STV Import: Comskip Playback for Default STV (v1.5.4 30/August/2008 for SageTV 5/6)

[mangriotis]

I have the same issue as clarence... my recording directory was \\localhost\SageTV. Comskip playback does not find the .edl files.

I changed the recording directory to \\SAGESERVER\SageTV, but nothing changed. If I look at the detailed info for a recording, it looks like it's still referring to \\localhost\SageTV and not the new one.

Is there a way to get rid of all the shows, and re-import them from the new directory so to speak? Or something else I should try?

[JREkiwi]

It's covered in the FAQ

John

[KarylFStein]

I'm having the same problem as someone earlier in this thread with the Compskip options not showing up on an HD100. I did a clean install of 6.5 on a Vista server with no UAC. I use the stock STV and Compskip is the first STVi I'm trying to import. It worked fine with 6.4 on the same system (except I had UAC turned on then). It loads fine on the server, but when I load it on the extender, it never seems to take. I've uninstalled, removed the import, removed the configuration file, rebooted, reloaded, let it ask me to reload and forced a reload several times with no luck. I've tried everything mentioned earlier in this thread and then some. Help! I'm at a loss of what to do when a commercial comes on! It's been so long...

[KarylFStein]

Originally Posted by KarylFStein

I'm having the same problem as someone earlier in this thread with the Compskip options not showing up on an HD100.

D'oh, I restarted the SageTV service and reloaded the import, and this time it worked. I don't recall having to restart the service before, but that seems to have done it. Whew!

[TorontoSage]

I am a newbie comskip user and just have spent 2 hours chasing around this website and the internet trying to get it installed, nothing seems to work. The main references seem to be this 25 page thread, a Geektonic website how to (that didn't work for me) and the author's website (which does not have instructions for installed comskip with SageTV but merely refers you back here).

I am tearing my hair out. I know it's free and the author wants a donation, but it would be nice if I could at least install it so I can make a donation.

Why is it so hard to find simple instructions on how to install the latest version? Are there any or do I have to read through all 25 pages of this thread?

[KarylFStein]

Originally Posted by TorontoSage

Why is it so hard to find simple instructions on how to install the latest version? Are there any or do I have to read through all 25 pages of this thread?

What have you done and what version are you using? What problem are you seeing? I've been using it for years and it's always been straightforward except for this last time when I had to restart the service to get it to work...

[TorontoSage]

Well I downloaded the March 3, 2009 version from http://www.kaashoek.com/files/ using the instructions found here, which are pretty recent:

http://www.geektonic.com/2008/02/ski...of-button.html

I also downloaded comskip monitor (instead of dirmon as comskip monitor was recommended on Geektonic) separately from here:
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/down...do=file&id=138
and installed it in the \Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\" directory that Geektonic suggests and followed the step by step instructions.

Geektonic says then: 'Once everything is installed you can now modify the settings in the default SageTV STV under Detailed Setup>ComSkip Playback Options'

But where is that? I can only find: Setup>Advanced>Manage STVI Plugins

There is no Detailed Setup>Comskip Playback Options showing. There is Detailed Setup then either General, Multimedia, Video/Audio, DVD, Commands, Server, Advanced, Customize, Setup Menu, but no Comskip Playback Options.

So I am stumped. I've looked everywhere. Rechecked the installation, googled everywhere, but am at my wits end. What did I do wrong?

I am running SageTV MC on a laptop with Windows XP 2000.

[KarylFStein]

OK, the menu is in Setup > Detailed Setup > Customize. Scroll down in that menu and it should be at the bottom.

If not, did you download Comskip_Playback_154.zip from the Download section here? The link is in the first post of this thread. If not, do so and unzip to C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV. Then, close SageTV and restart the SageTV service (if you use that). Start up SageTV again and go to Setup > Detailed Setup > Advanced > Manage STVI plugins (click Manage). Click Add a new STVI plugin file and select Comskip_Playback.stvi. Click close and answer Yes to rebuild. Then, go back to Setup > Detailed Setup > Customize and scroll down looking for Comskip Playback Options.

[TorontoSage]

Originally Posted by KarylFStein

OK, the menu is in Setup > Detailed Setup > Customize. Scroll down in that menu and it should be at the bottom.

It is not there.

Originally Posted by KarylFStein

If not, did you download Comskip_Playback_154.zip from the Download section here? The link is in the first post of this thread. If not, do so and unzip to C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV. Then, close SageTV and restart the SageTV service (if you use that). Start up SageTV again and go to Setup > Detailed Setup > Advanced > Manage STVI plugins (click Manage). Click Add a new STVI plugin file and select Comskip_Playback.stvi. Click close and answer Yes to rebuild. Then, go back to Setup > Detailed Setup > Customize and scroll down looking for Comskip Playback Options.

The reason I did not download compskip playback was because I figured that all the required files would be in the download zip file for compskip. Also I did not see it in the thread on here (and, quite frankly, did not pay much attention to the first part of the thread here as it the first post was 3 years old and I didn't think it was unreasonable to assume it was way outdated). Also, I figured that the instructions would be in either the readme file or the manual, but it was in neither. I am just curious why the author hasn't posted a simple step-by-step installation guide on his website, as being referred to a 25 page thread is pretty daunting, especially when the first posts are 3 years old.

