What files updated when Verify Commercials used?

[Maynard_Handley]

The visible side of Channels DVR is very helpful if one wants to use one's own scripting, for example the presence of the comskip info and output files in Logs/comskip/###

Likewise the UI for validating commercials (or not) via the Verify Commercials menu item is very helpful.

HOWEVER --
how are these two integrated? Specifically if, when using Verify Commercials, I indicate say, that a particular time segment is movie rather than commercial, where is that data stored?
I've just done this and validated
(a) the "verification" is stored somewhere, in that the movie will now play with the appropriate segment no longer skipped over BUT
(b) no file in the comskip folder is updated.

It would definitely be nice if these user modifications of what comskip chose were pushed out to, eg, the video.ffsplit and similar files, and it seems like this should not be especially hard.

[chDVRuser]

I think besides updating the recorded file (FileID) Commercials /dvr/files/FileID# it also updates the edl file.

Autoskip doesn't seem to respect comskip padding

Appears that Channels is using info from the comskip log and relying on its scoring system to mark commercials. When you edit commercials, it does a GET dvr/files/file#/comskip/info?source=local&apply_edits=false and appears to pull info from this block list and use the score (sc column) to determine commercial or program. The block numbers correspond to the blocks you see in edit commercials. The -- or ++ after the block number appears to mean --(commercial) and ++(program). Score threshol…

[racameron]

@Maynard_Handley

where is that data stored?

Inside Channels' own database, not a discrete file. It's a Bolt database saved in a file called recorder.db.

@chDVRuser

it also updates the edl file

If you enabled the setting to also output an EDL, that file is updated after you edit commercials. But, the source of that file is within the database.

[chDVRuser]

@racameron

the source of that file is within the database.

Right, API here

@chDVRuser

the recorded file (FileID) Commercials /dvr/files/FileID#

[chDVRuser]

Autoskip doesn't seem to respect comskip padding

Looks like for recordings using the new Smart Comerical detect it does a GET /dvr/files/file#/comskip/info to get the commercial/program blocks and relies on the boolean value true or false in Blocks.IsCommercial

[Maynard_Handley]

All of this above misses the point.

The current system uses comskip, including outputting a variety of files in the Logs/comskip folder. This is great.
But it loses all its value if subsequent (manual) tweaks to the commercial positioning are lost because they exist purely within Channels' internal database, and are not pushed back to the comskip folder.
Even having the option to output a separate .EDL file that is updated is of limited use if you have created a set of scripts that use the .ffskip file rather than the .EDL file.

Essentially my point is that Channels is somewhat schizophrenic here -- appreciating the value of providing a full set of options and data in the Logs/comskip folders, but then refusing to drive those folders from today's 80% valuable up to their full 100% valuable potential (by backwriting any manual tweaks to commercial segment placement).

[chDVRuser]

@Maynard_Handley

Even having the option to output a separate .EDL file that is updated is of limited use if you have created a set of scripts that use the .ffskip file rather than the .EDL file.

Valid point. You never mentioned that. I think you meant .ffsplit right?
I think the edl file getting updated after using Edit Commercials was by request from a user.

[tmm1]

The files in the comskip log directory are generated by comskip. I don't think it makes sense for us to touch those.

If you want a way to access an up-to-date ffsplit, I could add an API similar to the /commercials.edl and /commercials.vprj added recently. Would that be sufficient for your needs?

If you want an up to date edl file on disk, you can use the edl integration option and the edl next to your mpg will always be kept up to date.

[Maynard_Handley]

Awesome!. Yes, an updated .ffsplit would be perfect!
Please just let me know when it's done and the API/web UI/GUI to get to it.

[gws]

Jumping in two years later: has this been updated? I've invested quite a bit of time in verifying commercials and would like to be able to access that data in a more elegant way than parsing the edl files--API would be great!

[tmm1]

It's visible in the api explorer on your dvr

[gws]

Great! Thank you!