STV: SageMC 16x9 Version 6.x (latest dev build)

[bcjenkins]

Also, for the comskip comments.. I noticed mention of text files. Look into edl. In show analyzer, I disable SageTV support and use mplayer (edl) instead.

B

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by bcjenkins

I just set up a new client machine, installed SageClient, Sage16x9 and then 6.10a. I can't seem to recall how to turn on the HD icons. Also, on my main machine, I was able to place weather on the front menu. How did I manage that feat? I can't even find weather now.

TIA

B

I think the hdtv.png icon is not part of the base install, so you need to grab one of MeInMauis icon packs. For the weather menu, bring up the options menu on the main menu where you can enable several different weather screens.

Dirk

[pvr599]

FLACHBAR,

f you are using a client, you have to make sure that it uses the exact same paths to the recording directories as the server (usually achieved by using UNC paths). Do a search on UNC and comskip in the forums for details.

This is being setup on the server computer doing all the recordings. I do have a MediaMVP upstairs, but haven't gone any further with a client. Does this makea difference?

Here is how Dirmon is setup in Job Management:
Directories: c:\Recordings
Programs to run: C:\Program Files\Comskip\comskip.exe
Targets: mpg
Command Line Options: --ini=C:\Program Files\Comskip\comskip.ini
Must Not Exist: txt

Does this help you figure out what I'm doing wrong?

[bcjenkins]

Originally Posted by flachbar

I think the hdtv.png icon is not part of the base install, so you need to grab one of MeInMauis icon packs. For the weather menu, bring up the options menu on the main menu where you can enable several different weather screens.

Dirk

Thanks again, I couldn't figure out how to bring up the options menu but I found it in the properties file and just added it.

mlbdude/mm_weather_enabled=true

B

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by pvr599

FLACHBAR,

This is being setup on the server computer doing all the recordings. I do have a MediaMVP upstairs, but haven't gone any further with a client. Does this makea difference?

So you are playing back the files on the server, and you don't see the commercial breaks on the time line ? Strange, it should work out of the box in this case ...

Originally Posted by pvr599

Here is how Dirmon is setup in Job Management:
Directories: c:\Recordings
Programs to run: C:\Program Files\Comskip\comskip.exe
Targets: mpg
Command Line Options: --ini=C:\Program Files\Comskip\comskip.ini
Must Not Exist: txt

Does this help you figure out what I'm doing wrong?

I think your DirMon setup is fine since it does create the *.txt files.


Dirk

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by bcjenkins

Thanks again, I couldn't figure out how to bring up the options menu but I found it in the properties file and just added it.

mlbdude/mm_weather_enabled=true

B

You can map a remote button to the Sage 'Options" command, or use ESC on the keyboard. The options command is used in so many screens that it is really worth having a button mapped to it ...


Dirk

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by JDizzy

Is anyone considering working on the music end of Sage as far as:
Visualizations (love that dripping paint effect)
or music lookup similar to what the Webradio displays, or MC in the videos.

Hi JD,

I am currently not using Sage for music either, I use Meedio for all my music (which is in FLAC format). I won't promise anything, but if SageTV 5.1 will really support FLAC tags as promised, I might consider doing some work on the SageMC music library to get rid of Meedio. I won't be touching the Sage visualizations though, since I only use the Winamp visualizations with my music, simply can't live without the freakin awesome milkdrop ...


Dirk

[bcjenkins]

Originally Posted by flachbar

You can map a remote button to the Sage 'Options" command, or use ESC on the keyboard. The options command is used in so many screens that it is really worth having a button mapped to it ...


Dirk

I don't know if you can map buttons on the MCE remote. I really like that remote because, it's cheap and can control my TV power and volume. I also have the MCE KB I pull out when I need to do txt, etc.

thanks again.

B

[pvr599]

So you are playing back the files on the server, and you don't see the commercial breaks on the time line ? Strange, it should work out of the box in this case ...

Yes, directly on the server. I'll have a whole new slew of questions once I get a client going :0)

The thing I do see on the timeline is at the beginning and at the end of a recording there are long black blocks. But only at the beginning and the end, none periodically throughout the recording where you think the commercials should be.
One recording does have a split near the end. I watched the program in that area and it did skip the commercial perfectly, but only at the very end of the program.

[pvr599]

JDizzy:
I tried your way and it works PERFECT.

I basically extracted their zipfile into the program files/sagetv/sagetv/showanalyzer directory (I think you just extract into root Sage directory and it creates the Showanalyzer directory), and followed the directions.

This part is strange, I dowloaded the current "beta" version and it actually has an installer to install to the Dragon Global directory. This way seems to be fine.

You must also download their copy of comskip and drop it into the program files/sagetv/sagetv directory (where you have your comskip file now)and also 2 codecs but that is well documanted. Their comskip file basically tells Sage to use Showanalyzer rather than the orginal comskip.

