STV Import: Closed Caption Playback (v1.2.2 28/February/2008)

[ke6guj]

Did some playing around with the Cyberlink PowerDVD decoder and the InterVideo WinDVD decoders.

In my limited testing, I got some funny results. With the powerdvd decoder, I get CC on all recordings, including digital recordings from my HDHR and my Firewired STB. However, the captions aren't clear. On many recordings there are missing letters and spaces, so the captions get all messed up, but you could almost read them based on what you heard. And after a while, the captions stop working . A ccextractor rip of the captions show that all the data is there, just not getting displayed by the decoder.

With the WinDVD decoder, I got perfect captions from the HDHR recordings, but no captions from the FW'ed STB on normal digital channels. On my one digital local recording, I have perfect captions.

I'll mess with it some more to see if the issues can be fixed, but figured I'd toss this out to see if anybody else can add to it.

[Eckwell]

Originally Posted by ke6guj

Did some playing around with the Cyberlink PowerDVD decoder and the InterVideo WinDVD decoders.

In my limited testing, I got some funny results. With the powerdvd decoder, I get CC on all recordings, including digital recordings from my HDHR and my Firewired STB. However, the captions aren't clear. On many recordings there are missing letters and spaces, so the captions get all messed up, but you could almost read them based on what you heard. And after a while, the captions stop working . A ccextractor rip of the captions show that all the data is there, just not getting displayed by the decoder.

I have also noticed that the captions are there whether I use VideoRedo to quickfix the file or not, AND if the are .mpg or .ts recordings, and the quality of the cc is the same.

With the WinDVD decoder, I got perfect captions from the HDHR recordings, but no captions from the FW'ed STB on normal digital channels. On my one digital local recording, I have perfect captions.

I'll mess with it some more to see if the issues can be fixed, but figured I'd toss this out to see if anybody else can add to it.

After testing with thsi for a while I am finding that ABCHD out of Chicago (WLSDT) are much more reliable. In fact, they are great, although sometimes stop appearing but come back after and quick RWD/FF. The captions on the NBC HD channel WMAQDT are terrible. They are basically junk. I can confirm, however, the the ccextractor picks them up and they are displayed, although funky timing issues still plague it a bit.

I have not tried the InterVideo WinDVD decoder yet, but maybe I will give it a try. What version are you using Jack? (sorry about my previous typo about version 9!)

currently, to help with timing issues, there is a delay in the CC STVi, where I can put 500 millisecond delay, but what if I want -500? can I di that? I am thinking it would be nice if there was a real time way to manually sync the cc. see the text on the screen and hold it until they say it int he show and then "let it run" from there. Realizing that might be very difficult, is it possible?

[JParedis]

I have installed this import this week, it's great! THANKS for making this !

I had .srt files and have converted them to .smi with SubResync (tool in VobSub) - that was easy. I'm now playing around a bit with the settings to see if I can get it exactly how I like it.

Jan

[ke6guj]

Originally Posted by Eckwell

After testing with thsi for a while I am finding that ABCHD out of Chicago (WLSDT) are much more reliable. In fact, they are great, although sometimes stop appearing but come back after and quick RWD/FF. The captions on the NBC HD channel WMAQDT are terrible. They are basically junk. I can confirm, however, the the ccextractor picks them up and they are displayed, although funky timing issues still plague it a bit.

Thats the same type of behavior I saw with the powerDVD decoder.

I have not tried the InterVideo WinDVD decoder yet, but maybe I will give it a try. What version are you using Jack? (sorry about my previous typo about version 9!)

I'm just using the current trial version 8 of winDVD. I'm making an ASSumption that the decoder is fully working, even during the trial, same for the powerDVD trial.

I get perfect captions off my local digitals no matter the source, but don't get any captions on "extended digitals". That would be good enough, but it seems that the intervideo decoder is not using hardware assist (even though it is checked in the windvd setup), so I have to mess with it a bit.

currently, to help with timing issues, there is a delay in the CC STVi, where I can put 500 millisecond delay, but what if I want -500? can I di that?

I think that the timing delay is only for .smi captions, not embedded captions. Embedded captions should be already in time-sync since they are embedded in the stream. As for -500, yes, negative values work, you just need to be able to input the minus, either with your keyboard, or with a programmed button on your remote.

I am thinking it would be nice if there was a real time way to manually sync the cc. see the text on the screen and hold it until they say it int he show and then "let it run" from there. Realizing that might be very difficult, is it possible?

That would be nice. I've done somehting similar with subtitle workshop if I needed to sync up a downloaded caption file with an existing imported video.

[JREkiwi]

Due to lack of complaints I've made 1.1.9 the current download.

Originally Posted by TechBill

Today I was looking at both scrolling and the static CC to see if there was anything different between the two.

I noticed that the scrolling CC had time tighter between the captions like every 200-400 increasment in between while static time was more far apart from each other like every 10,000-20,000 increasment in between.

I was wondering if it possible code this CC plugin to extend the fadeout or add an option to set a minimum before it can fade out.

Also added a new test version on the first post.

