GetMediaFileFormatDescription() Questions

[razrsharpe]

I wrote a couple STVi's to allow the user to see what the format of the currently playing media is from the OSD and also to interactively choose the output mode of the extender via a popup while in the media player (no going through the detailed setup or toggling through the resolutions with the Video Out button). Anyway... I want to display the current media file format (resolution and timing). I am using GetMediaFileFormatDescription() and then parsing the string to return only the resolution and timing information.

This works great on:

.mpeg,.mpg
.avi
.m2ts
.mkv

It does not work on (and possibly/probably others):

VIDEO_TS DVD folder structure (returns empty string)
.ts (returns resolution only for H264 video, nothing useful for VC1 video)

Is there another method to return useful and accurate fileformat, resolution, and timing information (either with GetMediaFileFormatDescription or something different)? or is that something that needs to change in the core? If it can't be done from within studio how about an external solution?

My larger goal is to smarten up the NativeOutputResolutionSwitching for the extender with preference tables, etc (Similar to Twisted Melon's post here: http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...08&postcount=2). I think this possible and fairly straight forward but it relies on accurate resolution/timing information for every video (and is worthless otherwise). Any help/pointers is greatly appreciated. Thanks

[jaminben]

I don't think you can get that information for a DVD folder structure and the same is true for .ts files unless it contains a file type that can be read like mpeg or mkv. When creating my imports I used IsDVD to check for DVD's then if true display an alternative message informing the user that the other info is not supported.

[razrsharpe]

Ya that's I am discovering. I can see why that is the case for DVD Folder structure (and probably Blu-ray folder structure too). However, I don't understand why that is the case for .ts files. Isn't .ts just another container like mkv, avi, or m2ts?

[jaminben]

Originally Posted by razrsharpe

Ya that's I am discovering. I can see why that is the case for DVD Folder structure (and probably Blu-ray folder structure too). However, I don't understand why that is the case for .ts files. Isn't .ts just another container like mkv, avi, or m2ts?

I think your correct about .ts and luckily all my .ts files use .mpg2 or .mkv so it wasn't an issue and worked as I expected. When you view your .ts files what type of media does it say it contains? And yes Blu-Ray titles seem to suffer the same issue unless it contains a format that can be read. It also affects the watched status just as DVD files do. See screenshot.

[razrsharpe]

for VC1 video (Planet Earth, Dark Knight) (bluray remuxed into a .ts file) it returns either nothing (empty string) or something completely nonsensical (1:1 1080i @ 40fps) And I know full well the video is 16:9 1080p@24fps. For H264 video (bluray remuxed into a .ts file) it returns format only (1080p, no timing information). For .ts files from the HD-PVR (1080i from STB) it returns a blank string. These are from memory b/c im at work and cant double check to make sure (will double check tonight).

PS - I have since stopped remuxing Bluray into a .ts file. I initially did that because i had better playback on an hd100. I bought an hd200 so this shouldnt be an issue anymore and will go back through and convert the .ts files to BDMV folders. Still doesn't answer the questions about the the HD-PVR .ts files though.....

[jaminben]

Unless anyone else comes-up with a solution I think we're stuck with whats available. It would be nice to get this sort of info from a DVD & .ts file but its not high on my list of what I would want.

[razrsharpe]

Originally Posted by jaminben

Unless anyone else comes-up with a solution I think we're stuck with whats available. It would be nice to get this sort of info from a DVD & .ts file but its not high on my list of what I would want.

ya agreed. It is my next project i want to tackle (smarter native output switching) so i will probably look into getting the information externally (passing the video to ffmpeg or something like that... like EP does in the first part of his mediashrink code.. providing of course this can be done rather painlessly and efficiently) unless of course someone else has some other method available.

[razrsharpe]

PS - I just checked out that screen shot... missed that earlier... I like that UI. I really need to get fanart up and running i think... Is that a stock UI setup or something custom? When you say it effects the watched status do you mean it is reporting the wrong info (aka it should be watched when it isnt?)

[jaminben]

Originally Posted by razrsharpe

PS - I just checked out that screen shot... missed that earlier... I like that UI. I really need to get fanart up and running i think... Is that a stock UI setup or something custom?

Its using SageMC and my movie import as a replacement for SageMC's movie info screen. Its proberly not worth setting up fanart just yet as a new more efficient method is going to be released soon (ish). I believe Tiki has made an import for fanart that supports the default Sage UI.

Originally Posted by razrsharpe

When you say it effects the watched status do you mean it is reporting the wrong info (aka it should be watched when it isnt?)

As far as I'm aware the watched icon/text doesn't work for DVD's and Blu_Rays but does for .ts files. So its not mis-reporting it as it just doesn't work.

[razrsharpe]

Originally Posted by jaminben

Its using SageMC and my movie import as a replacement for SageMC's movie info screen. Its proberly not worth setting up fanart just yet as a new more efficient method is going to be released soon (ish). I believe Tiki has made an import for fanart that supports the default Sage UI.

SageMC convert here... And ya from the rumormill I pretty much decided I was going to hold off on fanart until the new method is released

As far as I'm aware the watched icon/text doesn't work for DVD's and Blu_Rays but does for .ts files. So its not mis-reporting it as it just doesn't work.

AHHHH ok