STV: Cayars17 Ultimate STV (Release 17 - Jan 18)

[Cayars]

Command line is the way to go on this with out a doubt in my mind. Why write the information to a file when you can just pass it? I dislike using input files when the information can be passed as it adds extra steps.

I'm planning on just modding ComSkip.exe for anything not already included when the time comes...

[rsagetv99]

Originally Posted by Cayars

Command line is the way to go on this with out a doubt in my mind. Why write the information to a file when you can just pass it? I dislike using input files when the information can be passed as it adds extra steps.

I'm planning on just modding ComSkip.exe for anything not already included when the time comes...

Or a combination of both, I would still like to be able to manually adjust the default settings of comskip, presumably through an INI file. The command-line could be used when comskip needs to be tweeked for different formats like one-hour shows, sports, two-hour season finale' specials, etc.

[rsagetv99]

I think it's important for the end-user to still be able to adjust the default settings of comskip, because not everyone has the same type/quality of signal and so some settings may need to be tweaked to attain the desired results. That being said, maybe comskip.ini file could be the starting point for the command line parameters that you put in the STV. In other words, maybe the STV should read the contents of comskip.ini then adjust those settings up or down to accommodate the non-standard format.

[srothwell]

Carlo,

Where is the latest test release of v16? I can't seem to find the link any more...

Best regards,

Stacy

[Cayars]

Originally Posted by rsagetv99

I think it's important for the end-user to still be able to adjust the default settings of comskip, because not everyone has the same type/quality of signal and so some settings may need to be tweaked to attain the desired results. That being said, maybe comskip.ini file could be the starting point for the command line parameters that you put in the STV. In other words, maybe the STV should read the contents of comskip.ini then adjust those settings up or down to accommodate the non-standard format.

I wouldn't changed the functionality of being able to use an ini file. All I'm saying is that I want to be able to OVERIDE a particular setting via the command line. The basic logic would be that ComSkip would load up the default settings, then overwrite default settings with those in the INI file, then overwrite those with any passed via command line.

It does this now but I'm not sure all ini based settings are being checked for at the command line. This is the only thing I'd plan on changing.

[Cayars]

Originally Posted by srothwell

Carlo,

Where is the latest test release of v16? I can't seem to find the link any more...

Best regards,

Stacy

Test C was/is the latest. I removed the link. I'm getting ready to upload Test D within an hour or two and it will have the DVDBurner in this release.

There are still a couple of STV issues that didn't get touched as my time was spent ont he DVD stuff. I'll work on that after D and get this packaged up for official 16 release in a day or two depending on feedback.

[redman]

Carlo,
I had something weird happen to me yesterday.
I am running 16C.
I finished watching a recorded show, went to the main menu and noticed a show was on live that i really wanted to see. IT had been on for 40 minutes or so. I selected the show and the screen just showed the last frame of the previous show.
The file itself became Zero bytes and couldn't be watched.
I tried it both from the main menu, and from the recorded menu and the same issue.
If I try to watch a show that is being recorded while it is on, the file gets set to Zero and basically dies.

Any ideas?

[zoundz]

Originally Posted by Cayars

Command line is the way to go on this with out a doubt in my mind. Why write the information to a file when you can just pass it? I dislike using input files when the information can be passed as it adds extra steps.

I'm planning on just modding ComSkip.exe for anything not already included when the time comes...

I basically agree with that thought. In this case, the intent would be to allow a script file to specify a whole list of .mpg's to process in one call. These could specify individual parameters and .ini files if need be, as well as priorities. I suppose that the same information could be contained in the command line ala linux cli, but it get's real cumbersome in the windows environment where you don't have quite the convenience of the linux cli. Nothing's cast in stone.

[Cayars]

Test Version D has been uploaded.

This zip file includes a test version of the DVDBurner. Make sure to configure it's settings in Detailed Setup.

DVDBurner Features

• It supports burning up to 5 files (at present) to DVD.
• It will build a menu on the DVD disc for you.
• It can cut commercials out of the video if it detects a VPjr file created by ComSkip AND you have VideoReDo (tested with version 1.7.0.302) installed.
• It will work on local and mapped drives including UNCs.
• It has the ability (configurable) to compress the video if the DVD "Master" size is greater then the max size of the DVD. How much you can compress your video depends on your recording rate. The higher your recording rate the more you should be able to compress the data. You will need to figure out what is acceptable to you.
• It can write to DVD or build an ISO file that you can mount using Daemon Tools. This is a good option to test compression without wasting DVD discs!
• Most of the current features can be controlled via Detailed Setup->External->DVDBurner.

Remember this is release 1 of the DVD software and it has only been tested on my systems. I already know of a couple of Interface issues that should be corrected and I already have more features and enhancements planned for it.

I'll write up more about the DVD software later after Christmas as there is more to elaborate on, but for now I'd like to get some feedback on it, in it's present form.

Let me know if you notice any problems in the STV or DVD Burner.

Merry Christmast to Everyone!

Carlo

Cayars16TestD.zip

PS this was built so you could use the ISO mode in combination with "external" processing recently talked about here in the thread. In the future, you will be able to offload DVD creation to another machine AND have it build ISO DVD images in an automated fashion that you can burn to disk.

The DVD Burner can be used on the Server or SageClient in it's present form. Keep in mind the first part of the process will take longer over a network.

[Cayars]

Message above was edited to include more info.

[alon24]

Help good people...

I find that I record many shows and they show up ok but after a few days, they are suddly shown as no title, no header.

I moved today to cayars16D from 16C, maybe this prompted the change???

