[t_hah]

How could I capture an online video stream (mms) into a file? The video is probably about two hours long, so it would have to be continuously recorded.

MS Media Player and vlc can display the stream.

[Grrr]

Snapz Pro software is a round abouts way of capturing absolutely anything on your screen. But i dont think it gets audio..

[-Q-]

Originally posted by Grrr:
But i dont think it gets audio..

The latest version does. And it works amazingly well. On a G5 I'm able to get 30fps captures of DVD movies. I"m sure it could handle a streaming video feed.

[t_hah]

And if I want to record a two hour stream how much disk space would it take up, and then how much time would it require to compress that down (let's say 640 x 480, 15fps).

[-Q-]

Download it and give it a whirl.

I wouldn't think compressing an already compressed stream would look very good, but that's just me.

[Tsilou B.]

Originally posted by t_hah:
How could I capture an online video stream (mms) into a file? The video is probably about two hours long, so it would have to be continuously recorded.

MS Media Player and vlc can display the stream.

You can save the file with vlc, so you don't have to buy Snapz Pro. Use a terminal and paste this command (VLC must be installed in /Applications or you have to change the path)

/Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/VLC --sout file/avi:movie.avi mms://t�ter�

where mms://t�ter� is the address of the mms stream and movie.avi is the name of the recorded avi-file (must not contain spaces). Recording a 2 hour stream can take quite a while. If you want an MPEG2-PS file instead of an avi file, you can write file/ps:movie.mpeg instead of file/avi:movie.avi .
You can also add -v after VLC (...VLC -v --sout file...) to get more information on what VLC is doing at the moment.

[Moonray]

Snapz Pro will not capture a streamed video but re-encode it. That means you'll lose quality or get a much bigger file than the original was (or both).

-

[Glitz]

I've found VLC works well, but can be difficult to use and has limited codec support. You may with to try ASFRecorderX which will download an asf/asx/wmv stream to a file on your hard drive. You can then open and play this file with MS Windows Media Player.
You can download ASFRecorderX here:

http://www.misawa.net/archives/000030.html

[philippec]

If I had a computer that allows me to plug it to an external video device, like a PowerBook to a VCR with the s-video out, and a mini jack to RCA (for audio), then I'd record my screen onto a VHS tape.
Snapz Pro is great, but if your streamin is 2 hours long, you're going to fill up your HD quite fast, and adventure yourself into crashing the system...

[forkies]

Originally posted by Tsilou B.:
You can save the file with vlc, so you don't have to buy Snapz Pro. Use a terminal and paste this command (VLC must be installed in /Applications or you have to change the path)

/Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/VLC --sout file/avi:movie.avi mms://t�ter�

where mms://t�ter� is the address of the mms stream and movie.avi is the name of the recorded avi-file (must not contain spaces). Recording a 2 hour stream can take quite a while. If you want an MPEG2-PS file instead of an avi file, you can write file/ps:movie.mpeg instead of file/avi:movie.avi .
You can also add -v after VLC (...VLC -v --sout file...) to get more information on what VLC is doing at the moment.

so when you do this, does vlc re-encode the stream? is there anyway to just dump what is being received? i don't see wmv as an option in sout formats

[The DJ]

Originally posted by Glitz:
I've found VLC works well, but can be difficult to use and has limited codec support. You may with to try ASFRecorderX which will download an asf/asx/wmv stream to a file on your hard drive. You can then open and play this file with MS Windows Media Player.
You can download ASFRecorderX here:

http://www.misawa.net/archives/000030.html

If with limited you mean limited to 'free and opensource codecs', then you are right. In general only WMP9, Real and some very old audio codecs are not supported by VLC.

[The DJ]

Originally posted by forkies:
so when you do this, does vlc re-encode the stream? is there anyway to just dump what is being received? i don't see wmv as an option in sout formats

It doesn't recode, it remuxes the stream (puts it into another fileformat)

You can also do a pure dump of the input

Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/VLC mms/demuxdump://t�ter� --demuxdump-file ~/dump.asf

This will output the raw stream to the file dump.asf in your homefolder.
This will even work for WMP9, because VLC will not touch/process the incoming data at all.

