Eyetv sound, Streamclip, and file-type questions

[gretchen]

Hi,

Someone on these boards (with a gorgeous late '50s Healy 3000) suggested that Streamclip could help with the problem of Eyetv sending two audio tracks to Toast, which then randomly selects what might be the undesireable track. First, thanks for the suggestion; Streamclip, which I'd not heard of before, is a sweet application, and does indeed work for this. My questions now are because I really don't know squat about the various file types and all the info I've found so far assumes I already know the basics. Pointing me to a good intro fac about video file types, codecs, etc. would be ever so helpful! Most of what I've found assumes readers already know the basics.

 

My goal is to get the PBS shows, which seem to include an extra sound track of description for the blind, burned onto a DVD with chapters at least every 5 minutes or so, that I can play for my students on regular DVD players that project onto 10 ft screens. Better still, I would like to set where the chapters are, but at least the auto chaptering that Toast does helps. Currently I'm using show contents to get the mpg file out of the Eyetv container, opening it in Streamclip, choosing the correct sound track, editing out the beginning and end, and from then on, I'm stumbling in the dark.

 

If I choose "Save As" it will then save the file with only the desireable sound track. However, it saves it as a "ts" file, which I gather is an "MPEG-2 transport stream." How is this different from the "mpg" I started with? Why doesn't Toast like this? It seems that instead I need to convert it to MPEG, but should I choose plain or with MP2 Audio? What's the difference? Also, why does the image quality seem to degrade some (faint horizontal lines during fast motion). Would another format be better? Is there some way of doing this that is even a tiny bit faster? And I gather that Toast will let me insert chapter breaks where I want them, but only if it's not an MPEG-2 file, yet I can't get it to accept anything else!!! I can't find anything in Toast help that says what would work for this.

 

Thanks for any and all suggestions.

Gretchen

 

ps. if the Healy person happens to read this, am I right that the amber turn signals weren't added until 1960?

[gretchen]

Hi Tsantee,

 

oh thank you yet again. I've spent awhile trying that method with a few minutes of video, and the mark in, mark out, trim, export, undo, start again by finding exactly the right begining, repeat endlessly, was both a royal pain, and also resulted in itty bitty hiccups in the final video. Soooo, I tried using Streamclip to export to MPEG as you suggested, but then opened the file in iMovie, which will allow me to go through and simply mark chapters -- it will even give them sequential numbers/names if I simply want to break up a long talk by the same person. This is much easier.

 

Now, is there any particular reason to export to iDVD rather than Toast when I've finished putting chapters in? I'm assuming Toast will recognize the chapters as well, but I've not yet tried that.

 

A Miata would be lovely, particularly the first year or two when it looked most like the old Lotus (and actually I don't like power steering, and Mazda's regular steering is generally wonderfully responsive. I only mentioned it because in the TR3, you really have to grab the wheel with both hands and yank hard to turn it at all).

. . . . . .

News flash!!! My head hurts. Okay, so I just tried exporting to iDVD and there discovered that there's no sound! Returned to the file in iMovie, no sound there either. Put the same file into Toast, and the sound is fine, but there are no chapters. Try importing the iMovie file w/ its lovely chapters into Toast, it doesn't like the format so I don't even know whether it's got sound buried in there somewhere! I'm going to go whimper and read philosophy for awhile.

 

ciao,

Gretchen

[tsantee]

You have a pretty good eye for Healey's. Mine is a '58 100-6. The 3000s came out in '59. My motto is "Any day I drive the Healey is a good day." There's been many good days since I bought the Healey in 1972.

 

Ahh, but I digress.

 

In Streamclip choose Convert to MPEG. Don't choose the MP2 audio option. There should be no change at all in picture quality from the original EyeTV capture as no re-encoding of the video takes place.

 

Toast does not have the ability to create its own chapter markers in any kind of video file except in time increments. As you've seen, MPEG video sources get markers every 5 minutes (unless there are chapter marks already present in the video in which case Toast uses those). If it is really important that a break happen at a certain point I suggest cutting the video in Streamclip to make a new file at that point. So instead of a chapter marker you start a new title. Other options take much more time and either require spending more on software or compromising the picture quality.

 

There is a useful glossary of video terms Here. That site also has a good explanation of What is DVD?

[tsantee]

Hi Tsantee,

 

Thank you so much (and apologies for my slow reply -- stomach flu intervened). I'm going to try to work my way through the very good references you sent me to as well! My one question in the meantime is why Toast takes forever and ever to multiplex the MPEG file from Streamclip. I'm perhaps incorrectly assuming the file is already multiplexed since Streamclip also offers the option of various demuxed formats. (It took over 6 hours for two 50 minute shows to be encoded and burned, and after 24 hours for another two I simply canceled on the assumption that it was stalled even though activity monitor indicated no hangs. I'm trying again and holding my breath). I've noticed in random glances that Toast says it's busy multiplexing, then that it's busy encoding, so multiplexing is different from encoding? and Toast has to multiplex before the file is in a format that regular DVD players will understand?

 

Thanks also for the Healey info! One of the cars I learned to drive on was a Healey Sprite, '61 I think; last year of the plastic sliding side curtains that rattled loudly. The Sprite owner's older brother had a gorgeous midnight blue and silver 3000 from 1960. Unfortunately, I never got to drive that one One of the things I loved about growing up in San Francisco was being able to see all sorts of wonderful cars on the road all year round. I had favorite routes in the city that would take me past a lovely Astin Martin DB6, a Mercedes 300SL gullwing, and even some Isabella Borgwards! I'm now on the east coast and the pot holes and salt result in few if any gorgeous old cars on the road, so I've turned to vintage fountain pens instead.

