Comskip Support Forum

I'm using the newest donator version of comskip 81.37 and seeing issues with it. First a little background.

I'm recording a lot of HD shows that my cable company is marking as protected as that's what's showing on the wtc atrributes (stuff from TNT, TBS, Comedy Central, etc). My old process was to convert all my shows to dvr-ms and run comskip against them. Obviously with protected shows, you can't do that. Hence the reason I bought the donator version of comskip, as well as the live tv skipping.

Let's go issue by issue:
1) For live tv skipping - comskip starts and the .incommercial file is created. But it's not able to find any commercials. This happens consistently for every show no matter what channel it's recorded on, protected or not. When I have checked later, I've been checking the log files and seeing it doesn't find any commercials. So I move all files created by comskip and have it run again. For files that aren't marked with the protected flag, it's then able to generate the correct commercials file pretty fast (30 min show took 4 minutes).

2) For protected files - even after I do the steps above and remove files created by comskip during live commercial detection, it's still not able to generate the correct commercial files. I also notice that comskip seems to take a lot longer to process protected files. A thirty minute show took over an hour.

For both processes when it doesn't find any commercials, the commercial xml file just contains:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<root>
</root>


Here's my comskip settings pulled from one of the log files:
Detection Methods to be used:
1) Black Frame
2) Logo - Give up after 2000 seconds
3) Resolution Change
4) Aspect Ratio


ComSkip throttles back from -0001 to -0001.
The time is now 1801 so it's full speed ahead!

Settings
--------
[Main Settings]
;the sum of the values for which kind of frames comskip will consider as possible cutpoints: 1=uniform (black or any other color) frame, 2=logo, 4=scene change, 8=resolution change, 16=closed captions, 32=aspect ration, 64=silence, 255=all.
detect_method=43
;Set to 10 to show a lot of extra info, level 5 is also OK, set to 0 to disable
verbose=10
;Frame not black if any of the pixels of the frame has a brightness greater than this (scale 0 to 255)
max_brightness=60
maxbright=1
;Frame not pure black if a small number of the pixels of the frame has a brightness greater than this. To decide if the frame is truly black, comskip will also check average brightness (scale 0 to 255)
test_brightness=40
;
max_avg_brightness=25
;
max_commercialbreak=600
;
min_commercialbreak=25
;
max_commercial_size=125
;
min_commercial_size=4
;
min_show_segment_length=250
;
max_volume=500
;
max_silence=100
;
non_uniformity=500
[Detailed Settings]
min_silence=12
noise_level=5
brightness_jump=200
fps=25
validate_silence=1
validate_uniform=1
validate_scenechange=1
global_threshold=1.05
disable_heuristics=4
[CPU Load Reduction]
thread_count=6
play_nice_start=-1
play_nice_end=-1
play_nice_sleep=10
[Input Correction]
