Utility: ShowAnalyzer Beta

[Jere_Jones]

Originally Posted by DFA

Jere, what are the technical hurdles to analyzing TS files? Is it a biggy? Since not implemented, I took it as a given that there were significant barriers.

Right now, the most significant barrier is time. I am changing duty stations soon and am looking for a new house. My available development time has been severly limited due to that.

Other than that, there shouldn't be any significant problems.

Originally Posted by michelkenny

One thing that I can guess is that it will require MUCH more processing by the CPU to process TS files.

Just to clarify, the only reason TS files would take longer is because they tend to be High Definition recordings. If they are Standard Definition, then they should process in the same amount of time. It isn't related so much to the container as the resolution and frame rate of the show itself.

Jere

Jere

[eobiont]

Yeah, I was thinking about that higher resolution thing and the additional slowness. There are benifits to HD though in that the commercials are almmost always 4:3 instead of 16:9 so it would be quick to scan this part.

Also since the station bugs are usually in the corner, you could have an option to scan only a certain quarter of the frame. In the US, you could scan just the lower right quater of the frame. Your program would have less to look at, and could still see the difference between 16:9 and 4:3. I believe the number of audio channels changes pretty drastically between HD programming and commercials. I know right now, you aren't decoding AC3, so that's a moot point currently, but in the future...

All these techniques could drastically speed detection on HD programming.

[Mike Young]

This is probably a crazy idea, but would it be technically possible to have a setting for SA that could say...take a 4 hr bock recorded from VH1 and break out all the individual videos ?

mike/

[geogecko]

Jere.

I rememeber you were going to be busy lately, but I just wondered if you had thought any more about adding an option to SA where you could leave the beginning/end of [so] many minutes of a show alone (without processing commercials)?

Several of the shows I watch require me to turn auto comskip off, so as not to skip the first part of a show, or miss the previews for the next show. It's not a problem, but would make life easier and improve WAF a bit...

[Les]

Originally Posted by geogecko

Jere.

I rememeber you were going to be busy lately, but I just wondered if you had thought any more about adding an option to SA where you could leave the beginning/end of [so] many minutes of a show alone (without processing commercials)?

Several of the shows I watch require me to turn auto comskip off, so as not to skip the first part of a show, or miss the previews for the next show. It's not a problem, but would make life easier and improve WAF a bit...

It's a pain if you have alot of shows but I've been editing the .txt file and removing the first block. I tried just adjusting the frame numbers manually but that was way more than it was worth.

Les

[Wheemer]

I find this a problem aswell... I can never use the auto comskip function, since the possibility of missing something is very high.

It would be really nice to have the auto compskip configurable per favorite. Some show I record has the comskips marked perfectly, while others are not so good.

[Les]

I find SA does a really good job on all my shows except for cutting off the beginning and end.

As I mentioned above, deleting the first block in the .txt file (if the block begins very near the beginning i.e. 0 - 300) takes care of the missing beginning. And if the second number of the last block is the end of the show, I delete that block too. If the last number is around 108000 (for a 1 hour show or 54000 for for a 30 minute show), it's at the end assuming 30fps.

I've also found that changing the commercial_skip_offset= from -500 to 100 in the sage.properties file keeps Sage from skipping too soon when it reaches a commercial segment.

YMMV & all that.

Les

[Viremia]

Well, after fretting about it all morning I finally broke down and installed v4 of Sage, which meant losing Cayars Ultimate STV. I really liked it and had used it for a long time now.

So after installing v4 and downloading and installing SA and DirMon I'm a happy man so far. SA seems to be very nice and fast. If it keeps me happy (very likely) over the next week I'll be sending some money your way.

Thanks

[cineburk]

So after installing v4 and downloading and installing SA and DirMon I'm a happy man so far. SA seems to be very nice and fast. If it keeps me happy (very likely) over the next week I'll be sending some money your way.

I'm new to SageTV and ShowAnalyzer, and I can't get it to work.

I've just installed version 4, and I've got Dirmon and Showanalyzer working, so all my recordings have (SHOWNAME).txt files.

I've also placed comskipproxy in my SageTV folder.

What else do I have to do to be able to skip commercials? I really like the layout and usability of the stock SVT, so I'm hoping I don't have to use a custom SVT with a different layout.

Can anyone help me out?

[jblust]

cineburk, all you need to enable comskip and still use the stock STV is to add the comskip import here:

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12194

You won't need the comskip proxy, since you're using dirmon to launch showanalyzer.

[Deadbolt]

Originally Posted by cineburk

I'm new to SageTV and ShowAnalyzer, and I can't get it to work.

I've just installed version 4, and I've got Dirmon and Showanalyzer working, so all my recordings have (SHOWNAME).txt files.

