Playing EyeTV recordings

[Ted]

The cataloging of EyeTV recordings is a great feature, but playing them (through EyeTV, just as VIDEO_TS get played by the Apple DVD player) would be really great!

[sjk]

That's already supported. When you add an EyeTV recording to DVDpedia a link to it is automatically created. Different methods of opening links are described on the Adding Links page of the built-in Help.

[Ted]

OK, thanks, that does work in edit mode -- but is there a way to view an EyeTV file in DVDPedia fullscreen mode? That's what I really want/need.

Thanks again.
Ted

[sjk]

but is there a way to view an EyeTV file in DVDPedia fullscreen mode?

Probably not, at least not easily. EyeTV recordings aren't QuickTime-compatible, which limits their playback options. DVDpedia supports using VLC for playback, though I don't know if VLC supports opening .eyetv recording packages directly or only .mpg files in them. And that still wouldn't be automatic full-screen playback, which it seems like you're interested in.

[Conor]

SJK is right, DVDpedia only supports what QuickTime support and WebKit (if you can view it in Safari then you can view it in DVDpedia). In the case of EyeTV it has to open EyeTV to handle the file. EyeTV does have QuickTime compatible export options but then you would have to link to the exported file and not the original EyeTV file.

[sjk]

EyeTV does have QuickTime compatible export options but then you would have to link to the exported file and not the original EyeTV file.

And if you export EyeTV recordings to iTunes then import their playlists into DVDpedia the links will be created automatically.

[Ted]

Actually VLC does play .eyetv files directly (no conversion required) though Quicktime can't. But I am mystified what difference it makes to DVDPedia whether it is in fullscreen mode or not for triggering playback -- if it can call EyeTV when it isn't in fullscreen mode why not when it is?

I am aware of the transcoding/iTunes possibilities but that would be absurd -- I have no interest in lowering the quality of my recordings just to be able to play them through iTunes or DVDPedia.

[sjk]

Actually VLC does play .eyetv files directly (no conversion required) though Quicktime can't.

I knew that VLC supported playback of .mpg Transport Stream files contained within .eyetv recording packages, just not if it handled those .eyetv packages directly.

I've requested (multiple times) that Elgato change the .mpg extension for the EyeTV Transport Stream files (e.g. to .ts) because of them being incompatible with QuickTime, which chokes when it attempts to open them. Elgato hasn't never even given a reason for choosing .mpg; they often avoid answering specific questions they've been asked.

But I am mystified what difference it makes to DVDPedia whether it is in fullscreen mode or not for triggering playback -- if it can call EyeTV when it isn't in fullscreen mode why not when it is?

I have no idea since my DVDpedia (and EyeTV) usage is never in Full Screen.

Oh, presumably you have EyeTV's "Start EyeTV in full screen" preference enabled? Otherwise it wouldn't make as much sense (to me) to want to open it from DVDpedia's Full Screen mode.

I am aware of the transcoding/iTunes possibilities but that would be absurd -- I have no interest in lowering the quality of my recordings just to be able to play them through iTunes or DVDPedia.

Absurd to you but maybe someone else finds a use for it.

So, exporting EyeTV recordings to MPEG Program Stream files and linking those into DVDpedia might currently be your only "Full Screen playback from DVDpedia" option. Of course that doubles the disk space usage, unless you delete the original recordings (or just the .mpg files in the .eyetv packages). That's just a tedious workaround, not the more elegant practical solution you're interested in.

[Conor]

But I am mystified what difference it makes to DVDPedia whether it is in fullscreen mode or not for triggering playback -- if it can call EyeTV when it isn't in fullscreen mode why not when it is?

The fullscreen only recognized direct movie files as possible options for playback. Download the beta and it will recognize EyeTV files as movie files. For speed reasons movies are only marked as having movie links when you create or modify a link, so re-add the EyeTV links or If you have a large number EyeTV files linked hold down the option key and click on the help menu and select the secret "Verify Database" command that will now appear (among the checks that it runs it recalculates if movies have movie file links).

[sjk]

Download the beta and it will recognize EyeTV files as movie files.

Well, that was quick.

Hopefully that'll work the way Ted wants it to.

[Ted]

You guys rock! It works! The only tiny quibble is that EyeTV playback doesn't start in fullscreen, but I'm not sure if that's within your control.

Ted

[sjk]

The only tiny quibble is that EyeTV playback doesn't start in fullscreen,

From my earlier reply:

Oh, presumably you have EyeTV's "Start EyeTV in full screen" preference enabled?

[Ted]

No I don't. PokeEye (& also Snatch) the iPhone based EyeTV remotes I use don't support EyeTV fullscreen menus. I did try to put EyeTV in fullscreen manually before I launched DVDPedia but that didn't help.