How can I use VideoRedo's Ad Detective to create a BTV chapters.xml file?

[cmcquistion]

I've looked through the forum, done a lot of Googling, and tweaked VideoRedo backward and forward and I can't figure out how to do this?

Basically, I want to use VideoRedo's Ad Detective to create a smartchapter file for Beyond TV. I don't want to actually cut the file, just create the chapters.xml file.

Any ideas?

I hoped that someone had written a program that just converts a VPrj file into a chapters.xml file, but so far I've had no luck.

Here is an example of a BTV smartchapter file generated by Comskip:

<cutlist>
<Region><start comment="0:9:19.86">5598593000</start><end comment="0:13:0.95">7809468333</end></Region>
<Region><start comment="0:19:54.53">11945266667</start><end comment="0:23:11.29">13912899000</end></Region>
<Region><start comment="0:31:28.62">18886200667</start><end comment="0:35:5.57">21055701333</end></Region>
<Region><start comment="0:44:42.91">26829135667</start><end comment="0:48:39.08">29190828333</end></Region>
<Region><start comment="0:55:55.92">33559192333</start><end comment="0:59:56.93">35969266667</end></Region>
</cutlist>

Here is an example of the chapters.xml file that Beyond TV creates. This one has all the fancy formatting.

<cutlist>
<Region>
<start comment="00:09:19.7907701">5597907701</start>
<end comment="00:12:37.6219344">7576219344</end>
</Region>
<Region>
<start comment="00:17:37.6378444">10576378444</start>
<end comment="00:23:01.2789241">13812789241</end>
</Region>
<Region>
<start comment="00:32:04.2552332">19242552332</start>
<end comment="00:35:10.3079524">21103079524</end>
</Region>
<Region>
<start comment="00:44:42.7470576">26827470576</start>
<end comment="00:48:31.7093530">29117093530</end>
</Region>
<Region>
<start comment="00:55:51.9162261">33519162261</start>
<end comment="00:59:10.2812576">35502812576</end>
</Region>
</cutlist>

Here is the output of a VideoRedo Project file:

<Version>2
<VideoReDoVersion> 2. 5. 3. 500 - Nov 10 2006
<Filename>V:\Temp\Battlestar Galactica (2_2)-(A Measure of Salvation)-2006-11-10-0.mpg
<MPEG Stream Type>2
<Duration>35969934112
<SyncAdjustment>0
<AudioVolumeAdjust>1.000000
<ProjectTime>28373011446
<VideoStreamPID>224
<AudioStreamPID>192
<AspectRatioOverride>0
<BitRateOverride>0
<MaxGOPLength>0
<OutputStreamFormat>1
<AudioOutputCodec>0
<AudioOutputBitrate>256000
<AudioOutputSampleRate>48000
<Cut 0>5595590112:7451444112:655667214:850116622 00:09:19;18, 00:12:25;04, 00:09:19;18
<Cut 1>11935924112:13800787112:1399042062:1429968910 00:19:53;18, 00:23:00;03, 00:16:48;00
<Cut 2>18879861112:21090402778:2211923982:2471909390 00:31:27;29, 00:35:09;02, 00:25:15;28
<Cut 3>26825799112:28491463112:3141865486:3303587854 00:44:42;17, 00:47:29;05, 00:34:49;13
<SceneMarker 0>5595590112
<SceneMarker 1>5700695112
<SceneMarker 2>6000995112
<SceneMarker 3>6151145112
<SceneMarker 4>6301295112
<SceneMarker 5>6547541112
<SceneMarker 6>6660654112
<SceneMarker 7>6967961112
<SceneMarker 8>7268261112
<SceneMarker 9>7451444112
<SceneMarker 10>11935924112
<SceneMarker 11>12065053112
<SceneMarker 12>12201189112
<SceneMarker 13>12501489112
<SceneMarker 14>12812132778
<SceneMarker 15>13036023112
<SceneMarker 16>13800787112
<SceneMarker 17>18879861112
<SceneMarker 18>18990972112
<SceneMarker 19>19690671112
<SceneMarker 20>20243223112
<SceneMarker 21>20450430112
<SceneMarker 22>20750730112
<SceneMarker 23>21090402778
<SceneMarker 24>26825799112
<SceneMarker 25>27380686778
<SceneMarker 26>27680653112
<SceneMarker 27>28180152112
<SceneMarker 28>28491463112
<SceneMarker 29>33518485112
<SceneMarker 30>33610577112
<SceneMarker 31>33910877112
<SceneMarker 32>34210176112
<SceneMarker 33>34511810778
<SceneMarker 34>34818784112
<SceneMarker 35>34925223778
<SceneMarker 36>35071036112
<SceneMarker 37>35440405112
<SceneMarker 38>35830795112
<SceneMarker 39>35909874112

