Preview function and further questions

[dip]

I just tested Smart Cutter 1.2.4 with SD and HD ts-files recorded with my Dreambox DM8000 and the frame accurate cutting works amazingly! That's really great!

I have only the following questions/comments to your great product before I will purchase it:

1. I would like to use Smart Cutter for cutting commercials out of my recorded tv programms. Is there a preview function to preview the accurancy of the defined cuts? There are some TV stations which repeat some seconds of the programm after the end of the commercials. In this case it is not sufficient to cut exactly at the start and the end of the commercial (which can easily be done) but to find the end of the repeated part of the movie. The exact point is sometimes hard to find and a preview function would be very helpful to check the cut points. The preview function should for example start playback 5 (or a definable number of) seconds before the begin of the part which is to be removed and end playback 5 (or a definable number of) seconds after the removed part. In this way you can check if the transition of the cut is correct.

Does such a (or a similar) preview function exist or is it planned?

2. When I click on the "Full" button nothing happens. What should happen in this case and is this functionality broken?

3. Is there a way to amend the starting point and/or the end point of the cuts added to the batch list?

4. I assume that the frame shown by clicking on "New start point" is the first frame of the portion to be cut (which is maintained). My question is wether the frame shown by clicking on "New end point" is the last frame of this cut part and thus will be included in the maintained part or if this frame is the first frame of the following part which will cut out and will thus not be maintained? In short, when I want to cut out a commercial, do I have to select with "New end point" the last frame of section of the movie preceding the commercial or the first frame of the commercial?

Thanks for an answer and this great product.

[admin]

Dear dip:
Thanks for your posting.

preview function should for example start playback 5 (or a definable number of) seconds before the begin of the part which is to be removed and end playback 5 (or a definable number of) seconds after the removed part. ... Does such a (or a similar) preview function exist or is it planned?

Sounds interesting. We will talk to our developers. Maybe we can have it as a new feature in the coming version.

When I click on the "Full" button nothing happens.

Since this 'full screen' mode is not compatible with Win 2008, it is temporarily disabled. And it will be re-activated soon.

Is there a way to amend the starting point and/or the end point of the cuts added to the batch list?

Please right click on the item in batch list, choose 'view', the movie will be re-opened, the cut points setting will be re-showed. Now you can change the points, and re-add it into batch list. After that, you can 'delete' the old item in list.

I assume that the frame shown by clicking on "New start point" is the first frame of the portion to be cut ...

Let us suppose that the part you want to save into result movie is from frame 1 and frame 2, please go to frame 1, click "New start point"; then go to frame 2, click "New end point"; then do recording. Both frame 1 and frame 2 will be included in the output movie, as starting and ending point.

If we did not make it clear, please do not hesitate to post more messages.
Or send us emails, to support@fame-ring.com or famering@gmail.com
Thank you.

Best Regards,
FameRing Support Team

[dip]

preview function should for example start playback 5 (or a definable number of) seconds before the begin of the part which is to be removed and end playback 5 (or a definable number of) seconds after the removed part. ... Does such a (or a similar) preview function exist or is it planned?

Sounds interesting. We will talk to our developers. Maybe we can have it as a new feature in the coming version.

That would be great. For me this is the only missing feature.

[dip]

I purchased now a license and tested Smart Cutter a little bit more. I found the following (small) problems:

1. When reading HD-recordings the big time displayed on the left side is incorrect. If the main slider is at the beginning of the recording a random time (e.g. 10:32:34:142) instead of 00:00:00:000 is shown. This is an incorrect offset. When I then scroll through the recording the time increases correctly but always with the wrong offset. That means, after 5 minutes in the example the display would be 10:37:34.142 instead of 00:05:00.000. With SD-recordings the time display starts correctly with 00:00:00:000.

2. In the settings dialog I have set the default output directory to C:\videos. My source directory is D:\videos. When I use the red button to save the output file it is correctly stored in C:\videos. However, when I use the batch list and the "link to one file" option, the default output directory is not used. Instead the window in which the file name has to be typed points to the source directory (D:\videos) and I must always manually select the correct directory.

