Request for a new output format: XML for DVRMSToolbox

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Coyote
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2007 10:00 pm

Request for a new output format: XML for DVRMSToolbox

Post by Coyote »

Comskip is included with the excellent DVRMSToolbox for Windows Media Center: http://www.babgvant.com

DVRMSToolbox does not support live detection with comskip, but it would if comskip could output the expected XML. The format is very similar to BTV XML.

here's a sample of what we're looking for:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<root>
<commercial start="36.469766666666665" end="147.147" />
<commercial start="618.9183" end="769.5688" />
<commercial start="1042.1077333333333" end="1242.6414" />
<commercial start="1688.2532333333334" end="1830.9958333333334" />
</root>

Also, this will require the XML file to be written to a different directory than the input file. Is there a way to get comskip to output to an alternate path? I tried putting an output path/file after the input file, but it doesn't seem to use it.

Thanks in advance!
erik
Site Admin
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Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2005 3:49 pm

Post by erik »

Comskip currently is not able to read dvr-ms while recording.
Is that required in the setup you propose?
Coyote
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2007 10:00 pm

Post by Coyote »

Yes, it would require that. Maybe this could be revisited if that is implemented.
erik
Site Admin
Posts: 3368
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2005 3:49 pm

Post by erik »

I made an experimental implementation of dvr-ms realtime scanning.
Could you test? Build 102
erik
Site Admin
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Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2005 3:49 pm

Post by erik »

Solved a bug, build 103
jelwood
Posts: 15
Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2007 2:16 am

Post by jelwood »

I'm also interested in this. I’ve been using ShowAnalyzer for a long time, but it doesn’t seem to do as well on HD content as ComSkip. However the “live commercial detection” feature is something I really miss. I tested ComSkip live commercial detection and it does seem to generate the .txt file while the show is still recording. However, the two items Coyote mentioned above will be needed to properly test this with babgvant’s MCE addin.

1) We will need the ability to output an XML file in the format babgvant’s addin is looking for (Coyote gave a sample above).

2) We will need the ability to select an output directory for these XML files that is different than the directory of the dvr-ms file.

Thanks for considering this request…
erik
Site Admin
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Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2005 3:49 pm

Post by erik »

I am for sure considering this but I need one or two persons that will do some testing for me as i can not record dvr-ms.
Send me a PM and I will send you instructions for testing.
jelwood
Posts: 15
Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2007 2:16 am

Post by jelwood »

Erik, thank you for all your hard work on this. Now with version 110 we can use the keyword output_dvrmstb=1 to output the native Dtb format. For those that are interested below are some of the keywords needed to make this work.

output_dvrmstb=1
live_tv=1
live_tv_retries=120

Also, to make the XML files output to a directory different than the show directory just pass a second command line arg to Comsip.exe when calling it. For example:

comskip.exe show.dvr-ms "c:\program files\DVRMSToolbox\CommercialsXML"

Thanks again to Erik for everything he's done.
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