Server Version#: 1.18.6.2368
I updated to the latest PlexPass version two days ago. Ever since then, all of the recordings that should have commercials removed have none. Up until this update, it’d worked flawlessly. Anyone else seeing this?
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Yes, broken for me as well. It was working very well, too.
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Hey Plex - is there an ability to expose if a recording is supposed to be commercial skipped to the Post Processing api? This would allow us to use the donator version of Comskip that’s multithreaded and HW accelerated.
The version that comes with Plex is the donator version.
It doesn’t appear to have the same capabilities. This is the Plex version:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server>"plex commercial skipper"
Comskip 0.82.005, made using ffmpeg
Donator build
The commandline used was:
"plex commercial skipper"
Usage:
comskip [-h|--help] [-w|--debugwindow] [-n|--playnice] [--zpcut] [--zpchapter] [--scf] [--videoredo] [--videoredo3] [--csvout] [--quality] [--plist] [-m|--demux] [--hwassist] [--threads=<int>] [-p|--pid=<string>] [-t|--ts] [-d|--detectmethod=<int>] [-v|--verbose=<int>] [-u|--dump=<int>] [-s|--play] [--timing] [-q|--quiet] [--ini=<file>] [--logo=<file>] [--cut=<file>] [--output=<file>] [--output-filename=<file>] [--selftest=<int>] <file> [<file>]
-h, --help Display syntax
-w, --debugwindow Show debug window
-n, --playnice Slows detection down
--zpcut Outputs a ZoomPlayer cutlist
--zpchapter Outputs a ZoomPlayer chapter file
--scf Outputs a simple chapter file for mkvmerge
--videoredo Outputs a VideoRedo cutlist
--videoredo3 Outputs a VideoRedo3 cutlist
--csvout Outputs a csv of the frame array
--quality Outputs a csv of false detection segments
--plist Outputs a mac-style plist for addition to an EyeTV archive as the 'markers' property
-m, --demux Demux the input into elementary streams
--hwassist Activate Hardware Assisted video decoding
--threads=<int> The number of threads to use
-p, --pid=<string> The PID of the video in the TS
-t, --ts The input file is a Transport Stream
-d, --detectmethod=<int> An integer sum of the detection methods to use
-v, --verbose=<int> Verbose level
-u, --dump=<int> Dump the cutscene at this frame number
-s, --play Play the video
--timing Dump the timing into a file
-q, --quiet Not output logging to the console window
--ini=<file> Ini file to use
--logo=<file> Logo file to use
--cut=<file> CutScene file to use
--output=<file> Folder to use for all output files
--output-filename=<file> Filename base to use for all output files
--selftest=<int> Execute a selftest
<file> Input file
<file> Output folder for cutlist
Detection methods available:
1 - Black Frame
2 - Logo
4 - Scene Change
8 - Resolution Change
16 - Closed Captions
32 - Aspect Ratio
64 - Silence
128 - CutScenes
255 - USE ALL AVAILABLE
While the current donator build:
Comskip 0.82.010, made using ffmpeg
Donator build
The commandline used was:
comskip.exe
Usage:
comskip [-h|--help] [-w|--debugwindow] [-n|--playnice] [--zpcut] [--zpchapter] [--scf] [--videoredo] [--videoredo3] [--csvout] [--quality] [--plist] [-m|--demux] [--hwassist] [--cuvid] [--vdpau] [--dxva2] [--decoders] [--threads=<int>] [-p|--pid=<string>] [-t|--ts] [-d|--detectmethod=<int>] [-v|--verbose=<int>] [-u|--dump=<int>] [-s|--play] [--timing] [-q|--quiet] [--ini=<file>] [--logo=<file>] [--cut=<file>] [--output=<file>] [--output-filename=<file>] [--selftest=<int>] <file> [<file>]
-h, --help Display syntax
-w, --debugwindow Show debug window
-n, --playnice Slows detection down
--zpcut Outputs a ZoomPlayer cutlist
--zpchapter Outputs a ZoomPlayer chapter file
--scf Outputs a simple chapter file for mkvmerge
--videoredo Outputs a VideoRedo cutlist
--videoredo3 Outputs a VideoRedo3 cutlist
--csvout Outputs a csv of the frame array
--quality Outputs a csv of false detection segments
--plist Outputs a mac-style plist for addition to an EyeTV archive as the 'markers' property
-m, --demux Demux the input into elementary streams
--hwassist Activate Hardware Assisted video decoding
--cuvid Use NVIDIA Video Decoder (CUVID), if available
--vdpau Use NVIDIA Video Decode and Presentation API (VDPAU), if available
--dxva2 Use DXVA2 Video Decode and Presentation API (DXVA2), if available
--decoders List all decoders and exit
--threads=<int> The number of threads to use
-p, --pid=<string> The PID of the video in the TS
-t, --ts The input file is a Transport Stream
-d, --detectmethod=<int> An integer sum of the detection methods to use
-v, --verbose=<int> Verbose level
-u, --dump=<int> Dump the cutscene at this frame number
-s, --play Play the video
--timing Dump the timing into a file
-q, --quiet Not output logging to the console window
--ini=<file> Ini file to use
--logo=<file> Logo file to use
--cut=<file> CutScene file to use
--output=<file> Folder to use for all output files
--output-filename=<file> Filename base to use for all output files
--selftest=<int> Execute a selftest
<file> Input file
<file> Output folder for cutlist
Detection methods available:
1 - Black Frame
2 - Logo
4 - Scene Change
8 - Resolution Change
16 - Closed Captions
32 - Aspect Ratio
64 - Silence
128 - CutScenes
255 - USE ALL AVAILABLE
.005 is an unpublished branch from kaashoek - it’s at least 11 months old. Its also lacks the HW acceleration which in my testing substantially accelerates commercial scan and detection.
