[mythtv-users] What does Expire do?

[Michael T. Dean]

On 07/13/2007 01:40 AM, Robert Current wrote:
> On 7/12/07, Michael T. Dean <mtdean at thirdcontact.com> wrote:
>   
>>> I noticed that after running auto-flag commercials or the delete
>>> commercials script, for some reason the shows get marked as viewed,
>> SVN trunk, right?  If so, I'm assuming you mean marked as "watched", right?
>>     
>
> Yes, I mean watched, not viewed, sorry...  and yea, SVN trunk.
>   

Just making sure we're talking about the same thing.  Not a problem once
we know we're on the same page.  :)

>>> even if I haven't watched them, which is odd.
>>>       
>> If the assumptions above are correct, I'd say this is a bug (and a patch
>> would be appreciated ;).  The playback that's occurring for
>> flagging/transcoding should not trigger setting the watched flag.
>>     
> Yea, I was thinking that, "bug" but... I didn't want to assume.  They
> do get marked as watched...  even if I haven't.
>   

If you have the setting, "Automatically mark a record watched," that I
mentioned in my last post enabled, exiting playback near the end of the
recording will mark the recording as watched (whether you've "watched"
the 1-hour show in 1 minute or 2 hours).  So, for example, if you are
manually editing the cutlist (using 'e') and you exit the recording near
the end it will be marked as watched.  You could exit near the end by,
for example, exiting edit mode while in the final section to be cut (so
it realizes that there's no uncut recording to play) or by exiting edit
mode and exiting playback without rewinding/jumping to some point early
enough in the show (i.e. less than about 85% should generally work, but
it wouldn't hurt to exit at 50% for good measure).

I don't know if you're manually editing, but I'll need to know for sure
this isn't what's causing the show to be marked as watched before we
declare this a valid bug.

> BUT...  I wouldn't guarantee it's just the flag-commercials that is
> doing it, but for sure the "remove commercial" script I got off the
> How-To/FAQ is doing this,

Oh...

Before I dig into the code, it would be much easier to find a bug if I
know there is, in fact, a bug.  So would you mind running a couple of
tests for me?  First thing to do is to unconfigure the remove commercial
script (if the bug's in there, I'll let someone else--who uses that
script--debug it ;).  Then, with autoflagging enabled, please try to
record some show (any show).  Once flagging completes, see if it gets
marked watched.  If not, please run a transcode on it (using myth to do
the transcode and kicking it off from Watch Recordings with Job Options
or whatever--i.e. not while watching the show), preferrably removing
some section (or the skip list or whatever).  Then, see if that marks
the show as watched.

If this doesn't cause the show to be marked as watched, you could try
doing a manual flagging (disable automatic flagging and kick it off with
Job Options).  You could also try kicking off flagging using x in
playback, but I suspect that will only mark it as watched if you exit
the recording at the end of the recording.

>  at least on my system, and has for several
> versions, including my MythDora install and KnoppMyth install that
> proceeded my current Debian/SVN-mythtv install.  If it's a bug outside
> of Myth, then it's a bug I've brought with me while I carried my mysql
> database through the three different installs.
>
> HOWEVER, I did notice that since using the Debian/SVN system I'm using
> now, all of the "commercial detect" options are gone...  I use to use
> "blank frame detect" (or something like that, I don't remember) to
> detect/flag commercials.  Now, there are no options for how to
> find/flag commercials.
Sure you're looking in the right place?

Commercial Skip Method
 - All Available Methods
 - Blank Frame Detection
 - Blank Frame + Scene Change
 - Scene Change Detection
 - Logo Detection
 - Experimental
This determines the method used by MythTV to detect when commercials
start and end.

In mythfrontend settings under General Settings on page "General (Jobs)"
(about page 3, I think).

>   And to be honest, it's not working well AT
> ALL, it usually pulls 1-2 commercials out, and if I'm lucky 1 full
> commercial break.  My system use to do an almost flawless job of
> commercial removal, but now it is lucky if I get even 1 out of 5 of
> them deleted...
>   

I would expect that type of behavior if the wrong method is chosen. 
Look again and see if you can fix it by changing the setting.  (It's
working great for me.)

> BUT, again, my system has changed so often, I couldn't say it's SVN...
> because around the same time I switched form cable to satellite
> source... so... maybe it's having a harder time detecting commercials
> because of that...?
>
> Anyway, original topic...  Things still seem to be "viewed" even when
> they BARELY remove any commercials, but have went through the
> scripts...

If you can run those tests I requested and if there's a bug, I'll try to
duplicate the issue on mine and look into the code to find a fix. 
Otherwise, if the issue exists only on your system, we'll look at fixing
your system.  Or if the issue cannot be duplicated without the
commercial remove script, you (or someone else) can look into fixing
that script.  :)

Thanks,
Mike