Best way to burn DVD's from Sage's recordings

[jgs14]

Hello!

I recently began using SageTV, and am very happy with its recording/playback features. I am also using Comskip and the ComSkip Playback STVi (with the default STV) for pleasant commercial free viewing.

My only problem is as follows:

I would like to find a way to burn the SageTV recordings, using the comskip EDL files as chapter markers. I can burn the straight MPEGs that Sage produces with any program I want, but no DVD burning program I have tried will let me import a list of chapter-times from an EDL (or any other) file.

What does everyone do for backing your favorite shows up to DVD? I had a look at the SageMC DVD Burning pluging (searched here at the forums) but it seems to be more focused on transcoding (which I don't need) and the actual DVD burning part seems to be broken in the latest distribution packages.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

--
Joe

[ke6guj]

What I do when I need to burn a DVD is run the mpeg through videoredo with the .vprj files that showanalyzer creates to cut out the commercials.

Then, I use ConvertXtoDVD or Nero to author and burn the DVD.

I do this on my main desktop PC, not my Sage server.

[pez]

VideoRedo has a TV Suite version that can burn directly to DVD. It is very easy and that's why I use it. Now if VideoRedo could be merged with Sage, that'd really be great.

-pez

[domc]

Yeah, the new VideoRedo has a DVD burner and DVD menu maker built in now. I've got an upgrade offer in Email yesterday for $25. Great deal!! An all in one product now.
Using VideoRedo built into SageTV would be illegal and create liability issues with the SageTV developers.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by domc

Using VideoRedo built into SageTV would be illegal and create liability issues with the SageTV developers.

How did you reach this conclusion? There already is a Videoredo plugin that works with Videoredo Pus. Bob Phoenix may be able to improve his already great plugin to take advanatge of the additional features of TV Suite. Why would the Sage Developers care that a program you own can work with API calls from Sage? That's the very nature of a plugin.

Gerry

[domc]

Sure a plugin is fine. I thought he was talking about coming right out of the distribution of SageTV.

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by gplasky

How did you reach this conclusion? There already is a Videoredo plugin that works with Videoredo Pus. Bob Phoenix may be able to improve his already great plugin to take advanatge of the additional features of TV Suite. Why would the Sage Developers care that a program you own can work with API calls from Sage? That's the very nature of a plugin.

Gerry

If VideoReDo will make a COM interface for this (it's not currently) I will make it available with my VideoEdit plugin. The next version of the plugin will be using the COM interface to bring tighter integration so that canceling and status are available but I haven't see a change to the COM interface with the TVSuite to include the DVD burning. Hoping they will in the future.

[pseudonym]

FWIW -- I record from SageTV to several directories, all get Comskip running against them as the recordings will be watched with SageTV and we like to skip the commercials.

But one directory receives recordings that will also have the commercials cut and the recording converted to DivX AVI and downloaded to my media player when it docks. All this is automated.

I use DirMon2 to schedule Comskip on all the recording directories, DirMon2 will also schedule the script to cut commercials and convert to DivX AVI in that one directory, right after Comskip has finished. I use Mencoder to cut the commercials and create the AVI in one step. Works a treat. The only problems I've had are inaccurate cuts due to my not having taken the time to fine-tune Comskip for peculiar circumstance. But this is rare and Comskip out of the chute has done a perfect job the vast majority of the time. Since I don't delete the .mpg I always have the original recording if things really go haywire with the cuts.

Don't see why you couldn't launch Mencoder or other proggies to cut commercials and create a DVD image to disk (Nero can do this)? You could then burn the image to DVD media at your convenience, all the lengthy processing would be done. You could automate the burn step too if that works for you (have enough burners for the images).

Best regards,
--pseudonym

[Wirenut]

I'm still using EvilPenguin's DVD Burning plugin with SageTV ver 6.2 Standard UI.

I don't know much about the MC stv, but it works in the standard.... and the transcoding is done only if the file wont fit on the media ie: typically larger>4.7gb, for single layer burns. It works pretty fast without transcoding.

Works like a charm. Creates chapters from the comskip cuts. ...and if I don't like the original cuts, I edit them with BobPhoenix's video editing plugin first.

Everytime I burn a DVD and take it somewhere on various players, it plays! That's a major deal to have it work reliably. My friends always comment on how cool the menus look... and how long it must have taken me to put that together.... and giving credit where credit's due.... I tell 'em all it takes one button push from the remote on my couch.

Thanks to Sage and EvilPenguin.

Maybe have a look at the perl2dvd program inside the EvilPenguin plugin and tweak it to your desired output.

2cents,

Wirenut

[jgs14]

Originally Posted by Wirenut

I'm still using EvilPenguin's DVD Burning plugin with SageTV ver 6.2 Standard UI.

Maybe have a look at the perl2dvd program inside the EvilPenguin plugin and tweak it to your desired output.

Could you tell me what version of the DVD Burning Plugin you are using? The only one still on sourceforge is 3.0x and those apparently don't support the default STV, and DVD burning seems 'flakey'.

If I get some time I am going to look at the perl2dvd program and see if I can hack something together that doesn't need SageMC...

Regards,

--
Joe

[evilpenguin]

He's using a 2.0x version of my plug-in and those aren't available anymore because I accidentally deleted the complicated install instructions (oops ).

[Wirenut]

I think I still have the download zip or rar file that I originally used. If evilpenguin can't find it... I have attached the stvi and jar file needed to import this into the standard UI.

Evilpenguin might be able to help you install this....

But, I just shutdown SageTV and the server if you are using it. Then, extract the zip file to the SageTV folder on your computer. Then restart the server and / or SageTV, then import the Stvi from the setup screen.

It works fine for me... but YMMV.

I think you'll have to extract this file first... and I put it up on my server for easy download...

http://www.scottstrang.com/SageMC_Vi...ls_v2_0_1a.zip

Extract to your SageTV directory... with the server stopped and SageTV shut down. Then you'll have to run the Perl2DVD setup program that will be in your SageTV directory and configure the setup options.

Then download the attacment to this post... extract it to the SageTV directory with SageTV and server still stopped / shutdown.

Then restart SageTV and the server if you're using it.... and import the DVD Burning STVi from Sage's Setup menu.

It's been awhile since I did this from the raw... so good luck...


Don't fear the EvilPenguin... I'm sure he can help with this install. I had no problems whatsoever. ...and I'm not sure if this file contains all you need. But I believe it's the one I used successfully. I use the DVD burning plugin quite a bit without trouble.

Peace,

Wirenut