MediaInfo(Lib) 0.7 - Reading information about media files

[Zenitram]

Originally Posted by JoeBG

Hi,

I want to use the commandline tool to get variables for the stream length or the aspect ratio but I always fail.

For example: I have a AC3 stream and I want to have the lenght of it. Can someone give me a working commandline - many thanks.

For AC3 :
Command : MediaInfo --Inform=General;%PlayTime% FileName.ac3
Command : MediaInfo --Inform=Audio;%PlayTime% FileName.avi
Result : 1256960 (in milliseconds)
Command : MediaInfo --Inform=Audio;%PlayTime/String% FileName.avi
Result : 20mn 56s

Note : during the verification of the command, I noticed that lenght in the audio part (MediaInfo --Inform=Audio;%PlayTime%) for an AC3 file is lacking. I will correct this.

For AspectRatio :
Command : MediaInfo.exe --Inform=Video;%AspectRatio% FileName.avi
Result : 1.777
Command : MediaInfo.exe --Inform=Video;%AspectRatio/String% FileName.avi
Result : 16/9

Command : MediaInfo --Info-Parameters
Result : list the available parameters (between %)

[JoeBG]

First of all thanks for your help.

Here the results from my test.

I used the following commandline:
mediainfo --Inform=Video;%AspectRatio% C:\files\****\Daten\VTS_01_1.VOB

The result is the same as if I would have used
mediainfo --Inform C:\files\****\Daten\VTS_01_1.VOB

=> mediainfo.exe shows all informations and ignores *Video;%AspectRatio%*

I do have the same result with AC3 streams. mediainfo.exe shows always all informations and not the selected ones.

Maybe I´m doing it wrong, but I used exactly your commandlines

Herewith my versions of mediainfo.exe and mediainfo.dll

[foxyshadis]

You do have to use the command-line version; the command-line commands don't work with the GUI. (They have the same name, which makes it unnecessarily confusing. I always rename mine mediainfo-cli.exe. Even nicer would be if the GUI recognized cli commands and emulated it, removing the need for two executables...)

[JoeBG]

Originally Posted by foxyshadis

You do have to use the command-line version; the command-line commands don't work with the GUI. (They have the same name, which makes it unnecessarily confusing. I always rename mine mediainfo-cli.exe. Even nicer would be if the GUI recognized cli commands and emulated it, removing the need for two executables...)

I do use the commandline version

[foxyshadis]

Weird then, because the commands work on any files I can find. (With the exception of the error Zenitram already found.)

[Zenitram]

Originally Posted by JoeBG

=> mediainfo.exe shows all informations and ignores *Video;%AspectRatio%*

Maybe I´m doing it wrong, but I used exactly your commandlines

I tested *your* version of MediaInfo on my files, and it works
Maybe a problem with your OS, your localization, I don't know.
I don't know what to do more
I propose you contact me at zen@mediaarea.net for giving me an access to your computer, and I will do more tests.

Originally Posted by foxyshadis

Weird then, because the commands work on any files I can find. (With the exception of the error Zenitram already found.)

Yes, weird... Sometimes, I hate programming

Originally Posted by foxyshadis

You do have to use the command-line version; the command-line commands don't work with the GUI. (They have the same name, which makes it unnecessarily confusing. I always rename mine mediainfo-cli.exe. Even nicer would be if the GUI recognized cli commands and emulated it, removing the need for two executables...)

I already tested to have different names, GUI users want a short name rather than mediainfo-gui, CLI users too, so impossible to have all people happy (and you are the first user I know who use both! )
But yes, the GUI version will parse CLI options in the future.
(but I didn't plan my software would become so used and this is my first program, I must work a lot to have a all people happy, with a good programming, and whith the time I have...)

[JoeBG]

Originally Posted by Zenitram

I tested *your* version of MediaInfo on my files, and it works
Maybe a problem with your OS, your localization, I don't know.

I used a bat-file in my tests. When I type everything in my cmd-box without using a batchfile everything works for me too. Very strange everything

My plan is to use the variable %PlayTime% for further actions in DOS. But I think I cannot use it as %PlayTime% for further calculations isn´t it?