3. When using the "link to one file" option the name of the output file must always typed in manually. I would prefer if it is set to the original filename as default which can then be amended. Or the default could be the original filename with an additional (Edited) or something (e.g. "filename.ts" leads to "filename (Edited).ts" or "filename (Cut).ts" or something similar).

4. When not using the batch list and the "link to one file" option but the red button, the extension 12.ts is appended to the original filename resulting e.g. in "filename.ts.12.ts". Is that on purpose or a bug? I would prefer something like "filename (Edited).ts" or "filename (Cut).ts". At least the double "ts" is unaesthetic.

5. When I use the "link to one file" option and do not explicitly include an extension in the output filename the extension "mpg" is appended although the input file had a "ts" extension. In my opinion the original extension should be maintained.

6. I appreciate that there is an option to switch to German. Unfortunately, I have to say that the German translation is really bad (sorry for that) and in some cases completely wrong ("clear record list" is translated to "deutlichen Buch Liste" which means something like "articulate book list").

7. In addition to the already mentioned "preview" function an automatic commercial recognition would be great. Some other programs use for example the different audio modes often used in movies and commercials to detect the commercials. By pressing a button the piecese between the commercial could automatically be added to the batch list. This will of course never be perfect but helps you to find and then amend the commercial blocks.

I hope that was not too much. Despite these points your program works great for me. I have already cut 4 movies since yesterday (HD and SD) without any problems.

[admin]

Dear dip:
Thanks for your advices.

big time displayed on the left side is incorrect ... at the beginning ... a random time (e.g. 10:32:34:142) instead of 00:00:00:000 is shown

Actually that is not a 'random' time. This is a common demand from video editors in TV industry. Each frame has an unique time code, the time code is stored in the video stream, sometimes the first time code is not zero. Some editors want to keep the time code unchanged, so as to identify each frame easily.

when I use the batch list and the "link to one file" option, the default output directory is not used.

This should be fixed in the coming version.

When using the "link to one file" option the name of the output file must always typed in manually. ... the extension 12.ts ... I would prefer ... "filename.ts" leads to "filename (Edited).ts".

Good idea. We will talk to our developers about this.

the German translation is really bad

Yes, we do agree with that. We did not find a German translator yet. We will try to change that.

automatic commercial recognition ... different audio modes ...

This could be a long run. We also want to have this feature very much. But as you said, 'it ... never be perfect'. Maybe our developers need more time on this.

Please feel free to send us your further advice.
Thank you very much.

Best Regards,
FameRing Support Team

[dip]

big time displayed on the left side is incorrect ... at the beginning ... a random time (e.g. 10:32:34:142) instead of 00:00:00:000 is shown

Actually that is not a 'random' time. This is a common demand from video editors in TV industry. Each frame has an unique time code, the time code is stored in the video stream, sometimes the first time code is not zero. Some editors want to keep the time code unchanged, so as to identify each frame easily.

I understand that this is useful in TV industry. In my case it seems that some tv stations store the time of day when the movie is broadcasted as unique time code, but this is nothing which is of interest when editing the recorded movie (at least for me). When I have recorded a movie from television and want to cut out the commercials, it is very irritating that the time display does not start with 00:00:00:000.

Couldn't you introduce a new option in the settings page like "Use time code of the video stream for time display" which is checked by default so the default behavior would not be changed compared to now. But when you uncheck this option time display is started with 00:00:00:000 (this simply means to subtract the offset stored in the first frame for displaying the time).

the German translation is really bad

Yes, we do agree with that. We did not find a German translator yet. We will try to change that.

I am German. If you wish you could send me a set of the English text strings to be translated into German.

automatic commercial recognition ... different audio modes ...

This could be a long run. We also want to have this feature very much. But as you said, 'it ... never be perfect'. Maybe our developers need more time on this.

I agree that this will take some time do develop. Even if it is not perfect (e.g. if the start or end points must be corrected) if would give you a clue where to look for commercials in the movie. However, for me the previously mentioned preview option would be more important (and may be easier to implement anyway).

Thanks for your great program and your fast support.