I’d much rather have Plex expose if a recording should be commercial skipped and let me run with the real donator version vs continuing to struggle with their consistently broken branch of it.
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--hwassist exists in both lists. Only the order of the items is a bit different.
–HWAssist exists in both. If I only use that switch, it’s ~60% slower than including either --cuvid or --dxva2 (fastest).
The larger point is that commercial skipping has been broken in Plex for years. I used to fix it by renaming comskip.exe and replacing the plex provided version. That approach stopped working in 1.18.6.x and their version is still broken.
Commercial skipping has recently stopped working for me as well. Removed and reinstalled the DVR from scratch. Will report back after today’s recordings.
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I did a repair (which is a reinstall) and it didn’t seem to have any impact. I’m starting to think that it’s the handoff between PMS and Comskip / Plex Commercial Skipper that broke. I don’t think that it’s ever getting invoked…
I started a similar separate thread a few days ago and I’m having similar problems.
EDIT:Commercial skipper broken after reinstall !?
The CM (EDIT:should be CS) doesn’t work for most programs (recorded OTA) but it is working for me on most older OTA programs that are in 480p (EDIT:Buffalo sub channels) and local news casts (Toronto, On, CA) in HD (EDIT:1080i).
Maybe this will help get to the source of the problem…
Can confirm… deleting and reinstalling the DVR does not solve the issue.
To add: All of my checks have been on 1080 recordings from major networks. Cannot confirm that it ties to this release. I’ve noticed the issue over what feels like a few weeks.
Could you please enable ‘debug’ logging (but not ‘verbose’!)
restart the server
then schedule a recording including comskip
Wait until the processing is safely done after the recording finished and post log files.
Will do, sir. Please hold.
Recorded “Couples Court” between 11:30am and 12:00pm CST…
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Logs later in the day with several shows that missed commercial skip:
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According to Comskip’s (Plex Commercial Skipper) output, it is failing due to an invalid argument (this is filtered on ‘commercial’, there is other output):
Feb 13, 2020 19:30:01.098 [7684] DEBUG - Job running: EAE_ROOT='\\?\C:\Users\Randa\AppData\Local\Plex Media Server\Cache\Transcode\Sessions\EasyAudioEncoder' FFMPEG_EXTERNAL_LIBS='\\\\?\\C\:\\Users\\Randa\\AppData\\Local\\Plex\ Media\ Server\\Codecs\\0bc617e-2965-windows-x86\\' C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\Plex Commercial Skipper.exe "--ini=C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\Resources\comskip.ini" --output=\\CARLDROBO\Video\RecordedTV\.grab\5b641d6e43aff8ce888f23b196c36827e00d7b5a-323e85d5d6b00c9a90d6805a58d39f2268fc68eb -t --quiet "\\CARLDROBO\Video\RecordedTV\.grab\5b641d6e43aff8ce888f23b196c36827e00d7b5a-323e85d5d6b00c9a90d6805a58d39f2268fc68eb\Last Man Standing (2011) - S08E10 - Break Out the Campaign.ts"
Feb 13, 2020 19:30:07.771 [2488] DEBUG - Jobs: 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Plex\Plex Media Server\Plex Commercial Skipper.exe' exit code for process 268 is -2147483645 (One or more arguments are invalid
Feb 13, 2020 19:30:07.789 [7684] DEBUG - Recorder: Commercial skipping: output file duration was too similar (we aren't doing much). We won't replace the original.
It doesn’t specify what the invalid argument is, however. You could try running it manually using the command line from the logs (specifying the actual path to where the file is stored in your library) to see if it outputs anything more verbose on the command line, such as which parameter it doesn’t like.
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I’m having the same issues, I want my commercial skipping back!!!
2 Likes
Thank you for the logs!
I have filed a bug report.
2 Likes
I used an unmodified comskip.ini and it worked, what changes have you made.
The log files show that the comskip.ini was located in the program folder – i.e. it was most likely unmodified.
Because a modified comskip.ini should be placed in the data folder, where it will survive a server software update. https://support.plex.tv/articles/115003944134-removing-commercials#toc-1
