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

[JREkiwi]

Something weird is happening here and I don't understand what going on. The widget chain that kicks off the transcoding also creates a file with a .autoCompress extension. That's what prevents it running again.

Can you turn debug logging on. Probably easiest in SageClient.properties and run the server client for a minute or so and post the log.

John

[hemicuda]

it may be a day or so before I can shut things down remotely to change the setting.

[hemicuda]

and of course when I did the local UI (via VNC from the hotel) the log file says it's skipping the 2 shows that are already compressed. when I go in thru PS I see that ocean's 12 is compressing yet again. darn confusing if you ask me. here's the log from the local UI... I'll see if I can get one from PS.

Edit: went back and checked the videos folder and now it has .autoCompress for both shows. WTF?! I know I've restarted the service at least once since I reloaded the STVi. closed then reloaded PS and no new conversions were listed. must be a gremlin somewhere.

[JREkiwi]

Yeah, that log shows it working correctly. It could well be a problem with how the placeshifter works. I've never played with a placeshifter, but as a temp fix are you able to change the STV that the placeshifter is using to one that doesn't have the Auto Compress loaded?

John

[hemicuda]

loaded PS a couple of times since my last post and it seems the STVi is behaving itself. it very well could have been an 'operator headspace error,' but I could swear I restarted the server as you suggest in the install/setup and at least once since then. oh well. i'll consider it cured until it acts up again then I'll try to catch it w/ the logs.

[JREkiwi]

Or does it just appear to be working because the .autoCompress file now exists. Seems strange that the PS would run the compress but not create the .autoCompress file. I must get around to setting up a PS client and doing some testing.

John

[hemicuda]

Originally Posted by JREkiwi

Or does it just appear to be working because the .autoCompress file now exists. Seems strange that the PS would run the compress but not create the .autoCompress file. I must get around to setting up a PS client and doing some testing.

John

I'd suspect that's true. However, I never saw the extra file before my post last night. Something changed; maybe permanently

Dumb Q that was probably answered before... I assume the extra file is deleted when the show is deleted?

[JREkiwi]

Originally Posted by hemicuda

Dumb Q that was probably answered before... I assume the extra file is deleted when the show is deleted?

No, it's a first. Yes the .autoCompress files are deleted on the next autocompress scan.

John

[hemicuda]

I'm not seeing a collection of orphaned .autoCompress files in my recording folder. There should be 4 in there this week. Also, I had to restart the server today when the extender wouldn't connect and the problem is still there. I know there was already an autocompress file for today's show.

[JREkiwi]

hemicuda, I've tested with MVP's, PS and a Server UI. All are correctly making the .autoCompress file if it does not exist and starting a compression. If the .autoCompress file exists, they all are skipping running a compression.

I don't understand why your setup is having problems with either not making the .autoCompress files or something is deleting them.

Really need to get some server logs to see what's happening.

John

[hemicuda]

yeah, I'll see what I can do when the wife isn't looking. If all else fails I'll load up the latest default STV and re-import everything again.

Edit: I'm a bit confused now. I'd forgotten about Oceans Twelve in another folder. It has an autoCompress file. The last time I had to kill a scheduled job for her HD soap, that show wasn't in the list. It's been ignored the last several times that her soap hasn't. *scratches head*

[hemicuda]

Ran a test favorite with compress set. so far it's run once. while it was running it created a .autoCompress. Just checked on it and it's listed as 'converted' in Sage, but the .autocompress is nowhere to be found. A ".1" was added to the filename before the extension which causes comskip to run again after the conversion. I'm going to turn on debug on the server and see what happens.

Edit: Watched the conversion screen on the MVP and when it hit 100% the crazy thing started converting again. I manually killed the process. Something appears to be deleting the autocompress file after conversion. best I can tell. could it be the ".1" that's added after each pass messing things up?

Edit 2: that's it!! finally caught it in the act. when the file is converted in-place a .1 is added to the filename. The problem is that the autocompress filename has one less .1 in the filename. so naturally it doesn't see a matching file to block the script.

[JREkiwi]

Originally Posted by hemicuda

...when the file is converted in-place a .1 is added to the filename. The problem is that the autocompress filename has one less .1 in the filename. so naturally it doesn't see a matching file to block the script.

Ok, I've done some testing on this and it is only adding the .1 when it's compressing from an mpg to an mpg.

I'll do a bug submission on that and see what Sage have a say.

I'll also try and figure out a workaround that doesn't break anything else.

