NAME

dvbt-multirec - Record streams from a multiplex

SYNOPSIS

dvbt-record [options] [recording specification]

Options:

 -debug level         set debug level
 -verbose level       set verbosity level
 -help                brief help message
 -man                 full documentation
 -out outspec         set default output spec
 -lang langspec       set default language spec
 -tsid value          specify multiplex tsid
 -anypid              allow any pid value
 -info                display recording details

OPTIONS

-help

Print a brief help message and exits.

-man

Prints the manual page and exits.

-verbose

Set verbosity level. Higher values show more information.

-debug

Set debug level. Higher levels show more debugging information (only really of any interest to developers!)

-out

Set the default output spec (normally "audio video"). See description for further details of output spec.

-lang

Set the default language spec (normally just the default audio track). See description for further details of language spec.

-tsid

The TSID definition defines the transponder (multiplex) to use. Use this when pids define the streams rather than channel names and the pid value(s) may occur in multiple TSIDs.

-anypid

Allows specification of any pid number, skipping checks that the pid is valid for the multiplex.

-info

Display recording information based on the specified options, then exit without recording. Useful to quickly get a list of pids for a channel.

DESCRIPTION

Script that uses the perl Linux::DVB::DVBT package to record multiple programs at the same time (as long as they are within the same multiplex - use dvbt-chans with -multi option to get the list of programs grouped by multiplex).

Arguments

The arguments define the set of streams (all from the same multiplex, or transponder) that are to be recorded at the same time into each file.

Each stream definition must start with a filename, followed by either channel names or pid numbers. Also, you must specify the duration of the stream. Finally, an offset time can be specified that delays the start of the stream (for example, if the start time of the programs to be recorded are staggered).

A file defined by channel name(s) may optionally also contain a language spec and an output spec:

The output spec determines which type of streams are included in the recording. By default, "video" and "audio" tracks are recorded. You can override this by specifying the output spec. For example, if you also want the subtitle track to be recorded, then you need to specify the output includes video, audio, and subtitles. This can be done either by specifying the types in full or by just their initials.

For example, any of the following specs define video, audio, and subtitles:

"audio, video, subtitle"
"a, v, s"
"avs"

Note that, if the file format explicitly defines the type of streams required, then there is no need to specify an output spec. For example, specifying that the file format is mp3 will ensure that only the audio is recorded.

In a similar fashion, the language spec determines the audio streams to be recorded in the program. Normally, the default audio stream is included in the recorded file. If you want either an alternative audio track, or additional audio tracks, then you use the language spec to define them. The spec consists of a space seperated list of language names. If the spec contains a '+' then the audio streams are added to the default; otherwise the default audio is excluded and only those other audio tracks in the spec are recorded. Note that the specification order is important, audio streams from the language spec are matched with the audio details in the specified order. Once a stream has been skipped there is no back tracking (see the examples below for clarification).

For example, if a channel has the audio details: eng:601 eng:602 fra:603 deu:604 (i.e. 2 English tracks, 1 French track, 1 German) then

lang="+eng"

Results in the default audio (pid 601) and the next english track (pid 602) recorded

lang="fra"

Results in just the french track (pid 603) recorded

lang="eng fra"

Results in the second english (pid 602) and the french track (pid 603) recorded

lang="fra eng"

Results in an error. The english tracks have already been skipped to match the french track, and so will not be matched again.

Note that the output spec overrides the language spec. If the output does not include audio, then the language spec is ignored.

Example valid sets of arguments are:

file=f1.mpeg chan=bbc1 out=avs lang=+eng len=1:00 off=0:10

Record channel BBC1 into file f1.mpeg, include subtitles, add second English audio track, record for 1 hour, start recording 10 minutes from now

file=f2.mp3 chan=bbc2 len=0:30

Record channel BBC2 into file f2.mp3, audio only, record for 30 minutes

file=f3.ts pid=600 pid=601 len=0:30

Record pids 600 & 601 into file f3.ts, record for 30 minutes

The TSID definition defines the transponder (multiplex) to use. Use this when pids define the streams rather than channel names and the pid value(s) may occur in multiple TSIDs.

If you define default language or output specs, these will be used in all file definitions unless that file definition has it's own output/language spec. For example, if you want all files to include subtitles you can specify it once as the default rather than for every file.

The files are recorded as .ts files. If you specify one of the supported file extensions, then the .ts file will be transcoded using the <Linux::DVB::DVBT::Ffmpeg> helper module (which requires ffmpeg to be installed). Supported extensions are:

.mpeg - mpeg2 video / audio / subtitles

.mp4 - mpeg4 video / audio

The mp4 settings are configured to ensure that the file is compatible with playback on the PS3 (server by Twonky media server).

Note: if you use this then be prepared for a long wait! On my system, a 2 hour film can take 13 hours to transcode.

.m2v - mpeg2 video

.mp2 - mpeg2 audio

.mp3 - mpeg3 audio

You may notice ffmpeg reports the error:

lame: output buffer too small

Apparently (accoriding to the ffmpeg developers) this is perfectly fine. For further details see (http://howto-pages.org/ffmpeg/#basicaudio).

Example Usage

For example, you want to record some programs starting at 13:00. The list of programs are:

• ITV2 start 13:00, duration 0:30

• FIVE start 13:15, duration 0:30

• ITV1 start 13:30, duration 0:30

• More 4 start 13:15, duration 0:05

• E4 start 13:05, duration 0:30

• Channel 4+1 start 13:05, duration 1:30

To record these (running the script at 13:00) use:

$ dvbt-multirec file=itv2.mpeg ch=itv2 len=0:30  \
	               file=five.mpeg ch=five len=0:30 off=0:15 \
	               file=itv1.mpeg ch=itv1 len=0:30 off=0:30 \
	               file=more4.mpeg ch=more4 len=0:05 off=0:15 \
	               file=e4.mpeg ch=e4 len=0:30 off=0:05 \
	               file=ch4+1.mpeg ch='channel4+1' len=1:30 off=0:05 

Further Details

For full details of the DVBT functions, please see Linux::DVB::DVBT:

  perldoc Linux::DVB::DVBT

cpanm Linux::DVB::DVBT

perl -MCPAN -e shell
install Linux::DVB::DVBT