Darksoul71
12th September 2003, 16:43
Hi all,
Background of this posting:
There´ve been a lot discussion here in Germany related
to a tool called ClipInc. by Tobit Software. This tool basicly
records MP3 from the radio and allows the users to share
their cutmarks. So if one user adds names and cut-marks
for a recording, all other people that have the same recording
don´t need to do this anymore. The same thing is possible
with mp3ToAir.
Wouldn´t it be great to have something like this for Videos ?
Tobit (the company that produces ClipInc) has a Server that
provides the same functionallity as ClipInc for videos. With
this server software their player skips commercials based
on the informations the company provides.
The same should be possible with freeware.
I´ve developed a small tool called VCF2AVS (Yes, Yes, I know:
bb has also a VCF2AVS :)) that basically just converts the cutpoints
from VirtualDub Config Files *.VCF to AVISynth Code (Trim....).
It´s pretty easy to share VCF files. Just "cut, copy, paste" into a
thread on a message board or attach it to a thread.
The only problem I see:
You have to enter your "startframe" from where the cut points
are valid. This could be either done by:
-editing the avi in VDub and save a VCF file for VCF2AVS
(or whatever this tool might be called)
-enter the start frame manual
-set the start frame inside a small player component.
The cut points would be valid from this frame on.
Small differences between the start point would not be a real problem if you use the fade in/out and crossfade functions of VCF2AVS.
All this would only make sense if enough people are willing to "share" their cutmarks.
I´m aware that posting cutmarks to a messageboard is not a perfect solution and a web-based database would be a better solution but I neither have the knowledge to integrate MySQL into Delphi, nor do I have a PC permamently connected to the web that could serve as "cut-marks database". Even sharing Cut-Lists via e-mule/kaazaa/etc would be possible.
Adding the functionality to VCF2AVS would just take me a few hours work (beside the player component described above).
IMHO AVISynth and VDub are still the best solutions for this, because:
-they´re free
-AVISynth is very flexible in terms of source material (DVB-Streams, MPEG-captures, AVI-captures
could be opened and "edited" with the same cut list)
A mediaplayer could use a cut-list for automatically skipping commercials. (esp. usefull if you capture your movies/episodes in a lossy format just for viewing).
All this relies on the motivation of "us", the users. Esp. well know series are captured by many peoples (i.e. Farscape, Enterprise, etc). So why not make our lifes easier ?
Of course this is not limited to a single OS: Also PC-based PVR projects like MythTV could use cutlists. I wouldn´t thrust any automatic commercial skip function, because nowadays
all TV station make automatic commercial recognition impossible with their "great" logo animations, but I would thrust other users that share cut-points.
Just a few ideas...
What do you think ? Would this make sense ?
Have a nice weekend,
D$
Background of this posting:
There´ve been a lot discussion here in Germany related
to a tool called ClipInc. by Tobit Software. This tool basicly
records MP3 from the radio and allows the users to share
their cutmarks. So if one user adds names and cut-marks
for a recording, all other people that have the same recording
don´t need to do this anymore. The same thing is possible
with mp3ToAir.
Wouldn´t it be great to have something like this for Videos ?
Tobit (the company that produces ClipInc) has a Server that
provides the same functionallity as ClipInc for videos. With
this server software their player skips commercials based
on the informations the company provides.
The same should be possible with freeware.
I´ve developed a small tool called VCF2AVS (Yes, Yes, I know:
bb has also a VCF2AVS :)) that basically just converts the cutpoints
from VirtualDub Config Files *.VCF to AVISynth Code (Trim....).
It´s pretty easy to share VCF files. Just "cut, copy, paste" into a
thread on a message board or attach it to a thread.
The only problem I see:
You have to enter your "startframe" from where the cut points
are valid. This could be either done by:
-editing the avi in VDub and save a VCF file for VCF2AVS
(or whatever this tool might be called)
-enter the start frame manual
-set the start frame inside a small player component.
The cut points would be valid from this frame on.
Small differences between the start point would not be a real problem if you use the fade in/out and crossfade functions of VCF2AVS.
All this would only make sense if enough people are willing to "share" their cutmarks.
I´m aware that posting cutmarks to a messageboard is not a perfect solution and a web-based database would be a better solution but I neither have the knowledge to integrate MySQL into Delphi, nor do I have a PC permamently connected to the web that could serve as "cut-marks database". Even sharing Cut-Lists via e-mule/kaazaa/etc would be possible.
Adding the functionality to VCF2AVS would just take me a few hours work (beside the player component described above).
IMHO AVISynth and VDub are still the best solutions for this, because:
-they´re free
-AVISynth is very flexible in terms of source material (DVB-Streams, MPEG-captures, AVI-captures
could be opened and "edited" with the same cut list)
A mediaplayer could use a cut-list for automatically skipping commercials. (esp. usefull if you capture your movies/episodes in a lossy format just for viewing).
All this relies on the motivation of "us", the users. Esp. well know series are captured by many peoples (i.e. Farscape, Enterprise, etc). So why not make our lifes easier ?
Of course this is not limited to a single OS: Also PC-based PVR projects like MythTV could use cutlists. I wouldn´t thrust any automatic commercial skip function, because nowadays
all TV station make automatic commercial recognition impossible with their "great" logo animations, but I would thrust other users that share cut-points.
Just a few ideas...
What do you think ? Would this make sense ?
Have a nice weekend,
D$