However. The file is only as good as your internetconnection. So if there is a lot of degradation or when you internetconnection isn't fast enough to receive the file, the quality/usability might be limited.

I would first advice to use mmsu/demuxdump://tter
and then try mmsh/demuxdump://tter

first will try to use udp for video transport, second http. i'm not sure which will have better results. depends a bit on the connection.

[kooBi]

Originally posted by t_hah:
How could I capture an online video stream (mms) into a file? The video is probably about two hours long, so it would have to be continuously recorded.

MS Media Player and vlc can display the stream.

Using Safari, open the activity window (Command+A) and downloads window (Command+L). Find the link to the movie file in the activity window, copy & paste into the downloads window.

[zeebe]

Is there anyway to do this with the Paris Expo video? I want to watch it all, but cant in one sitting and I hate trying to find my spot on a streaming video.
thanks

[absmiths]

Originally posted by The DJ:
If with limited you mean limited to 'free and opensource codecs', then you are right. In general only WMP9, Real and some very old audio codecs are not supported by VLC.

It also doesn't support Indeo 3 and 5, but those are pretty old. I usually have to use QT in Classic for that crap.

[forkies]

the dj, thank you very much for your info. it was very helpful and detailed!

what about WMV3? i get this in terminal:

[00000210] main decoder error: no suitable decoder module for fourcc `WMV3'.
VLC probably does not support this sound or video format.

[The DJ]

Originally posted by forkies:
the dj, thank you very much for your info. it was very helpful and detailed!

what about WMV3? i get this in terminal:

[00000210] main decoder error: no suitable decoder module for fourcc `WMV3'.
VLC probably does not support this sound or video format.

ehm right. for that you need a newer development version of vlc. Will still not play WMV3, but won't barf either

[Prijker]

Hey, DJ, what about ram Real player video streams?
Does VLC also capture them.

By the way, i only get errors with your method. Here what my Terminal thinks:

localhost:~ fm$ /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/VLC mms/demuxdump://tream1.m6.fr.ipercast.net/m6.fr/6minutes/92/9200023090410175000.asf --demuxdump-file ~/dump.asf
VLC media player 0.7.2 Bond
[00000001] main vlc error: option rt-offset does not exist
[00000001] main vlc error: option rt-offset does not exist
[00000205] main input: playlist item `mms/demuxdump://tream1.m6.fr.ipercast.net/m6.fr/6minutes/92/9200023090410175000.asf'
[00000205] access_mms input error: failed to open a connection (tcp)
[00000205] access_mms input error: failed to open a connection (tcp)
[00000205] access_mms input error: cannot connect to server
[00000205] access_mms input error: cannot connect totream1.m6.fr.ipercast.net:80
[00000205] main input error: no suitable access module for `/://mms/demuxdump://tream1.m6.fr.ipercast.net/m6.fr/6minutes/92/9200023090410175000.asf'
[00000206] main input: playlist item `mms/demuxdump://tream1.m6.fr.ipercast.net/m6.fr/6minutes/92/9200023090410175000.asf'
[00000206] access_mms input error: failed to open a connection (tcp)
[00000206] access_mms input error: failed to open a connection (tcp)
[00000206] access_mms input error: cannot connect to server
[00000206] access_mms input error: cannot connect totream1.m6.fr.ipercast.net:80

[msuper69]

Originally posted by philippec:
If I had a computer that allows me to plug it to an external video device, like a PowerBook to a VCR with the s-video out, and a mini jack to RCA (for audio), then I'd record my screen onto a VHS tape.
Snapz Pro is great, but if your streamin is 2 hours long, you're going to fill up your HD quite fast, and adventure yourself into crashing the system...

Analog. Ugh!

Hard drives are cheap.

Welcome to the digital age.