[mihakase]

The current syntax to get particular parameters using Inform is a little odd in Linux. Bash interprets the semicolon as the end of a command/line and tries to execute whatever comes after it.

Workaround is currently:
MediaInfo --Inform=xxx\;%param% file.ext

[Zenitram]

Originally Posted by mihakase

The current syntax to get particular parameters using Inform is a little odd in Linux. Bash interprets the semicolon as the end of a command/line and tries to execute whatever comes after it.

Workaround is currently:
MediaInfo --Inform=xxx\;%param% file.ext

the ";" is useful because I use internaly CSV format (semi-colomn, as in Europe...).
I don't plan to change this soon.
You can use a file too:
MediaInfo --Inform=file://SpecFile file.ext
And SpecFile contains "xxx;%param%"

If I add an option for accepting commas too, will it be better?

[mihakase]

Commas would be nice. I personally don't mind the semicolon but I figured the behaviour was worth noting anyway.

On a side note, I'm looking through mediainfo lib's source; trying to figure out how it gets an FLV's dimensions since I kind of need to implement that in php. It would probably help if I were a bit more competent though... no go as of yet.

[Zenitram]

Originally Posted by mihakase

On a side note, I'm looking through mediainfo lib's source; trying to figure out how it gets an FLV's dimensions since I kind of need to implement that in php. It would probably help if I were a bit more competent though... no go as of yet.

In PHP, it will be diffucult to call MediaInfo library (written in C/C++), why don't you use mediainfo command line?
I heard about several user who call mediainfo from PHP without problems.
./mediainfo --Inform=Video;%Width% %Height% for example.

[GrofLuigi]

On another note, since many programs use MediaInfo dll now, can it be placed in a path directory to avoid multiple copies and for better updating? (On Windows)

Will that affect these programs (I guess only their authors would know)?

GL

[Zenitram]

Originally Posted by GrofLuigi

On another note, since many programs use MediaInfo dll now, can it be placed in a path directory to avoid multiple copies and for better updating? (On Windows)

Will that affect these programs (I guess only their authors would know)?

GL

How DLL works on Windows:
- Search in the .exe directory
- Search in the path

If you delete yourself the .dll in the porgram directory, the program will search in the path.

this is not a problem from the DLL, but from any third-party programs mainteners.

For MediaInfo (the GUI), the status of MediaInfo.dll is not "stable", so I prefer to not force updating. After, others do what they want.

When MediaInfo.dll is more stable, I may propose to install in a shared directory. Not now. (the version 0.x, not 1.x ;-) )

[ficofico]

edit, sorry

[vlada]

I was using MediaInfo in my PHP-GTK application from command line. No I decided to move a little further and switch to Python. I heard somewhere it should be possible to use a C/C++ dll in Python. Does anyone have any idea (or code sample) how to use the mediainfo.dll in Python?

[Thunderbolt8]

would it be possible that mediainfo could give the length of both, audio and video stream inside a container file? dont know which of these 2 is meant with the general "length" info of the file.

[vlada]

I made Python load MediaInfo.dll through ctypes. But when I try to call the function result = lib.MediaInfo_Open("video.avi"), then Python complains there are not enough parameters for the function. What other parameters should be there?

Sorry for probably stupid questions, I'm just a beginner.

[foxyshadis]

You have to use:

handle=lib.MediaInfo_New();
result=lib.MediaInfo_Open(handle,"video.avi")
MediaInfo_Delete(handle)

now.

[vlada]

I've already tried this, but it gives me the same error:



Any ideas what's wrong?

[vlada]

A friend of mine wrote a Python wrapper for the .dll so it is solved. I didn't have the time to dive into the code yet, I just verified it works. If anyone's interested in it, let me know.

Anyway I have another problem. I'm not sure if MediaInfo is supposed to handle elemantary streams, but I think it usually does. I have a h.264 stream demuxed from AVCHD camcorder. MediaInfo 0.7.5.5 reports it as an AC3 audio. A sample can be downloaded here (7 MB).