MovieCut-1.0
------------
2007-07-31
Anders Holst (aho@sics.se)


This module makes it possible to execute the cuts specified by the
Cutlist editor on DM7025, i.e. the specified sections are actually
removed from the file, saving disk space and simplifying if the movie
is to be e.g. burned to a DVD. When installed it will be accessible
from the file list menu (i.e. selecting a file in the file list and
pressing the menu button) under the name "Execute cuts...". First use
the Cutlist editor to set the appropriate cut marks. Then select 
"Execute cuts..." and it will give some options for usage.

The real work is done by the program "mcut". It was inspired and
guided by the similar package "moviecutter" bu Georges. However, you
need not wait over the night but it can run in the background as you
keep watching on your dreambox, and a typical movie takes about 15-20
minutes to process. The program "mcut" can also be called directly
from a shell. With no arguments it will give a brief description of
the options.


Bugs and caveats

* Cutting will be performed in the background, but there is no
indication when it is finished. You have to check the file list when
the resulting movie turns up in the right place. (The meta file is
copied last, so before the copy is complete the movie will not be
sorted into the correct place and not show any date or channel
information.)

* If something goes wrong and the cutting is aborted, this is
unfortunately not shown anywhere. You can log in to a shell and run
"top" to see if "mcut" is running. You can also run "mcut" directly
from the shell, in which case any warnings and errors will be shown
there. 

* In the "advanced cut parameter" dialogue you can specify cuts
manually, but they are rather awkward to specify with the remote
control - "0" is mapped to ".","0", and ":" since this was most
straightforward to implement using existing python code. And note that
the cuts are given in pairs of *included* sections, not *excluded* as
in the cutlist editor (i.e. there is first an IN time, followed by
OUT, and so on).

* "mcut" cuts at the GOP beginnings, but that seems not to be
enough to avoid flickering at the cuts inside a movie. (I guess the
first frame of the following GOP has to be included to make the last
few frames of the prevoius GOP come out undistorted, but I don't know
how to find those positions.) Just stripping off the start and end of
a movie produces no flicker however. If you are uncertain, limit the
use to this until *maybe* a new version comes that gives no flicker. 

* Due to some bug the cut marks from the Cutlist editor are not very
exact in position. It seems that they are offset a small amount, so
that usually the actual mark gets some part of a second *later* than
it looks when you are inside the Cutlist editor. Use some second of
margin to make sure everything comes in, until this is sorted
out. With delicate cuts, check the result before deleting the
original movie.


Disclaimer

I have really tried to be careful and make it reasonably "safe": It
checks for errors during the process and will abort in a controlled
way if it happens; If "-r"="replace" is specified, it will not remove
any files until the whole cutting is successfully done; if "-r" is not
given it will not overwrite any existing file with the same name as the
destination; if no cuts are specified nothing will be done; etc.

However, all use will be on your own risk. I will not take
responsibility for any damage or loss of movies or other files due to
either bugs in the program or uncareful use.