Rename Recording

[KingArgyle]

I'm using my old version with .91.9 with no problems. Not missing any recordings from the GBPVR database that I'm aware.

Again, I don't use comskip, and that is the only thing I can think of that might cause the problem. The only way GBPVR should be deleting recordings is if it can't find the filename in the directory, and there are only two ways that this can happen. The record doesn't get renamed correctly in the database, or before the rename is committed to GBPVR, GBPVR scans and can't find the file it is searching for.

[ZaDDaZ]

Sorry I've been away for a bit. Gotta earn a living....

I don't understand fully your last statement, the one I quoted. Can you explain it again?

referring to:

I also added a new message when the file being asked to be renamed does not show up in the database at all. It also detects if the file has already been renamed and if it is, it doesn't do it again, causing a (2) file without a base file.

This means that if you run the utility and the filename being passed isn't found, it won't generate an exception, it will display a message in the output. Also, if you run the utility on an already renamed file, the logic used to generate the initial target file name and check if it exists. Well, if the file had already been renamed, it did exist (duh) and would go into the alternate name determination code. All it does now is check to see if the filename passed in matches the initial target file name and if so, it does nothing.

I have been running the utility for a week now and have not seen any missing recordings in the database. I too recorded all of the Battlestar Galactica episodes, but I don't use ComSkip, yet... Should I make the utility look for a PostRename.bat file and if one is found, call it with the renamed file? That way any other utilities that want to work with the file name can be put in there.

[Pioneer4x4]

Should I make the utility look for a PostRename.bat file and if one is found, call it with the renamed file? That way any other utilities that want to work with the file name can be put in there.

I'm not sure. I would like this to work well, but it's not a real problem. I definately like the mpgs being renamed, and it works well with comskip now, and as long as I use the videos tab, they all show up. I just wish I could narrow down the reason for the missing ones. I'll try and track it closer.

[ZaDDaZ]

OK, GBPVR has become very stable for me now and I'd like to start using ComSkip. First off, I looked at the docs for ComSkip on the WiKi and it says that :

Comskip is automatically started by GB-PVR when a recording is done if it finds the Comskip.exe.

First, I don't think this is true, unless of course you call it in PostProcessing.bat.

Second, this brought something to mind. What if the file to be renamed is currently open (being watched) when the rename attempt is made. It will most certainly fail and forever have its default name :confused: . I could change RenameRecording to just scan the entire database looking for files that are not renamed yet, but can be, and attempt renames on each one I find. (Sorry if I sound paranoid on this, but I've dealt with way too many concurrent processing issues lately and I always assume the worst is go to happen)

After thinking of that, I though of ComSkip. I could write a similar utility that would scan all of the files that are currently recorded and check for a corresponding ComSkip file. If one is not found, it would call ComSkip.exe for that file. Number one, this could ensure that only one ComSkip.exe is running at a time since it is a processor intesive task by ensuring that only one instance of the utility runs at a time. Number two, enabling ComSkip will go back and run ComSkip on all previously recorded episodes, which would be cool. Third, if, for some reason, ComSkip fails to process a file, it will be retried at some point in the future.

Oh, and one silly question. Why .BAT files? GBPVR only works on 2000/XP/2003, right? Shouldn't we be using .CMD files as they load the native command interpreter (cmd.exe) on these operating systems.

What do you all think?

[KingArgyle]

In answer to your first question. If you aren't using PostProcessing.bat, and have comskip.exe in the GBPVR root, it will run comskip at the end of the recording. However, if you have PostProcessing.bat, then you need to add comskip to that in order to have it run automagically.

[Pioneer4x4]

What if the file to be renamed is currently open (being watched) when the rename attempt is made. It will most certainly fail and forever have its default name :confused: . I could change RenameRecording to just scan the entire database looking for files that are not renamed yet, but can be, and attempt renames on each one I find. (Sorry if I sound paranoid on this, but I've dealt with way too many concurrent processing issues lately and I always assume the worst is go to happen)

I would like that, it sounds like a better way of doing it. Actually I think the best way would be for Sub to make it a selectable feature built in to GBPVR. I admit that I am not able to understand a lot of this type of programming, but I think it would work better and be eaiser if it was built in.

After thinking of that, I though of ComSkip. I could write a similar utility that would scan all of the files that are currently recorded and check for a corresponding ComSkip file. If one is not found, it would call ComSkip.exe for that file. Number one, this could ensure that only one ComSkip.exe is running at a time since it is a processor intesive task by ensuring that only one instance of the utility runs at a time. Number two, enabling ComSkip will go back and run ComSkip on all previously recorded episodes, which would be cool. Third, if, for some reason, ComSkip fails to process a file, it will be retried at some point in the future.

I like this idea also. I thought about doing that myself. I actually wrote a batch file to run on all of my seinfelds I had that did that. If you could do that, is there a way that you can have a list of channels to exclude comskip from running against, since comskip isn't needed on movie channel movies? Maybe add a dummy filename.txt to those.

[ZaDDaZ]

OK, after much tinkering, I believe I have a file rename utility that will not cause GBPVR to delete records for recordings during the rename.

I believe the root of the issue is that GBPVR gets a recordset from the database and then scans through the recordset looking for each file. Locking the rows in the database won't help because if GBPVR gets the records and starts scanning, and then the rename tool starts, its just plain going to delete the record because the file name has changed. I don't believe GBPVR re-checks the filename in the database when deleting the record. So, I have just admitted defeat in this and am making a new copy of the record when I rename the file and delete the original. GBPVR will not delete the new record because the file will always exist for the new record.

I also changed the utility from RenameRecording.exe to RenameRecordings.exe as the new utility just plain scans all of the currently recorded programs with episode names and attempts to rename, checking to see if the program was already renamed. This makes it much easier to use the first time, or on a manual basis. Heck, it could be put in PostUpdateEPG.bat as well.

Anyway. Here it is. I have tested it for a week and have not had one record drop from the database. Pioneer4x4 and tipstir, if you could test this again, I would greatly appreciate it.

I'm headed on to ComSkipHelper, a utility to ensure ComSkip gets run on all recordings.

[ZaDDaZ]

Thanks Tipstir. I know the previous version of RenameRecording worked, at least it renamed consistently, but I was having about a 25% rate of deleted records in GBPVR.mdb. Now I don't have any deleted records (or a 100% rate with new records added if you want to look at it that way). This prevents the loss of the program description, which I found annoying.

I do have a question. VideoArchive.mdb seems to have file names with episode names and descriptions. Mine currently has a combination of unrenamed file names and renamed file names. Does this get populated via the ArchiverUtility? If so, should I be looking for this database and updating it as well? Also, I have an archive location set up and I see a copy of this database there as well. Do I have to find them all?

[Pioneer4x4]

I do have a question. VideoArchive.mdb seems to have file names with episode names and descriptions. Mine currently has a combination of unrenamed file names and renamed file names. Does this get populated via the ArchiverUtility? If so, should I be looking for this database and updating it as well? Also, I have an archive location set up and I see a copy of this database there as well. Do I have to find them all?

I think you're right on that. I gave up on all addins except for comskip and rename. I'll install your newest tonight. I prefer the renamed files even to the database entries. It makes making DVDs and such much eaiser. I just thought of something else....


How about if you did the rename, but kept the date/time info in the name? Or make it an option. Thanks again, I am really looking forward to it working %100.

[Pioneer4x4]

So far 2 for 2. No problems.