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

[evilpenguin]

@jbarr, There's a menuGen.log file in the recording subdir, can you post that for me? Also, the screenshots of the directory contents are incredibly handy, thanks!

@everyone, I've got another build I'll release tonight that should fix a lot of these issues, including adding an option to use a centralized work folder

[jbarr]

OK, attached is the menuGen.log file....

Looking forward to the new build!

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by jbarr

Evil,

OK, things seem to be working up to a point: I get files in the c:\sageOthers directory (see dir listing attached), I get files in my work directory M:\DVDWork (see dir listing attached), and a subdirectory of my Recordings directory (S:\Recordings) gets created for the recording I selected (see dir listing attached). In THAT directoy I see 14 files created including .MPG files, .JPG files, and some log, batch, and info files. So far, so good.

In SageTV under Other Programs, the status screen shows "Red", or error.

It appears to not be making it past the "menugen" part. I watched the directory, and hundreds of .png files were created (presumably having something to do with an animated menu?) and then they disappeared. I expected that at that point the menuBackground.menu.mpg file would be created, but apparantly it was not.

I attached logs and some other files if you care to look....

It looks like there are some problem characters in the program description that are messing everything up. Do me a favor, first, edit menuGen.bat and remove the back-ticks (`) from the episode descrition and enable debugging “Leave files for debugging =1”and re it. If that works (creates menuBackground.menu.mpg), go ahead and open your perl2dvd.advanced.pref file and change these two lines…

General: RegEX to Strip out problem characters for file names='|"|\\|/|\||<|>|:|\*|\?|\&|\;
General: RegEX to strip out problem characters for menu generation='|\&|\;

To

General: RegEX to Strip out problem characters for file names='|"|\\|/|\||<|>|:|\*|\?|\&|\;|`
General: RegEX to strip out problem characters for menu generation='|\&|\;|`

Then delete the "qdvd.work" file for that project to get it to re-try the whole thing again.

[jbarr]

Testing now... Ain't Logmein.com and VNC a wonderful thing?!?

[jbarr]

...
Same results this time. I tried to re-run the .bat file, but must have messed something up, so I just cleared out everything, updated the advanced.prefs file, and started over.

Attached are logs and files. The description now has no back quotes, but the menu .mpg file is still missing.

It has to be something simple that I'm missing....

We're getting close!

[jbarr]

Originally Posted by evilpenguin

@jbarr, ...Also, the screenshots of the directory contents are incredibly handy, thanks!

I'm using a very slick freeware screen capture app called FastStone Capture from http://www.faststone.org I found it through a very cool site called http://www.portablefreeware.com/ that specilaizes in "portable" (ie: runnable from USB drives) applications. Lots of nifty and useful apps to play with there!

[evilpenguin]

@jbarr - Figured it out, the fix will be in the next build

[BruenerXII]

Hey evilpenguin, Another thing i noticed (no biggy.. maybe it suppose to be like this) is that on the created dvd, the menu buttons do not get highlighted. Like on the 2nd menu with the mini slideshow (which kicks ass) there are two buttons "play" and "main menu" i can't tell which button i am on. Is there suppose to be a 2nd button png.. for like a mouseover effect type deal?

[evilpenguin]

Nope, you should have nice little arrows that look like the attached picture. Can I get you to post a menuGen.log file for me?

[BruenerXII]

hmm i can't seem to find a menugen.log... is it one of the files that gets cleaned up after the whole process is done? If so i can grab one next time.
I've got a menugen.gen?

I do see that arrow on the first menu page where you choose an episode. Just not on the second episode menu.

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by BruenerXII

hmm i can't seem to find a menugen.log... is it one of the files that gets cleaned up after the whole process is done? If so i can grab one next time.
I've got a menugen.gen?

I do see that arrow on the first menu page where you choose an episode. Just not on the second episode menu.

Have you tried playing the DVD in any player other than Sage?

[BruenerXII]

Just tried it on this PC i am on now (not my HTPC) with mediaplayer, realplayer and windvd.. all just give me the arrow on the first menu. I cant do anything on any of these players as the mouse doesnt work on the 2nd page. At least with Sage i can use my remote thats the only way i can get them to play. All i have are PC's to try it on right now..

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by BruenerXII

Just tried it on this PC i am on now (not my HTPC) with mediaplayer, realplayer and windvd.. all just give me the arrow on the first menu. I cant do anything on any of these players as the mouse doesnt work on the 2nd page. At least with Sage i can use my remote thats the only way i can get them to play. All i have are PC's to try it on right now..

Ok, then can you set the "Save files for debugging" to 1 in your advanced.pref file so that the work folder doesn't get deleted, and then post menuGen.log as well as

D:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\STVs\SageTV3\SageMCE\Images_bt\menuGen.override

if it exists.

[BruenerXII]

OK here are those files.

[BruenerXII]

Doh, hope you didn't hurt your brain to much looking through that log file for errors because i just burned that dvd and now the arrows are showing up!
I dont think i changed anything.. the first couple burns didn't work.. i dunno..
works! cheers!

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by BruenerXII

Doh, hope you didn't hurt your brain to much looking through that log file for errors because i just burned that dvd and now the arrows are showing up!
I dont think i changed anything.. the first couple burns didn't work.. i dunno..
works! cheers!

Yeah, I've noticed that sometimes software DVD players have trouble with submenu buttons when they're playing from the file system. Never really figured out why. Oh well, glad it works for ya

[Deadbolt]

This is a great tool! I can't wait to try it out. Is there anyway to add the option per video to process the commercials out automatically using a Showanalyzer result and a command line videoredo call?

Thanks!

[evilpenguin]

Originally Posted by Deadbolt

This is a great tool! I can't wait to try it out. Is there anyway to add the option per video to process the commercials out automatically using a Showanalyzer result and a command line videoredo call?

Thanks!

I'm confused about what your asking. Are you looking for...

a) The ability to choose on a show by show basis if commercials get cut out
b) The ability to cut commercials without compressing
c) ???

[Deadbolt]

Originally Posted by evilpenguin

I'm confused about what your asking. Are you looking for...

a) The ability to choose on a show by show basis if commercials get cut out
b) The ability to cut commercials without compressing
c) ???

Sorry for the confusion...I'll try again. Right now I use ShowAnalyzer to detect commericals and generate a file with the commercials marked. I can convert that file to a format that VideoRedo understands and have VideoRedo cut my commericals. I do this before I burn a DVD to save space and make a commercial free program. If I use your import, can I have your import automate this process before burning the DVD....run the convertion file on the ShowAnalyzer file and feed the result to VideoRedo.

The second part is being able to choose this per video that you add to the DVD queue...not all my shows have great commercial skip results so I wouldn't want commercial skip to be the default action.

Thanks!

[evilpenguin]

Wait, now I get it, you want to replace the original recording with the cut recording, right?