Anyhow, I am going to try that and report back. Thanks.

[KarylFStein]

I may be wrong, but I don't believe that comskip is written by the same person that made the comskip_playback import for SageTV. Comskip just outputs a file saying where the commercials are in a video file. SageTV then has to know to look for that file and skip over those marked sections when playing back the video.

You've got three pieces that I think are written by three different people: comskip (detects where commercials are in a video file), comskip monitor (to detect when a new video file is available and to tell comskip to process it), and comskip_playback (allows SageTV to use the output from comskip). The confusion is probably that there are multiple authors and the authors of the first two pieces may not even use SageTV. (Other software can use what comskip outputs.)

I personally use ShowAnalyzer and DirMon2, (written by yet another person), but still need the comskip_playback plugin so SageTV knows to look for and use the commercial detection files when playing back a video.

FYI, usually the first entry in a thread like this is updated when there are new releases, etc. So, even though it may have been first entered 3 years ago, it may have been edited much more recently...

[joe123]

I am having an issue where the commercial skip icons disappear after SageTV converts recordings.

The purple (CS) icon showing a recording has commercial skip data - they dissapear.

[JREkiwi]

Originally Posted by TorontoSage

Also I did not see it in the thread on here (and, quite frankly, did not pay much attention to the first part of the thread here as it the first post was 3 years old and I didn't think it was unreasonable to assume it was way outdated).

While the first post may have been created 3 years ago, it does get edited regularly with any recent changes.

The Comskip Playback options will not be available until you have added the STVi plugin as per KarylStein's instructions.

John

[JREkiwi]

Originally Posted by joe123

I am having an issue where the commercial skip icons disappear after SageTV converts recordings.

The purple (CS) icon showing a recording has commercial skip data - they dissapear.

Check that you don't have something like Dirmon doing a cleanup of the .edl files when the .mpg no longer exists.

John

[TorontoSage]

When you click on a recorded show that hasn't had comskip run on it and you click 'Run Comskip' in the submenu that comes up, there is no indication that the program is actually running on it. Why is this and is there any way to check if it is running or do you just have to wait until it's completed (and does it give you an indication that is has completed)?

[JREkiwi]

You need to either edit the file
"C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\STVs\SageTV3\Externals\comskip.cmd" to point to the path where comskip.exe is located or,
set the Manual Comskip Application in Manual Comskip Options to your comskip.exe.

Also check that comskip.ini has
live_tv=1

There's no indication that it's running, other than the CS icon appearing and commercials being detected.

John

[joe123]

Originally Posted by JREkiwi

Check that you don't have something like Dirmon doing a cleanup of the .edl files when the .mpg no longer exists.

John

Hi John.

My .edl files are not being deleted, they are still there. What happens is that after some conversions, the (CS) icon stop showing. A restart of SageTV brings them back until the next several conversions take place.

[TorontoSage]

Well I finally got Comskip integrated into SageTV but even though Comskip appears to run, there is no Comskip info when I play a recording through sage. So I went to the file that Comskip generates for the recording and it generates two Text Document files - one with 0KB that appears to have the time stamp of when Comskip started and one with 4KB that appears to be some type of log file. The end of the log file says the following:

Video PID not found, available video PID's
Parsed 0 video frames and 0 audio frames of 29.97 fps
Maximum Volume found is 0

Which I guess means Compskip was unsuccessful. Does anyone know what I do now?

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by TorontoSage

Well I finally got Comskip integrated into SageTV but even though Comskip appears to run, there is no Comskip info when I play a recording through sage. So I went to the file that Comskip generates for the recording and it generates two Text Document files - one with 0KB that appears to have the time stamp of when Comskip started and one with 4KB that appears to be some type of log file. The end of the log file says the following:

Video PID not found, available video PID's
Parsed 0 video frames and 0 audio frames of 29.97 fps
Maximum Volume found is 0

Which I guess means Compskip was unsuccessful. Does anyone know what I do now?

If you're trying to comskip your HD-PVR files the standard comskip is NOT going to work for you. You need to make a donation to erik and you will gain access to the latest development of comskip that works on h.264 .ts files.

Gerry

[TorontoSage]

Thanks, I only noticed the first part of this sentence on Comskip's website:

Comskip can read MPEG and h.264 video and MPEG2, AC3 and AAC audio from PS , TS and dvr-ms files upto HD resolution (max 2000x1200) at 25fps (PAL) and 29.97fps (NTSC). The h.264 version is still in beta test and available for donators

me bad.

[JREkiwi]

Originally Posted by joe123

My .edl files are not being deleted, they are still there. What happens is that after some conversions, the (CS) icon stop showing. A restart of SageTV brings them back until the next several conversions take place.

There's not really any logic in display the icons. If there's a matching .edl or .txt file for a recording it gets displayed. They only issue I've ever seen have been in client environments where the clients doesn't have access rights to the full path that the recordings are located.

Where are the recordings relative to the server and the UI you are using?

John