Alternative Cutting and .dvr-ms Output Method (Windows XP)

Here you can ask your questions on how to use Comskip for the detection of commercials. Also questions on how to remove commercials are welcome
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PCMix9250
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2008 6:07 am

Alternative Cutting and .dvr-ms Output Method (Windows XP)

Post by PCMix9250 »

To All:

Sometimes I don't give myself enough credit for all of the skills I use... including the fact that I am now posting another message - not for a question, but for a solution... a somewhat easy alternative, to cutting and re-creating a Recorded TV file.

Here's how you do it:
1. You must use Windows XP MCE 2005... or if you want to go with Vista, it's your choice... however Windows 7 will not work! (Let me say this again: Windows 7 will not work... so don't ask me if this may be applied to that O.S.)
2. You must download all listed freeware tools: DVRMSToolbox (1.1.0.8 or the current equivalent version for Vista), DVRCut, and a stable ComSkip release.
3. Run Comskip for commercial detection (after enabling your "DVRCut" setting in your Comskip.ini file)
4. Open 2 windows of Command Prompt - one of them being your new .bat file created by ComSkip... (this will show you everything, and you type the same information displayed in that window, to run the DVRCut program).
5. Go to DVRtoMPEGSettings, and create a new profile, combining both the steps for the profiles - "Fix MCE Slider" & "Migrate Metadata" - and just rename the new profile name and description to match the settings/configurations of a joined profile.
6. Take the new .dvr-ms file (the new output, commercial-free file) and put that as the output file in DVRMSToolbox, and use the original source file as the input file (with all the MetaData to be copied).
7. YOUR RESULT WILL BE A COMMERCIAL-FREE, "NEW" RECORDED TV FILE... JUST AS YOU WOULD SEE IF YOU RECORDED IT AGAIN.

* Here are a few notes:
A. The most important note is make sure you use Windows XP MCE 2005 O.S. for best compatability with all three tools mentioned. (This O.S. is what I have and will continue to use).
B. On step 6, especially for newbies, rename the output file the same name as original, only with the following (1).dvr-ms, for your second file (as you should not replace the original source, until you are satisfied)!
C. To store and record these and many more recordings, use an external hard-drive for the entire process.
D. This is my recommended method to my knowledge... and I am unsure of a few things as well: performing this on Vista; how to bypass a "Restricted Content" error (from the Broadcaster's Copy-Protection on some channels) for simple, first-time viewing.
E. Some channels regardless of signal settings, will be Protected, such as AMC or FX (yes, even with analog, it happens to me as well). If you have alot of movie channels or digital plus quality, it may occur more frequently.
F. If you (like myself) need CC, to add to your file or DVD creation, please extract the CC to a file (SRT, most likely), using another freeware tool, called CCExtractor... before burning or converting. Unless your original recording was an .mpg file, you will lose this data, if you choose not to;
G. Any steps or problems you may encounter if you try to attempt this process as a substitute method, (such as with Vista or Digital/HD Broadcasts), do not ask me about, as I do not know how to relate to.
H. Use Windows Media Center for pretty much all media recordings, as this program not only is included in the Operating Systems and most newer O.S. versions as well, but the most important things are the exclusive, detailed EPG option and the ability to search up to 14 days of listings... and ofcourse the .dvr-ms format (which includes internal/embedded CC data, viewable with the program itself (during live or recording playback, once set to display).

Hope that helps. Please do not exclude the administrator of this site as a resource for information; he is more of an expert than I am.
Gregory K
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