WATCHING PTE PROJECTS

[orizaba]

There are several ways of watching a PTE slide/video show:

using the .exe file on a computer, using DVD or BD discs, USB pendrives directly on a TV, etc..

When we have a lot of media projects, either PTE or video projects, and we want to have all of them ready to be watched on a TV, my personal experience says that a Media Player (all projects are stored in its HDD), is the best and easiest solution.

There are lots of media players in the market and one of the best is POPCORN HOUR A-210.

Last month came model A-400, with new Sigma chipset 8911 (dual core 800 MHz, VXP image processor, 512 KB L2 cache).

Mine is A-210 (Sigma chipset 8643, 667 MHz CPU with floating point coprocessor) a model dated 2009.

I believe A-400 is much better, but my A-210 is reliable and very good indeed.

Best file type for POPCORN, in my own opinion, is M2TS, the one I use.

M2TS is used in commercial BluRay discs (25 or 30 fps, interlaced).

MP4 files like the ones produced by PTE, often loose video-audio synchronization in the media player, I don’t know why, but it is a real and annoying fact.

Mainly when PTE projects include a lot of video.

In case of PTE projects, in order to produce the best image quality to be watched on a HDTV, I use a method which I am pleased to share.

First thing is to produce the best MP4 file in PTE.

I use 1920x1080, 60p fps, two-passes, 24000 kbps, audio bitrate 320 kbps, 48000 Hz, Stereo.

I always adopt 60 fps progressive even if my videos are recorded at 25 fps interlaced.

From this MP4 file I must get a M2TS file to save on my POPCORN.

I know some programs for such conversion but all of them do not produce a 60 fps progressive file, as this is not the BluRay standard, so, they only can produce a 25 or 30 fps interlaced M2TS file (in order to record a BD disc to be played on a BD player).

Result is bad in terms of image quality, mainly because in fast moving scenes the image “jumps”, presenting a non-continuous movement.

However, there is a program which allows to produce a M2TS file, 60 fps progressive, which runs 100% smooth on the media player, beeing it a super quality image.

Such program is free.

It is “SUPER” from “eRightSoft”, now in its version 2012, dated Nov 18, 2012.

In SUPER I adopt video codec H264/AVC and audio codec AC3. Than I adopt 1920x1080, 16:9, 60 fps, 30240 kbps (BD standard is 30000 kbps), Hi-Quality, CABAC off (in H264 profile), 1.3 (in H264/AVC Level), and for audio I adopt 48000 Hz, 2 channels and 448 kbps.

For example, a 21 minutes PTE project with lots of videos takes 1h:50m to convert.

The result is a super quality M2TS file, 60 fps progressive, which plays smooth in the media player, showing a fantastic image on TV (HDMI connection) and a fantastic audio as well (A-210 optical connection to Hi-Fi).

All file parameters can be verified using free software “MediaInfo” from DigiMetrics.

As I said, this is only my opinion, and I should like to discuss it with members.

[davegee]

Just one observation.

A TV with built in MEDIA PLAYER and USB will allow connection to your own 500Gb HD for this purpose. Mine does and plays standard PTE MPEG4 files with no problems. If you already have this facility and that sort of quantity of material then the external MEDIA PLAYER is not required. If you don't have the USB facility on your TV then you might feel that the cost of a Media Player would be better used if put toward the cost of a new TV?

DG

[deskjet1uk]

Orizaba,

Thank you for posting that information, most welcomed.

regards

ralph

[Lin Evans]

Hi David,

Actually, any USB drive should work regardless of capacity as long as there is sufficient power from the TV's USB connect to drive it. I use a 750 Gigabyte Western Digital drive with my Samsung 40" LED TV and it works fine. It's "easier," however, if the drive doesn't have lots of folders which have to be navigated to get to the videos so an inexpensive and very small and light USB drive is ideal. Amazon has some for under $28 USD.

Best regards,

Lin

[davegee]

Agreed Lin,

I use a 16Gb key and it is adequate.

On the HDD side though, I tried a 1Tb on my Sony and it would not recognize it.

Possibly it is because it is one of the earliest Sony TVs with USB and Media Player. But I would take quite a while to fill up 500Gb so I would not worry about it.:rolleyes:/>

My point was that I would rather put the money toward a new TV if my TV did not have USB. As well as Video it plays all of the other Media that you would want without having to convert to other formats.

DG

[Lin Evans]

Hi Dave,

I suppose the down side would be if one wanted to take the show to a friend or relative and play it on their TV and couldn't be sure that it was compatible with a USB device. I think some of the earlier TV's had HDMI capability, but not USB and with the player I suppose one could connect it even though the TV had no internal video player. But as long as it was a question of spend the money for a player or spend it on a TV it would depend on their relative costs.

If I could afford it, I would love to have one of the new Samsung 3D TV's with Active 3D. Here they start at about $800 for plasma and about $1000 for LED.

Best regards,

Lin

[Lin Evans]

Thanks!! Great information!

Best regards,

Lin

[orizaba]

Hi all,

My idea was only to discuss file types and how to get them in order to have a super quality result when using a Media Player!

But I can see that discussion is turning on to use or not a Media Player, or USB pen or HDD instead.

Considering this other point I would say that, for me, the Media Player was a good solution: hundreds of 8mm family movies (since 1942...!), hundreds of Super8 movies, hundreds of BETAMAX videos, as well as Hi8 and miniDV, lots of PTE slideshows, all this material is now in my Media Player, and I must say that it is the nice way to show something to others, at home or other places, providing there is a TV set available with HDMI or some other more classic input. The Media Player "delivers" the best video and audio, nothing else is necessary.

My Panasonic TX-P65VT30E also have USB inputs, and its own media player and everything else, but it's nice for me to have all my stuff put together and ready to use in all circunstances.

By the way: concerning old 8mm and Super8 movies, I had to digitize them and I did it by means of projecting them directly to the full frame sensor of my Canon 5D MkII. Result is super good!

Do you wish to discuss this? Because I think that a big lot of members have their own old 8mm and Super8 movies.

The digitizing process I use gives far better quality than commercial photo shops can give.

I took this idea from James Miller (UK) and just modified it a little bit.

See http://vimeo.com/20950590 and enjoy the most acclaimed invention of James Miller!

Regards,

Jose