Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

General discussion of Halo 3.
User avatar
SPEThroned
Readers Club





Posts: 3
Joined: Thu May 29, 2008 12:10 pm

Post by SPEThroned »

I use the Dazzle, this way is horrible.
User avatar
Thrasher Alpha





Posts: 517
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2006 6:07 am
Location: United States Of America
Contact:

Post by Thrasher Alpha »

How do I find the source of the videos now? heres my vid link.

http://www.gamevee.com/viewVideo/Halo_3 ... ide/226306
Image
User avatar
HaLo2FrEeEk





Posts: 170
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:25 pm

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by HaLo2FrEeEk »

Hey, I'm sorry for bumping this after SO long, but I wrote up a nice little idea I had on how this could work, and it doesn't seem to undoable:
HaLo2FrEeEk wrote:Ok, I was working on the HD Recording Service and I went outside to have a smoke and I was thinking...I've seen 2 automated Halo 3 Film Clip capture services, and I've wanted to know how they work ever since.

The first one to hit the Internet was GeeVee Grab, they changed it to GameVee Grab, now the site is GotGame, but I don't see Grab anymore.

The other service was EatHalo, the only HD service out there, but it costs money and the quality isn't that great, plus you have to pay extra for things like keeping the hud and removing the timeline.

Anyway, I was thinking about how these services might work, being automatic and all. I came up with one idea. Remember this is all theoretical, it might be how it's done, it might not.

Here goes. There is a dedicated server that accepts the data from the web form. Things like Gamertag, film slot, etc. are sent from the web form. The server is emulating an Xbox 360 controller and is plugged into an Xbox 360 and an HD capture card. The server uses the 360 controller emulation to control the xbox and navigate to the supplied gamertag's fileshare (using an array of commands, for example, to write "hi" the array might be:

down:1, aButton
right:1, aButton

The computer would tell the cursor to navigate the virtual keyboard, or it might even emulate the Xbox 360 chatpad to send direct text to the text box. So it brings up your gamercard and from there your file share. You told the computer which slot it was in, so the computer navigates to that slot and executes the sequence of commands that download the file. It also has the file name so it knows what to look for. The controller emulator then navigates to theater mode, loads up that film, then waits. The computer then starts up the capture program and initializes the capture card. When it's getting an input feed, it starts recording and uses the controller emulator to start playing the film. When the film has ended (which the computer will know by the information you submitted, it stored the length of the film) the computer closes down the capture program, and stores the captured file in a certain location on the server. It then uses a scheduled task to update the database controlling the website telling it that your file is ready.

All this wouldn't take that long. Having a computer enter the data would be pretty simple and 100% error-proof, and the only bit of issue there would be is having a little bit of padding on the beginning and end of your file.

Now of course, like I said, this is pure speculation. The thought of someone writing an emulation program for the Xbox 360 controller is pretty awesome, to have a computer controlling a computer, I love it. I'd love to sit there and watch this thing go, I mean, how cool would it be to sit and watch your computer play Halo 3? Sweet!

So, anyone have any ideas on this?
This HD Recording Service I wrote about is my own service I'm starting. It won't be free, but the results are amazing quality 720p HD. It'll be worth it.

Anyway, I think this way could work, but it would be a lot of work setting it up, writing the emulator program, "networking" everything together, and making sure pieces don't fail.
User avatar
DrXThirst




Connoisseur Foundry Pyre

Posts: 3011
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:28 am
Location: Georgia
Contact:

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by DrXThirst »

So, you have a minimum of a dual-core processor (3.0ghz), 4GB DDR2+ RAM, and a minimum of 4 1TB Hard Drives in RAID 0/1?
Image
User avatar
HaLo2FrEeEk





Posts: 170
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:25 pm

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by HaLo2FrEeEk »

2 out of 3 isn't bad.

3GHz dual core, 8GB DDR2 800MHz RAM, but only 1 1TB HDD, the other 3 are 500GB, 200GB, and 40GB. And I wasn't saying I was going to do this, I was saying I think this is how it could be done.
Last edited by HaLo2FrEeEk on Wed Mar 18, 2009 12:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Tural




Conceptionist Acolyte Bloodhound Recreator
Socialist Connoisseur Droplet Scorched Earth
Grunge

Posts: 15628
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 3:44 pm
Location: Lincoln, NE
Contact:

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by Tural »

HaLo2FrEeEk wrote:And I wasn't saying I was going to do this, I was saying I think this is how it could be done.
Yes, you were.
HaLo2FrEeEk wrote:This HD Recording Service I wrote about is my own service I'm starting. It won't be free, but the results are amazing quality 720p HD. It'll be worth it.
User avatar
HaLo2FrEeEk





Posts: 170
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:25 pm

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by HaLo2FrEeEk »

You read what I said wrong, in addition to my slightly phrasing it wrong.