The .autoCompress files are being deleted because I gave you a incorrect answer previously. Yes the import does delete .autoCompress files if the mediafile no longer exists.

John

[JREkiwi]

As a workaround if you install evilpenquin's DVD burning import you can use his compression profiles for the auto-compress instead of the inbuilt ones. These will do an inplace compression that results in the same filename.

John

[hemicuda]

Originally Posted by JREkiwi

you can use his compression profiles for the auto-compress instead of the inbuilt ones. These will do an inplace compression that results in the same filename.

John

The only options I saw after installing his software were divx and x264. I want to retain the original mpeg2 stream so my server doesn't have to transcode yet again to the MVP.

[JREkiwi]

Originally Posted by hemicuda

The only options I saw after installing his software were divx and x264. I want to retain the original mpeg2 stream so my server doesn't have to transcode yet again to the MVP.

Apologies for steering you wrong, lately I've been working with the soon to be released beta version which does have mpeg2 to mpeg2 compression.

However my next post should hopefully bring the smile back to your face.

John

[JREkiwi]

New version available for download

(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

John

[hemicuda]

Any chance of being able to access the lower bitrate formats? not that I need them, just that they exist and why can't I get to them. if it's not easy, don't worry about it When I really need the space I'll do an srt/smi batch then compress to divx/xvid.

Edit: crud. it's ignoring the .autoCompress file on Ocean's Twelve now. I have one that matches the mpg filename and one that has one less .1 in it. both say "Auto Compressing" when I open them. sorry to be such a pain on this STVi. It'll be great if we can figure out what's out of sorts.

[JREkiwi]

Originally Posted by hemicuda

Any chance of being able to access the lower bitrate formats? not that I need them, just that they exist and why can't I get to them. if it's not easy, don't worry about it When I really need the space I'll do an srt/smi batch then compress to divx/xvid.

Edit: crud. it's ignoring the .autoCompress file on Ocean's Twelve now. I have one that matches the mpg filename and one that has one less .1 in it. both say "Auto Compressing" when I open them. sorry to be such a pain on this STVi. It'll be great if we can figure out what's out of sorts.

What do you mean by ignoring the .autoCompress file?
Is it still running multiple compressions?
Is "Fix for Inplace mpg Names" in More Options enabled?
Have all the clients/service been restarted since loading the import?

The .autoCompress files are just a tag, not a status file. It will only say "Auto Compressing"

What lower bitrate formats can't you access? They're all available via the +/- buttons

John

[hemicuda]

Originally Posted by JREkiwi

What do you mean by ignoring the .autoCompress file?
Is it still running multiple compressions?
Is "Fix for Inplace mpg Names" in More Options enabled?
Have all the clients/service been restarted since loading the import?

Here's what I have...

OceansTwelve-1754566-0.1.1.1.1.autoCompress
OceansTwelve-1754566-0.1.1.1.autoCompress
OceansTwelve-1754566-0.1.1.1.1.mpg
OceansTwelve-1754566-0.1.1.1.1.edl

those have existed since before your last update.
The "Fix" option is enabled on the server's UI and the MVP. I turned off all the features in PS. The MVP was 'powered off' during the STVI upgrade and the server app was shut down. When I fired it all back up and went to the conversions screen Ocean's was processing again. I also deleted all the custom xml files and reimported everything from the stock 6.1.9 xml.

I may have to back up on this though. I just ran some tests and it appears to be working correctly right now. Hold off on the anxiety for awhile and I'll keep my fingers crossed. I hope all this has been caused by the ID-10-T peripheral on my end. I've been sitting on the Conversions screen w/ the MVP for 1/2 of typing this message and no new conversions have started and I've opened/closed PS w/ the STVi enabled a couple of times.

The .autoCompress files are just a tag, not a status file. It will only say "Auto Compressing"

ok. I thought as much on those, but wasn't 100%.

What lower bitrate formats can't you access? They're all available via the +/- buttons

There are bitrates available in the recording options that are below "DVD Extra Long Play." Maybe it's the transcoder in Sage that doesn't allow access to them? I have a couple of weekly series that I record at "DVD Fair" since image quality isn't an issue.

What happens if I chose an AVI in-place compression, will those shows still be listed in Recordings or get moved elsewhere?

I still think this plug-in is a great thing. WAF of her transcoded HD shows is great. I'll probably be using it less frequently though once the HD MVP comes out. The comskip issue of missing the start of the next segment by about 60sec is the next hurtle, but I'll work that in the other thread obviously.