[lalaloo]

ok. i tried doing as per indications here, but i'm new to this. please help me.

i NEED to record a live video.
this is it here its URI (?) :
mms://s20wm.castup.net/server12/20597040-48.wmv?s=&rid=409231508187790&ct=pt&rg=na&aid=31

The full VLC package is in the applications folder.

i entered the Terminal and input this
/Applications/vlc/vlc-0.7.2/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/VLC--v--sout file/avi:movie.avi mms://s20wm.castup.net/server12/20597040-48.wmv?s=&rid=409231508187790&ct=pt&rg=na&aid=31

Result is
[1] 526
[2] 527
[3] 528
[4] 529
... -bash: /Applications/vlc/vlc-0.7.2/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/VLC--v--sout: Not a directory

So i located the MacOs file in the VLC package and tried copying it directly to Terminal. It resulted in this :

/Volumes/vlc-0.7.2/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/VLC

result given is :
VLC media player 0.7.2 Bond
[00000001] main vlc error: option rt-offset does not exist
[00000001] main vlc error: option rt-offset does not exist

can someone please help?

[Uncle Skeleton]

Originally posted by lalaloo:

i entered the Terminal and input this
/Applications/vlc/vlc-0.7.2/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/VLC--v--sout file/avi:movie.avi mms://s20wm.castup.net/server12/20597040-48.wmv?s=&rid=409231508187790&ct=pt&rg=na&aid=31

use spaces:

/Applications/vlc/vlc-0.7.2/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/VLC --v --sout file/avi:movie.avi mms://s20wm.castup.net/server12/20597040-48.wmv?s=&rid=409231508187790&ct=pt&rg=na&aid=31

[Prijker]

It worked for me, at last

Here's what i entered:

/Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/VLC http://video.csupomona.edu/GMFekete/...stival-245.asx --sout file/avi:movie.avi

With this i get a .avi movie which replicates the WMP video

Notes:
-doesn't work with mms://
-doesn't work with the stream output option before the http:// link.

By the way, you also can listem radio streams the same way. Try:

/Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/VLC http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wosu/ppr/wosuam.asx

I just can't record the audio stream. i tried the sout option:

--sout file/ogg:sound.ogg

but i get these Terminal lines:

main input: playlist item `http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wosu/ppr/wosuam.asx'
[00000209] mux_ogg private: Open
[00000209] mux_ogg private: Close
[00000211] main input: playlist item `http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wosu/ppr/wosuam.asx'
[00000215] mux_ogg private: Open
[00000211] main input: EOF reached
[00000215] mux_ogg private: Close
[00000217] main input: playlist item `http://pubint.wm.llnwd.net/pubint_wosuam'
[00000221] mux_ogg private: Open
[00000217] ts_dvbpsi input error: cannot peek()
[00000217] ts input error: cannot peek()
[00000217] main input: EOF reached
[00000221] mux_ogg private: Close
[00000224] main input: playlist item `mms://pubint.wm.llnwd.net/pubint_wosuam'
[00000228] mux_ogg private: Open
[00000224] access_mms input: selecting stream[0x1] audio (20 kb/s)
[00000224] access_mms input: connection sucessful
[00000228] main private error: cannot add this stream
[00000231] main packetizer error: cannot create packetizer output

Anyone knows how to record the audio stream?

Vic

[t6hawk]

If you have access to a PC I found a package that can download the Windows Media streams perfectly. Should work on VPC although I haven't tried yet.

You can find it here: http://sdp.ppona.com/

[lalaloo]

it worked!
i had tried asfrecorderx and got nothing. seemed like a whole load of numbers and nothing.

but the files were indeed being recorded. they were just being archived in a place i hadnt thought about.

thank you all.

[Bartman]

Try Net Transport, I use it all the time to record wmv streams from any site i like, a verty good windows app (i know it sounds weird), anyway, you can get it from:

http://lycos26486.l97.lycos.com.cn/default.htm

keep in mind that it is the "slowest" site on the net

Have fun