[Transcoding folders] Limiting options

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andiling
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2018 12:44 am

[Transcoding folders] Limiting options

Post by andiling »

Hi!
I'm a new user to UMS and I'm quite impressed about the efforts you've spent for making such a great streaming server.
I was wondering if it is possible to limit / select the options shown in the transcoding folders since the list grows quite long (at least for me).
For every possible configuration there's an item:
- Chapter
- Video encoder
- Audio encoder
- Language
- Subtitles
- No transcoding
- ...
For the encoding, language, subtitles it would be good enough to use standard settings for me (such as only ffmpeg, original audio, preferred languages or English only).
Otherwise the list is so long... )-: Attached you can see a small part of the list.
Thank you for your ideas!
Cheers,
Andreas
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Nadahar
Posts: 1990
Joined: Tue Jun 09, 2015 5:57 pm

Re: [Transcoding folders] Limiting options

Post by Nadahar »

You can turn of chapters in the configuration, and I actually think it's off by default.

You're not supposed to use the TRANSCODE folder normally, if your renderer, audio and subtitles preferences are configured correctly, UMS should pick the correct "variant" outside of the TRANSCODE folder. The TRANSCODE folder is only for those few instances where the automatic selection doesn't get it right or for testing.
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Madoka
Posts: 328
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 12:51 pm

Re: [Transcoding folders] Limiting options

Post by Madoka »

I'll add my comment here since it's on topic. I don't mean to hijack.

If the video file has multiple audio and video tracks, I find that UMS will not play the file on my PS3. The PS3 throws an error, and the buffer never seems to fill. However, it will work if I manually select an audio/subtitle combination from the transcode folder. I don't think I have such a file currently for a debug log.

The second instance is more of a unique occurrence. I have some videos/subs burned onto DVDs. On occasion, new and better subtitles will come out later, usually .ass subs when the originals were older .srt subs. To get around the burned DVD problem, I make a folder on my HD and throw the new subs in there and put that folder in UMS in the Alternative Subtitles Folder field. UMS then finds the new subs just fine, BUT it still preferentially uses the .srt subs from the disc. I need to go into the transcode folder to manually select the .ass subs. I had suggested a subtitle type priority option before where you could tell UMS to always use .ass over .srt subs.
Nadahar
Posts: 1990
Joined: Tue Jun 09, 2015 5:57 pm

Re: [Transcoding folders] Limiting options

Post by Nadahar »

I don't think multiple audio tracks should pose a problem, but multiple video tracks might. That's not very common, so it's probably not very well tested. If you want somebody to look at that, you should post an issue here: https://github.com/UniversalMediaServer ... ver/issues

I agree that some more options regarding the subtitles choices might be handy, but I think the situation you describe is very uncommon. AFAICR UMS doesn't look at the type of subtitles when picking, only on language. If there are multiple subtitles with the correct language, I think the first will be picked. External ones have priority over internal ones though. I think this situation is just what the TRANSCODE folder is there for. Making a priority system based on subtitles type would be a bit of work, and I think it would be very far between each case where it was actually useful. If you want, you can create an issue for this to, where you ask for this to be implemented. That means we will have it "on our list" at least.
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Madoka
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Re: [Transcoding folders] Limiting options

Post by Madoka »

My sincere apologies. In the first instance, I meant multiple audio and subtitle tracks, not video.

I agree that the second instance is fairly unique and not a major problem. I am just glad that I can use the new subs without having to copy all the video files back onto the HD to view. I think you are right about the first subs found as the .ass subs are listed before .srt subs in the computer so UMS may see the .ass subs first.

Since we're talking, I'll mention a few more minor subtitle issues not necessarily related to the transcode folder. (I'm starting to hijack, I know.)

If I have UMS already running and have already gone into Folder X, if I then add a new subtitle to the folder (say subs for episode 5 came out and I watched episode 4 earlier) and I exit and re-enter the folder, UMS will rescan the folder (as the listed files disappear and reappear), but UMS will not use the new subtitles, ie Ep 5 will not have the {External Subtitles} tag, and playing it will not show subs. I have to quit and restart UMS for it to use the new subs. Not a bit deal, but since UMS knew something has changed and rescanned the folder, it'd be nice if it would recognize them.