I didn't say I was doing one that was automated. Mine is all manual, you can see a starting example here:

http://infectionist.com/misc/capture/capture.php

You enter your gamertag and my script gets a list of all the films and filmlip items in your fileshare, then you select the clip, the resolution you want it recorded at ($1/min for 720p and $0.50/min for 480p), the format (wmv and mp4), leave a comment like if you want the hud, timeline, reticule, etc., enter your email, agree to the price, and (I haven't added the agree to TOS yet but it'll be there). The file will be recorded and uploaded by me to my server for download by anyone (once it's unlocked) for 1 week, then it will be deleted to save space.

That's what I meant by my own. I'm not planning on doing an automated service, though if I wanted to, I'm sure I could get it set up using my server and a program on my computer to download information from my database at set intervals, a small C++ program to emulate a controller and control the cap card...it could be done.
User avatar
DrXThirst




Connoisseur Foundry Pyre

Posts: 3011
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:28 am
Location: Georgia
Contact:

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by DrXThirst »

HaLo2FrEeEk wrote:2 out of 3 isn't bad.

3GHz dual core, 8GB DDR2 800MHz RAM, but only 1 1TB HDD, the other 3 are 500GB, 200GB, and 40GB. And I wasn't saying I was going to do this, I was saying I think this is how it could be done.
Fact of the matter is, the one you don't have is the most important. You can't record uncompressed HD, unless you have them in RAID 0/1. I hope you do, or you'll be recording compressed in the first place, then compressing again which looks like shit.

Good luck.

EDIT: Also, on your website --
Image

1.) Doesn't look like click.
2.) Doesn't work.
Image
User avatar
HaLo2FrEeEk





Posts: 170
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:25 pm

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by HaLo2FrEeEk »

1. What do you mean doesn't look like click?

2. The sites being weird. I've sent a message to my host. It works, I recently fixed it so it worked 100% of the time (but unfortunately that only means 100% of the time the site is operating normally. I think my hardware is having issues right now). You also have to have Javascript turned on, otherwise it won't work. I haven't put noscript tags in yet. It uses AJAX to get a list of your films on your fileshare and prints a dropdown box right below the textbox. You're using Firefox, which I know it works on:

http://infectionist.com/images/mics/cap_ff.png
http://infectionist.com/images/mics/cap_ie.png

I just tried it on both. IE was faster, I had to try twice for FF, but it works.

Oh, and define uncompressed. Image data is sent as a transport stream through Component video cables, right? My capture card and program capture to either .TS or .M2TS format, I use .M2TS, that's a transport stream...

This is converted using the included program, from .M2TS to WMV @ 15Mbps, 30FPS:
http://infectionist.com/movies/quality_test.wmv (1280x720, 47.5MB, 0:32)

This is another video that was converted to the same specifications, but then edited and rendered in Sony Vegas:
http://infectionist.com/movies/pirate_ship_promo.wmv

Since I won't be re-rendering the file in Vegas before I upload it for the person, they'll be getting a file of the first one's quality, which you can't honestly say looks like shit. The only thing that I don't like is that Halo 3 doesn't have any AA, so edges look jagged, but that's the game, not my card. Oh and I record using Fiber Optic digital audio at 5.1 channels.
User avatar
DrXThirst




Connoisseur Foundry Pyre

Posts: 3011
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:28 am
Location: Georgia
Contact:

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by DrXThirst »

What capture card do you use? Intensity Pro or something else?

Also, component isn't HD. VGA, HDMI, or DVI would be considered actual High Definition.
Image
User avatar
HaLo2FrEeEk





Posts: 170
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:25 pm

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by HaLo2FrEeEk »

Then why is it called Component HD? Component is HD because it can carry a 720p signal, or up to a 1080i signal. Just because it isn't digital doesn't mean it's not high def. If component isn't HD then neither is VGA, leaving only DVI and VGA, meaning 75% of people who have HD cable and think they're getting HD through their component cable box...are wrong. I don't think so. I was cross trained to sell TVs when I worked at Circuit City, I know about this sort of thing.

I use the Hauppauge HD PVR, it has Component, Composite, S-Video, 2x Stereo audio, and 1x SPDIF Digital Audio inputs and Component and Stereo audio outputs as passthroughs.

