STV: GermSage -- Default STV enabling external players and more (v1.6)

[dvd_maniac]

OK, I will try to clarify the Archive issue as much as I can.

Before installing your STV with xml(or .my) creation, everything was in my Import folders. Everything showed up fine. I have thousands of episodes in various encoded formats. I keep NOTHING in my recordings folder for more than a few days.
I have never "Archived" anything through Sage's "Archive" feature. after I installed your STV, everything that was recorded after 8/21 of this year seemed to have dissappeared from my Import library. (Except for the shows I took the comms out of and renamed without the ID# on the end) They show up as always in the import folder view. But the others only show up in the Archived view.
When I Un-Archive them they show up in the recordings folder but still not in the Import folder. I actually have to take out the episode number for them to show up in the import folder again.

Everything that your STV created a .my file for is affected.

This is not a big problem for me as I would take the extra work for the functionality your STV has given me. I just thought I'd mention it in case it is a problem for others OR you.

I would however like to pin down the creation process. I think I will take your advice and do a fresh install of Sage4 and see if that helps. I do have a lot of stuff in my properties file with Cayar's, MLBDude and other stuff. Maybe something is interacting with it.

If you delete a .my file from inside your Recording Library, how long does it take to re-create it?

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by dvd_maniac

I have never "Archived" anything through Sage's "Archive" feature. after I installed your STV, everything that was recorded after 8/21 of this year seemed to have dissappeared from my Import library. (Except for the shows I took the comms out of and renamed without the ID# on the end) They show up as always in the import folder view. But the others only show up in the Archived view.
When I Un-Archive them they show up in the recordings folder but still not in the Import folder. I actually have to take out the episode number for them to show up in the import folder again.

I thought you knew from our previous conversation that if there is an ID as part of the filename, SageTV will associate the file with the show info in the SgaeTV database & that the new part of this for v4 was that SageTV will recognize its own recordings when named this way, even in an import directory. This is a fucntion of the core, not any STV.

- Andy

[dvd_maniac]

Sorry Opus,
I do not think I fully understood. I thought that I had to actually Archive it for that to happen. And like I said, I never Archived anything before. I used to leave the ID in there until I removed the Commercials. If it didn't have the ID in the file name then I knew I took them out. I will just go ahead and take the ID out for them.

A few posts up I mentioned that I thought this was a core issue:

I am having an issue with Archived shows not showing up in the import libraries anymore since I installed your STV (With xml & .my creation) but I think this is more of a core feature.

I must have been mistaken and just never noticed until after I installed his STV
I guess I was just a little confused...

[greggerm]

Originally Posted by Opus4

I thought you knew from our previous conversation that if there is an ID as part of the filename, SageTV will associate the file with the show info in the SgaeTV database & that the new part of this for v4 was that SageTV will recognize its own recordings when named this way, even in an import directory. This is a fucntion of the core, not any STV.

I think Andy just hit that particular nail on the head - *I* didn't even know that was a part of the new core. Very interesting feature!

Looks like you may be able to have your cake (encode to whatever format you need) and eat it too (continue to use the Sage database to pull information, as it drops the encode to Archived Recordings), so long as the filenames (excepting the extension) don't get touched...

I'll experiment with this tonight as well with a reencoded TV program fresh from the Sage library.

Maybe all that .my file writing was unneeded?

More tonight, and thanks for chiming in, Andy!
-Greg

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by greggerm

I'll experiment with this tonight as well with a reencoded TV program fresh from the Sage library.

As far as I know, people are already using this feature for their re-encoded shows. See this thread and this post later in that thread. Another comment is here.

- Andy

[dvd_maniac]

Maybe all that .my file writing was unneeded?

I do not think so. I personally like the Imported Videos folder and as I sometimes rip DVD episodes, I like to use .my files for them and keep everything universal.

And Opus, I was wondering if there was a way for me to get them back into the Import Library? I tried un-Archiving them but that didn't work. It just put them into the recording directory. I doubt there is a way without me taking out the ID number, right?

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by dvd_maniac

And Opus, I was wondering if there was a way for me to get them back into the Import Library? I tried un-Archiving them but that didn't work. It just put them into the recording directory. I doubt there is a way without me taking out the ID number, right?

Right -- I don't think there is a way to prevent auto-archiving other than to remove the ID from the filename.

- Andy

[greggerm]

On DVD_Maniac's slow/no .my file creation issue...

I've done some quick research, and haven't yet witnessed the problem. I turned on the setting, and it took about 2-4 minutes before the .my's were populated. Slower than originally witnessed, but not all-night slow. I immediately deleted one of the .my files, and waited for it to reappear. ...and waited. Didn't wait TOO long (5 minutes?), but it created itself on it's own shortly thereafter. I repeated the test while watching recorded TV and performing a Media Library refresh - no change - it worked after a few short minutes. I cannot for the life of me determine why it isn't running for you....

...UNLESS an addon STVi or something is preventing Sage from returning to the "actual" Main Menu item in the widget tree. Maniac - I'd at least try a fully fresh install. If you did put 4.0 in on top of 2.x, there may be some residual stuff or properties. Doubtful, but worth a shot.

