Copying a DVD onto the HDR Hard Disk - Method?

WP53

New Member
I want to copy a home movie DVD onto the HDR so I can always view it with no need to find the DVD...

First - my apologies as I'm sure this is well documented - only I can't find it..

(Note - I am using the custom firmware on the HDR)

Actually I HAVE achieved this...but with limitations, as follows:-

Using MPGEG Streamclip (on my PC), I can create the single .ts (from the multiple DVD vob filers).
Then using my PC, copy this across the network to the HDR hard drive.

Result - it plays, but WITHOUT the ability to fast forward, I assume due to having no nts or htm sidecar files.

So how do I create these files?

(Also the file does not play on my HD T2 that I have up in my bedroom, where all the std (decrypted) HDR recordings do.

Is there a better way anyway?

Thanks!
 
You can create the other files using raydon's sidecar custom firmware package.
Once that's installed, it becomes available on the OPT+ menu alongside the file in the web interface.

I usually end up converting them to .mp4 files (on my Mac) and they play pretty well - I don't care about fast forward though.
 
Note that the ts files created by the HDR-FOX are actually in m2ts format. The custom firmware package Sidecar will not create hmt and nts files for true ts files. You can either remux the ts file to m2ts (TSMuxer GUI is a good, free Windows program for doing this), rename to ts and use the Sidecar package, or download raydon's AV2-HDR T2 program (overview here, with link to download referenced therein). AV2-HDR T2 will both remux the recording and create the sidecar files. Copy these three new files (ts, hmt and nts) to the HDR-FOX and you will get full transport controls.
 
Many thanks for the speedy inputs...

For the sake of anyone else looking at this, here is what I found:-

I tried using AV2HDRT2 using the .ts file created by MPEG Streamclip but the resulting file (ie the new .ts file) had choppy audio, either playing on VLC or on the HDR.
So I then used the TSMuxer as suggested to convert the .ts file to the m2ts format.
Then I used AV2HDRT2
Result - a .ts file with the sidecar files.

But- will it play OK?

Here's the crazy thing...
VLC will now NOT play the final ts file

BUT - if I copy the ts, htm and nts files to the HDR - it plays fine, with no choppy audio, and I can fast forward.

So, I have achieved what I set out to but there is still a bit of a mystery (ie why VLC no longer plays the file).
However, I am happy enough - although it's a 3 step process!!

What is really needed is software that will take the multiple vob files that are on the original DVD and process them to a single .ts file (with NO re-encoding) of the m2ts format.
I suspect there is a much simpler route to achieve this than using the two separate bits of software that I have used. (But they are free!)

Thanks again
 
Many thanks for the speedy inputs...

For the sake of anyone else looking at this, here is what I found:-

I tried using AV2HDRT2 using the .ts file created by MPEG Streamclip but the resulting file (ie the new .ts file) had choppy audio, either playing on VLC or on the HDR.
So I then used the TSMuxer as suggested to convert the .ts file to the m2ts format.
Then I used AV2HDRT2
Result - a .ts file with the sidecar files.

But- will it play OK?

Here's the crazy thing...
VLC will now NOT play the final ts file

BUT - if I copy the ts, htm and nts files to the HDR - it plays fine, with no choppy audio, and I can fast forward.

So, I have achieved what I set out to but there is still a bit of a mystery (ie why VLC no longer plays the file).
However, I am happy enough - although it's a 3 step process!!

What is really needed is software that will take the multiple vob files that are on the original DVD and process them to a single .ts file (with NO re-encoding) of the m2ts format.
I suspect there is a much simpler route to achieve this than using the two separate bits of software that I have used. (But they are free!)

Thanks again

VideoRedo is the best mpeg editing software (only recodes at edit points and a doddle to chop out ads). It's not free though. Regarding VLC try Splash Lite as a media player.

TSmuxer if I remember correctly will join the files and convert in one step. Add the first vob. Using Windows explorer select the rest and drag to the TSmuxer add buton. Proceed as you did in your post.
 
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OK – I have done a LOT more work on this and have further understanding of what does/does not work.


