Burning TV to DVD- Feedback needed on how we should do it (2 Viewers)

[egonspengleruk]

Hi all,

Im trying to work out the best way to burn TV shows to DVD. Ive added DVD burning into the MyBurner plugin (not released yet as still a few bits left to do) and burning TV shows is the next step. At the minute I have to navigate to the Recorded TV directory, convert the DVRMS to MPG and burn to DVD.....but it makes more sense to me to burn TV shows from within MyTV....or at least MyVideos. This way the user (and more importantly their family) dont have to remember where the TV shows are recorded.
If I can add the code to MyTV then I can also get the TV show info from the MP database to add to the DVD menu.

Which brings me to my question. Where do we want to add in the "Burn to DVD" menu/button. For my changes to MyVideos its easy as a DivX is all that can fit on a DVD...so a simple "Burn Movie to DVD" button/context menu option is sufficient. But TV shows are smaller so you can have multiple shows on a DVD. Which means that I need to queue up shows into a Playlist. But playlists dont exist in MyTv->Recorded TV. There is a context menu which I can add on Burn Show to DVD (singular)...but how do we want to handle multiple files?

Egon

 

[Ralph]

Hi Egon,

if I get you right, the burn to DVD function is working for you right now, even with recorded dvr-ms files?
That sounds great!
But what about your beta. Shouldn't we test it first?

I think I know what you mean.
You would like to finish and implement your work as intuitiv as possible to MediaPortal.
But it might be rather usefull to get the functionality working, first.
If it will work in Burner Plugin right now, just release your version or let's try some beta testers, first.
If after that no issues come up, you should make step 2 and implement this functions to the context menu of myTV or myVideos.

We had the same discussion with Dvr-MpegCut before the first release.
And we decided to release it as a Plugin first and after that we will add the functions to the context menus.

Now to your question (for me step 2):
I think there are many ways of doing that and noone is THE best way.
One possiblity could be - an entry in context menu in myTV and myVideos that says "Burn to DVD" would be indeed the easiest way.
By choosing this entry the menu should switch to burner plugin.
Here I can choose to burn this file, or to add more.
By choosing "add more" I can navigate the explorer to my Recordings folder and choose another file.

A second entry in context menu of myTV or myVideos could be called "add to burnlist"
This action would add the file to burnlist without switching to Burner Pluging.
I just can go on browsing myVideos and adding another file.
When I have enough files I just choose "burn to DVD" for the last file to add to burnlist and I jump directly to Burner Plugin.
Or I can leave myVideos and can go later on to Burner Plugin where my burnlist still is stored.

Just a few thoughts. But as I said before. I would prefere step 1 before doing step 2.

Regards
Ralph

 

[egonspengleruk]

Hey Ralph,

My plan is still to release the plugin first. EvilPenguin81 is doing some work on creating dynamic DVD menus (which will blow you all away) and im waiting for this before releasing it. Im also in the middle of multi threading my code as it currently all runs on the UI thread and freezes it. Once both these things are done I will release it as a plugin.
My reasoning for asking about stage two now is that I know it can take a while to get peoples responses via the fourms.....so this way we should hopefully have discussed and decided on the best way to do it by the time I get around to starting to code it

Not looked at the DVR-MS burning yet.....as unsure which bit of transcoding code is current...the one in MyBurner or the one in TV -Compress ?

I purposefully dont want to have to navigate via an explorer like dialog to the Recordings folder.....as not only isnt it obvious where that is (to partners/kids), but the file names arent clear. I think the best way would
be to select the files from the Recorded TV menu.....and I like your "Burnlist" as opposed to Playlist.
If we then send the burnlist to the plugin, what happens if the plugin isnt enabled? This is why I dont think the plugin should exist post stage 2. It should be part of the core.
What do you think?

 

[Marcusb]

I like the burnlist option too.
Although, once they are on the list, then I would have thought there needs to be a menu where you can select the ones on the list you want to burn (you may have others that you want on a separate disc).

