[mythtv-users] Re:Re:Re:Any updates to allow cutting commercials

[Joseph A. Caputo]

On Wednesday 10 December 2003 14:18, Andy wrote:
> >Note that when exporting with mythtranscode (which is what nuvexport
> >uses), commercials are not automatically 'cut'. You need to use
> >mythfrontend to go into edit mode on the file and load/copy the
> >commercial cutlist into the primary cutlist by pressing the 'Z' key,
> >then exiting edit mode. I'm not sure, but you may be able to skip
> > this step if you enable 'Auto-skip commercials' in the playback
> > setup options, but I'm not sure if mythtranscode honors that.
> > Anyway, it's always a good idea to verify that the commercial
> > detection worked well before transcoding; some shows (especially
> > those that have dark scenes right out of a commercial) can get
> > parts chopped off occasionally.
>
> So what you're saying is that having "automatically flag commercials"
> selected in MythFrontEnd is the same as running mythcommflag on a
> recording that was done when "automatically flag commercials" was NOT
> selected in MythFrontEnd?

Yes.

> Is the automatic flagging done when recording or when playing back?

During and post-recording.  Some simple detection is done during 
recording, I think, but the main flagging is done in a 'nice 19' thread 
after the recording has finished.  AFAIK, mythcommflag is just a 
standalone wrapper for the commercial flagging thread.

> It would seem that it is done when playing back, except for the fact
> that when you go into edit mode and press E,Z, the cutlist comes up
> instantly, as opposed to running mythcommflag, which takes quite a
> long time.

Right.  If auto-flag is enabled (or you've run mythcommflag), then the 
commercial cutlist should already be there at playback.  The presence 
of a commercial cutlist is indicated by the 
"'$'-with-a-circle-and-a-slash through it" icon in the "Watch 
Recordings" screen.

> I guess I don't really understand when the cutlist gets created.
>
> And why exactly is it that I have to actually go into MythFrontEnd,
> start playing the recording, press E, Z, and exit for the cutlist to
> be "activated"?

Because the commercial cutlist and the edit cutlist are 2 separate 
things.  Cuts in the edit cutlist are always honored, no matter what.  
Cuts in the commercial cutlist are only honored if (a) you press "Z" 
while watching it, or (b) if you enable "Automatically Skip Commercial" 
set to "Automatically Skip" in Setup->TV->Playback.  Editing the 
recording and pressing "Z" overwrites the edit cutlist with the 
contents of the commercial cutlist.

Now, this is the part I'm not sure of... I don't know if mythtranscode 
(which is the engine that nuvexport uses to get frames from Myth for 
transcoding to DivX/VCD/SVCD) honors the "Automatically Skip 
Commercials" setting, or if you need do the 'view->edit->press "Z"' 
trick first.  I do know that the view/edit/Z method works.

-JAC