H.264 (MPEG-4) editing

[rif]

Hello,

H.264 (MPEG-4) has become the standard format for HD satellite TV.
Free and encrypted channels transmitted in DVB-S or DVB-S2 use this format (in a transport stream).
Most European providers in the UK, France, Italy, Germany, etc. already use this format to diffuse their HD programs.

VideoReDo declares on the homepage that their tool is: "...the fastest way to edit MPEG video!".
Well, that should be corrected to say MPEG-2 video only !!!
At least until support for MPEG-4/H.264 format is added.

VideoReDo customer support replied to me some months ago that "MPEG-4 support is on the wish list, but a definite date for release is not available".

I guess it's now time for them to release their plans.
When will H.264 be supported by the tool?
Will it be a free upgrade?

If you're in favour of this request, please add your comment to this thread.
The more we are, the faster we get it...

Cheers,
RIF

 

[bits]

I would like to see VRD support H.264 especially if that is where digital broadcasts are going in the USA in the next 6-12mos...but at the moment I do not have a need for it.

I currently cap with an analog card from my cablebox so that should continue to work even when H.264 is being used. However, I also run an OTA HD cap card and that one will probably not work...so even though H.264 should reduce file sizes I will need to invest money in order to continue recording OTA. Maybe at that time I will stop recording...will cross that bridge when I get to it.

My guess is that the VRD folks probably have a very good idea of when various parts of the world will be needing H.264 support on a large scale basis.

 

[rif]

I need it now !

I would like to see VRD support H.264 especially if that is where digital broadcasts are going in the USA in the next 6-12mos...but at the moment I do not have a need for it.

Well, I live in Europe and I do need it now !
I have a DVB-S2 card in my PC and I can receive more than a dozen HD and several dozens SD channels in H.264.
I have a lot of MPEG-4 files and no SW to trim/edit them.
I love VRD and have been using it for a while and would like to keep using it even for H.264 files.

Cheers,
RIF

 

[Harry]

Well, I live in Europe and I do need it now !
I have a DVB-S2 card in my PC and I can receive more than a dozen HD and several dozens SD channels in H.264.

can you elaborate on that please? where do you live in europe and what HD channels do you get? are they pay-per-view channels or free? i want to step into this as well

thanks in advance
Harry

 

[Robbi]

Pick your country here. It lists all the free clear ota SD and HD services, for Europe.

 

[rif]

FTA and crypted HD transmissions in Europe

Harry, sure I can !

I live in the south of France and currently watch the following FTA channels in H.264:
Luxe TV [Hotbird 8 (13.0E) - 12322.00 H - DVB-S - QPSK - 27500 3/4 - NID: 318 - TID: 8100 - Txp: 81 - Beam: HB8 Europe]
ARTE [Astra 1H (19.2E) - 12168.00 V - DVB-S - QPSK - 27500 5/6 - NID: 1 - TID: 1088 - Txp: 88 - Beam: Astra 1H]
Astra HD Promo [Astra 1H (19.2E) - 12168.00 V - DVB-S - QPSK - 27500 5/6 - NID: 1 - TID: 1088 - Txp: 88 - Beam: Astra 1H]
Prosieben HD [Astra 1H (19.2E) - 12721.75 H - DVB-S2 - 8PSK - 22000 2/3 - NID: 1 - TID: 1119 - Txp: 119 - Beam: Astra 1H]
Sat 1 [Astra 1H (19.2E) - 12721.75 H - DVB-S2 - 8PSK - 22000 2/3 - NID: 1 - TID: 1119 - Txp: 119 - Beam: Astra 1H]
Astra HD Promo [Astra 1H (19.2E) - 12721.75 H - DVB-S2 - 8PSK - 22000 2/3 - NID: 1 - TID: 1119 - Txp: 119 - Beam: Astra 1H]
Anixe HD [Astra 1H (19.2E) - 12721.75 H - DVB-S2 - 8PSK - 22000 2/3 - NID: 1 - TID: 1119 - Txp: 119 - Beam: Astra 1H]
BBC HD [Astra 2D (28.2E) - 10847.00 V - DVB-S - QPSK - 22000 5/6 - NID: 2 - TID: 2050 - Txp: 50 - Beam: Astra 2D]

There are around 15 other FTA channels on other European satellites.
There are over 50 PPV HD H.264 channels available today on European satellites and the list is increasing every day with more and more transponders being switched from DVB-S to DVB-S2 and channels being switched from SD MPEG-2 to HD H.264.

For example the French TPS PPV provider currently has 7 HD H.264 PPV channels; the Italian Sky Italy has 4.

You can have a look at this very well done and regularly updated list on King of Sat:
http://en.kingofsat.net/hdtv.php

Cheers,
RIF

 

[andybno1]

I do BBC HD capping in the uk and would love to see such a feature added to videoredo as my current methods are not 100% working

 

[Lester Burnham]

I do BBC HD capping in the uk and would love to see such a feature added to videoredo as my current methods are not 100% working

How do you get BBC HD in the UK? You said "capping"? Are you using DVB-S (some kind of freesat) or Sky HD?

 

[RuudG]

Here's another vote for h264 editing. This is a important feature considering the increasing amount of European HD broadcasts in h264.

