Comskip question

[gilded07]

After building a new SageTV server, I'm trying to get comskip running. I downloaded comskip playback 154 and imported the STVi file. I ran setup for comskip monitor and told it were to look for the mpeg files. I manually ran it and it did create .edl and .txt files for the one recorded show I have in SageTV Recordings. I downloaded comskip 80_026 from kaashoek.

The problem I'm having is that SageTV doesn't automatically detect a new mpeg file and run comskip automatically. I should see the lavender CS icon for the show if SageTV actually ran the comskip routine. This is what I've seen for the past two years. What am I doing wrong?

thanks.

[gilded07]

Lotsa views; no love!

I'm still stuck.

In detailed setup:

• Under Manage STVi Plugins, I added a new STVi file, Comskip_Playback.stvi. I see it as added here.
  
• Under SageTV Application Package, I have SageTV3_withimports_001e40b557db.xml (don't remember adding this but apparently I did since its not the original SageTV3.xml file that I'm used to seeing).
  
• I copied the df_sageutils.jar file to the JARs folder inside the SageTV folder and rebooted.

I don't see any comskip options under Customize in detailed setup.

I see .txt and .edl files along with the recorded show from last night. SageTV however, doesn't show the marked commercials nor does it have the CS logo to indicate comskip ran on the recording.

A short but thorough 'how-to' for Comskip / Monitor would be awesome. I would frame it. Reading through dozens if not hundreds of posts in a thread to answer a problem like this is very time-consuming. I always have trouble getting comskip up and running and its always something stupid I should have known.

TIA for any advice.

[sflamm]

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

[gilded07]

Originally Posted by sflamm

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

Thanks sflamm, I think that did it (and Thanks Brent at GT). I'll do so more testing to make sure but Comskip is back to looking like and acting like it did before I built a new server.

Here are JREkiwi's 3-step installation instructions that I've been using from the start:

Installation is a 3 step process.
Step 1. Unzip into SageTV maintaining the directories. (ie: The df_sageutils.jar from the zip file needs to be in the JARS directory. The other files need to be in the STVs\SageTV3 directory.)
Step 2. Restart Sage so it will pick up the new jar.
Step 3. SageTV 6.4 and higher: Setup -> Detailed Setup -> Advanced -> Manage STVI plugins -> Add a new STVI plugin file
Select Comskip_Playback.stvi. Click close and answer Yes to rebuild.
Versions prior to SageTV 6.4: Load the import by going to Setup -> Detailed Setup -> Advanced, then select "Import SageTV Application Package" Select Comskip_Playback.stvi

Where I went wrong
When I unzipped the comskip playback, I unzipped it onto the desktop instead of in SageTV/SageTV/STVs/SageTV (didn't see an option to specify where I wanted it unzipped to). I wasn't sure what "maintaining the directories" meant or means from step #1 in the installation instructions above. I then imported the comskip_playback.stvi from w/in SageTV but I never copied the other files (PNG files and the Windows NT command script) into the SageTV/SageTV/STVs/SageTV folder. After I did that and copied the JAR file into SageTV's JAR folder, and restarted the service I could see the CS logos in SageTV recordings and the marked commercials on the show's timeline.

When I right click on the zipped Comskip Playback folder on the server's desktop, I don't see the option to extract to a particular place on the hdd. I only see Extract All and that extracts the zipped contents into a new folder on the desktop...so I'm not sure how I'd get the extracted files to two different folders (i.e. JARS file to the JARs subdirectory and the rest to SageTV/SageTV/STVs/SageTV) without copying them. Did I not do this correctly? Is there a way to unzip the files to two different locations to maintain the directories?

If you have to extract directly to the desktop, as I did, and then copy the JARs file to the JARS subdirectory and the rest of the files to the SageTV/SageTV/STVs/SageTV subdirectory then this should be stated explicitly in the installation instructions, shouldn't it? Or is it just me?

The other thing I had to do was to import the comskip_playback.stvi file into the extender and placeshifter. Fortunately, I read this on a couple of other posts where others had the same problem.

I've read posts on Geektonic about SageTV before but its been over a year and I never saw this one.

[AJ Bertelson]

Glide, did you do a WHS build? I haven't been able to get comskip working on my whs system. I have sage off the drive pool and comskipmonitor is creating the neccesary files. Comskip on my clients don't detect them though.

[gplasky]

Make sure they are all defined as UNC paths for comskip to work.

Gerry

[gilded07]

Originally Posted by AJ Bertelson

Glide, did you do a WHS build? I haven't been able to get comskip working on my whs system. I have sage off the drive pool and comskipmonitor is creating the neccesary files. Comskip on my clients don't detect them though.

No WHS build. And all processing is on the dedicated SageTV server and works well.

[AJ Bertelson]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Make sure they are all defined as UNC paths for comskip to work.

Gerry

Where do I define the unc paths with comskip? I used comskip monitor setup where I can specify the path as C: D: and F: drives within the web page setup.

[gplasky]

I believe comskip monitor has an .ini file with all if its settings. Define UNC paths in there and on the client.

Gerry

[SWKerr]

I switched to Dirmon2 awhile back. Just easier to setup and more powerful. Works great with comskip.

[AJ Bertelson]

Originally Posted by gplasky

I believe comskip monitor has an .ini file with all if its settings. Define UNC paths in there and on the client.

Gerry

I dug through the .ini file and I didn't see an area where I could specify the unc paths.

edit here is a fun thing, I installed comskip on my whs system, as in the stvi, it works on the system in so far that the sagetv interface displays the CS icon but I get a encoder error. i have always run into encoding errors. It seems like it is a client issue then. I ran into the unc issue with my media import directories, so I like pugboy said I think this a unc path issue.

I also tried to restart both sagetv and the client to no avail. I have attached my server comskip.ini file but I had to copy it to a notepad in order to upload it.

Originally Posted by gilded07

I'm by no means a CS expert (see above postings!) but I reread this post. I'm not sure what you mean specifically by "clients" but I had to enable (or import?) the comskip_playback STVi on each extender and, I think, on the placeshifters.

My network is setup the following way
A windows home server that runs sagetv (outside of the drive pool)
A HTPC that runs windows 7 I have connected to my projector room, this is my 1st client.
A HTPC that runs vista, I have connected it to my main TV room, this is my second client.

The clients run sagetv client, the WHS runs the whs build


Edit-I added unc paths via sagetv, so I am recording by \\servername\video and changed the csm.properties file to use the same location. Still no dice, the server works but the client doesn't work.

[gilded07]

Originally Posted by AJ Bertelson

Comskip on my clients don't detect them though.

I'm by no means a CS expert (see above postings!) but I reread this post. I'm not sure what you mean specifically by "clients" but I had to enable (or import?) the comskip_playback STVi on each extender and, I think, on the placeshifters.

[gilded07]

Originally Posted by AJ Bertelson

My network is setup the following way
A windows home server that runs sagetv (outside of the drive pool)
A HTPC that runs windows 7 I have connected to my projector room, this is my 1st client.
A HTPC that runs vista, I have connected it to my main TV room, this is my second client.

The clients run sagetv client, the WHS runs the whs build


Edit-I added unc paths via sagetv, so I am recording by \\servername\video and changed the csm.properties file to use the same location. Still no dice, the server works but the client doesn't work.

Ok - Same question: did you import the comskip_playback.STVi into each client or extender?

[AJ Bertelson]

Originally Posted by gilded07

Ok - Same question: did you import the comskip_playback.STVi into each client or extender?

yes I have the comskip.stvi in all my clients.