(1.2.0)
- Added option for scrolling captions that are within .5 sec of each other
- Added toggle for scrolling captions (Custom2)

The default state is disabled, but can be enabled in Setup -> Detailed Setup -> Customize -> Captions Playback Options -> More Options (Settings - >SageMC -> Extras -> Captions Playback Options -> More Options in SageMC)

John

[ToxMox]

This is a great plugin...thank you!
Is it just me or do the captions get enabled each time I start a video? Is there a way to disable the automatic turning on of captions? I want to be able to just turn them on manually when I need them but start with them off.

[JREkiwi]

Thanks,

I should rename the settings to something more intuitive and I could word the setting descriptions on the first post differently, and the function has changed through the version, but these settings control what Captions are displayed when a video starts. If they are disabled, then you can do a manual turn on when watching a video

External Captions Enable Enabled/Disabled
When Enabled SageTV will enable displaying Captions from an .smi file if available when video playback is started
When Disabled SageTV will not display Captions from an .smi file when video playback is started.
Displaying Captions can be turned on on a per video basis.

Embedded Captions Enable Enabled/Disabled
When Enabled SageTV will enable displaying Captions embedded in an MPEG file if available when video playback is started
When Disabled SageTV will not display Captions embedded in an MPEG file when video playback is started.
Displaying Captions can be turned on on a per video basis.

Got any suggestions for a more intuitive name for the settings? or the buttons?

John

[ToxMox]

Perhaps change them to to read "External Captions Auto-Enable" and "Embedded Captions Auto-Enable"

[ToxMox]

I know it has been mentioned a few times in this thread but has there been any progress in being able to read unicode .smi files? This would allow for the music note character to be used instead of other strange characters etc. I'm just trying to get this to be perfect

[JREkiwi]

Actually, aside from proving that UTF16 doesn't work, I've not spent any time on it. It certainly wouldn't upset me if someone else wants to work on it.

John

[ToxMox]

Here is a bug I noticed. I leave the settings to off by default and manually enable the captions when I want them. If I enable captions and then I pause Sage long enough for the screen saver to kick in when I return to playback the caption settings are back to the default of being off and I have to enable them again..

[alon24]

Quick question,
Can your plugin be made to also read srt files, instead of just SMI??
I realize they are not the same, but still?

[ke6guj]

Originally Posted by ToxMox

Here is a bug I noticed. I leave the settings to off by default and manually enable the captions when I want them. If I enable captions and then I pause Sage long enough for the screen saver to kick in when I return to playback the caption settings are back to the default of being off and I have to enable them again..

I don't know if it is a bug or not, but that is the way it works. The caption settings will go back to the default as well if you do certain knds of UI navigation as well.

[JREkiwi]

Originally Posted by alon24

Quick question,
Can your plugin be made to also read srt files, instead of just SMI??
I realize they are not the same, but still?

It could. I'm pretty sure I know how I can insert it into the code, it's just never been high enough on my priority list to work out the parsing. But it is on my list of things to look at. At the moment it certainly looks easier to do than UTF-16.

John

[OferL]

Just to make it more popular...

I am also interested in .srt as external captions.

[banjo]

Well i love it ,

If it will be possible to handle .srt files then it will be a BLAST.
thanks

[banjo]

well, im trying to use the new version with .mkv files but the it seems to be out of sync.

any idea what can i do ??

is there an easy way to convert .srt to .smi other them the old str2smi from 2002?

Thanks

[StephaneM]

Hi,

I will release in a few month two utilities, a DVBViewer recorder plugin and a teletext subtitles extractor plugin. Both will record teletext subtitles into a smi file and this works great with this STVi.

However there is a big problem with SageTV and timeline. Eventhough the subtitles I create are perfectly in synch SageTV is not able to have a reliable current media position when you skip forward / backware (especially with transport streams: this will change in the future but not right now).

So to help resynch the sub to the "buggy" timeline. I had this idea:

* Use Up / Down during playback to add / substract 500ms to ccadjust: this is for fine tuning the synch and it works great. But it is not enough when SageTV is +/- 60 seconds wrong with the timeline.

So here is the second idea for handling very big offset:

* Enter a "synch" mode (by using a "CustomX" action)
* Pause the video
* Use Up / Down to browse the subtitle (from the assumed current position that is wrong)
* When the correct sub is displayed, pressing on the "Ok" button will resume the video and compute the right ccadjust needed
* done

Do you think you can handle this easily or must I do it myself? the first part is fine for me, but the second part is way too much for my Studio current understanding.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[JREkiwi]

Originally Posted by StephaneM

Do you think you can handle this easily or must I do it myself? the first part is fine for me, but the second part is way too much for my Studio current understanding.

I have a couple of ideas of how I could do something like this. The biggest problem is that there isn't enough CustomX listeners. I'll see what I can come up with.

John

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by JREkiwi

I have a couple of ideas of how I could do something like this. The biggest problem is that there isn't enough CustomX listeners. I'll see what I can come up with.

Actually, I have done it!

It doesn't need the listener, I used the Adjustment button instead. Works great.

However, as I'm not a Studio pro, I made the modifications in the SageMC STV with the loaded Captions playback STVi imported.

I can send you this modified file if you want. It only need one thing to improve right now, when you enter "Adjustement" mode, it pause the video and waits for "Up" or "Down", then it browse through the captions, but it seems to need a "Refresh()" the first time (once a caption is displayed on the screen, the "Animation" property of the panel is doing its job).

So send me an e-mail to lmgestion@hotmail.com and I'll send you back my modifications with a little explanation.

Regards,
Stéphane.