GrafCorder
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Contents |
About
GrafCorder is basically Anders Nolberger's SageGraphRecorder (the brain) transplanted on Howard Gilbert's HDHRcorder (the body). The idea is that you use GraphEdit (like from here), in order to make a simple .GRF file, which will allow you to "dump to a file" (for example using the DVBPortal HDTV Reference Dump Filter), from whichever device you want to record... Personally, I use it to perform Firewire recordings, since VLC refuses to record through the firewire port of my PACE 551HD and CapDVHS is just not flexible enough...
How to create a .GRF file
- You will need to download and install the "Dump filter" before launching GraphEdit.
- You should register the property page for easier GraphEdit access:
regsvr32 proppage.dll
- To build a suitable GRF file in GraphEdit:
- In the Graph menu, select Insert Filters. A dialog will be displayed. - Select Video Capture Sources, you should see your input device listed underneath. If your source is firewire, it must be connected and active or it will not show up here. - Select your input source so that it is highlighted and click Insert Filter - Under DirectShow Filters, select the DVBPortal HDTV Reference Dump Filter, click Insert Filter. - Enter the filename "Test.TP" when prompted. - Close the Insert Filter dialog - In the GraphEdit window, drag-and-drop the dump filter so it is side-by-side with the source as shown on the picture. - Click and drag from the connect points on the boxes to create a link from the source to the dump. - You should now have something that looks similar to the picture below. - From the File menu, save your graph to a .GRF file
A typical graph will look like the following picture.
You should hit the "play" button and make sure that you can actually record that way...
Instructions
- GrafCorder must be run from a command prompt, with 3 arguments. You cannot run GrafCorder by double-clicking on it. Use the format:
GraphCorder "myGraf.grf" 20:59:59 "D:\Video\myFile.TP"
where:
"myGraf.grf" = The fully qualified simple GraphEdit file (using a Dump filter for the saved file). 20:59:59 = end time or time in minutes (1-999). "D:\Video\myFile.TP" = The fully qualified output file name.
NOTE: While you might be able to make a .GRF file for DVB or unencrypted QAM channels, keep in mind that the channel tuning might be a whole different story (i.e. Tim M. Moore's channel.exe for firewire)...
Typically, during a recording you should see something like the following picture.
When the corresponding file.inprogress.xml is found (i.e. BTV recordings through BTV-Externinator), more information will be displayed.
- The "Hide file" used to prevent BeyondTVLibrary.exe from going in overdrive during a recording, but no longer seems to have any effects with newer versions of Beyond TV.
- The analyze option will record a small file and try to extract the video resolution and fps from it. This will fail if a playback graph cannot be automatically built (i.e. codec issues). You might need to increase the default capture time (in ms), as the captured frames might not include the required information.
- You can select to have it "Launch minimized" to have it sent directly to the TaskBar (preferred mode when used with BTV-Externinator).
- The end time can be updated through the Options menu.
Acknowledgements
- Thanks to Anders Nolberger's SageGraphRecorder for the original idea.
- Thanks to Howard Gilbert's HDHRcorder for the underlaying layout.
- Thanks to the DirectShowNet Library v 1.5 for wrapping up DirectShow into a C# usable format...