 

ciao,

Gretchen

Borgwards? My goodness. I used to own a couple Hupmobiles and currently have a Triumph Stag. By the way, the Healey photo was taken in the California Redwoods.

 

I just got an EyeTV 250 this weekend and have been giving it a run with the new Toast 8. Which EyeTV device are you using and which version of the EyeTV software? Toast 8 lets you select the audio track when multiple tracks are available (drag in the EyeTV video using the Media Browser and click the Edit button to get that option). So I suggest springing for the $59 Toast 8 upgrade that's available at this moment (assuming you are using OS 10.4.8)

 

I need to find a dual-audio-track EyeTV program. I'll trying recording my PBS station to see if I can test with the same kind of file you're dealing with.

 

When Toast says it is multiplexing it is not encoding. It reports that it is doing one or the other for a specific file. It could say it is multiplexing on of the videos and then says it is encoding the next. Multiplexing is fast. Go to the Custom Encoder settings window and choose Never next to Re-encoding and you may find that Toast only multiplexes your existing MPEG videos. If it still insists on encoding then something is out of spec for that MPEG and Toast must re-encode it so it will play on a video DVD player.

[gretchen]

Hi Tsantee,

 

Thank you so much (and apologies for my slow reply -- stomach flu intervened). I'm going to try to work my way through the very good references you sent me to as well! My one question in the meantime is why Toast takes forever and ever to multiplex the MPEG file from Streamclip. I'm perhaps incorrectly assuming the file is already multiplexed since Streamclip also offers the option of various demuxed formats. (It took over 6 hours for two 50 minute shows to be encoded and burned, and after 24 hours for another two I simply canceled on the assumption that it was stalled even though activity monitor indicated no hangs. I'm trying again and holding my breath). I've noticed in random glances that Toast says it's busy multiplexing, then that it's busy encoding, so multiplexing is different from encoding? and Toast has to multiplex before the file is in a format that regular DVD players will understand?

 

Thanks also for the Healey info! One of the cars I learned to drive on was a Healey Sprite, '61 I think; last year of the plastic sliding side curtains that rattled loudly. The Sprite owner's older brother had a gorgeous midnight blue and silver 3000 from 1960. Unfortunately, I never got to drive that one One of the things I loved about growing up in San Francisco was being able to see all sorts of wonderful cars on the road all year round. I had favorite routes in the city that would take me past a lovely Astin Martin DB6, a Mercedes 300SL gullwing, and even some Isabella Borgwards! I'm now on the east coast and the pot holes and salt result in few if any gorgeous old cars on the road, so I've turned to vintage fountain pens instead.

 

ciao,

Gretchen

[tsantee]

My head hurts too. Just not as much as yours.

 

You said you have a 7+ GB video DVD that you wanted to divide whenever there was a change in the speakers. I presumed these changes wouldn't happen very often so there wouldn't need to be many cuts of the MPEG.

 

In order to use the video from a DVD in iMovie you'd need to convert it to MPEG 4, DV or QuickTime Movie. This conversion would take a long time. And then you still need to have iMovie copy the video into its project file. When you say the audio doesn't play in iMovie I'm wondering what format was imported. You're not referring to the EyeTV captures, are you?

 

Toast will recognize the chapter markers you place in iMovie. Just drag the iMovie Project File to the Toast Video window. This presumes, of course, that the file has audio. You can preview the video and audio by clicking the Edit button next to the title in the Video window.

 

Now I'm even confusing myself. What is it again that you're trying to do?

[gretchen]

A Hupmobile??? I didn't even know of their existence! Very sweet looking little thing. And the Triumph Stag too. I got to drive a friend's TR3 when I was younger and really loved it, though the steering was pretty nuts; perhaps that car is what motivated someone to invent power steering. Oh I do miss seeing wonderful old sports cars!

 

And oh thank you thank you thank you, and my apologies for the verrrry slow reply (this semester is hell with new classes to teach -- good but overwhelming). After reading your post I promptly ordered a copy of the new Toast and my life is much better now! (Or will be as soon as I can copy all the PBS shows and get them off my drive. . . )

 

And now I have another question for you! I have some unprotected 7+GB regular Video_TS type disks from a conference I attended that have no menus, no divisions, etc. What is the best way to: 1) go through them to put in menus when the speakers change so that I don't have to fast forward through hours of material (which is actualy very slow forward!), and 2) split them in half to put on cheaper disks? I did get MPEG Streamclip, and I've got the current batch of iMovie and iDVD (though I've not actually used them I'm afraid). I want to be able to show bits and pieces to my class, and unlike funky ol' vhs, where teachers could at least get the tape set to where we want it beforehand, 4 hour, no-menu DVDs are almost impossible! I'd like to mange the sound and image as little as possible.

 

ciao,

Gretchen

[tsantee]

Your solution to breaking up the long DVD videos is to use MPEG Streamclip. You can set in and out points using the Edit window and cut or trim the video into the segment you want. Then choose Convert to MPEG in the File menu to save that segment. Next, choose Undo to return to the full video and mark your new in and out points. Continue until done. When you choose Convert to MPEG you can name the file to something that makes sense to you. Then drag those MPEGs to the Toast Video window to create a new DVD with menus.

 

If you end up with too much MPEG video to fit a single-layer disc, you can do this: Choose Save as Disc Image instead of clicking the burn button. When it is finished select the disc image using the Image File setting in the Copy window. Be sure Fit-to-DVD is turned on. Now burn your disc. Toast will do the needed additional compression before burning the disc.

 

Glad you have fond memories of those sports cars. Why don't you buy a Miata? They even have power steering!