Showanalyzer & SageMC not skipping commercials

[mleonard]

I've just installed Dirmon2 0.6.3.46 & Showanalyzer 0.8.7 on my SageTV v6 server. I believe Showanalyer is working properly as I get a .TXT file and .EDL file with the later looking something like this...

415.516 505.606 0
802.469 917.818 0
1291.59 1441.84 0

On my SageTV v6 client I'm using SageMC STV 6.3.1, and I have "Commercial Auto Skip" enabled in the detailed setup. I also have "Com. Auto Skip: Enabled" on the menu which appears when video is playing (this could be the same thing.).

However, I am not seeing anything happening as far as skipping over commercials, they play right through. Any clues? Could this have anything to do with settings on the SageTV server whis is only running as a process? Thanks.

[FidgetyRat]

1) Does your recording timeline indicate that commercials have in fact been detected? (darker patches inside the timeline)

2) Are the .txt or .edl files being created with the same file name and in the same folder as the recordings.

Also, I would remove the creation of the .txt if you are using the .edl files. It may be confusing MC to have both files present (just an assumption)

[Enormous]

I ran into this same problem when I first moved from server-only to client-server.

If you're looking to get comskip working on a SageClient, you're going to need to use UNC paths. The reason is that when Sage looks for the comskip file, it wants to find it at whatever path it was recorded to. So if you're using local file paths (i.e. C:\Video on the server), then the client is going to look locally for the video file in C:\Video. If you switch to UNC paths, then the server will record at \\server\video, and the client will also play back at \\server\video.

Hope that makes sense.

[mleonard]

Originally Posted by FidgetyRat

1) Does your recording timeline indicate that commercials have in fact been detected? (darker patches inside the timeline)

2) Are the .txt or .edl files being created with the same file name and in the same folder as the recordings.

Also, I would remove the creation of the .txt if you are using the .edl files. It may be confusing MC to have both files present (just an assumption)

The timeline does not show darker patches for detected commercials. I've tried your suggestion and removed the .txt files, leaving just the .edl file that matches the filename of the video file .mpg. This did not correct the problem.

UNC paths were not set up for my recording directories. I fixed this issue (it's now \\Server\RecordingsE), however this did not fix the problem either. Thanks for the input so far. Any other suggestions?

[MeInMaui]

Switching over to UNC paths is slightly tricky. The information you need is linked/sumarized in this post. Check it out and make sure this is what you did. If not, then the instructions should get you there. HTH

Aloha,
Mike

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by mleonard

UNC paths were not set up for my recording directories. I fixed this issue (it's now \\Server\RecordingsE), however this did not fix the problem either.

Also, please note that switching to UNC paths will only fix it for new recordings, existing ones still have the old path in the Sage database. So do you mean it's still not working for new recordings ?

Dirk

[MeInMaui]

Originally Posted by flachbar

Also, please note that switching to UNC paths will only fix it for new recordings, existing ones still have the old path in the Sage database. So do you mean it's still not working for new recordings ?

Dirk

You can get sage to see all of the recordings in the new path, but it has to see that the recordings are present in the new path (UNC) and no longer present in the old path. In my system, I did this by changing the drive letter, setting up the UNC path, and then mapping an empty directory to the original drive letter. This lets Sage see that the files are in the new location and no longer in the old location. This is required for sage to move them in its database.

Aloha,
Mike

[mleonard]

Originally Posted by flachbar

Also, please note that switching to UNC paths will only fix it for new recordings, existing ones still have the old path in the Sage database. So do you mean it's still not working for new recordings ?

Dirk

Working!! I was testing using recording prior to the UNC path change. Is there anyway to update the Sage database with the new UNC paths? Maybe manually? Thanks you all for the help!

[MeInMaui]

Originally Posted by mleonard

Working!! I was testing using recording prior to the UNC path change. Is there anyway to update the Sage database with the new UNC paths? Maybe manually? Thanks you all for the help!

See my last post above. Back up your wiz.bin file before doing anything.

[Steve52]

Originally Posted by Enormous

I ran into this same problem when I first moved from server-only to client-server.

If you're looking to get comskip working on a SageClient, you're going to need to use UNC paths. The reason is that when Sage looks for the comskip file, it wants to find it at whatever path it was recorded to. So if you're using local file paths (i.e. C:\Video on the server), then the client is going to look locally for the video file in C:\Video. If you switch to UNC paths, then the server will record at \\server\video, and the client will also play back at \\server\video.

Hope that makes sense.

I am looking into setting up setting up commercial skipping on my SageTv system. After reading the above I have a question:

If you are using a seperate client and server as I am (I have a central server and 3 client PCs) is it a absolutely necessary to have your Sage recording directories setup as UNC paths. My server is not currently setup that way and I really don't want to. I have 4 tuners and 3 recording hard drives in my server the paths to recording directories are setup as D:/STV1, E:/STV2 etc.. All of the hard drives that have recording directories on them are in the server, none are in client machines. I tried UNC parts a long time ago and didn't like it. Seems to greatly increase network traffic and was not necessary for the clients to work properly. So my question again is will I have to use UNC paths in order to get commercial skipping to work on my clients?

[nyplayer]

Steve52,

I no longer use UNC paths. I found out recently that my server cpu and response has gotten better by using direct drives.... what I did was map the drives on the SageTVClent.

for example

m:\sagem is my recording directory

I mapped \\myserver\m$ to m drive on my client. In order to do this you have to make a change In the local Policy on the sageserver if using XP.


PS if you want to setup DIRMON etc.. or comskip to run on the client. You simply would use a directory like this \\myserver\m$\sagem

[Steve52]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

Steve52,

I no longer use UNC paths. I found out recently that my server cpu and response has gotten better by using direct drives.... what I did was map the drives on the SageTVClent.

for example

m:\sagem is my recording directory

I mapped \\myserver\m$ to m drive on my client. In order to do this you have to make a change In the local Policy on the sageserver if using XP.

I guess I am missing something. If the client can read a .mpg file from the server without a UNC path why can't it read an .edl file from the same place?

[nyplayer]

If you are not using UNC or mapped drive the client has to go through the server to read the video. It will not read the EDL or recognize that its exists. If you map drives or use unc It will read the video directly and the EDL like it was local to the Client.

[Steve52]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

If you are not using UNC or mapped drive the client has to go through the server to read the video. It will not read the EDL or recognize that its exists. If you map drives or use unc It will read the video directly and the EDL like it was local to the Client.

Ok. Thanks! I think I will try to map a drive on the client to the server file like you described, but won't I have to make a change in the Sage setup on the client to use this new mapped drive, and I will have to repeat this process on every client I have?

[nyplayer]

All you have to do is map the drives on each client and make sure you check to reconnect at startup. No changes to the SageTVClient application required.

[Steve52]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

All you have to do is map the drives on each client and make sure you check to reconnect at startup. No changes to the SageTVClient application required.

Looks like I am ready to give it a go then. Just curious do you prefer ShowAnalyser or Comskip?