I've also placed comskipproxy in my SageTV folder.

What else do I have to do to be able to skip commercials? I really like the layout and usability of the stock SVT, so I'm hoping I don't have to use a custom SVT with a different layout.

Can anyone help me out?

Copy your current stv file and rename it. Make sure it is writable and load it up...your UI will be the same. Next load the following import from the setup/advanced menu in SageTV...

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12194

This is Neilm's comskip playback import.

[turak]

I just downloaded and registered SA. The only configuration changes that I really made were to use the nielm webserver and hit "save all". Now when I run SA it gets stuck on "Initializing..." and uses 100% of my CPU. Is there something that I need to configure in SA that I missed?


This is what I get:

[Jere_Jones]

Originally Posted by eobiont

There are benifits to HD though in that the commercials are almmost always 4:3 instead of 16:9 so it would be quick to scan this part.

That is already in place for the aspect ratio check. Right now I only go up and down, but I have in place code for left and right as well.

Originally Posted by eobiont

Also since the station bugs are usually in the corner, you could have an option to scan only a certain quarter of the frame. In the US, you could scan just the lower right quater of the frame. Your program would have less to look at, and could still see the difference between 16:9 and 4:3.

Originally I was looking for edge profiles because of changes in aspect ratio, however since adding checks specifically for AR, it really isn't necessary and I'll probably trim it down to only looking for logos. No ETA though.

Originally Posted by eobiont

I believe the number of audio channels changes pretty drastically between HD programming and commercials. I know right now, you aren't decoding AC3, so that's a moot point currently, but in the future...

I actually do decode AC3, but I down mix it to only 1 channel. I hadn't even though of the possibility of the number of channels changing. Interesting observation. I will certainly look into that!

Jere

[Jere_Jones]

Originally Posted by Mike Young

This is probably a crazy idea, but would it be technically possible to have a setting for SA that could say...take a 4 hr bock recorded from VH1 and break out all the individual videos ?

In the future, yes. Now, no.

Jere

[Jere_Jones]

Originally Posted by geogecko

I rememeber you were going to be busy lately, but I just wondered if you had thought any more about adding an option to SA where you could leave the beginning/end of [so] many minutes of a show alone (without processing commercials)?

Yes. I've added the options to SAConfig, but I haven't coded their usage yet. You will be able to independently select how many of the first or last seconds should always or never be marked as commercial.

An example:
Always mark first: 10 seconds
Never mark first: 1 seconds
Always mark last: 3 seconds
Never mark last: 5 seconds

The result would be that the first second would never be marked as a commercial but the next 9 seconds would always be marked as commercial. You would also always have a 3 second commercial preceded by at least 2 seconds of unmarked show. Make sense? Basically the shorter number overrides the longer number.

Hopefully that should account for everyones needs.

In the mean time, if possible, try adding at least a minute of padding at each end. That should help your situation.

Jere

[Jere_Jones]

Originally Posted by turak

I just downloaded and registered SA. The only configuration changes that I really made were to use the nielm webserver and hit "save all". Now when I run SA it gets stuck on "Initializing..." and uses 100% of my CPU. Is there something that I need to configure in SA that I missed?

I believe your connection to the webserver is failing. I posted a pre-0.6.0 version that has a "Test Connection" button in SAConfig. Try that and see if that helps.

Oh, the link to the post with the preversion: http://www.dragonglobal.org/forums/showthread.php?t=230

Jere

[turak]

Originally Posted by Jere_Jones

I believe your connection to the webserver is failing. I posted a pre-0.6.0 version that has a "Test Connection" button in SAConfig. Try that and see if that helps.

Oh, the link to the post with the preversion: http://www.dragonglobal.org/forums/showthread.php?t=230

Jere

The version that I am using has the test connection button. It says that it succeeds. Also, I tried it with the webserver option disabled and I had the same result. Since this is a registered version I don't need to download any decoders right? I just need to download SA and enter my name/key.

[Jere_Jones]

Originally Posted by turak

Since this is a registered version I don't need to download any decoders right? I just need to download SA and enter my name/key.

Correct.

These aren't transport streams are they?

Jere

[turak]

Originally Posted by Jere_Jones

Correct.

These aren't transport streams are they?

Jere

It looks like that was an old TS file. I deleted it and now SA seems to be working fine. Thanks.

[Deadbolt]

I'm using v4 fine with this pluggin. I run the MVP and server with Malore's STVi and also Nielms Comskip STVi.

The only difference between the MVP and sever version is that when a compskip file (via ShowAnalyzer) is working on the file for the recording I'm watching, on the server the commericals showup as I"m watching. On the mvp I have to wait until the commercial file is done..then watch the recording.

Any ideas?

Thanks!