developers, they just need to give us more power.
Rohan-Toppy Posted October 27, 2004 Posted October 27, 2004 Fossil I need your help! I've been trying your method, ie directly through nero and moonlight etc, as your description makes it sound the laziest method of all, which suits me fine, but I can't get it to work. What do you think I'm doing wrong? I'm using Nero 6.601 and nero vision express 3.014 I went via your moonlights link and downloaded their Moonlight-Elecard MPEG Player v. 2.3.1. I extracted the zip file and ran that. The "registrator" is telling me I've evaluated but not activated it (which I think from your post is ok). I use the altair software to copy a file from the topfield to a folder D:\From Toppy, for example I've got a file parked there called formula1.rec Then I run nero vision express and choose make DVD, which gives me a choice of DVD video or DVD video (VR). I choose DVD video. Then I choose "Add Video Files" and choose the file formula1.rec but it gives me the error message "Unable to insert d:\from toppy\formula1.rec" Then I saw in your post that you sometimes need to rename the file, so I renamed it to formula1.mpg, but when I try the same process I get "Unable to insert d:\from toppy\formula1.mpg" Am I using the wrong versions of one of these programs, or do I need to configure some settings or can you think of anything else
tonymy01 Posted October 27, 2004 Posted October 27, 2004 ProjectX and TMPCenc DVD Author is a pretty lazy method too. I guess you may be experiencing probs as your stream has both AC3 and MPEG audio in it. I have found that not many players and/or codecs (players and codecs are very often related) will deal with .REC streams that have both audio streams in them. It often becomes a juggling match of splitters, codecs etc to try and work out why you have a different result to someone else. Thus, I maintain the ProjectX and TMPGenc DVD Author is *the* simplest (and least CPU intensive as it merely copies the streams bit for bit into the correct format) method to avoid the codec juggle. Foss's method works well if the package accepts the .REC file though..
iodine Posted October 27, 2004 Posted October 27, 2004 ProjectX and TMPCenc DVD Author is a pretty lazy method too.I guess you may be experiencing probs as your stream has both AC3 and MPEG audio in it. I have found that not many players and/or codecs (players and codecs are very often related) will deal with .REC streams that have both audio streams in them. It often becomes a juggling match of splitters, codecs etc to try and work out why you have a different result to someone else. Thus, I maintain the ProjectX and TMPGenc DVD Author is *the* simplest (and least CPU intensive as it merely copies the streams bit for bit into the correct format) method to avoid the codec juggle. Foss's method works well if the package accepts the .REC file though.. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I agree, the method you describe is EASY as.. Would you mind if I documented it a little further with more screen grabs (and your welcome to mirror the result). I hope to sit down and document the steps a little further. Also one of the links on your page in regards to an application/player doesn't work.
tonymy01 Posted October 27, 2004 Posted October 27, 2004 Drats, they moved their page. Here is the link to the imago-mpeg muxer: http://imagox.homeip.net/ I shouldn't have said "this way is the easiest". I should have said "I found this way to be the least fuss, most results way" as TMPCenc DVD Author is a demo package that times out after a month, and others would suggest simply using IFO-EDIT is better (so projectX, Cutterman, IFO-edit). This certainly gives a DVD as the result, but without menus etc, and I have found that cutting with cutterman is confusing when I am just so used to the TMPCenc DVD Author method of cutting. So yeah, sure, go ahead and do a page with caps etc if you want. Most of the methods I use are gleaned from posts on this group anyway, and I finally decided on this particular method due to the results that were obtained and the relative ease and time taken to get these results. Regards
iodine Posted October 27, 2004 Posted October 27, 2004 See what I come up with in coming week or so. I am a bit busy at the moment with training at new job, and of course tinkering with topfield. I like tmpgenc dvd author, its easy and works well.
fossil1503559605 Posted October 28, 2004 Posted October 28, 2004 Hi Rohan...your message slipped by... The Nero Vision Express 2 I use comes in the Nero Ultra package and was the latest version.2.1.2.21.There are 3 modules in the package....the one listed NVE 21221 is the one that contains Nero Showtime and Nero vision express...or did a week or so ago......but the method you are using is correct apart from maybe the codecs....I feel you should also load the Moonlight larger codec package (you may have to look in a few Elecards sites to find the larger codec package which will even let you view HD files in showtime....If you cant view .rec files directly in Nero Showtime then the correct codecs are not loaded...Actually most viewers should work if you have the correct codecs loaded. I will load some Jpeg links here of how I did a 2 program 83 minute burn in 1 hour 8 mins direct, working in the background....Its a strange thing that sometimes it takes longer for the same file...I think I have too many resident programs working, so a few minutes is neither here nor there...... Here are some progressive pictures of how it looks for me... foss http://www.auctiongripes.com/ims/pic.php?u=542MqrKH&i=21487 http://www.auctiongripes.com/ims/pic.php?u=542MqrKH&i=21488 http://www.auctiongripes.com/ims/pic.php?u=542MqrKH&i=21497 http://www.auctiongripes.com/ims/pic.php?u=542MqrKH&i=21500 http://www.auctiongripes.com/ims/pic.php?u=542MqrKH&i=21504 This is wombles MPEG Video Wizard http://www.auctiongripes.com/ims/pic.php?u=542MqrKH&i=21506 Below was posted by brett.wegner in the other forum...I am assuming that where he says vob file, he means .rec file...Im placing this here to show that I am not the only one doing this and a first timer can do it easily if the right components are there...To do this , be aware I had to fiddle quite a bit till I came across this combination, which seems simple but was difficult to test all programs....which i have done..., problems were even to the extent of having to ask Tony where my extensions were gone so I could alter them to try to trick various programs....Extensions were made invisible by a win SP update....hmmmm Thanks fossil !!!! .. I tried this for the first time last night and it was so easy !! .. Opened the 2hour file in Nero "make your own DVD", edited the adds out in less that 10 mins ..