MCEBuddy

 MCERemux has been uploaded.  This will remux WTV and DVR-MS files to a TS container without conversion (transcoding).

This is a major step as it has been the main holdup for MCEBuddy 2.0.  That being H.264 support extraction for WTV using open source / freeware for conversions, remux and ad conversion.  This has only really been supported since June this year.

I am now in the process of adding this code into the next MCEBuddy build.  Please let me know how it goes as I will be relying on it completely for Windows Media Center systems.

 People, I've had a few server teething outages as I've moved this server to new infrastructure.  Everything should be good now and I expect this to be the last move for a while.  Unfortunately this has eaten somewhat into my 'coding week'.  I've got the native Windows WTV->TS testing tool done and i hope to write a setup wrapper for it over the next week or so.  If this works reliably with 95% of WTV recordings then I'll roll it into MCEBuddy 2.0 and get things rolling again.

Derek

June 26th starts "MCEBuddy Code Week".  I've put aside a full week to work on MCEBuddy.  Hoorah!  Work will be performed in the following steps:

1. Reliable, automated WTV and DVR-MS to TS remuxing with native windows code for both MPEG2 and H264
2. Code cleanup for existing 2.0 Beta
3. Possible move to a local database for better non-english lanugauge support and logging (BIG thanks to MCEBuddy donators for making this possible!!)
4. Update meta data stage to include logic for season / episode for TV series
5. A UI - at leasta  basic one to get us going
6. Better Mediaportal support for our mediaportal friends

That's enough for a week I think!

Please keep the recordings coming in.  I'm particularly after recordings that have multiple audio tracks, languages and are in H264 as this is the most difficult situation to deal with.

Some good news (for a change)!  I believe I've discovered a method to extract WTV recordings that will also support H.264/AC3 and intend to test it thoroughly before building into MCEBuddy 2.0.

To do this I need a LOT of different WTV recordings.  This includes HDTV (both H.264 and MPEG), analog TV and some copy protected ones (so I can detect this).  Please help!

To help, do the following:

1. Make a recording of less than 300MB.  About 100MB per minute is a good rule of thumb.
2. Post it to Rapidshare, here: http://www.rapidshare.com/ or share it using Bittorrent
3. Post the download or .torrent link in this forum http://www.mcebuddy.com/Help/Forum/tabid/152/forumid/34/scope/threads/Default.aspx

I'll download it and add it to the test cycle.  If I can reliably automate the process for the samples I get and I get enough samples then we have a way ahead for MCEBuddy 2.0!

Derek

There is no imminent release of MCEBuddy 2.  This is completely due to 1 reason only.

Muxing H.264/AC3 content and WTV (see previous post)

I have been looking, trialling, attempting, everything under the sun to find a way to remux WTV/H.264 into another container using legal, free muxers.  After a few months I've come up with nothing.  It's EXTREMELY frustrating.  I've even negotiated with almost every codec vendor on the planet.  They are not interested unless they can charge a per seat fee (and it's not small!),.  So MCEBuddy could not then be free.  There is no one off payment option.  I have one thing left to try short of writing my own Directshow mux but it it very time consuming so it will take a while.  If that does not work I will give up on H.264/WTV until something comes up that I can use.

So the answer is:

Nothing in the next 4 weeks or so.  In that time I will be trying my 'last resort' option.

If that does not work or even if it does I will be restarting the remainder of the 2.x beta development.  Expect something released June with some ramp up before then.

This is because:

• 2.x has a lot of nice automatic functions
• 2.x transfers the meta data to the new container and does nice things like imdb lookups
• Most of issues remaining in 1.1 looks like they are resolved in the 2.x way of doing things.

Derek

The search continues...

The entry of WTV/H.264 into the TV recording equation has really thrown a spanner in the works.  To support this correctly and provide what we have become accustomed to doing in MCEBuddy I need at the very least some robust directshow muxing filters and at most a whole pile of codecs.  I have searched far and wide for *robust* freeware filters that will do the job and have not come up with anything yet.

Unfortunately all the commercial licenses available so far are on a *per seat* basis which would mean that should I use them I would not be able to release MCEBuddy as freeware.  My first vendor discussion resulted in license costs such that to produce what MCEBuddy does now would have a per-copy price of ludicrous proportions - and that is without merchant fees, etc.

So I continue to search for these filters, not having time to both develop MCEBuddy and the filters themselves.  I'm talking to some nice people at the moment and I am hopeful though there is still no pricing yet.  In the meantime, does anyone have any leads?

No-gos are: Moon's mux, ATI mux, cyberlink mux, mongram mux, haali

A generic, free TS mux  directshow filter that accepts both MPEG2 and H.264 would be good.

MCEBuddy 1.1 is now released!  Thanks to all the beta testers that have helped, especially those who clipped and uploaded recordings and who provided detailed feedback.

Derek

MCEBuddy 1.1 BETA 3 is released.  Please download and test it if you have time.  Post your results (including if it works) to the 1.x Beta forum

I hope this will be the last beta and I'll be able to wrap 1.1 soon and get back to 2.0

MCEBuddy 1.1 BETA 2 is released.  Please download and test it if you have time.  Post your results (including if it works) to the 1.x Beta forum

MCEBuddy 1.1 BETA 1 is released.  Please download and test it if you have time.  Post your results (including if it works) to the 1.x Beta forum

MCEBuddy 1.1 beta is coming soon.  The goal of release 1.1 is to bed down most of the issues and critical features of 1.x so it can be put into maintenance while I work on 2.0.  A fair bit of code has been backported from MCEBuddy 2.0 into 1.0.9 and 1.1.

Timeframe for completion (released version - not beta) Mid-Late January 2010.

Key changes and features:

• Disk space check to ensure there is sufficient space for the conversion
• File history logging - remembering which files have been converted and allows re-conversion
• H264 conversions are now apple friendly
• iPhone/iTouch and new iPod profiles
• MPEG conversion now works correctly
• MMV conversion now works correctly
• Sub directory search option
• Multiple file masks
• Updated to support and include the latest comskip
• Updated to support the latest ShowAnalyzer
• Built in event log viewer for only MCEBuddy events
• Some UI tweaks
• Monitor application is not in the startup by default

This will be a fairly fast beta, so when it comes out, please test it out on your rig as quickly as you can.

Derek

Hello eveyone out there.  Apparently Windows 7 Media Center can record H.264 into WTV files if the HDTV broadcast is in H.264.  MCEBuddy currently does not support this.  If you have a copy of such a recording, please upload it to rapidshare or bittorrent and provide a link in the support forums.