What resolution in .TS files?

[tmittelstaedt]

Hi All,

I have a HVR-950Q, plugged into a Dell XPS running XP and connected to an external rooftop antenna. It works fantastic. I have one question though about recording.

I setup the scheduler to record my TV shows and it works fine to do this, and I get a .ts file of the show. Now, it's my understanding (from reading the forum) that the digital recording is nothing more than a dump of the ATSC transmission from the TV station of the show. However, the question I have is that ATSC isn't just a single standard, it's a collection, and the broadcaster can choose to broadcast in multiple resolutions. So, how do I find out information about this .ts file that is produced? Does anyone have any recommendations about any software (preferably freeware) that can look at the .ts file and tell me what resolution/aspect ratio/frame rates were used by the broadcaster? What video and audio codecs were used?

Now, in digging around I do find that the "log.txt" file APPEARS to have information on the resolution and aspect ratio that the broadcaster is using when they broadcast - when I change channels on the remote, and select different digital channels in the area, the log.txt file appears to be updated with the transmitting resolution. But, if that is the case, that only tells me what the transmitter is using for that specific day - they are free to switch transmitting resolutions later in the day or the following day, so there's no guarentee that the recording .ts file is the same resolution.

If any of the WinTV developers are reading this, if you could add the following to the wishlist - right now when you setup the scheduler to make a recording, it makes part of the filename the date and transmitting station call letters - it would be really really cool if you could have the filename also incorporate the resolution/aspect ratio/frame rate that were used. Also, it would be really cool to have a button on the wintv application that you could click on when you are watching TV with wintv that would show all the transmitting resolution/aspect ratio/frame rate/progressive or interlaced/how many sound channels/video codec/ audio codec or codecs used for the signal.

Thanks!

[Mr X]

Glad it's working well, thats nice to hear.

In answer to your questions:

It stores whatever resolution broadcast at for each broadcast. That can change between sections of the file. The capture device has no idea what's in the stream it just dumps byte for byte the data coming in. Then WinTV reads the stream on playback and adjusts aspect ratio etc as appropriate.

Press Control + D when watching and it shows all the Video/Audio information for that programme on screen.

Press Control + A to bring up the Video/Audio Rednerer properties also.


"would be really really cool if you could have the filename also incorporate the resolution/aspect ratio/frame rate that were used"

It wouldn't know this until the recording had already started.

[trektorrents]

You're going to find that, with extremely few exceptions, HDTV broadcasts from your local NA stations are always one or another thing.

You'll get either 1920x1080 interlaced, at 29.97 fps, or 1280x720 progressive, at 59.94 fps. Audio bitrates vary between 384 and 640 (640 if very rare) kbps, Dolby Digital in 2 or 6 channels. FOX tends to 448 kbps, as does ABC, in most markets. Yours may vary.

Once you get to know your local stations, you'll always see this.

You can also open a .TS file in MediaInfo, while recording, and it will spit out the stats as of that point.

[nacho32]

here is a freeware tool that offers information on any video file with simple right click. Programs called mediainfo
http://mediainfo.sourceforge.net/en