andy vt's tools & blog

Cut! Print it!

I've updated the the top of this thread with a package containing everything you need to run this yourself.

babgvant:

you should be able to use any string metadata value including %Title%, if you can repro the issue let me know and I'll take a look, I was having issues with some of the values (like duration) being wrong because there were read before the values were finalized; but things like title should always be right.

you could try using a different mpeg decoder.

I can't seem to pass any of the metadata as a command line arg in RunExternal. %Title% is just blank, and %WM/SubTitle% just shows up on the command line as "%WM/Subtitle%" - no substiution is performed. I see there is a context called %MetaData% but I don't know how to use it.
 

Coyote:

I can't seem to pass any of the metadata as a command line arg in RunExternal. %Title% is just blank, and %WM/SubTitle% just shows up on the command line as "%WM/Subtitle%" - no substiution is performed. I see there is a context called %MetaData% but I don't know how to use it.
 

i misspoke... the runexternal action doesn't resolve metadata, only context values.... i was thinking of the rename file action...

babgvant:

Coyote:

I can't seem to pass any of the metadata as a command line arg in RunExternal. %Title% is just blank, and %WM/SubTitle% just shows up on the command line as "%WM/Subtitle%" - no substiution is performed. I see there is a context called %MetaData% but I don't know how to use it.
 

i misspoke... the runexternal action doesn't resolve metadata, only context values.... i was thinking of the rename file action...

i can change this in a future rev, what do you think about it resolving meta data values like %MetaData:Title% to retrive the Title value from the MetaData context?

Works for me!

I downloaded your code and I think I have all of the prerequisite software that your code requires, but I am unable to convert a dvr-ms file into the ipod format.  I have included the log from one such attempt:

