STV Import: Auto Compress for version 6 Default STV (V1.4.5 1/October/2008)

[JREkiwi]

This module provide the ability to automatically compress recordings, either based on channel recorded on, or defined as a favorite setting. It can use either the inbuilt transcoding function of SageTV version 6 or the evilpenquin's compression profiles. It has the same functionality and more as the default Auto Compress of Favorites found in SageMC. Thanks to flachbar for allowing me to steal his code (once more) and for his import library.

Features of this version are:
- Automatically Compress Favorite Recordings
- Automatically Compress Recordings on a Specific Channel
- Select from any of the SageTV version 6 transcoding profiles
- Option to use EvilPenguin compression profiles
- In-Place compression option to replace the MPEG with the compressed file
- Option to put compressed files in a specific directory
- Option to Wait for Comskip files (.edl or .txt) to be created before compressing
- Option to Wait for Caption file (.smi) to be created before compressing
- Works only on SageTV version 6

Installation is a 4 step process.
Step 1. Unzip into SageTV maintaining the directories. (The df_sageutils.jar from the zip file needs to be in the JARS directory)
Step 2. Restart Sage so it will pick up the jar.
Step 3. Load the Auto Compress Favorites import

The current version is Auto Compress 1.4.7 (21 June 2009) download from here


Changes:
(1.0)
- First release
(1.1)
- Can specify target directory for individual favorites
- Can use evilpenguin's compression (mencoder) if SageTV DVD Burning Version 2.0 is installed. Thanks for the code evilpenquin
(1.2)
- Per Favorite Option to wait for Comskip files before starting compress
(1.3)
- Auto Compress by Channel
- Change Import Name to Auto Compress
(1.3.1)
- Allow Setting a Default compression
(1.3.2)
- Allow making Default settings for all settings
(1.3.3)
- Wait for Comskip configurable for EvilPenguin compression
(1.3.4)
- Option to Wait for Caption file (.smi) before compressing
(1.3.5)
- Removed restriction on Auto Compress only working when Server UI was running
(1.3.6)
- Fix not refreshing on change of Wait settings on Auto Compress Channel panel
- Fix not being able to scroll to Close on Auto Compress Channel panel
(1.3.7)
- Added per client option to not run Auto Compress when client is started
- Added option to workaround in-place mpg to mpg compression names having an extra .1 extension
- Fix channel compression only using default compression settings
- Fix deleting .autoCompress file when compressing a .ts file
(1.3.8)
- Support for SageTV 6.2
(1.3.9)
- Added option to Wait until Watched before compressing
- Added option for multiple compression jobs against a single file
- SageTV 6.2.6
(1.3.10)
- Fix file cleanup in linux
(1.4.0)
- Added option to Wait until Archived before compressing
- Added option to delete source file when compressing to a different directory
- Added panel to add/delete/modify Custom transcode formats
(1.4.1)
- Added panel to list/modify favorites with Auto Compress configured
- Custom Transcode panel now only shows Custom formats
- Fix Target location not defaulting to default value
- Reworked Options menus so that they will display correctly on an MVP
(1.4.2)
- Add paste button to Specified Compression Target panel.
- Add Favorite name to editing panels
- Fix Compression Target being reset when using the Edit Compression favorites panel
(1.4.3)
- Fix incorrectly creating compression jobs during import.
- Changed enabling variable to be different from the one used by SageMC
(1.4.4)
- Reworked logic for the automatic monitoring thread to ensure the thread is killed when switching STVs and if a client disconnects ungracefully. Also removed the requirement to restart after importing or enabling/disabling. Monitoring is no longer global and can be enabled/disabled on a per client basis.
- Reduced the amount of logging done by default with an option to enable full debug logging.
(1.4.5)
- Set default to not compress h.264 recordings (Can be enabled under More Options in Setup)
(1.4.6)
- Changed monitoring and cleanup code so only one client will perform scans in multi-client environment.
- Reduce frequency and impact of orphan file cleanup
(1.4.7)
- Added external compression option. It will create an .autocompress file, but not do any processing, allowing an external process to do the auto compression.
- Fixed scheduling to correctly recheck a file that is waiting on a condition before compressing. Also fix not running on old files when a new favorite compression is set up.

The order of precedence is Favorite Setting followed by Channel setting.

Setup Auto Compress for a favorite in Advanced Options for the Favorite


Auto Compress Options are available if Auto Compress is Enabled in Detailed Setup -> Customize -> Auto Compress Options


In-Place Compression = YES places the compressed file in the same location as the original MPEG and DELETES the MPEG.
In-Place Compression = NO places the compressed file in the location specified in Setup/Detailed Setup/Customize (defaults to the same location as the original MPEG) and KEEPS the MPEG.


