BTV/AdScan Automation Guide

[bits]

1. Copy a file called ssppcmd.dll into the following folder: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data (this may be hidden)\Snapstream\Beyond TV. This file is available at : http://snapstream.helpserve.com/inde...d=1254&nav=0,1

2. Create the following xml file by copying what you see here, paste into Notepad and the save the file as CustomPostProcessing.xml. Save this file to: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data (this may be hidden)\Snapstream\Beyond TV.

<CustomTasks>
<Task>
<GUID>531E0175-87F4-4d6f-B464-E603BC641DAE</GUID>
<Priority>DeferredImmediate</Priority>
<PropertyCollection>
<Property>
<Name>Command</Name>
<Value>C:\Program Files\VideoReDoPlus\vrd.bat</Value>
</Property>
</PropertyCollection>
</Task>
</CustomTasks>

3. Create a bat file in the following folder by copying what you see below into Notepad and save the file as vrd.bat. This bat file goes in: C:\Program Files\VideoReDoPlus.

"C:\Program Files\VideoReDoPlus\AdScan.vbs" %* /q
:: clean up log and txt files
del "%~pdn1".log
del "%~pdn1".logo.txt
del "%~pdn1".mpg.index.dat
del "%~pdn1".tp.index.dat
del "%~pdn1".txt

4. You will need to make a few minor changes to AdScan.vbs, which is located at : C:\Program Files\VideoReDoPlus. Right click on this file and select 'Edit' from the drop down menu. This should open the file for editing.
Make the changes indicated in Bold lettering and then 'Save' the file.

Below are the contents of the AdScan.vbs file with the changes Bolded:

'
' AdScan.vbs - cscript file to run Ad-Detective scan in the background from the command line.
' This will create a VidoeReDo project with the scenes marked.
'
' Commmand line: cscript //nologo "C:\program files\videoredo\AdScan.vbs" <mpeg file> <project filename> [/q]
'
' Note: AdScan.vbs should have the full folder name on it. i.e. c:\program files\VideoReDo\AdScan.vbs"
' likewise the the mpeg file.
' <project filename" is optional and if present should include a folder as well.
' [/q] to run quietly.

set Args = Wscript.Arguments
if Args.Count < 1 or Args.Count > 3 then
wscript.echo( "? Invalid number of arguments - usage is: AdScan <mpeg file> [<project filename>] [/q]" )
Wscript.Quit 2
end if

' Parse arguments
sourceFile = ""
destFile = ""
quietFlag = false
for i = 0 to Args.Count-1
p = args(i)
if ( p = "/q" or p = "/Q" ) then
quietFlag = true
elseif len(sourceFile) <> 0 then
destFile = p
else
sourceFile = p
end if
next

'Create VideoReDo object and open the source project / file.
if quietFlag = true then
'wscript.echo("Running in quiet mode.")
Set VideoReDoSilent = WScript.CreateObject( "VideoReDo.VideoReDoSilent" )
set VideoReDo = VideoReDoSilent.VRDInterface
else
Set VideoReDo = WScript.CreateObject( "VideoReDo.Application" )
end if

openFlag = VideoReDo.FileOpen( sourceFile )

if openFlag = false then
Wscript.echo( "? Unable to open file/project: " + sourceFile )
Wscript.Quit 3
end if

' Start the scan
' Parameters: 1 - Fast Search: 0 = program default, 1 = Yes use fast search, 2 = No, use slower more exhaustive search.
' 2 - Auto Cut: 0 = program default, 1 = Yes automatically mark cuts, 2 = No, Don't mark cuts.
' 3 - Disable Display: 0 - Program default, 1 = Always disable the display (also minimizes), 2 = Show scan.
'
displayMode = 0
if quietFlag then displayMode = 1

scanStarted = VideoReDo.StartAdScan( 0, 0, 1 )
if scanStarted = false then
Wscript.Echo("? Unable to start Ad-Detective Scan.")
Wscript.Quit 5
end if


' Wait until scan is done.
while( VideoRedO.IsScanInProgress() )
Wscript.Sleep 2000
wend

projectFile = VideoReDo.WriteProjectFile( destFile )
'Wscript.Echo(" Ad-Detective project written to: " + projectFile )

VideoReDo.Close()
'Wscript.quit 0

It is not obvious but the last three lines need to have a ' put in front in order to make these lines non active.


What should happen is, when BTV finishes recording; a Windows cmd window will pop up and VRD go to the tray in a sec or so. The Windows cmd window does not automatically minimize...have not figured that out yet but you can manually minimize it. When VRD is finished a Vprj file will be written to the same folder that the video was recorded to and VRD will close.

Good Luck!

BTW the credit for the above guide should go to those that actually did all the work! I am just a conduit......

[phd]

Thanks for the post. I'm sure other BTV users will find it useful.

[bits]

Originally Posted by phd

Thanks for the post. I'm sure other BTV users will find it useful.

I realize that this guide is specific to BTV users but I think it may also help with Sage and GBPVR users.

[jimvodka]

something must have changed using beta of both programs and i am getting a scrip error.
a box opens up with a ok box.."running is quiet mode" when click ok.
error windows opens.."cannot find import.dll may be missing or wrong version. file navsliderbar.dll, function ?setrange@chorzslider@@qaexhhh@z (error 0)

[phd]

Does VRD work OK on your system?

[jimvodka]

i have both vrd plus and tv on the same computer but i use plus usually to edit my files.
i just tested plus out on a small file and it worked without error.

jim

[emagin]

Is it possible to make these scripts skip the VRD ad detection and use the BTV ad detection instead?
I find VRD ad detection to be fairly inaccurate, whereas the BTV is more accurate.
So if it could snip based on the XML that BTV generates that would be better.

Thanks

[bits]

Originally Posted by emagin

Is it possible to make these scripts skip the VRD ad detection and use the BTV ad detection instead?
I find VRD ad detection to be fairly inaccurate, whereas the BTV is more accurate.
So if it could snip based on the XML that BTV generates that would be better.

Thanks

I wrote this guide long ago and not long after writting it I went with comskip for commercial detection. Comskip is significantly better than BTV and Ad-Scan.

I use Dirmon2 (freeware) to automatically start comskip working on a video file that has just finished recording. comskip generates a .vprj file that I drop into VRD. I usually record 0-12 shows per day and therefore batch process. I manually confirm the cuts but that takes no more than 15-30secs per 1-2 hour show. I record OTA HD, SD and SD dvr-ms files from a very wide variety of channels and show types....comskip handles them all quite easily.

If you need more details let me know. BTW VRD is great software but Ad-Scan is not why I value it so much.

[phd]

Originally Posted by emagin

Is it possible to make these scripts skip the VRD ad detection and use the BTV ad detection instead?
I find VRD ad detection to be fairly inaccurate, whereas the BTV is more accurate.
So if it could snip based on the XML that BTV generates that would be better.

Thanks

http://www.videoredo.net/msgBoard/showthread.php?t=70

[emagin]

Thanks Pat.
However the instructions in that thread are for manually dragging the BTV xml file into VRD to edit cuts. That's works great and I do it all the time when I want to manually edit something. What I was looking for is some way to automate this on each show after BTV finishes doing its Smart Skip scan.

Bits, thanks for the explanation.
I'll take a look comskip although I'm fine with the BTV adscan - it's fairly accurate for what I need at least.
Would be interested to see how you set it up.
Not much of a scripter but I can try to hack my way around in it.