(Never Used it Before its simple) and then burt a vob file to the Hard drive in 16mins.. les than 30mins all up. I then burnt it to a DVD+RW just to see if it worked and there it was a 2 hour episode of stargate on DVD.. Thanks again Fossil !!! . Fossil I need your help! I've been trying your method, ie directly through nero and moonlight etc, as your description makes it sound the laziest method of all, which suits me fine, but I can't get it to work. What do you think I'm doing wrong? I'm using Nero 6.601 and nero vision express 3.014 I went via your moonlights link and downloaded their Moonlight-Elecard MPEG Player v. 2.3.1. I extracted the zip file and ran that. The "registrator" is telling me I've evaluated but not activated it (which I think from your post is ok). I use the altair software to copy a file from the topfield to a folder D:\From Toppy, for example I've got a file parked there called formula1.rec Then I run nero vision express and choose make DVD, which gives me a choice of DVD video or DVD video (VR). I choose DVD video. Then I choose "Add Video Files" and choose the file formula1.rec but it gives me the error message "Unable to insert d:\from toppy\formula1.rec" Then I saw in your post that you sometimes need to rename the file, so I renamed it to formula1.mpg, but when I try the same process I get "Unable to insert d:\from toppy\formula1.mpg" Am I using the wrong versions of one of these programs, or do I need to configure some settings or can you think of anything else <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
marto_martin Posted October 31, 2004 Author Posted October 31, 2004 Cheers guys, Got it up and running...excellent! Ended up following steps from Tonmy01's website of using ProjextX and TMPCenc DVD Author. And yep I agree very easy Had tried using Elecard Moonlight player with Nero 6 but found when I tried to add the file from the player to nero it kept giving me an error message of "Compatible file not found". Thanks again for helpin out da newbies. P.S Tonymy01, can you just reinstall TMPCenc DVD Author after a month or does the computer/progam know you've had it on before (like some other trial downloads I've had on my system)?
Pepper Posted October 31, 2004 Posted October 31, 2004 Thanks for your info Foss! I'm now using 'moonlight' codecs to run rec files directly on MS media player. No need to do any conversion at all. Pep
tonymy01 Posted October 31, 2004 Posted October 31, 2004 Have those .rec files got both AC3 and MPEG audio streams in them? I get all blocks only if they do (with the Moonlight setup). It has no problems playing if they don't though, such as recordings from Seven and SBS. Regards
fossil1503559605 Posted October 31, 2004 Posted October 31, 2004 yes Tony...I can play any file in the setup I use including CH 9 and CH 7 HD files, and they have Ac3 files...I can also play DVD files I have uploaded and down loaded that only have Ac3 in them Wombles Player plays all files also, by itself... I have recently formatted my disk and have only loaded Moonlights codecs and the Wombles player...I have no trouble at all on my laptop foss
fossil1503559605 Posted October 31, 2004 Posted October 31, 2004 Tony...not only does it pay to have the Moonlight player installed...if you want to watch HD, which looks beautiful, you will need to install the larger Moonlight codec package...I will look for a link...I think this is the package page...there are so many This is the codec package....Package You may well not need the player if you have the codecs...I have both.. As I said I prefer Wombles player which works without the Moonlight codecs, in displaying and playing SD TV.and is extremely fast...Wombles player will edit and play/display .rec streams without demuxing and will out put for Nero ....but Nero needs Moonlights codec package.. ..I have not tested Womble with HD TV without moonlight codecs installed... foss
tonymy01 Posted November 1, 2004 Posted November 1, 2004 yes Tony...I can play any file in the setup I use including CH 9 and CH 7 HD files, and they have Ac3 files... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That is not my exact question. The question is if it has *both* streams in it, i.e. MPEG *AND* Dolby Digital. I already know where the elecard stuff is avail from, I have it installed already, and have used it plenty of times. As you said, playing HD using it is very smooth. My biggest issue is that SD recordings with MPEG and AC3 end up just with blocks when attempting to decode. Regards
fossil1503559605 Posted November 1, 2004 Posted November 1, 2004 Well...that I don't know...I have never checked the content to that degree...anything I try to play, no matter what channel or what format...plays well... So I have had no need to check...I have in the past had trouble with blocks and probably that may have been the cause, but when I installed that particular larger codec package I had no worries...If I did not have to use Nero like I do, i would just remove all packages and use Womble only I have decided to do a more complete test for Womble...I have uninstalled all Moonlight and Elecard codecs, and need to restart my computer, but cant do that at the moment because I am shrinking an MPEG .rec Project X demuxed movie file with Main Concepts MPEG Encoder so it it will fit to a dvd...this is just fiddling...Nero would do it but when it has to recode, it is very slow... I am starting from basic again and adding components as needed so I know what is needed to make what component work...after I reformatted my drive I loaded all,as a shotgun cure, and it has worked but I do not know exactly what is needed and what was not needed. Hopefully I can report what is needed a bit more exactly...I did not need to do this, but if it helps some folks it will be worthwhile ... foss
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