I configured VideoRedo with "Automatically Cut Deleted Scenes" (not the default setting) which basically strings together the SceneMarkers and creates the Cut Regions (<Cut0> for instance). If this is done, then the Scene markers can basically be ignore. The important part of this file are the lines in bold.

*EDIT* For some reason, VideoRedo never chooses to mark the last string of commercials as a region that needs to be cut. I'm not sure why.

[cmcquistion]

Here are several VPrj files that were generated from VideoRedo. I'm hoping that these can be used to see examples of the VPrj file format. I appended the filenames with .txt, so they could be uploaded to the forum.

[Fonceur]

Since Video Redo can read the SmartChapters files, you could probably suggest to add the option of outputing one...

[cmcquistion]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

Since Video Redo can read the SmartChapters files, you could probably suggest to add the option of outputing one...

I've got a post in their forum, but there has been no help, so far. VideoRedo has the option of outputting a chapter file, but there is no way, that I have found, to make it output in the needed format. The best I could do is output in a format that includes the necessary information, but then I would need some program to parse that and output a smartchapter file. The same could just be done with a VPrj file. Geoffstewart, of this forum, is looking into doing this. He did it, before, with the VPrj file that Comskip was outputting.

[geoffstewart]

Chris,

I don't know why the last version didn't work, but when I run it in my debugger it worked fine... weird. I've posted a new version here. Let me know how it goes.

Geoff

[cmcquistion]

I just ran it and it appears to work! I copied the chapters.xml file over to the BTV folder and the chapters are showing up in BTV!

Thanks a TON! Now I need to integrate this into my Quickstream Fix + commercial detection script, so I can choose either Comskip or VideoRedo Ad Detective for commercial detection and smartchapter building.

[geoffstewart]

Glad to hear it works.. i must have uploaded an old version the first time because I didn't change anything

Geoff

[cmcquistion]

Geoff, I'm getting an odd error message with some recordings where VideoRedo has identified the video as actually starting with a commercial segment.

The error says:

Error: StartIndex cannot be less than zero.
Parameter name: startIndex

The odd thing is, the start is not less than zero, it IS zero. The program starts with a series of commercials (or at least VideoRedo thinks it does.)

Here is the contents of one of the VPrj files that are causing this problem:

<Version>2
<VideoReDoVersion> 2. 5. 3. 500 - Nov 10 2006
<Filename>V:\TV\Chris_Only\Justice-(Shark Week)-2006-11-06-0.tp
<MPEG Stream Type>2
<Duration>35938736334
<SyncAdjustment>0
<AudioVolumeAdjust>1.000000
<ProjectTime>26016824111
<VideoStreamPID>49
<AudioStreamPID>52
<AspectRatioOverride>0
<BitRateOverride>0
<MaxGOPLength>0
<OutputStreamFormat>1
<AudioOutputCodec>0
<AudioOutputBitrate>256
<AudioOutputSampleRate>48000
<Cut 0>0:726559334:0:96644593 00:00:00;00, 00:01:12;39, 00:00:00;00
<Cut 1>5146141112:6806967000:761762837:984727265 00:08:34;36, 00:11:20;41, 00:07:21;57
<Cut 2>10485642000:12706694112:1557519649:1753353609 00:17:28;33, 00:21:10;39, 00:13:29;49
<Cut 3>18189504778:20199512778:2790398833:3054174489 00:30:18;56, 00:33:39;56, 00:22:38;06
<Cut 4>24492801778:26674815000:3699348001:3817527621 00:40:49;16, 00:44:27;28, 00:29:47;25
<Cut 5>29504642000:30626095667:4477750721:4641479169 00:49:10;27, 00:51:02;36, 00:34:30;24
<SceneMarker 0>133633667
<SceneMarker 1>324657778
<SceneMarker 2>384884667
<SceneMarker 3>726559334
<SceneMarker 4>2732229667
<SceneMarker 5>5146141112
<SceneMarker 6>5754916000
<SceneMarker 7>6656983778
<SceneMarker 8>6806967000
<SceneMarker 9>10485642000
<SceneMarker 10>10786275667
<SceneMarker 11>10937093000
<SceneMarker 12>11386875667
<SceneMarker 13>11497319334
<SceneMarker 14>11802791112
<SceneMarker 15>12101923334
<SceneMarker 16>12363518000
<SceneMarker 17>12706694112
<SceneMarker 18>18189504778
<SceneMarker 19>18496311334
<SceneMarker 20>18797278667
<SceneMarker 21>18905553445
<SceneMarker 22>19024338778
<SceneMarker 23>19096911334
<SceneMarker 24>19397211334
<SceneMarker 25>19635616112
<SceneMarker 26>19697511334
<SceneMarker 27>19997811334
<SceneMarker 28>20199512778
<SceneMarker 29>24492801778
<SceneMarker 30>24936244778
<SceneMarker 31>25098406778
<SceneMarker 32>25248723667
<SceneMarker 33>25399707778
<SceneMarker 34>25564706000
<SceneMarker 35>25764739112
<SceneMarker 36>26068542667
<SceneMarker 37>26674815000
<SceneMarker 38>29504642000
<SceneMarker 39>29716854000
<SceneMarker 40>30024327778
<SceneMarker 41>30323793667
<SceneMarker 42>30474110445
<SceneMarker 43>30626095667
<SceneMarker 44>34885517445
<SceneMarker 45>35030162000
<SceneMarker 46>35444075445
<SceneMarker 47>35504135445
<SceneMarker 48>35819283667

*EDIT* Here is another file causing the same problem:

