Re: how to use mencoder to record TV program

[Emanoil Kotsev <deloptes@yahoo.com>]

Serena Cantor wrote:

> It works now though it has many programs! Thanks!!!
> 
> After running 2 sudo commands given by you, your mencoder command can
> record. I don't copy sudo output, because 1st sudo merely says insmod
> snd-mixer-oss.ko and snd-pcm-oss.ko and 2nd sudo has no output at all,
> though I have /dev/dsp and /dev/mixer after running 2 sudo. I change
> /dev/dsp1 to /dev/dsp in your command, and run it. It records, and I can
> hear TV audio. After about 15 seconds, I press Ctrl+C to end recording and
> play output.avi. I find that TV audio is NOT recorded (TV video seems OK).
> I have to add "-vo x11" to "mplayer output.avi" to play it. vlc player
> can't play output.avi, even video is not shown.

So now you have video but no audio. right? But when you watch TV you hear
sound.

may be try first instead -oac lame and -lameopts -oac copy. means replace

'-oac mp3lame -lameopts cbr:br=64' 

with 

'-oac copy'

I think though that the problem is another one, but try this first and tell
me if it works.

If it's not working you may also try to add following to the tv driver line

'forceaudio:immediatemode=1:forcechan=2:audiorate=44100:amode=1:audioid=1:adevice=/dev/dsp'

notice the forceaudio command and the immediatemode. The immediate mode
(look in man mplayer) is the option that we need I think.
We can try add alsa and replace adevice=/dev/dsp with adevice=hw=0.0 or
adevice=hw=0.1 I don't remember which was correct for capturing.

'forceaudio:immediatemode=1:forcechan=2:audiorate=44100:amode=1:audioid=1:alsa:adevice=hw=0.0'

I'm not familiar with vlc,  but after you manage to record your first video
with sound you can play with the different options of mencoder and try to
find a way that records or converts videos to something vlc would like.

When I record movie and check the file type with file it says

file 20081014-201413.avi
20081014-201413.avi: RIFF (little-endian) data, AVI, 720 x 576, 25.00 fps,
video: FFMpeg MPEG-4, audio: MPEG-1 Layer 1 or 2 (stereo, 48000 Hz)

I usually convert them after this with mencoder

file 3SAT_Effesos.avi
3SAT_Effesos.avi: RIFF (little-endian) data, AVI, 720 x 576, 25.00 fps,
video: FFMpeg MPEG-4, audio: MPEG-1 Layer 3 (stereo, 48000 Hz)

When recording I use -oac copy ( means no conversion of audio stream)
Then I convert with mencoder and do higher compression of video too.

regards