max_repair_size=200
ms_audio_delay=5
volume_slip=40
variable_bitrate=1
lowres=0
[Aspect Ratio]
ar_delta=0.08
cut_on_ar_change=1
[Global Removes]
padding=0
remove_before=0
remove_after=0
added_recording=14
delete_show_after_last_commercial=0
delete_show_before_first_commercial=0
delete_show_before_or_after_current=0
delete_block_after_commercial=0
min_commercial_break_at_start_or_end=39
always_keep_first_seconds=0
always_keep_last_seconds=0
[USA Specific]
intelligent_brightness=0
black_percentile=0.0076
uniform_percentile=0.003
score_percentile=0.71
[Main Scoring]
length_strict_modifier=3
length_nonstrict_modifier=1.5
combined_length_strict_modifier=2
combined_length_nonstrict_modifier=1.25
ar_wrong_modifier=2
excessive_length_modifier=0.01
dark_block_modifier=0.3
min_schange_modifier=0.5
max_schange_modifier=2
logo_present_modifier=0.01
punish_no_logo=1
[Detailed Scoring]
punish=0
reward=0
punish_threshold=1.3
punish_modifier=2
reward_modifier=0.5
[Logo Finding]
border=10
give_up_logo_search=2000
delay_logo_search=0
logo_max_percentage_of_screen=0.12
ticker_tape=0
ticker_tape_percentage=0
ignore_side=0
subtitles=0
logo_at_bottom=0
logo_threshold=0.75
logo_filter=0
aggressive_logo_rejection=0
edge_level_threshold=5
edge_radius=2
edge_weight=10
edge_step=1
num_logo_buffers=50
use_existing_logo_file=1
two_pass_logo=1
[Logo Interpretation]
connect_blocks_with_logo=1
logo_percentile=0.92
logo_fraction=0.4
shrink_logo=5
shrink_logo_tail=0
before_logo=0
after_logo=0
where_logo=0
min_black_frames_for_break=1
[Closed Captioning]
ccCheck=0
cc_commercial_type_modifier=4
cc_wrong_type_modifier=2
cc_correct_type_modifier=0.75
[Live TV]
live_tv=1
live_tv_retries=4
dvrms_live_tv_retries=300
standoff=0
dvrmsstandoff=120000
require_div5=0
div5_tolerance=-1
incommercial_frames=1000
[Output Control]
output_default=1
output_chapters=0
output_plist_cutlist=0
output_zoomplayer_cutlist=0
output_zoomplayer_chapter=0
output_vcf=0
output_vdr=0
output_projectx=0
output_avisynth=0
output_videoredo=0
output_videoredo3=0
videoredo_offset=2
output_btv=0
output_edl=1
edl_offset=0
output_edlp=0
output_bsplayer=0
output_edlx=0
output_cuttermaran=0
output_mpeg2schnitt=0
output_womble=0
output_mls=0
output_mpgtx=0
output_dvrmstb=1
output_dvrcut=0
output_ipodchap=0
output_framearray=1
output_debugwindow=0
output_tuning=0
output_training=0
output_false=0
output_aspect=0
output_demux=0
output_data=1
output_srt=0
output_smi=0
output_timing=0
delete_logo_file=0
cutscene_frame=0
cutscene_dumpfile=""
cutscene_threshold=10
cutscenefile1=""
cutscenefile2=""
cutscenefile3=""
cutscenefile4=""
cutscenefile5=""
cutscenefile6=""
cutscenefile7=""
cutscenefile8=""
windowtitle="Comskip - %s"
cuttermaran_options="cut=\"true\" unattended=\"true\" muxResult=\"false\" snapToCutPoints=\"true\" closeApp=\"true\""
mpeg2schnitt_options="mpeg2schnitt.exe /S /E /R25 /Z %2 %1"
avisynth_options="LoadPlugin(\"MPEG2Dec3.dll\") \nMPEG2Source(\"%s\")\n"
dvrcut_options="dvrcut \"%s.dvr-ms\" \"%s_clean.dvr-ms\" "
[Sage Workarounds]
sage_framenumber_bug=0
sage_minute_bug=0
enable_mencoder_pts=0

