SD .ts files playback without transcoding

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SD .ts files playback without transcoding

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larkim

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Think we're at cross purposes here.

I'm talking solely about downloading un-transcoded recordings which are generated only from SD channels and then those channels being immediately playable locally on a PC or other device without any fresh transcoding being needed. It may be that that same file can be transcoded without much (or any) noticeable loss into H264, and thus reduce file size significantly but I'm not interested in that.

Given the encrypted nature of HD broadcasts I never had any expectation that those recordings could be lifted off the box in their original format, and therefore transcoding on the box would always need doing.

I'll confirm the stream formats in a while when I've got some time to ftp across SD channel recordings and then identify the codecs via VLC or similar.

| Thu 28 Jan 2021 14:39:33 #11 |
grahamlthompson

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larkim - 11 mins ago »
Aha, I see what you're getting at. I may have ignored what actual codec was in use, so where I've said mpeg2 it might well be H264 with AAC. The last time I did anything from a transport stream was about 10-12 years ago so if the broadcast standard has shifted from mpeg2 for SD channels too then that's my error. I've deleted the files already so will redownload and confirm what type of file I'm seeing. I suspect you're right that the file extension is irrelevant, that used to be a step that was probably necessary for an older clunky piece of software that i was using to force it to recognise what was inside the container.

SD channels still use mpeg2 for Video compression and mpeg1 layer 2 for audio.

Humax boxes have always used transport stream as the container. For HD channels , the actual video is M2ts (as used on bluray. Same on satellite HD sources.

Far too much legacy kit to change to H264.

| Thu 28 Jan 2021 14:50:15 #12 |
larkim

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OK then.

So back to where I started, if a user uses the FTP protocol to download a file from the box, users can be confident that the files are playable and require no transcoding if the recording was made on a non-HD channel.

I presume you can see that from your end too?

| Thu 28 Jan 2021 15:04:17 #13 |
grahamlthompson

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larkim - 4 mins ago »
OK then.
So back to where I started, if a user uses the FTP protocol to download a file from the box, users can be confident that the files are playable and require no transcoding if the recording was made on a non-HD channel.
I presume you can see that from your end too?

I have not been able to use the FTP protocol.

Tried adding it to Filezilla site manager without success.

Guessing it's used to download recordings to mobile devices using the aura app. I downloaded one to my tablet as a test.

The tablet reports the .ts and a .jpg thumbnail image downloaded.

But they are hidden so no way to tell what the format bitrate etc is.

The new software has options for the transcoding bitrate. But setting a higher one does not seem to make much difference at least using the box webserver.

| Thu 28 Jan 2021 15:15:13 #14 |
larkim

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Daft question, but have you enabled the FTP server in the settings following the most recent FW update?

| Thu 28 Jan 2021 15:21:18 #15 |
grahamlthompson

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larkim - 2 mins ago »
Daft question, but have you enabled the FTP server in the settings following the most recent FW update?

Probably not

I will check.

That must be the answer I now have the port number.

I will download a couple of programmes using different transcode bitrates.

| Thu 28 Jan 2021 15:23:56 #16 |
grahamlthompson

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Login to Filezilla failed. Wonder If i have to reboot the Aura to enable the server

Any ideas
Attachments
1. Login_failed.jpg (18.4 KB, 1 downloads) 3 years old
2. Filezilla_Site_manager.jpg (141.5 KB, 2 downloads) 3 years old
| Thu 28 Jan 2021 15:40:13 #17 |
grahamlthompson

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Got an old image uploading again.
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1. Aura_Site_Manager.jpg (84.5 KB, 4 downloads) 3 years old
| Thu 28 Jan 2021 15:42:16 #18 |
larkim

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User id by default is "aura" and pwd "0000" so maybe thtat's the issue, rather than using humaxftp as the username?

| Thu 28 Jan 2021 16:02:58 #19 |
larkim

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This might be a one-off, but I'd recorded a small programme on one of the Sony channels in SD. 56Mb in size (according to Filezilla). I transcoded it using the Aura. The transcoded version is 88Mb in size

So transcoding for download of *SD* files looks a little pointless!!

| Thu 28 Jan 2021 16:08:19 #20 |