STV Import: SageTV DVD Burning v2.0d (12/5/06)

[that_kid]

Has anyone had any success with DVD burning in Vista? I'm about to give this a try but I wanted to check before diving in head first.

[dblaine2]

I had the weirdest problem with this burning STVi today. I recorded a episode of Grey's Anatomy for a friend. It came out to 6.4 gigs or so (recorded at DVD standard play). So I ran the burning STVi and it seemed to work ok, compressing down to 2.8 gigs or so to fit onto a single DVD. I played it on several PC's with WinDVD or PowerDVD and the ending always gets chopped off (about 2 chapters short). However, I played it on a standalone player and it works from beginning to end without any problems. I'm wondering why a PC would have a problem?

[evilpenguin]

That is strange. I've heard a few people complain about the DVD's having chopped off endings, but I've never been able to duplicate it myself.

[dblaine2]

Originally Posted by evilpenguin

That is strange. I've heard a few people complain about the DVD's having chopped off endings, but I've never been able to duplicate it myself.

The weird problem is taking the same burned DVD and it works fine on a standalone player (JVC).

[mayamaniac]

EP,

I couldn't find instruction to set this up to work on SageTV Client. I installed it following the instructions but it doesn't seem to do anything when I tell it to Burn to DVD. Is it possible to have the client machine do the all DVD processings?

[hdt98]

I believe I installed correctly, but when I select a show to burn, the qdvd file is created and the process seems to stop there. Also, the ...burn_i file is created in the sageOthers folder. I tried the drag and drop test using single_video_dvd_dragNdrop.bat with an error. I attached the log file.

[evilpenguin]

Sorry for the late reply, it looks like its waiting for a .edl or .txt comm skip file. You can either set it up so those are created, or disable waiting for comm skip files in the preferences.

[hdt98]

Originally Posted by evilpenguin

Sorry for the late reply, it looks like its waiting for a .edl or .txt comm skip file. You can either set it up so those are created, or disable waiting for comm skip files in the preferences.

Thanks for the reply. You mean I should change settings in the pref files, right? I believe it's set up to wait for the edl file, but how do I set up comskip to work with this customization? I downloaded the comskip files and unzipped them into the sagetv folder, but I don't know what to do next.

Also, in my \sageOthers folder, a shortcut called "Heroes - Landslide.dvdList.0.burn_i" that points to a non-existent .bat file was created.

Here's my perl2dvd.advanced.pref file.

[evilpenguin]

Comskip runs independently of this plug-in, but its really easy to set up using dirmon2, which you already are using for my stuff. Here's my dirmon2 profile for comskip.

[Job Description 1]
Name = Comskip
Processor = C:/Program Files/SageTV/SageTV/comskip79_70/comskip.exe
Targets Are Paths = 0
Targets Are Extensions = 1
Command Line Options = --ini="c:\program files\sagetv\sagetv\comskip79_70\comskip.ini"
Must Exist 1 = mpg
Must Exist Logic = OR
Must Exist 2 = 
Must And Or Must Not Exist Logic = AND
Must Not Exist 1 = txt
Must Not Exist Logic = AND
Must Not Exist 2 = log
Directory 1 = G:/Sage Recordings
Directory 2 = H:/Sage Recordings
Directory 3 = I:/Sage Recordings
Directory 4 = O:/Sage Recordings
Directory 5 = N:/Sage Recordings
Target 1 = mpg
Resources Needed = 24
Timeout Enabled = 0
Timeout = -1
Priority Boost Due To Job Description = 50
Priority Boost Due To Age = 1
Priority Boost Due To Name = 0
Process Subdirectories = 1
Wait Until File Is Finished = 1
Wait Until File Is Idle = 0
Wait Until File Is Not Growing = 0
Wait Until File Is Not Growing Time = 1
Wait Until Drive Is Idle = 0
Wait Until Drive Is Idle Time = 2
Hide Console = 1
Blackout Enabled = 0
Blackout Start Time = 0
Blackout End Time = 0

Just add a new job and follow this example.

[sigma7]

EP, many thanks for a truly awesome customization -- I'm impressed with how much work you've put into it and how well it seems to work.

I've thumbed through the threads to see if anyone's had this particular problem and how to debug it, but nothing yet -- I've had problems with my perl2dvd.pref file, and I've actually managed to get it to not crash immediately. Problem is, when I drop an .mpg onto the single_video_dvd_dragNdrop.bat file, it generates a zero-length .log file and...freezes. I've let it chew away for a few hours (on short -- ~1 minute -- .mpgs) with no appreciable progress being made.

Does this sound like a problem with the .pref files? Should I post them? Or would a fresh reinstall possibly be called for? Thanks muchly.

[Bryann]

Hey EP, got a little problem. Just upgraded to Sage6 and of course this was the first thing to go in lol. Having a small but very odd issue though - it's not finding the audio stream on SD files. HD files it finds it no problem and the DVDs produced are flawless, but SD files are without audio after processing.

Example logs attached.

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by Bryann

Hey EP, got a little problem. Just upgraded to Sage6 and of course this was the first thing to go in lol. Having a small but very odd issue though - it's not finding the audio stream on SD files. HD files it finds it no problem and the DVDs produced are flawless, but SD files are without audio after processing.

Example logs attached.

It looks like ffmpeg isn't even detecting an audio stream in the SDTV videos for some reason...

What's your recording source for SDTV?

[Bryann]

Originally Posted by evilpenguin

It looks like ffmpeg isn't even detecting an audio stream in the SDTV videos for some reason...

What's your recording source for SDTV?