BTW - The above tests used Neilm's custom menu STVi for 4.0, so I am confident that isn't the culprit.

[nyplayer]

greggerm,

Just 2 things. I use your .my files and import the sage recordings into meedio at the present works great. I noticed the duration is always 0 min. And also your originalairingdate is not really sortable the way it is. In the XML the date is a different format. When I sort by date Apr comes before Mar.

In the Shows.xml the date is OriginalAirDate>2005-11-01</OriginalAirDate> this is sortable.

[dvd_maniac]

Hey Greg,

Just letting you know that I did a fresh install of V4, your latest STV and the dynamic menu. The .my files seem to be creeating themselves right on queue.

Thanx for all your help.

[dvd_maniac]

And when it creates them for me, it takes mere seconds. The bootup occurs, the GUI window appears (and stays black as it creates the .my's), then appears in maybe 2 seconds. Immediately checking the directory, the .my's are there.

Does this mean you have to restart Sage for them to show?

[greggerm]

Originally Posted by dvd_maniac

Does this mean you have to restart Sage for them to show?

Probably misphrased it originally -

I haven't had to restart Sage in order to get the .my creation to run, but it is part of my habit to select the STV, set the detailed options I need, then exit and restart in order to write out my .properties file.

The behavior you mention occured immediately following the selection of the STV (prior to me putting the option in the detailed options area with no restart), as well as on subsequent restarts - presuming I had deleted any pre-existing .my files.

-Greg

[dvd_maniac]

Well, it seems to be working great now.

Sometimes it still won't do it, but I just change the STV, wait a few minutes, change back and there they are. But for the most part they are populating fine.

Thanx Greg.

NOTE: Sage V4 and this Slim version of an STV and all it's functionality is exactly what I've been looking for since I started this adventure since Jan of last year....

Thanx again Greg, Sage, Opus and the rest of the people who make this the best forum, software and HTPC experience available today.

[greggerm]

NYPlayer -
I sent you a private message through the forum the other morning - I trust you didn't see it or get it. You can disregard, as I have tested the build I made available to you - It adds in a new field for original air date that can be sorted (yyyy-mm-dd), but the duration field is still populated with zeros.

I've used the expressions observed in the default STV to try to produce the duration, but it (obviously) doesn't want to do the trick. I'll look into it some more, but I think it may be a non-starter. It would appear that most show durations are calculated by examining the file size and bitrate, as opposed to being stored as data in the show's record. Along those lines, I don't think this .my creation code examines the files - it just pulls database information. Couldn't tell you how, either.

Unless you're sorting against it, it's less of an issue than one might imagine. When reading a .my tagged media file, Sage will examine the file and drop the duration in - I believe i have it set to appear towards the bottom of the detailed info screen.

DVD_Maniac, et al... ---------------------------------------------
Thanks for the kind words! I too was looking for a slimmed down STV with only some certain features added in. When Studio released, I was *EAGER* to get moving.

Then I looked into an STV and panicked. After simmering down and taking some time to actually follow some processes through, trace some actions using breakpoints, etc. etc., it was easy to see what was happening.

I think I'm going to step back a bit and actually WATCH SOME TELEVISION now, rather than make tools to watch television. Thanks for looking, and enjoy the STV!

[nyplayer]

greggerm,

Thank you everything works perfectly. Enjoy your tv.

[dvd_maniac]

Hey Greg,

I just wanted to let you know I solved my problem with .my creation completely...
As you know I had a problem with Imports becoming Archived when upgrading to V4, these Video files were still in the wiz.bin and therefore your STV created .my files for them. As soon as I renamed them (Took out the ID#'s) the problem went away. There were around 350 affected videos, so it might have been getting caught on one like you said...
Now .my files are created almost right after a show is done recording, usually within 3 minutes.

Just in case

[greggerm]

Good to hear! I haven't made any changes in the past few days - all seems to work as expected and planned!

I still may want to alter the way Sage displays native recording information (in the details screen for soon-to-air, live tv, or recorded tv shows) to make it more like the details found from a .my populated import show, but that's a long way off - the original STV is very interwoven with that screen, and it would take a lot of careful planning to know what can be changed.

[dvd_maniac]

Sounds great.

Now this is more of a wish (And only if it would benefit you as well)...

I use VideoReDo to cut out commercials. I know some here use ShowAnalyzer. What would go into creating a comm skip file that VideoReDo could use like a project file?
Again, this is a wish, not an actual request as I know you've done alot on this STV already and I am VERY appreciative.

[greggerm]

Originally Posted by dvd_maniac

I use VideoReDo to cut out commercials. I know some here use ShowAnalyzer. What would go into creating a comm skip file that VideoReDo could use like a project file?

Oh jeepers - I have NO idea what is needed for the comskip things. I've never used them myself (don't trust 'em!), and don't really plan on it. I don't archive recordings for perminant storage (reencoding and whatnot).

Perhaps a STVi will be developed.

Glad to hear you're enjoying the edits!

Take luck,
-Greg

[ToxMox]

ShowAnalyzer I believe can output VideoReDo project files. Or am I not understanding the question correctly?