And do you think my quality test looks like shit?
User avatar
DrXThirst




Connoisseur Foundry Pyre

Posts: 3011
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:28 am
Location: Georgia
Contact:

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by DrXThirst »

HaLo2FrEeEk wrote:Then why is it called Component HD? Component is HD because it can carry a 720p signal, or up to a 1080i signal. Just because it isn't digital doesn't mean it's not high def. If component isn't HD then neither is VGA, leaving only DVI and VGA, meaning 75% of people who have HD cable and think they're getting HD through their component cable box...are wrong. I don't think so. I was cross trained to sell TVs when I worked at Circuit City, I know about this sort of thing.

I use the Hauppauge HD PVR, it has Component, Composite, S-Video, 2x Stereo audio, and 1x SPDIF Digital Audio inputs and Component and Stereo audio outputs as passthroughs.

And do you think my quality test looks like shit?
Eh, that's a decent card, not what I would go with... but decent. Also, no, it doesn't look like shit... that's because it's not double/triple compressed like I said.

Also, yes, it's still HD, just on the lower end.
Image
User avatar
HaLo2FrEeEk





Posts: 170
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:25 pm

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by HaLo2FrEeEk »

DrXThirst wrote:Also, component isn't HD
DrXThirst wrote:Also, yes, it's still HD, just on the lower end.
You're weird.

And the second one was double compressed (or triple if you could the compression of not being recorded uncompressed. 1 time into the .TS, again into the .WMV, again edited in Vegas into another .WMV). Did the second file I linked to look bad?
User avatar
DrXThirst




Connoisseur Foundry Pyre

Posts: 3011
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:28 am
Location: Georgia
Contact:

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by DrXThirst »

HaLo2FrEeEk wrote:or triple if you could the compression of not being recorded uncompressed.
You're weird. I contradicted myself. It's in-between... it is HD, but it isn't.

Also, I only looked at the first one. I was at school. That's besides the fact, it's still 1MB per second, which isn't going to work with longer clips.

But, you do what you will. Good luck.

tl;dr - I win.
Image
User avatar
HaLo2FrEeEk





Posts: 170
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:25 pm

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by HaLo2FrEeEk »

I always read...

What do you mean it's 1MB/second? It's 15Mbps, megabits, not megabytes. And why wouldn't it work for longer clips?

You're the only person I've talked to who's given me relevant information on this topic, anything you could do to save me trouble later down the line is more than welcome.
User avatar
DrXThirst




Connoisseur Foundry Pyre

Posts: 3011
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:28 am
Location: Georgia
Contact:

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by DrXThirst »

Meaning that the example that you linked me to is ~45 seconds, and is ~45mb in filesize. I wasn't talking about the bitrate. You need the bitrate to be around 15mbps for HD quality.

What I meant for it not working is the fact that if a clip is like 200 seconds, it's just a couple of minutes, but it's going to be around 200mb in filesize... which is not going to be that great.

With my current capture card, which isn't HD, I can get around 1mb per 10 seconds of video/audio. I record to an uncompressed .AVI file, then compress with huffy, and compress again with Xilisoft by converting into a .MP4/x264 file.

I'm glad that I'm helping. Ask any questions you want, and I'll try to answer them the best I can.
Image
User avatar
HaLo2FrEeEk





Posts: 170
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:25 pm

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by HaLo2FrEeEk »

I do see what you're saying about the filesize...I'll have to note that in the TOS for my service, that the recorded files will be extremely large, but will totally be worth it for the quality. And they compress down quite a bit.
User avatar
DrXThirst




Connoisseur Foundry Pyre

Posts: 3011
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:28 am
Location: Georgia
Contact:

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by DrXThirst »

Yeah. Later on, if you have enough money, you should invest in the Black-Magic Intensity Pro.

Google it, you should find some good results.
Image
User avatar
HaLo2FrEeEk





Posts: 170
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:25 pm

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by HaLo2FrEeEk »

Why would I buy another HD capture card when I've already got one? Besides I don't have an available PCIe 1x slot on my mobo. That, and the fact that I don't have a job right now, I can't think about buying that.
User avatar
DrXThirst




Connoisseur Foundry Pyre

Posts: 3011
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:28 am
Location: Georgia
Contact:

Re: Uploading Halo 3 films without a capture card.

Post by DrXThirst »

Just has better quality... I don't know. I'm always about better... but that's when I have money too. haha.
Image
Post Reply