I did this, I downloaded the comskip proxy and put it in the SageTV directory. I did download the 2 codec, but haven't installed them. I think maybe they come with the latest version, I don't know though, but Showanalyzer worked pretty fast.

BTW Showanalyzer requires a key (2 week trial free) but is well worth the $10 bucks...

I WILL be getting a key. Right now I am using a trial.

One question, When showanalyzer is doing it's thing a window pops up right in the middle of the screen while it's working. Is there anyway to get rid of that or is that happening because I have Background Processing: While Awake and/or While Recording enabled?

Thanks for the tip and to everyone else who helped me.

[JDizzy]

Originally Posted by pvr599

JDizzy:
I tried your way and it works PERFECT.


This part is strange, I dowloaded the current "beta" version and it actually has an installer to install to the Dragon Global directory. This way seems to be fine.

One question, When showanalyzer is doing it's thing a window pops up right in the middle of the screen while it's working. Is there anyway to get rid of that or is that happening because I have Background Processing: While Awake and/or While Recording enabled?

Thanks for the tip and to everyone else who helped me.

Oh, I forgot that there was an installer with Showanalyzer but no worries, it just made it that much easier...

Also, run the Showanalyzer config program and make sure that it runs in 'invisable' mode and check the other setting from that page...you'll figure it out. The config program should reside in the showanalyzer directory that was created during install...

Enjoy!
JD

[pvr599]

Thanks JDizzy,
The only fine tip you didn't give me, but I did get from one of the other helpers was that I should have done this when it first came out.
Thanks a ton again, this is getting SO great!!!

[pvr599]

JDizzy,
One last question, do you use comclean or anything like that?

[JDizzy]

Originally Posted by pvr599

JDizzy,
One last question, do you use comclean or anything like that?

I am new to this also and don't really know what comclean does.... but it might actually come back and chop the commercials out as opposed to reading the text file that marks where the beginning/end of commercial is...

One thing I did notice is that there are getting to be a few .txt files building up in my Showanalyzer directory.
I wonder if when you finally delete the show you used showanalyzer on if it also deletes the .txt file associated with it....

Or is this where comclean comes in?

Anyone

[JDizzy]

Does anyone have the files for Weather Suite (WRS)??

The wiki and downloads get an error when trying to access the file...

I got a weatherconfig.xml from the forums but am missing the .jar file (I think)

JD

[blade]

Originally Posted by pvr599

The thing I do see on the timeline is at the beginning and at the end of a recording there are long black blocks. But only at the beginning and the end, none periodically throughout the recording where you think the commercials should be.
One recording does have a split near the end. I watched the program in that area and it did skip the commercial perfectly, but only at the very end of the program.

Your problem with comskip was that it couldn't find the ini file for some reason, which is odd because you were using the command line parameter (assuming you had the correct path). This is actually Dirmon2's fault, there is a bug that causes comskip to look for it's ini file in the wrong location. If the command line parameter doesn't work the other options are to place the ini file in the system32 folder (which no longer worked for me with the very latest version of comskip) or place a copy of it in each recording directory which is messy IMO.

I used ShowAnalyzer in the past, but dumped it because it wasn't as accurate as comskip and it would hang when processing shows pretty regularly.

Also if SageMC supports it (or there is anyway to add it) I'd use edl instead of txt files because it's more accurate. Txt files give the skip time in frames where as edl gives the actual time and for some reason using the time is more accurate.

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by blade

Also if SageMC supports it (or there is anyway to add it) I'd use edl instead of txt files because it's more accurate. Txt files give the skip time in frames where as edl gives the actual time and for some reason using the time is more accurate.

Yep, SageMC supports both EDL and TXT, it reads whatever format is available.


Dirk

[blade]

Originally Posted by JDizzy

One thing I did notice is that there are getting to be a few .txt files building up in my Showanalyzer directory.
I wonder if when you finally delete the show you used showanalyzer on if it also deletes the .txt file associated with it....

No they don't get deleted. Dirmon2 cleans up the txt files when the mpeg associated with the txt file has been deleted.

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by JDizzy

One thing I did notice is that there are getting to be a few .txt files building up in my Showanalyzer directory.
I wonder if when you finally delete the show you used showanalyzer on if it also deletes the .txt file associated with it....

You mean they are building up in your recording directory, right ?

Well, this is the beauty of using DirMon2, you can define cleanup tasks that take care of this. Also, it allows you to schedule multiple comskip tasks concurrently.

Dirk

[blade]

Originally Posted by JDizzy

BTW, I never did use Dirmon and everything worked fine?!!

How are you launching ShowAnalyzer if you're not using Dirmon2? I know some of the STVs can launch comskip, but last I knew none of them cleaned up the txt files afterwards.