Plugin: PodcastRecorder

[tmiranda]

PodcastRecorder is a plugin that allows you to manually record podcasts or create Favorite podcasts that can be automatically recorded. See the wiki for detailed instructions and explanations:

http://code.google.com/p/tmiranda/wiki/PodcastRecorder

To install: Go to the "UI Mod" section of the plugin manager and select "Podcast Recorder UI". After it's installed you can press Record (Ctrl-y) or Favorite (Ctrl-k) on one podcast or a group of podcasts.

Recorded podcasts will appear in the "Videos" menu.

Known issues:
- Will not work with EvilPenguin's PlayOn/Hulu plugin.
- No matter what subdirectory you download to, when in the Folder view of the Video browser all podcasts will appear at the root level.
- Uses a lot of Java Heap space.

This is a beta release, do not expect perfection. Do expect me to address bugs as they are reported.

[ohpleaseno]

Because I tend to be a bit dense...

So, let's say I want Tekzilla to show up in my Videos folder, this will do that?

If I'm using TVE, then it will behave the same way as an imported video?

This sounds awesome.

[tmiranda]

Yes and yes.

[PLUCKYHD]

What's the issue with playon plugin I would like to try this but can't run full time because of that....

The other issue i am curious are you manually adding these files to the sagedb. If so are you passing the prefix part of the addmediafile API? I had that issue before when I wasn't so just thought I would share.

And nice Job this couldn't have been quick or easy.

[tmiranda]

Plucky,

My problem with Hulu is that I can't get UPnPBrowser.out to run on my linux test box. Once I figure that out I can work on getting this to work with PlayOn.

I'm not sure why the video do not show up in the correct folder. I am using AddMediaFile to get the video into the Sage DB. Here is a code snippit:

        String MovedFileString = NewFile.getAbsolutePath();

        File MovedFile = new File(MovedFileString);

        if (!MovedFile.exists()) {
            Log.getInstance().write(Log.LOGLEVEL_ERROR, "REEP importAsMediaFile: Error. MovedFile does not exist.");
        }

        Object MF = MediaFileAPI.AddMediaFile(MovedFile, RecSubdir);
        if (MF == null) {
            Log.getInstance().write(Log.LOGLEVEL_ERROR, "REEP importAsMediaFile: AddMediaFile failed for " + MovedFile.getAbsolutePath());
        }

RecSubDir is a String containing the subdirectory (relative to the import dir). Suggestions welcome, I'm not 100% sure what I sould be passing to AddmediaFile.

I've been working on this for 9 months, but a lot of that is because I had to learn java as I was going.

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

I'm not sure why the video do not show up in the correct folder. I am using AddMediaFile to get the video into the Sage DB. Here is a code snippit:

        String MovedFileString = NewFile.getAbsolutePath();

        File MovedFile = new File(MovedFileString);

        if (!MovedFile.exists()) {
            Log.getInstance().write(Log.LOGLEVEL_ERROR, "REEP importAsMediaFile: Error. MovedFile does not exist.");
        }

        Object MF = MediaFileAPI.AddMediaFile(MovedFile, RecSubdir);
        if (MF == null) {
            Log.getInstance().write(Log.LOGLEVEL_ERROR, "REEP importAsMediaFile: AddMediaFile failed for " + MovedFile.getAbsolutePath());
        }

RecSubDir is a String containing the subdirectory (relative to the import dir). Suggestions welcome, I'm not 100% sure what I sould be passing to AddmediaFile.

I've been working on this for 9 months, but a lot of that is because I had to learn java as I was going.

I know the feeling learning as you go

As for the addmediafile I will have to look at my source but I believe I pass the same thing but mine do show up right in folders. I have the source at office will look tomorrow and let you know

nice work all around on it though. I know how small projects turn out big

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

. I know how small projects turn out big

I had a version that "sort of" worked under V6 but it was really limited to a "server only" solution. I started converting it to use a "startup runnable class" under V6, then had to rework it for V7. When I started I knew nothing about Java (as opposed to the little that I know now) and this plugin used a lot of (for me) advanced topics. I received a LOT of help from stuckless, Slugger, GKusnick, and I'm sure others I did not mention.

On top of that Opus did some nifty Studio changes to allow for "Dynamic Subcategories" for Online videos.

I started by using (or should I say struggling to use) Jetty to send messages back and forth between SageClients and the server. That was a total PITA because I was limited to sending text or very small serialized objects. It was ugly and took a lot of work. (I guess the upshot is that now I know how to write Jetty applets.)

Then along came jphipps with his unbelievably cool and easy to use "Ortus MQ". That allowed me to send arbitrary data back and forth and even allowed me to invoke methods on the server and return the results to the clients. His software is VERY slick. I have to admit that were it not for jphipps and Ortus MQ this project would never have seen the light of day. If Ortus MQ is a sign of things to come from Team Ortus I'm really excited.