For parents and kids this may be a little too complicated, so a simple "burn to DVD" options would also be a good idea.

I also think it's probably a good idea to still have a menu option (either a plugin or in core) that lets you select things to burn from an explorer style interface. It shouldn't add to complexity and may come in handy for straight burning.

Whichever way you choose to implement it, I will be very eager to get my hands on this. It's a great function so thanks for your efforts.

 

[Elconejo]

I'm also for the burnlist option and "burn list to dvd" or something like "burn dvd" button that shows a menu with options before burning.

It would be awsome if recorded movies or shows could be burned to a dvd with a MP DVD menu in it. If you hit "start burning" the plugin would convert all the different file formats to mpeg 2 for DVD and then burn it to a disc (or make an ISO-file first and then burn it all at once).

I'm waiting for a decent plugin al long time and i must say its great to hear someone is working on this. If you release a beta or test version, i'm happy to test or try it.

Great work, keep it going...

 

[egonspengleruk]

It would be awsome if recorded movies or shows could be burned to a dvd with a MP DVD menu in it. If you hit "start burning" the plugin would convert all the different file formats to mpeg 2 for DVD and then burn it to a disc (or make an ISO-file first and then burn it all at once).

I already have it doing that

 

[Ralph]

...
Not looked at the DVR-MS burning yet.....as unsure which bit of transcoding code is current...the one in MyBurner or the one in TV -Compress ?

I think both are working fine. But maybe you will take the one from MyTV.
'Cause it's still supported and the dev-team will keep it up-to-date.
Even if the new recording engine, that records in .ts-files will come.

I think the best way would
be to select the files from the Recorded TV menu

Yes, should be in this screen, but there should be an option in myVideos, too.
'Cause after new installations of MP, the database is not updated everytime, so I do not have all my recordings in Recorded TV-screen.
So I would prefere to have this opton in context menu of myVideos, too.

If we then send the burnlist to the plugin, what happens if the plugin isnt enabled?

I don't know if it's possible, but this entries in context menus should just appear, if the plugin is enabled, of course!

This is why I dont think the plugin should exist post stage 2. It should be part of the core.
What do you think?

Of course it would be nice, having this as a part of core.
But therefore I would suggest to release the plugin, first and see how it works.
Than I think new users will bring new ideas.
Maybe even the dev-team will take notice of that and they might help implementing this plugin to core again.

Dvr-MpegCut was also released as Plugin, and now it's in SVN (means integrated to MP).
Now we can make the next step and look how to integrate it to different context-menus.


BTW, just one thought to the burnlist.
The burnlist should be stored in Burner Plugin.
I think one burnlist is enough. It should be possible to add or delete an entry before burning it to dvd.

But that are just advanced ideas I guess.
Looking forward to the new functions.

Regards
Ralph

 

[Elconejo]

It would be awsome if recorded movies or shows could be burned to a dvd with a MP DVD menu in it. If you hit "start burning" the plugin would convert all the different file formats to mpeg 2 for DVD and then burn it to a disc (or make an ISO-file first and then burn it all at once).

I already have it doing that

Ok, where can i get this or when will the beta be ready? I can't wait anymore...

 

[Bram]

The following tool is realeased under GPL. There is no commandline option yet, but there will be...so I have heard.
But maybe you still can find some info on the site you could use.

http://mediacoder.sourceforge.net/

edit: I was wrong. It seems it IS possible to use it as a commandline tool!

 

[egonspengleruk]

The following tool is realeased under GPL. There is no commandline option yet, but there will be...so I have heard.
But maybe you still can find some info on the site you could use.

http://mediacoder.sourceforge.net/

edit: I was wrong. It seems it IS possible to use it as a commandline tool!

Hey Bram,

Already have it burning DVD's....but will have a look at that to see if it will speed things up....as currently several different conversion steps have to take place.

Egon