I am a total amateur so for sure things can probably be done better, however here goes:-



“How to take a DVD onto the Hard Disk of the T2 HDR”


- I will assume that there are no copy protection issues


The key to success actually lies in handling the AUDIO properly, because:-

- AV2HDR will NOT process any .ts file (whether std .ts or .m2ts) that has LPCM audio (ie will not generate the sidecar files) – it just errors out (Yes I did try the latest version 3.3 and also version 1.1)

- If the audio is std AC3 then everything will work OK – UNTIL you play the file on the HDR………because the Dolby trademark logo is displayed on the TV – small but annoying.


So here is my procedure


- Open the DVD (the DVD, not file) in MPEG Streamclip (on your PC)

o (Note you have to have specific versions of Quicktime/quicktime alternatives installed for MPEG streamclip to work properly – but it instructs you)

- Say Yes to the 2 questions - “Fix now” timecode break and “proceed” with the tick “do not skip any frame”

- Wait for it to load (This joins all the VOB files together)

- Trim any parts you don’t want

- Then choose File - “convert to TS with MP2 AUDIO” – NOT just ts, it has to have the MP2 audio

§ This deals with the audio issues described above – it converts LPCM and AC3 audio to what is needed (Which I think is MPEG audio)

§ This does not re-encode so no video quality is lost.

- Now open the resulting file in TYSMuxer and convert to M2TS

- Now rename the extension of this resulting file to .ts

- Now process this in AV2HDR to create the sidecar files..

o BUT NOT Version 3.3 as this produces an invalid “hmt” file and the video will not play on the HDR

o Instead I used 1.1 with success

- Copy the resulting 3 files (ts, hmt and nts) to the T2 HDR

- Using the facility on the T2 HDR rename the video to what you want (Renaming using windows explorer does not change the title as seen on the HDR)


And enjoy.



So why not just use Tsmuxer to do the VOB file joining?

- Because you can’t (as far as I can see) do the audio manipulation to MP2

- And you can’t trim the video either



Hope this is useful to someone!!
 
As far as I know there is only one version of AV2HDR-T2. If you used version 3.3 it must have been the corresponding program for the Foxsat-HDR which would make invalid sidecar files for the HDR-FOX. The HDR-FOX is fine with AC3 audio: if you press the back button the Dolby logo disappears. In any case, you only get the symbol when you play naked TS files: if the sidecar files are present the logo does not appear.
 
As far as I know there is only one version of AV2HDR-T2. If you used version 3.3 it must have been the corresponding program for the Foxsat-HDR which would make invalid sidecar files for the HDR-FOX. The HDR-FOX is fine with AC3 audio: if you press the back button the Dolby logo disappears. In any case, you only get the symbol when you play naked TS files: if the sidecar files are present the logo does not appear.

Well - told you I was an amateur..!

For the sake of completeness I'll comment on the points you made

1/ Yes I had completely missed that there are different versions of AV2HDR (specific to the particular Humax box). And the one that worked is indeed v1.0 AV2HDR-T2
2/ Yes for AC3 audio I confirm I only you get the Dolby logo if playing the ts file without sidecar files.

- However the audio conversion I outlined is still required if the audio is LPCM - AV2HDR-T2 simply errors out if presented with this audio.
( I also successfully did the LPCM audio conversion bu using TsMuxer to demux into seperate video and audio files, then I used Audacity to convert the wav file to Ac3, then remux to m2ts.... but that was even more exhausting....!)

- Also I find that the handling of the DVD (joing the vob files into one ts file) is better using MPEG streamclip. Tsmuxer today gave me a 2 hr slightly jumbled ts file from a 45 min DVD. Possibly my fault, but MPEG Streamclip makes it easy - you just "select DVD"

- Finally MPEG Streamclip offers the easiest video trimming facility I have seen since my old Panasonic Hard disc DVD recorder. (and no re-encoding)
 
Where are you getting files with lpcm audio ? Because of the size they are pretty rare. Certainly any home video kit (camcorder, phone, DSLR) will have digital compressed audio (usually ac3 or aac).
 
Where are you getting files with lpcm audio ? Because of the size they are pretty rare. Certainly any home video kit (camcorder, phone, DSLR) will have digital compressed audio (usually ac3 or aac).
See the context - WP53 is talking about ripping DVDs.

Actually you're both right!

- Yes I don't have LPCM audio on my home movies

- But I did also want to put a particular musiv DVD onto my HDR... this had LPCM audio
 
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