ComSkipMonitored TvServer Plugin (1 Viewer)

[johns11]

ComSkipMonitored is a TvServer plugin which queues new TV recordings and then launches Comskip against them, for advertisement detection, so long as the maximum number of concurrent Comskip processes (configurable) is not exceeded. The system checks every 60 seconds to see if queued recordings can be launched/processed.

ComSkip Monitored can also take into account Movie Thumbnailer (mtn) processes when deciding to launch, or queue, a Comskip process for a recording.

The default MediaPortal “ComSkipLauncher” plugin has the ability to launch a Comskip process for every TV recording. BUT there can be times when too many Comskip processes are run concurrently and either overload the CPU or cause the machine to work very hard and increase CPU/Case fan noise.

Due to this I had to disable Comskip processing from the two MediaPortal machines I maintain. I now have my ComSkipMonitored set to allow a maximum of 2 (I'm still deciding on the optimum, so sometimes 3) concurrent processes to run.

Download plugin from here:
https://www.team-mediaportal.com/extensions/other/comskip-monitored

Please let me know of bugs or obvious enhancements.

 

[Jay_UK]

Hi there,

Don't really have an issue with comskips causing me problems, but the idea of yours is good

I have installed your plugin and will report back if I have issues.

Many thanks

J.

 

[doveman]

Does comskip actually work to accurately detect and mark the adverts for you on UK channels. I've never managed to get it to work properly, so if you've got configs that work for UK channels, I'd very much appreciate if you'd share them.

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

Funny enough the channels that give me grief with comskip are all BBC, for some unknown reason comskip always cuts off the end couple of minutes of any show, annoying when waiting for the climax,, would love TVServer\ForTheRecord to be able to select certain channels to be excluded, on a channel by channel basis of course

 

[phe]

Hi johns11,

I'm new to ComSkip.
Your plugin sounds promising so I played around a bit and there might be a problem with
quotes around filenames leading to a ComSkip syntax error.

Here is what I did:

1) to check that ComSkip itself works, run the following command in a DOS Box:
"C:\Programme\Team MediaPortal\comskip80_042\comskip.exe" "E:\Multimedia\TV\J.A.G. - Im Auftrag der Ehre - sixx - 2012-04-06.ts" -t
>> OK

2) run ComSkip via "Test" button in MP Configuration, keep default command line "{0}" -d
>> ComSkip window opens + closes immediately

3) change command line to {0} -d and re-run via Test button:
>> OK / results in correct command line:
"C:\Programme\Team MediaPortal\comskip80_042\comskip.exe" "E:\Multimedia\TV\J.A.G. - Im Auftrag der Ehre - sixx - 2012-04-06.ts" -t

4) invoked by a MediaPortal recording/your plugin:
ComSkip window closes immediately and log says: ""E:\Multimedia\TV\J.A.G. - Im Auftrag der Ehre - sixx - 2012-04-06.ts"" -t (notice the double-double-quotes)


Running this command manually results in ComSkip saying:

Errors:
ComSkip: excess parameter "Im"
ComSkip: excess parameter "Auftrag"
ComSkip: excess parameter "der"
ComSkip: excess parameter "Ehre"
ComSkip: excess parameter "-"
ComSkip: excess parameter "sixx"
ComSkip: excess parameter "-"
ComSkip: excess parameter "2012-04-06.ts"

It works again if I remove the unnecessary quotes (".." instead of "".."")
Changing the command line in your plugins' configuration ("{0}" or {0}) doesn't seem to make a difference.
I can reproduce the above & provide logs if you need.

 

[johns11]

Hi Paranoid Delusion.

For New Zealand Channels it mostly works pretty well and seems to cut off at the correct time at the end of an episode BUT this is an issue in another way. It cuts off so perfectly at the end of an episode that it often leaves you wondering if you've missed anything and in fact I'd much rather see the credits role and press the stop button on the remote.

So I've been pondering ways to achieve this, do I post process the comskip txt files and remove the last entry? a tweak to MediaPortal client maybe so that it always ignores the last enty? and could this be a released as a plugin? right now I'm not sure of the best approach but any advise would be appreciated and I'm certainly planning to have a go at it. Do you think this would be a resolution to your issue also?

cheers

 

[johns11]

Hi Phe

Thanks for perservering and for all the information. I think you are exactly right in what you are saying. I should be able to reproduce this and get it sorted quite quickly. I'll post an update shortly.

cheers

 

[Jay_UK]

Hi there,

In relation to the cut off, I thought there was an option in the ini file to specify extra "seconds" after the cut?

J.

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

Hi there,

In relation to the cut off, I thought there was an option in the ini file to specify extra "seconds" after the cut?

J.

The problem with doing that would be it affects ALL cuts, prefer johns11 idea of ignoring last cut, so you get the chance of seeing credits or climax of recording, this would certainly solve the BBC thing

 

[johns11]

Thanks to all who've tested this plugin.

The download link on the main page had been refreshed with a new Beta 2.0 version. This new version should provide:
1. Correct closing of process testing thread
2. Better handling of filenames with/without quotes
3. Comskip thread now running in more appropriate ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden mode.

Phe, I hope you can try this out and let me know if item 2 above has helped?

The only issue I'm now aware of is that TV Server needs to be restarted if you want to change the max number of threads or the check for mtn option, and I'd like this to be a little more dynamic.

cheers