Getting Started

Once you have installed MCEBuddy, start the configuration tool from Start-All Programs-Tyrell-MCEBuddy-MCEBuddy Taskbar Monitor

The monitor should appear in your taskbar:

MCEBuddy runs as a system service, so this monitor does not need to be running in order for conversions to take place.  It simply lets you configure MCEBuddy and monitor its progress.

Double-clicking on the icon brings up the configuration window.  Initially the conversion service is not started (it will start automatically each time the system starts).  First thing you should do is configure MCEbuddy to perform the conversions you want the way you want them to occur.  Then you start the service.  Stopping the service allows you to change MCEBudddy's behaviour and also cancels any conversion currently in progress.

Default Behaviour

MCEBuddy works without configuration, however you can configure its behaviour.  There are two configuration modes, Basic and Advanced.

MCEBuddy Basic Configuration Panel with Default Options

By default MCBuddy:

• Converts the recording to WMV
• Uses the standard Media Center recorded television paths and video library paths
• Will not remove ads
• Will not delete the original recording once it has been converted
• Will categorise the destination by directory

Configuration Options

With advanced mode, all MCBuddy configuration options are available.

MCEBuddy Advanced Configuration Panel

MCEBuddy can perform two different conversions of Media Center recordings .  For example one conversion may be to H.264 for high quality playback on the local Media Center PC and one could be for playback on an iPod video player.  The most common formats and media players are provided for. 

• The first Convert To list box determines what format the first conversion will be to. 
• With Delete Original checked, the original recording will be deleted once a successful conversion has been performed
• Commercial Skipping turns on the commercial removal feature.
• Sort by Series sorts the converted recordings into different folders in the destination video folder based upon the series name (extracted from the file name in 1.0.6)

Advanced options control how and when a conversion will take place.

• Convert Between allows control of when the conversion occurs.  MCEBuddy will start conversions between the times specified if this option is chosen.  Once a conversion has started it will continue until completed or cancelled.  If your system has a low specification or you are performing H.264 conversions it is strongly recommended you schedule your conversions for when you are not using your Media Center PC.
  
• The Video Age defines how old a recording needs to be (in days) before it is converted.
• The file mask specified in File Selection allows for files with extensions other than the default .dvr-ms to be converted. 

The default video paths for picking up the recording and where the converted file is placed can be overridden.

• Source specifies where MCEBuddy should pick up video recordings from.
• Destination specifies where the converted files for the first conversion are placed

Second conversion allows a second conversion to be made of the original recording.

• The first Convert To list box determines what format the second conversion will be to. 
• Destination specifies where the converted files for the second conversion are placed

Conversion Format Options

MCEBuddy supports three video formats: WMV, DivX and H.264.

• WMV provides the best Microsoft compatibility and is useful if you don't want to install a codec pack or want playback on an XBox 360.  It's the best Microsoft-centric option and works with Media Center and MCEBuddy out of the box.  MCEbuddy converts to the WMV2 format and not WMV9.  You can fast forward, rewind and skip using this format under Media Center.
  
• DivX is the most universal format provided as so many devices support it ranging from most PCs with DivX installed, a lot of home theatre equipment and most portable video player devices.  The files produced are small and the quality fairly good.  It's the best overall, general purpose encode, especially if you want to share your recording with others.  If you don't mind almost doubling the conversion time, then the 2 pass conversion ("Slow Conversion" option) is the way to go as the quality is better.  You can skip forward and back but not fast forward with this format under Media Center using ffdshow.
  
• H.264.  The quality of conversion with H.264 under MCEBuddy is excellent.  Almost no visible difference from the source recording.  If you are intending to play back only on the Media Center PC, another PC or an Apple device this is definitely the way to go.  The catch is this is a relatively new codec and as such has not matured as much as the others.  This means playback under other codec packs and on other devices can be a little hit and miss.  You can skip forward and back but not fast forward with this format under Media Center using ffdshow.  This is my favourite encode, I love it.

Conversion speed and CPU usage:

• WMV uses a moderate amount of CPU, takes the shortest time to convert and scales adequately to 2 CPUs/cores but tapers off after that.
  
• DivX uses a moderate amount of CPU, takes the longest time to convert and scales adequately to 2 CPUs/cores but tapers off after that.
• H.264 uses a heavy amount of CPU, takes an average time to convert and scales well to the number of CPUs/cores available

The following table provides an indication of expected conversion times.

• Figures are on conversion time minutes relative to original recording time.  eg. a 30 minute recording converted to H.264 on a dual core system should take around 45 minutes to convert.
• System testing utilised a quad core Opteron server, which performs particularly well in the number crunching role, desktop processors may not perform as well.
• The test recording was at standard television dimensions (720 wide).  For conversions to (not from) 720HDTV resolution multiply conversion times by 1.8.  For conversions to 1080HDTV resolution multiply conversion times by up to 4 times.
• The type of show also affects conversion time.  Rapidly changing scenes and quick movement such as sports and action shows will often increase conversion time.
  

Size:

On average, a converted file will be 20% of the size of the original recording without ad removal.  Obviously ad removal and the type of program will have a significant effect on these results.

2-Pass: For the transcoding people amongst us, the "Slow Conversion" options provided are the higher quality 2-pass transcodes.

Power Management

MCEBuddy will respond to power management events such as suspend/resume.  This will cancel the current video conversion and leave the conversion at the state it was up to at the time of suspension.  It will not continue where it left off before being suspended.

Copy Protection

Some broadcasts use copy protection with CGMS-A or D (eg. HBO, AMC and MoviePlex).  MCEBuddy does not strip copy protection and these conversions will produce junk vdeo, often taking a long time to convert.