Import files into SageTV recordings instead of video directory?

[rbarr110]

I just had one of my harddrives die in my Sage setup (the one with the windows install). My other hardrive is where all the recordings go. Is there a way to have those files put back into the "Recordings" folder instead of the imported video folder?

I tried pasting the whole directory (files and other xml files) into the new SAge setup directory for recordings, but they do not show up.

Any suggestions?

[Opus4]

The recording info is stored in wiz.bin, so you would need your old wiz.bin file in order to have the old recordings recognized w/their detailed info.

- Andy

[rbarr110]

Is the wiz.bin file where the Sage program was installed? Or with the recorded files?

If it is with Sage install I guess I am hosed since that HD went belly up.

[Opus4]

wiz.bin is in the SageTV install directory... so if you have no backups of that saved on another drive, there isn't a whole lot to do. All the existing recordings will be imported. That was also where all your favorites & viewing history was stored.

I know it doesn't help now, but I have to add a suggestion to keep backups of at least that file. But, a method to backup the entire OS drive would be even better. (I'm going through that now... after building a brand new work system, the main drive failed an hour or so after getting just about everything installed & configured. I made drive image backups of everything as I was setting up, so now it is 'just' a matter of restoring that. I say 'just', because it isn't always as easy as it sounds -- when Windows XP goes from 2 disks to 1 disk w/multiple partitions, it can wreak havoc on what you think the drive letters are & prevent Windows from booting. Win95 was actually easier in terms of changing partitions & still being able to boot.)

- Andy

[nielm]

if there are not too many files that you want to import then my webserver plugin can turn imported files into sage recordings:

Search for imported videos
View detailed info for each one you want to import
click Edit Show info
enter title/episode/channel (date should already be correct)
and the show should now be an archived show in Sage recordings...

[rbarr110]

Thanks for the help.

Quick question Nielm - what is the name of the plugin? I have looked through here:

http://forums.sage.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=7953

Didn't see the plugin, maybe it is there and overlooked it.

Thanks

[nielm]

SageTV Web Interface
Plugin: Webserver for SageTV v2.1+ by nielm

[stevech]

Does SageTV keep the EPG info about a recorded inside the mpeg file's user-define areas? I thought it did, so the SageTV database can't get "hosed" as video files change their place of storage.

[Opus4]

As I mentioned above: the recording info is stored in wiz.bin, not the recorded mpg file.

- Andy

[stevech]

If it kept the EPG data in the mpeg file, and scanned those files to rebuild the database whenever video directories are added or deleted, would not the database be less likely to corrupt and would not the issue with drive names and so on go away?

[amac]

Originally Posted by stevech

If it kept the EPG data in the mpeg file, and scanned those files to rebuild the database whenever video directories are added or deleted, would not the database be less likely to corrupt and would not the issue with drive names and so on go away?

I could be wrong but isn't that what Microsoft does? Of course that is a proprietary format which many people don't like for various reasons.

But yes, it would alleviate your problem for the future. Personally, it would be nice if Sage at least provided an XML import format that we could massage before being imported into wiz.bin. It's definitely an all too critical file.

[stevech]

I think the fragility of the database and inability to move video files among drives and folders is a big shortcoming for ease of use by non-geeks.

More important is the need for de-geeking the wording of the menus and the placement of choices within menus.