 

[Robbi]

How do you get BBC HD in the UK? You said "capping"? Are you using DVB-S (some kind of freesat) or Sky HD?

DST card whole of the UK. Or with a DTT card receiving from the Crystal Palace transmitter (HD DTT UK trial)

 

[Lester Burnham]

DST card whole of the UK.

As far as I know the only HD broadcast in the UK (apart from any trials that you suggest below) is SKY HD.

Which will be encrypted.

So who's broadcast, and by what means?

Or with a DTT card receiving from the Crystal Palace transmitter (HD DTT UK trial)

By this I take it you mean that the BBC are broadcasting HD via DVB-T? Is that correct?

 

[swinokur]

I've asked for this before - so I'll ask here again. Please add h.264 cutting abilities to videoredo.

I'd be happy to even start out with limited support - e.g. only cutting on I-Frames (no re-encoding), requiring CoreAVC, etc.

thanks!

 

[Robbi]

BBC trials as above are Digital Satellite Television and Digital Terestrial Television. Use the sites above with your favourite search engine. For the full list available FTA HD broadcasts on both platforms.

 

[Danr]

I've asked for this before - so I'll ask here again. Please add h.264 cutting abilities to videoredo.

I'd be happy to even start out with limited support - e.g. only cutting on I-Frames (no re-encoding), requiring CoreAVC, etc.

thanks!

Believe me we know how important this is. I don't think I-Frame cutting will work too well since H.264 can have very long VOPs (the MPEG4 equivalent of GOPs). Each VOP can span multiple seconds.

 

[Lester Burnham]

BBC trials as above are Digital Satellite Television and Digital Terestrial Television. Use the sites above with your favourite search engine. For the full list available FTA HD broadcasts on both platforms.

All I'm saying is that HD is available in the UK, officially, and not under trial, from Sky. Only on certain limited channels.

And due to the nature of how Sky HD works, I'm not getting how you could get editable material off the box, in HD format, at the moment, with reasonably priced consumer gear.

That and much of what is broadcast as HD at the moment in the UK is upscaled.

Are you saying that BBC are broadcasting HD material, available by FTA, in the UK? If so, there's hardly much hardware support in the UK for dealing with any native HD broadcasts.

 

[zaphod7501]

I don't know how they got it but a friend had the first two episodes of Torchwood on a DVD in H264 from friends in the UK. With my current software and hardware, I haven't managed to play them (even with all the supposedly needed codecs). The best I've managed was audio. (and that disappeared after installing some "needed" codecs)

 

[swinokur]

Dan,
Thanks for the reply! H.264 can have long VOPs, that's true. But I've noticed that most of what is being sent right now has a VOP every 500ms or so. (and since I figured that the re-encoding of frames would be the really complicated part, I figured I'd ask for the 'easier' bit first.)

Believe me we know how important this is. I don't think I-Frame cutting will work too well since H.264 can have very long VOPs (the MPEG4 equivalent of GOPs). Each VOP can span multiple seconds.

 

[andybno1]

All I'm saying is that HD is available in the UK, officially, and not under trial, from Sky. Only on certain limited channels.

And due to the nature of how Sky HD works, I'm not getting how you could get editable material off the box, in HD format, at the moment, with reasonably priced consumer gear.

That and much of what is broadcast as HD at the moment in the UK is upscaled.

Are you saying that BBC are broadcasting HD material, available by FTA, in the UK? If so, there's hardly much hardware support in the UK for dealing with any native HD broadcasts.

its VERY simple theres NO encryption its BBC they are a free to view/air company, all u need really is a dvb (dvb-s2 will work too) and a program like tsreader or dvbviewer get it to scan freq 10847 V sym rate 2200 FEC 5/6 and you will find BBC HD airing free of charge and capable for free. BBC are not a part of Sky HD,Sky HD is merely a name for a service

 

[Lester Burnham]

its VERY simple theres NO encryption its BBC they are a free to view/air company,

Actually whilst it's broadcast FTA, it's not exactly FREE. There's a license fee to pay.

all u need really is a dvb (dvb-s2 will work too) and a program like tsreader or dvbviewer get it to scan freq 10847 V sym rate 2200 FEC 5/6 and you will find BBC HD airing free of charge and capable for free.

That's the info I wasn't clear on - I'm gathering what you're saying is that BBC are broadcasting HD as part of an unadvertised trial.

BBC are not a part of Sky HD,Sky HD is merely a name for a service

I'm very aware of BBC's position, and of Sky, and I know Sky HD is merely a product / service.

What I was saying is that Sky HD is the only OFFICIAL broadcaster of HD material in the UK. And in saying that, most of theirs is upscaled.

 

[rif]

French TV channels are not upscaled

Hello again,

While there is only one French HD channel transmitted FTA (LuxeTV), the many others available within the TPS package are not upscaled.

TF1 and M6 (two of the main French private channels, available FTA via DVB-T or VHF) completely re-built their infrastructure more than one year ago to be completely HD: all what they produce is HD from the cameras to the air.
They made a lot of publicity about this in Nov/Dec 2005, even before they started their HD test transmissions early this year (March or April).
The other HD channels transmitting movies and documentary, within the TPS package, have a large part of their material in HD format (720p or 1080i).
And everything is aired in H.264 via Hotbird.

Cheers,
RIF