As Mr. Garcia one said "What a long strange trip it's been."

[peternm22]

Nice plugin, a few issues:

1) I installed this and set up Diggnation as a favourite, but then it started downloading EVERY episode in the feed (which I have already watched). There didn't seem to be anyway of stopping this, so I just deleted Diggnation as a favourite. Is there anyway of marking all existing items in a feed as "watched" so they don't get downloaded again?

2) To setup a favourite requires using the "Favorite" button on the remote, but I use a Harmony remote and don't have "Favorite" mapped to anything. Anyway to get sometype of options dialog instead? I had to dig out my SageTV remote to use this plugin.

Thanks.

[tmiranda]

Hello Peter,

1 - There is currently no way to avoid downloading them all when a new favorite is defined. I can look into changing this behavior but no promises on a timeline for that.

2 - That's a good idea. I will look into (optionally) having an options dialog come up when you select a podcast.

Thanks for the feedback.

Tom

[peternm22]

Tom,

Thanks. I just did a quick check of the HD 30fps Diggnation feed. They have 25 episodes listed, and each episode is about 400MB-700MB. So if I have to download them all in one go, that's probably 10GB-17.5GB.... which would take me hours and hours to download, and also put a hit on my ISP's monthly cap.

-Peter

[ohpleaseno]

and on top of that, i was experiencing Podcast Recorder downloading five copies of each episode. My wife was wondering why the internet was so slow this weekend.

[peternm22]

Originally Posted by ohpleaseno

i was experiencing Podcast Recorder downloading five copies of each episode.

Oh yeah. I saw something similar before I nuked the favourite to prevent it from downloading. The episode list (or something, don't quite remember) had multiple listings for the same episode title, despite there being only 1 in the feed.

[pjpjpjpj]

1) When you say it doesn't work with the PlayOn plugin... do you mean you can't have the PlayOn plugin installed and also have this installed? Or just that you can't use this plugin to record stuff off of PlayOn?

2) Any possibility of adding a "keep all/keep max of {x}/override and only keep latest" type functionality? That way if it was a podcast of, say, sports scores, you could set it to "only keep latest" and it would only keep the daily scores and delete the previous.

Looks great, can't wait to try it (pending the answer to #1).

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by ohpleaseno

and on top of that, i was experiencing Podcast Recorder downloading five copies of each episode. My wife was wondering why the internet was so slow this weekend.

It should only do that if there are actually 5 links. Please send me a debug log to look at.

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by pjpjpjpj

1) When you say it doesn't work with the PlayOn plugin... do you mean you can't have the PlayOn plugin installed and also have this installed? Or just that you can't use this plugin to record stuff off of PlayOn?

2) Any possibility of adding a "keep all/keep max of {x}/override and only keep latest" type functionality? That way if it was a podcast of, say, sports scores, you could set it to "only keep latest" and it would only keep the daily scores and delete the previous.

1 - It's compatible with the PlayOn plugin, but you will not be able to record them.

2 - It should already do that. Set auto delete to Yes and max episodes to whatever you want. It should then delete the oldest episodes to make room for the newest. I'll have to look at the code again but I believe it will delete the oldest watched episodes first so strictly speaking you may not have the oldest, you will have the oldest unwatched episodes.

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by peternm22

.. which would take me hours and hours to download, and also put a hit on my ISP's monthly cap.

-Peter

I feel your pain. I'll see how difficult it will be to add in some type of setting to address this issue. I guess I'm spoiled having a fast connection with unlimited usage.

Tom

[Suntan]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

1 - It's compatible with the PlayOn plugin, but you will not be able to record them.

Is this by design, or due to a technical issue? I know there is legal ambiguity with “recording” hulu/Netflix, etc. But it sure would be nice to be able to watch half a show, then come back later and watch the other half.

-Suntan

[pjpjpjpj]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

It should already do that. Set auto delete to Yes and max episodes to whatever you want. It should then delete the oldest episodes to make room for the newest. I'll have to look at the code again but I believe it will delete the oldest watched episodes first so strictly speaking you may not have the oldest, you will have the oldest unwatched episodes.

Sorry, I guess I should have waited to install and try first and asked questions second.

So it sounds like this uses the standard SageTV Favorites options menu? If so, that will work just fine.

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by pjpjpjpj

So it sounds like this uses the standard SageTV Favorites options menu? If so, that will work just fine.

No, my options menu is a complete rewrite. I did try to make the behavior as similar to Sage's default as possible.

[tmiranda]

Originally Posted by Suntan

Is this by design, or due to a technical issue?

I plead the 5th. If it happens to work in a future version it will just be dumb luck, and I'm pretty dumb.