Settings in Setup/Detailed Setup/Customize
Compression Style is only available if SageTV DVD Burning is installed.
Compression Target Directory is only used for favorites with In-Place Compression = NO
Compression Target Directory = SOURCE places the compressed file in the same location as the original MPEG
Compression Target Directory = SPECIFIED allows you to choose a target directory for the compressed file (blank = source)












John

[arielshu]

Woo hoo I was the first person to download!

I have been waiting for this for a while!

I set it up and will let you know how it goes

arielshu
GMT+2

[nyplayer]

JREkiwi,

Great import. I have one request don't know if its do-able. Is it possible when you say "NO" to in place compression to specify another folder for the output?

[JREkiwi]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

I have one request don't know if its do-able. Is it possible when you say "NO" to in place compression to specify another folder for the output?

When you select "No" to In-Place Compression, the default is for the output to still be placed in the same location as the source. You can specify a different location in Setup/Detail Setup/Customize. However that location then applies to all Not In-Place Compressions.

Or, are you asking to be able to set a different location for each favorite?

John

[nyplayer]

JREkiwi,

For now setting it in detail setup meets my needs.. but it would be great to to be able to Compress each favorite to a different folder that way I can seperate my compressed series.

[JREkiwi]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

but it would be great to to be able to Compress each favorite to a different folder that way I can seperate my compressed series.

I'll have a look and see what's required.

John

[dpackham]

will the dirmon2 and SA re check the file and find commercials? and auto skip them just like the mpg files?

Dave P

[JREkiwi]

Originally Posted by dpackham

will the dirmon2 and SA re check the file and find commercials? and auto skip them just like the mpg files?

Dave, No they wont ... but they don't need to. Comskip Playback will work on AVIs using the same EDL file. Of course you need to make sure that Dirmon is set up to only delete the EDL file if there is no corresponding MPEG or AVI

I suppose it also means that SA or Comskip needs to have been run, before the compress finishes.

John

[dpackham]

not to get SA not to hang on working on AVI files

Dave P

[JREkiwi]

test version 1.1

Changes:
(1.1)
- Can specify target directory for individual favorites
- Can use evilpenguin's compression (mencoder) if SageTV DVD Burning is installed

John

[jlabrue]

This is such a cool plug in. Now, if only I can get Sage to transcode an HD file over 60 minutes (broke for me sometime late into 6.xx beta/release) again I can actually use it effectively.

Thanks for coding this!

[JREkiwi]

They guy's that deserve thanks are flachbar and evilpenguin. I'd have nothing to do if I couldn't steal their code.

John

[jlabrue]

Well in that case, thanks for borrowing from the best.

[tmiranda]

John,

Thanks for porting this, very cool. A couple of questions. Can this be used to automatically convert manual and IR recordings and can you designate any parameters/constraints on which channels to compress?

I have a HDHomeRun and several MVPs. Rather than have my server transcode the HD recordings on the fly I'd like to use something like this plugin to automatically compress HD recordings to MPG (which the MVPs can handle natively). The only channels that I get in HD are the networks so what I'd like to do is convert all recordings from the networks (any no other channels) to MPG regardless of if they are favorites, manual recordings or IR recordings.

Any way to do this?

Thanks,

Tom

[nyplayer]

John,

I think I found a bug. When you set a favorite to autocompress and then you try to set it back to "NO" you can't it stays at YES. I had to remove the favorite and re-add it.

[JREkiwi]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

When you set a favorite to autocompress and then you try to set it back to "NO" you can't it stays at YES. I had to remove the favorite and re-add it.

That's strange, I've probably changed NO/YES/NO a bizillion times. I don't have any clients though, so maybe it's linked with that. Is there any way you could try on your server and see if it's the same.

John

[JREkiwi]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

Can this be used to automatically convert manual and IR recordings and can you designate any parameters/constraints on which channels to compress?

Currently I don't believe so. I'll have a look to see what can be done.

John

[nyplayer]

John,

Its working ok on Both Clients and Server. I redid my client and server this morning clean Installs..... and its working fine might have been some leftover stuff from some other imports that was messing me up. Or i was half asleep :-)

[JREkiwi]

Made Version 1.1 the current download

John

[dpackham]

can you only make it convert IF there is a existing EDL/TXT file associated with the MPEG its about to compress? if you compress it to an AVI without creating a commercial skip file first neither showanalyzer or comskip will process the resulting AVI container. if you have a wait for EDL/TXT file that matches the MPG file name then it would do the compress AFTER the skip file is created and since that EDL/TXT files work with AVI files... its perfect..

Good Idea?

Dave P