Import video files

[ceejayemm]

Is there, or will there, be a new version of the Vidimport utility to allow video files to be imported into the new v5.x structures ? The files that are generated by the existing Vidimport utllity need quite a lot of manual intervention in order to be able to use them to import videos into the new NPVR v5 app.  Failing that, is there any documentation which details the structure of an XML import file and those XML tags which are deemed as mandatory and optional within such a XML based import file ?

Many thanks for the ongoing work on this new version of NPVR which seems to from strength to strength and, for me, has been working extremely well from a very early stage using RPi v4 and HD Homerun tuners.

Thanks

Chris

[mvallevand]

I don't think the xml format changed between v4 and v5 so any issue is probably change file locations. Perhaps try the built in xml import and export function.

The xml is self documenting from what I see.

Martin

[ceejayemm]

Martin

There does seem to be a difference I am afraid.  Exporting a recording from V5 gives a file like example 1 (recordings_v5.txt) attached while vidimport producesa file like example 2 (recordings_v4.txt)  and fact the vidimport file (recordings_v4.txt) will not load for me. Both these files are in the attached zip file

Chris

[sub]

There wasn't a change in format exported/imported between v4 and v5.

However, there was an even older GBPVR format (2004-2008), which Vidimport may be producing?

[mvallevand]

Right but if you are trying to import a v4 file into an rpi there is no way it will work without changing the filename. It doesn't mean the xml is invalid.

Martin

[ceejayemm]

You could well be right. The version of VidImport I downloaded from the Wiki /Utilities area reports itself as v1.71 dated December 2, 2012.

Hence my original question as to whether ther will be a newer version of VidImport or soem documentation regarding the current XML file format and required tags.

Chris

[sub]

Right but if you are trying to import a  v4 file into an rpi there is no way it will work without changing the filename. 

You can still import a v4 file (or in fact any version of NextPVR 0.x - 4.x). You can't import an old GBPVR style recordings-dump.xml file any more.

[sub]

You could well be right.  The version of VidImport I downloaded from the Wiki /Utilities area reports itself as v1.71 dated December 2, 2012. 

Hence my original question as to whether ther will be a newer version of VidImport or soem documentation regarding the current XML file format and required tags.

Chris

I don't have any documentation for you, but the format is mostly self explanatory. You don't have to include the <Event> tag if you want to make life simplier.

Where are these files you're trying to import from? ie, were these originally created by NextPVR, or they files you got elsewhere?

[sub]

The <oid> value is ignored, so can be anything

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<recordings>
  <recording>
    <oid>6129</oid>
    <name>Click</name>
    <channel>BBC One London</channel>
    <filename>/home/pi/nas_recordings/Click/Click_20200322_04300500.ts</filename>
    <status>READY</status>
    <startTime>2020-03-22T04:29:27.0000000Z</startTime>
    <endTime>2020-03-22T05:05:00.0000000Z</endTime>
  </recording>
</recordings>

[ceejayemm]

Ok, thanks. I never said I was trying to import v4 files. I am trying to import .ts files from an old Humax DVR which I can get over to the v5 storage area on the PI via FTP. VidImport only runs on Windows and I know the difference between RPI (Linux) file path structures and those of Windows - this is one of the edits I need to make to each XML import file. I have done a couple already by trial and error hence my query about an updated VidImport or the mandatory XML tags which would make my life easier. I guess I will just keep editing XML files and try and spot any typo's etc before I try and import a video file. Once I have an XML file that seems to work I will save it as a template and use it to cut down some of the necessary editting for later imports.

Thanks

Chris