 InputFile=C:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\Sesame Street_WHYY_14_05_2007_05_58_02.dvr-ms
Processing actions, this may take some time!!
Profile = export_to_ipod_convert
ProcessId = 2208
DvrmsToolbox Version: 1.2.0.6
Throttle DVRMStoMPEG
FWThrottle: C:\Users\Public\Recorded TV\Sesame Street_WHYY_14_05_2007_05_58_02.dvr-ms
Waiting to process file
Queue file
Duration = 00:00:01.0140000
Waiting to process...
Processing now...
Delete files from C:\Users\Public\DvrmsToolbox\DTBTemp
Duration = 00:00:00
Find Commercials in file
Duration = 00:00:00
Cut commercials out of DVR-MS file
Span created - 0, 76.4764
Span created - 116.4830333, 3686.3493333
Span created - 3716.4127, 3897.3935
Duration = 3897
OutputFile=C:\Users\Public\DvrmsToolbox\DTBTemp\Sesame Street_WHYY_14_05_2007_05_58_02825534e8-eebf-4430-ad24-9802d153fb84.dvr-ms
Begin splice
.57%
1.02%
1.33%
1.7%
2.12%
2.61%
3%
3.34%
3.76%
4.18%
4.55%
5.02%
5.46%
5.67%
6.04%
6.38%
6.85%
7.29%
7.79%
8.18%
8.7%
9.17%
9.64%
10.01%
10.43%
10.9%
11.13%
11.24%
11.73%
12.1%
12.31%
12.54%
12.75%
12.99%
13.22%
13.59%
13.98%
14.42%
14.92%
15.05%
15.44%
16.02%
16.46%
16.9%
17.22%
17.3%
17.38%
17.56%
17.77%
17.82%
17.95%
18.37%
18.71%
19.02%
19.41%
19.75%
20.01%
20.38%
20.77%
21.14%
21.5%
21.92%
22.31%
22.68%
23.04%
23.18%
23.28%
23.38%
23.49%
23.75%
24.12%
24.48%
24.9%
25.27%
25.58%
25.84%
26.28%
26.73%
27.02%
27.46%
27.77%
28.22%
28.69%
29.18%
29.55%
29.97%
30.39%
30.83%
31.3%
31.69%
32.11%
32.61%
33.05%
33.52%
33.97%
34.12%
34.54%
34.91%
35.32%
35.8%
36.06%
36.45%
36.76%
37.13%
37.55%
37.94%
38.49%
38.85%
38.96%
39.06%
39.48%
40.08%
40.52%
40.99%
41.36%
41.67%
42.07%
42.38%
42.75%
43.16%
43.61%
43.97%
44.5%
44.91%
45.49%
46.27%
46.82%
47.53%
48.1%
48.68%
49.15%
49.72%
50.43%
50.92%
51.29%
51.71%
52.33%
52.86%
53.27%
53.61%
53.93%
54.45%
54.89%
55.37%
55.84%
56.31%
56.8%
57.27%
57.59%
58.11%
58.63%
59%
59.6%
59.99%
60.41%
60.83%
61.22%
61.53%
62.11%
62.45%
62.79%
63.23%
63.65%
64.04%
64.43%
64.77%
65.22%
65.61%
65.95%
66.68%
67.12%
67.75%
68.3%
68.66%
69.19%
69.71%
70.21%
70.81%
71.2%
71.62%
72.06%
72.61%
73.13%
73.55%
74.07%
74.57%
75.14%
75.41%
75.51%
75.72%
76.35%
76.92%
77.16%
77.39%
77.65%
77.91%
78.46%
78.98%
79.56%
79.98%
80.4%
81.15%
81.81%
82.36%
82.59%
82.75%
82.85%
82.9%
82.98%
83.01%
83.06%
83.11%
83.19%
83.24%
83.35%
83.43%
83.53%
83.61%
83.84%
84.42%
85.02%
85.67%
86.25%
86.82%
87.37%
87.92%
88.39%
88.89%
89.36%
89.83%
90.35%
90.93%
91.34%
91.84%
92.36%
92.75%
93.17%
93.56%
94.11%
94.5%
94.95%
95.47%
95.92%
96.41%
96.78%
97.2%
97.64%
98.16%
98.66%
99.08%
99.5%
99.91%
100%
End Splice
Duration = 00:10:04.9492000
Convert DVR-MS with an explicit graph
Loading C:\Program Files\DVRMSToolbox\avivo_ipod.GRF into IGraphBuilder
Error: Toub.DirectShow.DirectShowException: Error in Do Work - Failed to load .grf file into IGraphbuilder ---> System.Exception: Error in Do Work - Failed to load .grf file into IGraphbuilder ---> System.Exception: Failed to load .grf file into IGraphbuilder ---> System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x80040154): Class not registered (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80040154 (REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG))
   at Durrant.Common.IPersistStream.Load(UCOMIStream pStm)
   at Durrant.Common.GraphRenderer.GraphLoadFromGRF(IGraphBuilder graph, String path)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at Durrant.Common.GraphRenderer.GraphLoadFromGRF(IGraphBuilder graph, String path)
   at babgvant.AdvancedActions.GraphConvertor.DoWork()
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at babgvant.AdvancedActions.GraphConvertor.DoWork()
   at Toub.MediaCenter.Dvrms.Conversion.Converter.Convert()
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
Converted file
Duration = 00:00:02.6364000
Delete the file in Context["CutDvrmsFile"]
Duration = 00:00:01.2324000
Total Duration = 00:10:09.9100000

Any ideas?

either ffdshow and/or the AVIVO codecs aren't installed. If you're sure they are, reboot (installing ffdshow usually needs a reboot on Media Center, unless you kill ehrecvr first)

 I'll be reworking this profile soon, when RunExternal can use metadata.
 

Thanks for the ideas...in looking at the avivo download and install instructions, I think I missed a step.  I originally thought that all of the avivo stuff that I needed was in the zip file, but I just realized that I need to download the complete package from ati first and then apply the zip from here...oh, well.  I should stop trying to install software late at night... ;-)  I'll let you know if I need more assistance...thanks!

With 1.2.0.7 coming (and already available to early access) i'll be uploading a simplified version of the package. Having metadata fields available to RunExternal makes this much easier.

Installing the Avivo codecs from ATI did the trick...I was amazed at how quickly the process ran to convert a dvr-ms to ipod video. This was by far the fastest method of going from the one format to the other.  I tried some other products, but I always had audo sync errors.  I purchased Roxio Copy & Convert prior to getting your code to work, but it is cludgy, slow and doesn't convert the dvr-ms file most of the time...stay away from it as far as you can! 

