Commercial skip not working with SageMC

[jmv]

Help!...I'm new to Sage...just installed SageMC. I followed the tutorial for setting up SA and DirMon2. I using the default STV on the server where the SA and DirMon2 run. I got all the right files in the Show directory, and I enabled "Commercial Skip" in SageMC on the Client. I looked at one of the .edl files and it looks like this:

548.382 773.874 0
1369.4 1489.89 0
1815.02 1965.83 0
2279.31 2429.8 0
3004.64 3260.03 0
3599 3599 0

But when I play back the associated .ts file using SageMC on the client...no commercial skips!...I'm guessing I am doing something wrong with directory setup because I keep reading references to "if you have your directories set up right"...but quite frankly...I have no idea how to do that. I have XP running on client and server, and I have the Sage TV directory on the server set to "share" and I have mapped the directory as a network drive on the Client...but nothing. HELP!.

thanks

mv

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by jmv

Help!...I'm new to Sage...just installed SageMC. I followed the tutorial for setting up SA and DirMon2. I using the default STV on the server where the SA and DirMon2 run. I got all the right files in the Show directory, and I enabled "Commercial Skip" in SageMC on the Client. I looked at one of the .edl files and it looks like this:

548.382 773.874 0
1369.4 1489.89 0
1815.02 1965.83 0
2279.31 2429.8 0
3004.64 3260.03 0
3599 3599 0

But when I play back the associated .ts file using SageMC on the client...no commercial skips!...I'm guessing I am doing something wrong with directory setup because I keep reading references to "if you have your directories set up right"...but quite frankly...I have no idea how to do that. I have XP running on client and server, and I have the Sage TV directory on the server set to "share" and I have mapped the directory as a network drive on the Client...but nothing. HELP!.

thanks

mv

Did you setup SA to look for .ts files also? Is the edl file you're looking at from a .ts file or a regular mpg recording?

Gerry

[blade]

Originally Posted by jmv

I have XP running on client and server, and I have the Sage TV directory on the server set to "share" and I have mapped the directory as a network drive on the Client...but nothing.

When you say the Sage TV directory are you referring to the recording directory? If so is the recording directory mapped to the exact same path as the the server sees? For example if the server is recording to D:\Recordings the client must also be able to access the shows at D:\Recordings.

[jmv]

Well, this is weird, Commercial Skip is working great on one client, doesn't work at all on the other (as if the skips arent there, just plays straight through). I uninstalled and deleted the SageTV program directory, and re-installed, and reinstalled SageMC and still no happiness...I don't think I have anything special on the non-working system, and I didn't do anything special on the working one (didn't touch the directories or anything)...can any one guess what I should try next to trouble shoot?

thanks,

mv

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by jmv

Well, this is weird, Commercial Skip is working great on one client, doesn't work at all on the other (as if the skips arent there, just plays straight through). I uninstalled and deleted the SageTV program directory, and re-installed, and reinstalled SageMC and still no happiness...I don't think I have anything special on the non-working system, and I didn't do anything special on the working one (didn't touch the directories or anything)...can any one guess what I should try next to trouble shoot?

thanks,

mv

Can you tell us the physical layout of your recording folders, how you mapped them on the clients, and what you specified in SageTV for the import folders ? Also, a debug log from the client that doesn't work might help too.

Dirk

[jmv]

My directory is a dedicated drive on the server (J:\Sage TV Recordings)...I made this a shared folder using XP...I didn't do anything to map it either in Sage or on the Client on the one that worked (I was actually pleasantly surprised when I saw it working!)...I mapped a shared drive to J: on the non-working client mapping first to the shared directory (which didn't work) and then I tried mapping to the root of J: (which equally didn't work)...as far as I can tell I haven't done anything on either client within Sage to tell it where these files are (and couldn't find a place to enter it either)...

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by jmv

I mapped a shared drive to J: on the non-working client mapping first to the shared directory (which didn't work)

In this case the server sees the recordings in J:\Sage TV Recordings, but the for the client they are in J:\, that's why it doesn't work

and then I tried mapping to the root of J: (which equally didn't work)...

Did you also share the whole drive J: on the server, instead of the directory ? I would think that this setup should work, sharing the drive J: on the server, and mapping this one to J: on the client, so that both will see the recordings in J:\Sage TV Recordings ...

As another option, you can use UNC paths. Assuming your server name is SERVERPC:

- share the folder on the server as 'Sage TV Recordings' as before
- specify '\\SERVERPC\Sage TV Recordings' as the import folder, instead of 'J:\Sage TV recordings'
- use '\\SERVERPC\Sage TV Recordings' also in Dirmon2 (but you will need to run it with a user name, not as LocalSystem account)

This is how I have it set up, and it works on all of my clients

Dirk

[jmv]

Well, I have everything setup to use \\Goliath\SageTV Recordings and now it is working...new question...it looks like only newly recording things are working for commercial skip. (ie the stuff I recording since making the changes to UNC have commercial skips in them...the older ones don't but instead don't skip commercials even though SA generated the files).

Two questions:

1) is this normal?
2) is there a way to "recover" commercial breaks on the old files (e.g. maybe rerun SA on them?)
3) if I move the files to a new drive (upgrading from 320 to 500GB) how do I do this and still have SageTV "know" there there and can I preserve the commercial skips in this scenarion?

thanks!

mv

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by jmv

Well, I have everything setup to use \\Goliath\SageTV Recordings and now it is working...new question...it looks like only newly recording things are working for commercial skip. (ie the stuff I recording since making the changes to UNC have commercial skips in them...the older ones don't but instead don't skip commercials even though SA generated the files).

Two questions:

1) is this normal?
2) is there a way to "recover" commercial breaks on the old files (e.g. maybe rerun SA on them?)
3) if I move the files to a new drive (upgrading from 320 to 500GB) how do I do this and still have SageTV "know" there there and can I preserve the commercial skips in this scenarion?

thanks!

mv

Chances are that Sage is still seeing the OLD recordings in the old NON-UNC location. The FAQ has instructions on Moving recordings that may help in this situation. The key statement I think is this:

Originally Posted by Opus4

NOTE: The original drive must still be visible to SageTV after moving the files. (Not the video recording directory; just the drive.) If it has been removed, SageTV will not acknowledge that the files have been moved. It won't delete the files from their new location, but it also won't recognize where they are.

If you change the drive letter on the drive where your videos are I would bet that Sage will then find them in there UNC location and your ComSkip will work.