[mythtv-users] Commercial Flagging after Transcode

[Mark]

...snip...

> 
> Thanks for the response.  You did a great job explaining how it all works and it
> was extremely helpful.
> 
> I ended up pulling up the editor and the commskiplist thing in the
> mythfrontend.  (I figured I'll worry about Kodi later).  The "E" doesn't do
> anything (says no seektable) and the "Z" just skips forward.  I also checked
> out that mythcommflag, and there is no gencutlist option in it either.  Since
> the transcoded file isn't shorter and includes the commercials, and the 'z'
> doesn't do anything except skip around, I'm guessing that commercial
> detection isn't working for me with the transcode.


Just to confirm, did you try pressing 'e' on a file before it had been transcoded, or after it had been transcoded? If after, then it is most likely as HP-mini said, ie:
> From: mythtv-users [mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org] On Behalf
> Of HP-mini
> Sent: Saturday, 12 March 2016 5:52 AM
> To: mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Commercial Flagging after Transcode
> If you transcode to AVCC format H264 mpeg PS (mpeg4 container) you then
> can not generate seektable (& then cutlist) & probably can't meaningfully use
> mythcommflag.
> 
> MythTV only generates seektables for H264 video in TS container.
> You need to modify the H264 transcode script to use annexB H264 mpeg
> transport stream container.

Also it is common for the commskiplist, cutlist and recordedseek marks to be cleared after transcoding as the marks generated before transcoding will be in the wrong positions after the file is transcoded, although I don’t recall if this is something mythtranscode does automatically or not. Potentially your transcode script has it built in.

However if 'e' does not work on a file prior to transcoding then it may be symptomatic of a larger problem - in particular it may mean that your recordedseek table in the database is crashed. Do you regularly run optimize_mythdb.pl? If not I would recommended running it and seeing if there is anything unusual reported in the output. https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/User_Manual:Periodic_Maintenance#Optimize_the_Database

Many of the keys are context sensitive so pressing 'z' in the cutlist editor has a different function to 'z' during playback etc.

> 
> Ideally, I'd like myth to flag the commercials after the transcode in the
> database so that it doesn't cut up the original file....just in case commercial
> detection doesn't work, I can always view the show without loosing parts of
> it.  After running the transcode through handbrake, is it possible to execute
> something like...
> 
> mythcommflag -f <file.mp4>
> 
> Will this keep the original file in tact (with the commercials), but make mythtv
> flag the commercials properly?
> 
> Thanks for your help and responses again.
> 

Kodi won't honour the commflaglist or cutlist (as I understand it) so if you want playback through Kodi best option would be to make sure commercial boundary flags are in the correct place before transcoding and remove all the non-program parts of the recording as part of the transcode process.