Utility: ShowAnalyzer Beta

[blade]

Originally Posted by Xsabre

I have a simple question. I am curious to update my version of SA (v6) and Dirmon (v1) to the newest version but I just don't know if it will be worth it. Presently, I have a good to high rate of success with commercial detection but it is not perfect.

What would be the advantages of going to SA (v7 or v8) and Dirmon2. I know that SA (v7) does edl versus txt. But I don't see or understand the real benefit. Your expertise is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance...

Dirmon2 can launch multiple instances of comskip so you can process more than 1 show at a time. It's been awhile, but I don't think the old Dirmon can do that. For me this is a huge benefit because I have multiple tuners and I process the shows as they record. So regardless of how many shows are being recorded if I choose to watch a recording in progress the commercials have been detected. It used to be such a pain to have a night where several shows would record and I could only process one at a time. It never failed that the one I wanted to watch "live" wasn't the one currently being processed.

As for edl vs txt it has been discussed in the past, but I don't recall all the technical details. Basically if you process the same show and generate both an edl and txt files from the same scan the edl is going to be more accurate.

I'm sure there are other improvements and bugs that have been fixed and new bugs introduced.

[Jere_Jones]

For anyone having issues with transport stream files, I've posted a fix. It is still a develpomental release, but I'm curious how it will work out in the wild.

As always, all of my programs (even older versions) are available for download at http://www.dragonglobal.org/downloads.htm.

Jere

[Ted@TNT]

This just came up out of the blue for me. I was using the older version (the one before the current release) and having no problems whatsoever with mpg or ts files. Suddenly, last night, I started getting the dialogue boxes telling me that ShowAnalyzer encountered a problem and needs to close.

I openend the DirMon2 gui, and saw that it would do this when trying to load Heroes, which was a ts file.

I downloaded and installed your latest SA release. Nothing changed

I loaded DirMon2 and told it not to try to work on ts files - as a stop gap so I could watch TV without the annoyance. About five minutes later, I got the same warning. After looking at the DirMon2 gui, i see that it is still trying to process the Heroes ts file and crashing.

If I try to use the schoolhouse thing, and load Heroes, it crashes also.

[Ted@TNT]

Perhaps I posted too quickly...

SA is not at fault. My recording, which I only now just tried to watch, was horrible. Perhaps due to poor signal quality, not sure. For whatever reason, it looked very bad and was unwatchable. I think SA was trying to work on it, but there was no hope for it.

Thanks, Jere, for a great couple of apps!

[bbig119]

I've had problems processing some TS files even with the newest 0.86 version. It seems that on these problem recordings show analyzer will crank away indefinitely and not generate any files or if it does any information in the files. The log file is empty.


Anyone else have this problem? Could it be an issue with my settings? -- though they seem rather standard.

[Morgan111]

Yes I have the same problem on some TS files. I wish there was some better exception handling so that it could just give up instead of chewing up the server's processor time untill I kill it.

[ajuhawk]

I've also experienced the same problems...not sure if the latest beta has fixed it for me or not, should know in the next few days.

[neuromancer9]

Originally Posted by bbig119

I've had problems processing some TS files even with the newest 0.86 version. It seems that on these problem recordings show analyzer will crank away indefinitely and not generate any files or if it does any information in the files. The log file is empty.


Anyone else have this problem? Could it be an issue with my settings? -- though they seem rather standard.

I'm having this problem also - when it occurs, SA just sticks on one file indefinitely, and the processor usage goes up to around 85-90% until I finally kill it. I've been having this problem for quite some time - 4 or 5 releases at least. I can't see any common trait or anything unusual about the files that it hangs on. Right now I'm using v0.85, but I'll load v0.86 and see if anything improves.

[Jere_Jones]

I've posted 0.8.7 that addresses these issues. It also includes some code to work through the HDHomeRun's, ummm, "less than clean" bit streams.

Changes are posted here: http://www.dragonglobal.org/forums/showthread.php?t=639

Enjoy,
Jere

[sleonard]

The motherboard in my Sage server died a couple of days ago so I replaced the P4 2.4Ghz MB/Proc with a 2.13Ghz Core2 Duo board/proc from Fry's. After re-installing/setting up all the SW I watched SA in action and was amazed at the new speeds I was getting. Average framerates were around 2500 with peak speeds above 6500 fps and processor utilization of around 5% per instance of SA. That's blazing fast.

Scott

[bbig119]

Jere, Thanks!! I'll install this when I get a chance. Let me ask you a question about the HDhomerun though. I've noticed the less than stellar bit streams as well-- how bad/different are they compared to OTA hd streams from a fusion card? I ask because I've got both and could make the fusion my primary HD tuner(its generally reliable), but I am under the impression that recording QAM is going to be more stable.

Any thoughts?

Thanks for your hard work!