<Version>2
<VideoReDoVersion> 2. 5. 3. 500 - Nov 10 2006
<Filename>V:\TV\Chris_and_Paul\Gilmore Girls-(French Twist)-2006-11-14-0.tp
<MPEG Stream Type>2
<Duration>35883514556
<SyncAdjustment>0
<AudioVolumeAdjust>1.000000
<ProjectTime>22921899223
<VideoStreamPID>49
<AudioStreamPID>52
<AspectRatioOverride>0
<BitRateOverride>0
<MaxGOPLength>0
<OutputStreamFormat>1
<AudioOutputCodec>0
<AudioOutputBitrate>256
<AudioOutputSampleRate>48000
<Cut 0>0:3691855000:0:896642872 00:00:00;00, 00:06:09;06, 00:00:00;00
<Cut 1>8400559000:11449104445:2037967936:2776657237 00:14:00;02, 00:19:04;29, 00:07:50;26
<Cut 2>17690506334:19406387112:4289868861:4705569197 00:29:29;02, 00:32:20;19, 00:18:15;01
<Cut 3>24940916223:27730870000:6047185513:6723643729 00:41:34;02, 00:46:13;03, 00:27:28;14
<Cut 4>31321290112:33036670445:7592819047:8007758043 00:52:12;04, 00:55:03;21, 00:33:27;15
<SceneMarker 0>1325491000
<SceneMarker 1>1859858112
<SceneMarker 2>1959958223
<SceneMarker 3>2266931445
<SceneMarker 4>2580411334
<SceneMarker 5>2880711334
<SceneMarker 6>3191021445
<SceneMarker 7>3490320334
<SceneMarker 8>3691855000
<SceneMarker 9>8400559000
<SceneMarker 10>9020511667
<SceneMarker 11>9214205112
<SceneMarker 12>9620444334
<SceneMarker 13>10065388889
<SceneMarker 14>10130453889
<SceneMarker 15>10232555889
<SceneMarker 16>10433089445
<SceneMarker 17>10533189556
<SceneMarker 18>10832822112
<SceneMarker 19>11140129112
<SceneMarker 20>11449104445
<SceneMarker 21>17690506334
<SceneMarker 22>18000482667
<SceneMarker 23>19406387112
<SceneMarker 24>24940916223
<SceneMarker 25>25560868778
<SceneMarker 26>26460934667
<SceneMarker 27>26541014667
<SceneMarker 28>26670477334
<SceneMarker 29>26972445667
<SceneMarker 30>27120593667
<SceneMarker 31>27518658112
<SceneMarker 32>27730870000
<SceneMarker 33>31321290112
<SceneMarker 34>31931066000
<SceneMarker 35>32530164445
<SceneMarker 36>32830631445
<SceneMarker 37>33036670445
<SceneMarker 38>35283248112
<SceneMarker 39>35620084667
<SceneMarker 40>35690488334

[cmcquistion]

I also found another problem, Geoff. The program seems to output a mpg.chapters.xml file, even if the source file was a TP file. The TP is not in the filename of the VPrj file, but it is in the contents of the file. The third line of the VPrj file includes the filename, with extension.

[cmcquistion]

There must be something different about the way that BTV is playing back files, compared to VideoRedo.

I've been having a problem, for a while, now, with my Comskip-generated Smartchapter files always being off by a few seconds. I couldn't figure it out, but assumed it must have something to do with Comskip.

Now, I'm using VideoRedo to generate smartchapter information and I'm seeing the same problem. When previewing the project file, in VideoRedo, everything is lined up perfectly. When playing it back in BTV, though, the chapter points get progressively worse, through the program. These are with programs that have been run through VideoRedo's Quickstream Fix, so that should have cleaned up any video file problems.

Any ideas?

[geoffstewart]

Chris,

1. The 0 thing is just hack programming by me... i'll try to look at it this week. Thanks for the examples, that'll help.

2. I don't read the filename from the vprj file, i get it as an argument. i don't do HD recording since OTA isn't available waaaayyy up here, so I just didn't consider that file extension... i'll add it.

3. I don't have the behaviour with comskip generated chapter files that you describe... does this problem show itself in SD recordings too?

Geoff

[cmcquistion]

Originally Posted by geoffstewart

does this problem show itself in SD recordings too?

I'm not sure, right now, but I will check tonight and report back. I watch a lot of HD, so I have noticed it there, first.

[cmcquistion]

I don't seem to have the problem with SD files. I'm recreating the smartchapter on a HD file, now, to test that.

[cmcquistion]

I seem to have problems with some HD channels, but others work great, so I'm not sure what the common denominator is. I've got to do more testing.

[cmcquistion]

I've narrowed it down to one particular channel. My local FOX HD channel 1171 seems to have this problem on every recording, whether I do commercial detection with Comskip or with VideoRedo. Interestingly, when I preview the commercial markings in VideoRedo, they are perfect. When BTV plays back the file based on that VideoRedo project file, the markings are off.

I think that this must have something to do with the playback side of the equation, but I'm not sure where the error is. Every other HD channel and SD channel that I've tested works great. It is just this one channel that has flawed playback of every show...