TS in an mpeg wrapper captured via firewire on a Motorola box. It's the firewire capture method over in the hardware forum. Exact same as the HD which is why it's weird. It's always worked fine in every program and with the older version of your burning mod on v.5.

I'm not incredibly knowledgeable on the differences between streams and everything but I'm going to guess it has something to do with the HD ones having an AC3 stream while the SD just has stereo. You want a couple of short clips?

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by Bryann

TS in an mpeg wrapper captured via firewire on a Motorola box. It's the firewire capture method over in the hardware forum. Exact same as the HD which is why it's weird. It's always worked fine in every program and with the older version of your burning mod on v.5.

I'm not incredibly knowledgeable on the differences between streams and everything but I'm going to guess it has something to do with the HD ones having an AC3 stream while the SD just has stereo. You want a couple of short clips?

Yeah, thats the most likely the issue. Could you send me a clip @ perl2dvd(at)gmail.com?

[CanadianEh]

Okay, I'm trying to set this up again and am having issues which I *think* stem from the QDVD file. I'm using a client/server model. This plug-in is installed on a remote system (LIVINGROOM) while the recordings all live on the server in:
\\pvr\dvideo\pvrvideo

For some reason, the QDVD file keeps being generated using the local path on the server (D:\PVRVideo\*.mpg). Thus, it fails. I've made sure that my recording directory is set to the above UNC path in Sage, recycled the SageTV service, selected the recording, and tried again and no dice.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks!

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by CanadianEh

Okay, I'm trying to set this up again and am having issues which I *think* stem from the QDVD file. I'm using a client/server model. This plug-in is installed on a remote system (LIVINGROOM) while the recordings all live on the server in:
\\pvr\dvideo\pvrvideo

For some reason, the QDVD file keeps being generated using the local path on the server (D:\PVRVideo\*.mpg). Thus, it fails. I've made sure that my recording directory is set to the above UNC path in Sage, recycled the SageTV service, selected the recording, and tried again and no dice.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks!

Yeah, UNC paths can be really flacky. There's a advanced pref "Translate full paths to UNC paths" and you'll want to put this there...

Translate full paths to UNC paths =D:\PVRVideo::\\pvr\dvideo\pvrvideo

[CanadianEh]

Originally Posted by evilpenguin

Yeah, UNC paths can be really flacky. There's a advanced pref "Translate full paths to UNC paths" and you'll want to put this there...

Translate full paths to UNC paths =D:\PVRVideo::\\pvr\dvideo\pvrvideo

Thanks for the quick response! I'll try this out tomorrow - in the meantime, what would be the proper syntax to list multiple path translations? Would they be separated by commas, etc?


Thanks!
-Jay

[evilpenguin]

It's commas (I had had to look at the code to remember )

[CanadianEh]

Originally Posted by evilpenguin

It's commas (I had had to look at the code to remember )

Hmm.. not sure if I did this correctly. Anyway, attached are my files... it still doesn't appear to be working. Additionally, in Other Programs, I'm not seeing the JPG's... I only see a blank box with the show name below.

I've attached everything I can think of that would be relevant.

Thanks!

[aukauk]

I'm trying to burn DVDs using Sage. I installed customizable menus, and then DirMon2 and imgBurn. The SageTV menus look similar to the ones evilpenguin posted, but different, and the ones (on the Other menu) that are supposed to show the files to be burned are blank. Here are a few screen shots:





and here is a shot showing the folder structure where I have this stuff saved/installed:


So far, the new menus are doing some of what they're supposed to do: When I click on Burn to Video DVD it creates a shortcut and a jpg in my C:\sageOthers folder, but doesn't create a .qdvd file in my C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\qdvd Folder folder (yes, the name of the folder is "qdvd Folder").

When I drag and drop an mpg file on C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\single_dvd_dragNdrop.bat, it fails like this:

C:\Documents and Settings\Owner>cd "C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV"

C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV>perl2dvd.exe "C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV" "G:
\WiVo1\Sage\ABC7News-301382-0.mpg" "ABC7News-301382-0" "" ""
Staring in easy dvd mode
Sagedir : C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV
Video[0] : G:\WiVo1\Sage\ABC7News-301382-0.mpg
Title[0] : ABC7News-301382-0
Episode[0] :
Description[0] :
Setting logfile = G:\WiVo1\Sage\ABC7News-301382-0.mpg.dvd.log
No file given
C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\perl2DVD\gm.exe composite: Unable to open file (C
:\sageOthers\C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\perl2DVD\.burn_i.jpg) [Invalid argum
ent].
Died at script/perl2dvd.pl line 1171.

C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV>pause
Press any key to continue . . .

I was also able to create a .tmp file when I clicked the Convert button on the menu. I can't figure out how to use that tmp file (it's 3GB and took over an hour to create).

I think this is failing because the programs are looking in the wrong folders for the files that are being created, but I don't know how to redirect them to the correct folders. I see paths in perl2dvd.pref, and I'm attaching files that I think are related. I see comments in there, but I'm not savvy enough to confidently interpret them.

I've installed Sage on C:, but use a big drive on G: for the video content. This is running on:

HP Pavilion Pavilion a610e
AMD Athlon XP2500+
1.83 GHz, 768MB of RAM
with
ATI Radeon X1650 Pro AGP 512MB
Customer Care Product Serial Number: 180643014242
ATI Radeon X1650 Pro PCIE/AGP Collateral Kit Rev A on CD bag: 151-G01127
and
ATI TV Wonder 200 Tuner Card
Customer Care Product Serial Number: 650638020725
TV Wonder200 PCI NTSC ENG Rev B on CD bag: 151-V01232

I'd really appreciate a recipe for straightening this out.

Thanks.