I do not know what to do, before I thought that it was the fact that maybe some shows did not have anything in their description (using xmltvplugin), but these shows were perfect, thay had all the relevant info.

can anyone help?? this is highly important, all of the shows were there (not archived) until I start using the dvd burner option that Cayars is working on and now i am screwed.

Is there a way to addd descriptions back, assuming that there is a description still in the guide?

is there a way to import decriptions (and subtitles) to the shows?
Has any1 encountered these problems before??

i am using UNC path and sage 2.2.2 and pvr250.

Please help
Ilan

[Cayars]

alon24, I'm assuming you;re talking bout in the recording screens.

Somebody else mentioned this same thing a day or two ago in one of the SageTV forums. This person wasn't using my STV but was using 2.2.2. and XML plugin if memory serves me correctly.

Do these shows still play OK even though they seem to be missing information? Do they appear to have valid file names on disk still?

Have you tried to refresh the media libraries?

[Demideus]

Originally Posted by alon24

I moved today to cayars16D from 16C, maybe this prompted the change???
.
.
Has any1 encountered these problems before??

Yep, I had the exact same thing happen to me when I upgraded from Sage 2.1 to 2.2.2 Beta.
Hasn't happened to me since though.

I don't know how to reintegrate the info for these files. I did however find that my wiz.bin was smaller than it used to be.
I am using XMLTV EPG data so, maybe something that sage changed in the definition in wiz.bin didn't agree with the xmltv data that was in there.

If, you've backed up your Sage directory you might be able to salvage the info. Otherwise I guess you'll just have to improvise .

[Brent94Z]

Originally Posted by rsagetv99

Not sure how much more step by step Carlo could have been. The only thing that I can add to his steps would be at the beginning:

1.Install SAGE software.
2.Make sure you have Java Runtime Environment installed.
3.Backup your SAGE directory (i.e. c:\program files\frey technologies\)
4.Extract JavaR1.zip into your Java library extensions directory (i.e. C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2_05\lib\ext).
Etc...

Thanks for that bit of info But, what I don't see/understand is how do users install this STV if they don't have it to start with? From what I can tell, the install instructions indicate that those are the instructions for users who already have at least release 5 of the STV installed. Since that is specifically mentioned, I presume the install instructions are different for those who do not have this installed at all? So, I was trying to find the instrutions for installing this if you don't have at least release 5 already running... i.e, like me with only a fresh install of Sage

Thanks!

[mdmint]

Originally Posted by Brent94Z

Thanks for that bit of info But, what I don't see/understand is how do users install this STV if they don't have it to start with? From what I can tell, the install instructions indicate that those are the instructions for users who already have at least release 5 of the STV installed. Since that is specifically mentioned, I presume the install instructions are different for those who do not have this installed at all? So, I was trying to find the instrutions for installing this if you don't have at least release 5 already running... i.e, like me with only a fresh install of Sage

Thanks!

DOWNLOAD FILES
You will need to download 3 files:
Extract JavaR1.zip into your Java library extensions directory (i.e. C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.2_05\lib\ext)

Extract CoreFilesR1.zip into your main SageTV directory. Please make sure nested folders get extracted correctly.

Extract Cayars15.zip into your main SageTV directory. Please make sure nested folders get extracted correctly. This file normally only contains the menu and STV files. This should be all that is needed to upgrade from any release "5" or greater setup already installed.

I too installed from fresh. CoreFilesR1.zip from the page #1 of this thread quoted above is above is what's needed to bring it up to v5 or better. Worked just fine for me.

[Brent94Z]

Originally Posted by mdmint

I too installed from fresh. CoreFilesR1.zip from the page #1 of this thread quoted above is above is what's needed to bring it up to v5 or better. Worked just fine for me.

Ah ha! I now believe I know where my confusion came from.

I read that entire set of instructions (the three pieces that start with "extract") as set of install instructions. BUT, I read the last sentence

This should be all that is needed to upgrade from any release "5" or greater setup already installed.

as a completing sentence for ALL three of the "extract" steps and not JUST for the last "extract" step. I thought that was kinda like a final comment for the install... not just a comment for the last "extract" step for when you want to install a newer version!

I'm clear now... sorry for the confusion

[Cayars]

Guys, For new installations you need all three files.

If you already have any version of the STV installed (as long as it's atleast version 5) then you only need to update the last file as the other two haven't changed.

For the official release of version 16 I will be re-doing all three zips to reduce the ongoing size of the Cayars15.zip file. This last file is starting to grow to large with the addition of new stuff. I will however provide an "upgrade" zip for those running the Test D version so you will be current without having to d/l all three files again.

Carlo

[Cayars]

Has anyone tried the DVD Burner yet?

[gotuitdan]

I tried the burner. I can add videos from the built-in video library but not from the imported video list, which is where I need to burn from. I select "add to DVD list" and it says it added it, but it isn't on the list. If I do the same thing from the normal video library it adds it fine. I haven't tried burning yet, since I need to burn from the imported list. The imported video is a DVD quality video. I tried adding a re-imported video from the normal library too, with no success...

thanks...!

[alon24]

Originally Posted by Cayars

alon24, I'm assuming you;re talking bout in the recording screens.

Somebody else mentioned this same thing a day or two ago in one of the SageTV forums. This person wasn't using my STV but was using 2.2.2. and XML plugin if memory serves me correctly.

Do these shows still play OK even though they seem to be missing information? Do they appear to have valid file names on disk still?

Have you tried to refresh the media libraries?

Tried refresh doesn't work, all the recordings have IR icon on them (I record strictly from favorites), I have no backup of wiz.bin files.

what can I do? this goes out to any sage rep looking at this post???
please help