 Thank you and everyone who contributes to this project!!!

I installed the zip package, Avivo codecs and FFDshow and then rebooted.  When I open the DTb GUI I only see the profile "Expo to iPod - Add to iTunes".  Any idea why I can't get the other two to show up?  I'm running XP MCE.  I'm also running Dtb 1.1.0.3.

I haven't tested it on XP/MCE.  It should work, and in theory you should be able to run DVRMS->ipod from the filewatcher service. (You can't in Vista, because vista isolates services from interacting with desktop apps (such as iTunes...)

However, 1.1.0.3 doesn't have the ConvertWithExplicitGraph action needed by the transcoding profiles. That's probably why DTb isn't loading them.

Try upgrading to 1.1.0.4.
 

That did it.  I upgraded to 1.1.0.4 and it works.  Thanks.

The conversion worked a few times, but now it's stuck on the "convert using explicit graph" step.  The log shows the conversion progressing well beyond the 100% point.  I actually had one log that I cancelled at 775%.  I read in an earlier post that the graph gets stuck(?) and needs to be disconnected(?).  I'm not sure about the terminology, but how do I do that.  I tried rebooting and that didn't fix anything.  Here is a log from one of the processes that I canceled.  I deleted some of the % progress lines for brevity.  I tried it with a number of different files and they all get stuck.  I'm running 1.1.0.4 on XP/MCE.

-----------------------------------------------------
InputFile=C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Recorded TV\Check, Please! Bay Area_KQED_17_05_2007_19_28_03.dvr-ms
Processing actions, this may take some time!!
Profile = export_to_ipod_convert
ProcessId = 4648
DvrmsToolbox Version: 1.1.0.4
Throttle DVRMStoMPEG
FWThrottle: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Recorded TV\Check, Please! Bay Area_KQED_17_05_2007_19_28_03.dvr-ms
Waiting to process file
Queue file
Duration = 00:00:01
Waiting to process...
Processing now...
Delete files from C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\DVRMSToolbox\DTBTemp
Duration = 00:00:00.2031250
Find Commercials in file
Duration = 00:00:00.0156250
Cut commercials out of DVR-MS file
Span is smaller than 2 seconds : span length = 0
Span created - 154.587766666667, 1735.40033333333
Duration = 1916
OutputFile=C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\DVRMSToolbox\DTBTemp\Check, Please! Bay Area_KQED_17_05_2007_19_28_03d4432d1f-ae4a-48e6-92ec-aec5f727a215.dvr-ms
Begin splice
1.64%
2.59%
3.54%
4.43%
5.19%
6.26%
7.02%
7.97%
8.98%
9.99%
10.88%
12.02%
13.22%
14.23%
15.18%
16.13%
...
94.32%
95.46%
96.79%
97.92%
99%
100%
End Splice
Duration = 00:01:31.0781250
Convert DVR-MS with an explicit graph
Loading C:\Program Files\DVRMSToolbox\avivo_ipod.GRF into IGraphBuilder
Loaded .grf file
Setting graph output file to 'C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\iPod TV\Check, Please! Bay Area_KQED_17_05_2007_19_28_03.mp4'
0%
.06%
.13%
.19%
.25%
.32%
.38%
.44%
.51%
.57%
.63%
.69%
.76%
.82%
.88%
.95%
1.01%
1.07%
1.14%
1.2%
1.26%
1.33%
1.39%
1.45%
1.52%
1.58%
1.64%
1.71%
1.77%
1.83%
1.9%
1.96%
...
230.94%
231.01%
231.07%
231.13%
231.19%
231.26%

I canceled it at this point. 

There are two things I know of that can cause the graph to run forever:

1) bad video. Do other files do this, or just this one? Never mind, you answered that. If it's all files:

2) bad settings. did you change any of the codec settings in the graph? The AVIVO encoder settings are excusive to that graph, but the ffdshow audio/video decoder settings are system-wide and could have been changed by anything! In particular, make sure the ffdshow audio decoder is set to downmix to 2 channels (use stereo or dolby prologic).

 

If all else fails, reinstall the latest STABLE ffdshow package and reboot.