Comskip Playback for v7

[tmiranda]

Install the CommercialDetector UI Mod and you are done.

[adone36]

Forgot to give a heads up to Tom for a plugin making that Sage integration/config a painless process.

Tom,

I always meant to ask: Does the plugin use the comskip.ini in the Sagetv\comskip directory WITH the options you can add in the plugin or IN ADDITION to those options. In other words, you mod the comskip.ini are those options used or must you use the plugin "add'l parameters" field.

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by adone36

I always meant to ask: Does the plugin use the comskip.ini in the Sagetv\comskip directory WITH the options you can add in the plugin or IN ADDITION to those options. In other words, you mod the comskip.ini are those options used or must you use the plugin "add'l parameters" field.

It installs a completely new comskip.ini and uses it by default. You can then edit the new comskip.ini or point comskip at a different comskip.ini. Any "additional parameters" you include are passed along to whatever comskip.ini it is using.

There are also options to use different .ini files based on show title or the channel the recordng was made on. There is also an option to use ShowAnalyzer instead of comskip.

[trk2]

Originally Posted by eqwalker

I have not updated SageTV to any version higher than above because I'm afraid I'll break it. I had to upgrade the HD300's so they would play my .flac audio tracks without hanging up between track changes. I tried upgrading them to a higher version and it broke the .flac playback again so I took them back.

There is a known bug in the latest official HD300 firmware that causes the HD300 to cease playing audio during track changes. The fix is to run beta firmware 20110124-2. See this thread.

[BigSwifty]

I've previously had comskip working in SageMC. After a server rebuild, last year, the timelines are no longer displayed in either the default V7 or SageMC. I'm using DM2 to create the .edls. The plugin is installed but doesn't seem to be enabled. I have to enable the plugin but it seems to then switch off. Any thoughts?

[wbarber69]

did you install the comskip playback plugin as well

[BigSwifty]

Thank you for your response: Yes, installed.

[BigSwifty]

Any ideas?

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by BigSwifty

Any ideas?

How are your recording paths set up?

[BigSwifty]

Happy Christmas!

Paths are configured through setup:
drive letter:\sage folder

Weird that I had it working in the past

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by BigSwifty

Happy Christmas!

Paths are configured through setup:
drive letter:\sage folder

Weird that I had it working in the past

The client needs to be able to see the same path to the recording as the server. So, say you have the recording path as;

D:\Recordings

but the client has a D: assigned to it's DVD-ROM, then it will not be able to find the .edl file.

There are two fixes. Either you set the recording drives as network paths:
\\SageServer\Recordings

or you share the recording drive at the root level, and map it to the same drive letter on the client:
R: shared as \\SageServer\R on server
\\SageServer\R mapped to R: on client
R:\Recordings set as the recording folder

[troycheek]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Either you set the recording drives as network paths:
\\SageServer\Recordings

Could you be more specific about this option? For example, if I have a computer named main-pc with a drive E: containing folder VCR which contains my recordings, what would the network path be? I tried \\main-pc\e\vcr but it says the location doesn't exist and asks if I want to create it.

[Fuzzy]

You need to share the folder, and the client needs to be able to access it.

Right click on the VCR folder, and choose Properties, Sharing Tab, Advanced Sharing...

It will default the name to VCR, and permissions to your current user account. That is likely fine.

You will then need to store login information for it on the client. From the client, START -> Run... -> \\MAIN-PC\VCR

It will (likely) ask for username and password (may take a little bit to come up). Enter the username and password information for the main-pc, and make sure you choose to save the credentials. This will allow the share to continue being accessible without prompting for usernames and passwords in the future. Now, in Sage, change your recording folder to \\MAIN-PC\VCR. Now, whenever sage is playing back something, it will be doing so via \\MAIN-PC\VCR\RecordingName-0123456.mpg, and will read the .edl file from \\MAIN-PC\VCR\RecordingName-0123456.edl if available.

[BigSwifty]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

There are two fixes. Either you set the recording drives as network paths:
\\SageServer\Recordings

or you share the recording drive at the root level, and map it to the same drive letter on the client:
R: shared as \\SageServer\R on server
\\SageServer\R mapped to R: on client
R:\Recordings set as the recording folder

I don't understand where you "set the recording drives as network paths".

My server is also a "client". I also have one additional client and understand the network mapping on that machine. In Detailed setup the drives are server mapped. Sage should be able to see the .edl files in those same folders.

[BigSwifty]

Any ideas?

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by BigSwifty

I don't understand where you "set the recording drives as network paths".

My server is also a "client". I also have one additional client and understand the network mapping on that machine. In Detailed setup the drives are server mapped. Sage should be able to see the .edl files in those same folders.

The server/client should definitely be able to see the .edl files, regardless of how the recording drives are configured - so really not sure on this one. Are you sure the .edl files exist, and there is information int hem?

[BigSwifty]

Yes they are present (show analyzer produces) and have what seem like proper data.

[troycheek]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Now, in Sage, change your recording folder to \\MAIN-PC\VCR. Now, whenever sage is playing back something, it will be doing so via \\MAIN-PC\VCR\RecordingName-0123456.mpg, and will read the .edl file from \\MAIN-PC\VCR\RecordingName-0123456.edl if available.

Thanks for the info. I'd gone a slightly longer route involving shared drive letters on the client PC, but for some reason I couldn't get Windows Vista to share properly. This method seems to be working for the new recordings.

[SWKerr]

Question about Autoskip?
Is there a way to disable Autoskip for a whole show?
I have found where I can set it to be disabled for up to 99 seconds but that is really not enough.

Comskip is pretty accurate so I like have the autoskip on but when it is off it will generally be off for the whole show and I would prefer to do it manually. Recorded Movies are also an issue where sometimes a recording without any commercials will have a something marked at random intervals.

Is there an easy way to disable comskip for the current recording. I can't seem to find anything.

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by SWKerr

Question about Autoskip?
Is there a way to disable Autoskip for a whole show?
I have found where I can set it to be disabled for up to 99 seconds but that is really not enough.

Comskip is pretty accurate so I like have the autoskip on but when it is off it will generally be off for the whole show and I would prefer to do it manually. Recorded Movies are also an issue where sometimes a recording without any commercials will have a something marked at random intervals.

Is there an easy way to disable comskip for the current recording. I can't seem to find anything.

Hit Options when watching the show you can disable autoskip for that show... you can still use the left and right to skip if you want.