Originally Posted by Jere_Jones

I've posted 0.8.7 that addresses these issues. It also includes some code to work through the HDHomeRun's, ummm, "less than clean" bit streams.

Changes are posted here: http://www.dragonglobal.org/forums/showthread.php?t=639

Enjoy,
Jere

[Jere_Jones]

Originally Posted by bbig119

Jere, Thanks!! I'll install this when I get a chance. Let me ask you a question about the HDhomerun though. I've noticed the less than stellar bit streams as well-- how bad/different are they compared to OTA hd streams from a fusion card? I ask because I've got both and could make the fusion my primary HD tuner(its generally reliable), but I am under the impression that recording QAM is going to be more stable.

Any thoughts?

Unfortunately, I don't keep records of what recorded the samples that I've been provided (sometimes I don't even know). I can only comment that the HDHR file I was sent was the most messed up I have seen.

Keep two things in mind:
1) The signal could have been really really weak and then there is nothing anyone or anything can do. Analog signals degrade with lower signal strengths. Digital signals just break up. Either you get it or you don't.
2) Nobody sends me beautiful perfectly conforming shows. If they conform to the standard then they typically work.

(Note about number 2: There is a lot of leeway in the standard. My decoder sometimes doesn't handle ALL the possible ways of staying withing the standard. )

Jere

[bbig119]

Originally Posted by Jere_Jones

Unfortunately, I don't keep records of what recorded the samples that I've been provided (sometimes I don't even know). I can only comment that the HDHR file I was sent was the most messed up I have seen.

Keep two things in mind:
1) The signal could have been really really weak and then there is nothing anyone or anything can do. Analog signals degrade with lower signal strengths. Digital signals just break up. Either you get it or you don't.
2) Nobody sends me beautiful perfectly conforming shows. If they conform to the standard then they typically work.

(Note about number 2: There is a lot of leeway in the standard. My decoder sometimes doesn't handle ALL the possible ways of staying withing the standard. )

Jere

Fair enough... I'd be willing to send you some HDHR recordings if you like. Let me know where to send them and any other details.

Bryan

[Jere_Jones]

Originally Posted by bbig119

Let me know where to send them and any other details.

I sent you a PM.

Jere

[neuromancer9]

Originally Posted by Jere_Jones

I've posted 0.8.7 that addresses these issues. It also includes some code to work through the HDHomeRun's, ummm, "less than clean" bit streams.

Changes are posted here: http://www.dragonglobal.org/forums/showthread.php?t=639

Enjoy,
Jere

Woohoo!
Been running this version for about 24 hours now with no hangs! *fingers crossed* It processed the 120+ files in the queue overnight and is still going. Man, it's been a long time since I've been able to run it and forget about it, so this is going to be a hug improvement if it continues. Thanks!!

-Mike

[geogecko]

Originally Posted by neuromancer9

Woohoo!
Been running this version for about 24 hours now with no hangs! *fingers crossed* It processed the 120+ files in the queue overnight and is still going. Man, it's been a long time since I've been able to run it and forget about it, so this is going to be a hug improvement if it continues. Thanks!!

-Mike

Yep, seems to be working well here as well. Even on some HD shows that normally did not have any commercials detected!

[eaug]

A little over a week ago I got a HDHR and have been recording in HD (love it). But when showanalyzer runs some of the files (all from TW cable) it sort of hangs. The % of cpu is going, but it never finds the logo or stops running the program. I have downloaded the .87 update, but still seems to not work. As for now I have disabled showanalyzer from processing .ts and only to process my older tuner's .mpg files.

I know there is a setting to timout in showanalyzer, but it doesn't seem to do anything.

Any further fixes for processing .ts files?

Thanks.

[Jere_Jones]

Originally Posted by eaug

A little over a week ago I got a HDHR and have been recording in HD (love it). But when showanalyzer runs some of the files (all from TW cable) it sort of hangs. The % of cpu is going, but it never finds the logo or stops running the program. I have downloaded the .87 update, but still seems to not work. As for now I have disabled showanalyzer from processing .ts and only to process my older tuner's .mpg files.

I know there is a setting to timout in showanalyzer, but it doesn't seem to do anything.

Any further fixes for processing .ts files?

Thanks.

I have heard this. I have received a couple samples which I used for the fixes I put in 0.8.7. Apparently, that still doesn't fix them all.

If you are willing to provide some samples, let me know.

Jere

[eaug]

Jere-

Just sent you a PM

[sabre]

Hi, I just did a complete reinstall of my server, XP and all.

My computer often freezes and i have targeted it down to Showanalyzer. If I turn off SA, the computer will not freeze, but with it on, seems it freezes soon after Dirmon2 launches it. I have read back in 05 there were some issues with freezing, but a search did not find any recent comments. Any hints on settings to adjust or other tweaks? Thanks