Almost all of my .ass subs are encoded in UTF-8, usually with BOM even. This is due to some accented characters and Asian characters in the subs. UMS cannot accurately identify the language of UTF subs; they are listed with a big white circle for the language flag in the transcode folder. Again, not a big deal; if it's the only subtitle, UMS will use it regardless.
Nadahar
Posts: 1990
Joined: Tue Jun 09, 2015 5:57 pm

Re: [Transcoding folders] Limiting options

Post by Nadahar »

We've been working on an overhaul of the subtitles system for a while. This isn't completed and merged into the release code yet, but I think we're pretty close. I think several of the issues you mention should already be fixed in the overhauled code.

If you use Windows and want to test it, you can download a build here: http://www.superbum.org/downloads/UMS-setup-subs.exe

If you're on another platform, let me know and I can build it for that platform. There is one issue however, the overhauled code is still based on UMS 6.8.0. There's a change in the database format in 7.0.0, so if you have already upgraded to 7.0.0 you can't run this version with the same database/cache.

Before running this version if you're already on 7.0.0, you need to delete or rename the "database" folder in your profile folder. The default location for the profile folder on Windows is "C:\ProgramData\UMS".

When it comes to parsing the subtitle language, the encoding isn't used for that as far as I remember. I think the language is decided from the subtitles file name primarily. There's really no proper correlation between encoding and language, so that would be a pretty useless indicator of language.
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Madoka
Posts: 328
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Re: [Transcoding folders] Limiting options

Post by Madoka »

Thanks for the build. I am on Windows, so I'll do some testing. Also thanks for the info on the cache. I just pulled the UMS folder our of the ProgramData folder and did a bit of a clean install. Then if I want to go back it'll be easy as I understand 7.0.0 changed some settings from Hide to Show.

I mention the encoding as some subbers will release both .srt and .ass subs so I have both in the same folder with the same name. My experience is that .srt subs encoded in ANSI will have the language recognized as English while the .ass version of the subs encoded in UTF-8-BOM will not, even though the names are the same except for the extension. In this example, UMS will use the .ass subs as in the folder it's usually listed as .ass, then the video file, then the .srt sub. In the above example with the burned DVD, I think UMS sees the video file and the .srt file first, then scans the alternate subs folder to file the .ass files, then chooses to use the .srt as it found those first. Just my guess.

Also as I was resetting all of my setting with this subs build, I noted some long time errors in the configuration file. The following will be added to the bottom of the conf file.

Code: Select all

ignore_the_word_a_and_the = false
audio_languages = eng,jpn,und
subtitles_languages = eng,jpn,und
audio_subtitles_languages =
The first because the setting in the file in the proper position does not include "_a_and_"
The last three because the setting in the proper place is commented out with a # before the setting.
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Madoka
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Re: [Transcoding folders] Limiting options

Post by Madoka »

I set "Full Subtitle info", and was able to determine that UMS can detect the correct language on ANSI and UTF-8 encoded subs, but not UTF-8-BOM encoded subs.

And the new icons in the transcode folder are very nice indeed.

Just personal preference, perhaps because I'm used to them this way, but I like the Engine name after the Filename as before.
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Madoka
Posts: 328
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Re: [Transcoding folders] Limiting options

Post by Madoka »

The "add a new subtitle into an opened folder" issue is still there. It rescans the folder but will not used the newly added subtitle as before. I didn't mention this last time, just restarting the server with the button doesn't help; I have to quit out and restart UMS for it to see the new subtitle file.
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Madoka
Posts: 328
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2012 12:51 pm

Re: [Transcoding folders] Limiting options

Post by Madoka »

For what it's worth, the "Subtitle Icon bug when thumbnails are off" that I've mentioned before is gone with this build. I haven't tried the Live Subtitles option as I usually download my own, but I haven't noticed any new bugs so far.
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