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

1: Can you mail me a log file created with verbose=10 for a non protected .wtv file processed during recording?
2: Comskip can not, and never will be able to, process protected files.

I've sent an email to erik@comskip.org.

Regarding processing of protected files, that's a bummer. I figured you were just reading the file and not doing any conversions to the file to find the commercials.

Is there a way to set an option in the comskip.ini to turn off the processing for protected files? Just so the system doesn't spin unnecessarily. Otherwise mention in the readme file that protected files won't work.

Thanks

Are you able to record a very small protected show?
And upload it to my FTP server?
If so I will PM you with the upload details.

Sure, how small is small? I was just able to record the last ten minutes of a show. Came out to about 750MB and has a commercial break in it. That small enough, or want a half hour show?

5 minutes is enough

I'm uploading.

The odd thing is, when live commercial detection is taking place on the protected files, it doesn't crash, it just takes a long time. When running for files that are not protected, comskip appears to crash after a couple of minutes. I was just monitoring while watching a show, and saw this happen and windows generated a Windows Error Report. I pulled this information from that WER file:

Version=1
EventType=APPCRASH
EventTime=129844507897253310
ReportType=2
Consent=1
UploadTime=129844508006619565
ReportIdentifier=96d0fb6f-b8d7-11e1-897a-00222cfeffff
IntegratorReportIdentifier=96d0fb6e-b8d7-11e1-897a-00222cfeffff
Response.BucketId=2993355915
Response.BucketTable=1
Response.type=4
Sig[0].Name=Application Name
Sig[0].Value=comskip.exe
Sig[1].Name=Application Version
Sig[1].Value=0.0.0.0
Sig[2].Name=Application Timestamp
Sig[2].Value=4fb8bf71
Sig[3].Name=Fault Module Name
Sig[3].Value=comskip.exe
Sig[4].Name=Fault Module Version
Sig[4].Value=0.0.0.0
Sig[5].Name=Fault Module Timestamp
Sig[5].Value=4fb8bf71
Sig[6].Name=Exception Code
Sig[6].Value=c0000005
Sig[7].Name=Exception Offset
Sig[7].Value=000dbbf5
DynamicSig[1].Name=OS Version
DynamicSig[1].Value=6.1.7601.2.1.0.768.3
DynamicSig[2].Name=Locale ID
DynamicSig[2].Value=1033
DynamicSig[22].Name=Additional Information 1
DynamicSig[22].Value=0a9e
DynamicSig[23].Name=Additional Information 2
DynamicSig[23].Value=0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
DynamicSig[24].Name=Additional Information 3
DynamicSig[24].Value=0a9e
DynamicSig[25].Name=Additional Information 4
DynamicSig[25].Value=0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
UI[2]=C:\Program Files\DVRMSToolbox\Applications\comskip.exe
UI[3]=comskip.exe has stopped working
UI[4]=Windows can check online for a solution to the problem.
UI[5]=Check online for a solution (recommended)
UI[6]=Check for a solution later (recommended)
UI[7]=Close
UI[8]=comskip.exe stopped working and was closed
UI[9]=A problem caused the application to stop working correctly. Windows will notify you if a solution is available.
UI[10]=&Close
LoadedModule[0]=C:\Program Files\DVRMSToolbox\Applications\comskip.exe
LoadedModule[1]=C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
LoadedModule[2]=C:\Windows\system32\kernel32.dll
LoadedModule[3]=C:\Windows\system32\KERNELBASE.dll
LoadedModule[4]=C:\Windows\system32\COMDLG32.DLL
LoadedModule[5]=C:\Windows\system32\msvcrt.dll
LoadedModule[6]=C:\Windows\system32\SHLWAPI.dll
LoadedModule[7]=C:\Windows\system32\GDI32.dll
LoadedModule[8]=C:\Windows\system32\USER32.dll
LoadedModule[9]=C:\Windows\system32\LPK.dll
LoadedModule[10]=C:\Windows\system32\USP10.dll
LoadedModule[11]=C:\Windows\WinSxS\x86_microsoft.windows.common-controls_6595b64144ccf1df_5.82.7601.17514_none_ec83dffa859149af\COMCTL32.dll
LoadedModule[12]=C:\Windows\system32\ADVAPI32.dll
LoadedModule[13]=C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\sechost.dll
LoadedModule[14]=C:\Windows\system32\RPCRT4.dll
LoadedModule[15]=C:\Windows\system32\SHELL32.dll
LoadedModule[16]=C:\Windows\system32\WS2_32.dll
LoadedModule[17]=C:\Windows\system32\NSI.dll
LoadedModule[18]=C:\Windows\system32\IMM32.DLL
LoadedModule[19]=C:\Windows\system32\MSCTF.dll
State[0].Key=Transport.DoneStage1
State[0].Value=1
State[1].Key=DataRequest
State[1].Value=Bucket=-1301611381/nBucketTable=1/nResponse=1/n
FriendlyEventName=Stopped working
ConsentKey=APPCRASH
AppName=comskip.exe
AppPath=C:\Program Files\DVRMSToolbox\Applications\comskip.exe

Don't know if that helps any. Here's the associated error in the event viewer:
Log Name: Application
Source: Application Error
Date: 6/17/2012 4:53:09 PM
Event ID: 1000
Task Category: (100)
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: Fast
Description:
Faulting application name: comskip.exe, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x4fb8bf71
Faulting module name: comskip.exe, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x4fb8bf71
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x000dbbf5
Faulting process id: 0x1548
Faulting application start time: 0x01cd4ce40982d7f7
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\DVRMSToolbox\Applications\comskip.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files\DVRMSToolbox\Applications\comskip.exe
Report Id: 96d0fb6e-b8d7-11e1-897a-00222cfeffff
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Application Error" />
<EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>100</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2012-06-17T23:53:09.000000000Z" />
<EventRecordID>3719230</EventRecordID>
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>Fast</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>comskip.exe</Data>
<Data>0.0.0.0</Data>
<Data>4fb8bf71</Data>
<Data>comskip.exe</Data>
<Data>0.0.0.0</Data>
<Data>4fb8bf71</Data>
<Data>c0000005</Data>
<Data>000dbbf5</Data>
<Data>1548</Data>
<Data>01cd4ce40982d7f7</Data>
<Data>C:\Program Files\DVRMSToolbox\Applications\comskip.exe</Data>
<Data>C:\Program Files\DVRMSToolbox\Applications\comskip.exe</Data>
<Data>96d0fb6e-b8d7-11e1-897a-00222cfeffff</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

Can you upload the wtv file again, but don't put it inside a .zip file.

Uploaded again.