Guide: Automated Ad Removal (DVRMS Toolbox)

[skippy_nz]

Originally Posted by Brocklander

There's a new version? Will have to try it out!

I've actually stopped using ad removal as I haven't had time to set it up correctly at our new house, and have also been playing with Comskip as an alternative, as well as newer versions and fine tuning of Show Analyzer, which DVRMSToolbox uses for detection.

Strange that the file is getting stuck - is there an error in the way it was encoded in Media Portal (like it crashing or something?). When I said I had trouble with one channel, it was due to it either not picking up commercials or chopping out the wrong parts.

Brocklander

what channel was it you were having issues ? TV2 by any chance

[martyyn]

Originally Posted by Brocklander

There's a new version? Will have to try it out!

I only say that because the dialog boxes appeared to be different and I seem to remember seeing something on the DVRMSToolbox forum I got pointed to at some stage.

Ill be very interested to hear how you go about ad removal in the future. Your guides have been just what Ive been looking for. After some time trying to get MP stable and doing what I need it to do, Ive gone for a couple of weeks doing nothing (to improve the WAF points) so I can start playing again now.

What weve found is that since I got the EPG going with the STB and HIP that we are recording shows in the middle of the night and rather than flick past them as we watch them, Id like to remove them automatically.

[Brocklander]

Originally Posted by skippy_nz

what channel was it you were having issues ? TV2 by any chance

I can't remember to be honest - I originally set this up when I visited Napier in the holidays, then came back to Wellington to start back at Uni, and since then have purchased a new aerial that has improved our reception... I'll try some options over the Easter break and find out what works best.

[Brocklander]

Originally Posted by martyyn

Ill be very interested to hear how you go about ad removal in the future. Your guides have been just what Ive been looking for.

Things have changed quite a lot in the last few months with Media Portal, and will continue to - manual cropping looks like it'll be available within MP shortly, Recorded TV Compression will likely be overhauled sometime in the near future, and Comskip may end up being a better solution to cutting out ads.

What I'm trying to say is that the stuff I've written about may no longer be the best way to do things

[martyyn]

Originally Posted by Brocklander

What I'm trying to say is that the stuff I've written about may no longer be the best way to do things

All I care about is that it works and can be set up with the minimum amount of fuss

Ive been having a play with Comskip this afternoon. Unfortunately I only have one dvr-ms file with me (off UKTV) and it has no ads, just short clips showing whats coming up.

A quick look at the log tells me it found all those 'ads' but none of them appear to have been removed from the file. Im just trying the comskip with txt thingy and that agrees, the timeline is all white, whereas I wouldve expected to see some cut out.

I assume this means that although its detected the lack of a logo it thinks the program is still going ?

[poppy10]

Hi, can anyone show me the actual download link for dvrmstoolbox? I've looked here:

http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/110567.aspx

but can't find the link to download the actual program :x

[erik1958]

Comskip can detect the commercials in DVR-MS file but it will NOT delete them
I adapted a small utility from sourceforge so it can cut out the commrcials from a dvr-ms file using the output from comskip.
So no converting to mpeg anymore.
A word of warning however. Comskip and DVRCut are console applications so you have to do some .bat writing to make this all work.

[Taipan]

Hi, can anyone show me the actual download link for dvrmstoolbox?

The latest version (1.0.9.7) is available here...

[poppy10]

The latest version (1.0.9.7) is available here...

Thanks. there's actually a new version now, 1.0.9.8:

http://home.comcast.net/%7Eagvantil/...oolbox1098.zip

Changes for 1.0.9.8
- fixed an issue with graph retrival in commercial skip addin (error message prompting to restart MCE from the addin)
- added tooltips to the settings tool
- fixed an issue with MCE specific registy key not existing on non-MCE machines
- fixed localization issue with BUILTIN\Administrators
- commercialsxml and fwjobs path are now configurable
- fixed a bug in dumpcommercials
- modifed findcommercials to work with the new version of comskip
- fixed localization issue with commericals xml files in add-in
- findcommercials will detect registration status of SA, and use comskip if it is not registered or not installed
- added Condition Generator feature to the PC Editor (much easier to create custom PC using common meta tags)
- add autoscan setting to addin
- Folder Processor creates a process per file
- added RunExternal action: runs any external cmd, bat, exe with configured arguments. arguments must be entered in the format argname1=%ContextItem% argname2=%ContextItem% where ContextItem = the name of the item to pull from context. For e.g. /if="%InputFile%" /of="%OutputFile%" will take the values for InputFile and OutputFile from the Context and create the argument list.

[pglenn]

Been using the toolbox for 4-5months, it works great, however I have been having issues with the MPEG files it creates.

When I run these MPEG files through MediaPortal or even Windows Media Player it displays incorrect time lengths for the video (ie 3.5 minutes total instead of 1hour total and this time doesnt even "appear" match up to where the first commercial "was"), FF and RW dont work (or work spradically or randomly), and in MP when I close (or attempt to close) the file a large black "hole" remains where the video was and wont go away until I close and re-open MP. Strange, the original DVR-MS file works perfect in both WMP and MP, and it seems other video players play the resultant MPEG just fine, even with correct time displays. AND, I can use other file converters (vidomi, veedub, etc) to convert the resultant MPEG to AVI and then the AVI works just perfect.

first thought would be a missing/incorrect CODEC but wouldnt that affect most other file players as well?

Patrick