[mythtv-users] Trouble removing ads with mythtranscode

[William Munson]

Benton Roberts wrote:
> Hello, myth-users.
>
> I am having trouble deleting commercials using mythtranscode. Based on
> the MythTV wiki documentation, here are the steps I'm trying to use to
> remove commercials:
>
> #1) I mark the commercials using the editing interface in mythfrontend,
> or let the automatic process to it. The flags work perfectly for
> skipping the ads while playing back in mythfrontend.
>
> #2) I determine the file name of the recording, and choose a new name
> for the ad-removed file.
>     INFILE="1045_20070411225900.mpg"
>     OUTFILE="stripped-$INFILE"
>
> #3) I generate the cutlist. This seems to work fine, though produces
> disturbingly little output. Where is the cutlist stored? In the
> database? I thought this step would create the .map file, but it doesn't.
>     mythcommflag --gencutlist -f $INFILE
> 	    2007-04-12 16:08:53.200 Using runtime prefix = /usr
>         2007-04-12 16:08:53.326 New DB connection, total: 1
>         2007-04-12 16:08:53.338 New DB connection, total: 2
>
> #4) I create a new, hopefully-shortened MPEG file.
>     mythtranscode --honorcutlist --mpeg2 --showprogress -i $INFILE -o
> $OUTFILE
> This process also looks like it's working correctly. That is, no errors
> are displayed, and it creates $OUTFILE and $OUTFILE.map files. The
> $OUTFILE is smaller than the $INFILE, but not by the amount that it
> should be (I think the slightly diminished size is a result of
> conversion from MPEG-TS to MPES-PS).
>
> [root at media tv]# ls -l $INFILE $OUTFILE*
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root mythtv 2091966464 Apr 11 23:31 1045_20070411225900.mpg
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root mythtv 2036125700 Apr 12 19:04
> stripped-1045_20070411225900.mpg
> -rw-r--r-- 1 root mythtv      62330 Apr 12 19:04
> stripped-1045_20070411225900.mpg.map
>
> So each command LOOKS like it's working -- but the resulting $OUTFILE
> still has the commercials!  >-{
> What did I miss?
>
> Thanks,
> -b
>   
Try this:

Set up a transcode profile for lossless mpeg to mpeg transcoding.

Start playing the show you want to edit. Press E to enter edit mode, 
press Z to import the commercial skip list. Move the cut points around 
as required. Press E to exit and save. Use the menu system to schedule 
the show for transcoding using your lossless profile. See if that does 
what you want. Works for me with both SD and HD programming.