TV Tubes Talkin’ ‘bout my automation… (Complete with crappy PowerPoint theme) Neil Crosby

The Problem You: Like watching TV Shows. Can’t watch when they’re on TV normally. Don’t have a VCR.

You:

Like watching TV Shows.

Can’t watch when they’re on TV normally.

Don’t have a VCR.

The Solution Timeshift by downloading episodes. Put episodes into iTunes. Sync to iPod, iPhone,  TV etc. Delete them once they’ve been watched. But, do this completely automatically.

Timeshift by downloading episodes.

Put episodes into iTunes.

Sync to iPod, iPhone,  TV etc.

Delete them once they’ve been watched.

But, do this completely automatically.

What You Need A Mac TVShows.app BitTorrent Client VisualHub iTunes Two FolderActions One Standalone AppleScript A Small Aubergine

A Mac

TVShows.app

BitTorrent Client

VisualHub

iTunes

Two FolderActions

One Standalone AppleScript

A Small Aubergine

TVShows .app Lets you download new episodes of shows whenever they appear, automatically. Whenever new episodes appear, they get downloaded by your favourite BitTorrent client. It’s a kind of magic

Lets you download new episodes of shows whenever they appear, automatically.

Whenever new episodes appear, they get downloaded by your favourite BitTorrent client.

It’s a kind of magic

BitTorrent Any client will do, as long as fully downloaded items are able to be moved to a “downloaded” folder automatically. Azureus does this quite happily.

Any client will do, as long as fully downloaded items are able to be moved to a “downloaded” folder automatically.

Azureus does this quite happily.

The First FolderAction Invoked when files appear in “downloaded” folder. Starts VisualHub using a config file. Pipes files into VisualHub. Starts VisualHub re-encoding the files.

Invoked when files appear in “downloaded” folder.

Starts VisualHub using a config file.

Pipes files into VisualHub.

Starts VisualHub re-encoding the files.

VisualHub Costs $23.32 Uses ffmpeg for encoding. So, it could (and should) be refactored out as an exercise for the reader

Costs $23.32

Uses ffmpeg for encoding.

So, it could (and should) be refactored out as an exercise for the reader

ffmpeg commandline ffmpeg -y -threads 4 -i some.show.03x05.some.episode.name.avi -s 640x480 -r 29.98 -vcodec h264 -g 300 -aspect 640:480 -qmin 27 -b 900 -level 30 -loop 1 -sc_threshold 40 -partp4x4 1 -rc_eq 'blurCplx^(1-qComp)' -refs 2 -qmax 51 -maxrate 1400 -async 50 -acodec aac -ar 44100 -ac 2 -ab 128 some.show.03x05.some.episode.name.mp4

VisualHub Costs $23.32 Uses ffmpeg for encoding. So, it could (and should) be refactored out as an exercise for the reader Set up to save re-encoded to episodes to “encoded” folder.

Costs $23.32

Uses ffmpeg for encoding.

So, it could (and should) be refactored out as an exercise for the reader

Set up to save re-encoded to episodes to “encoded” folder.

The Second FolderAction Invoked when files appear in “encoded” folder. Adds files to iTunes Works out Show Name, Season Number and Episode Number (Perl)

Invoked when files appear in “encoded” folder.

Adds files to iTunes

Works out Show Name, Season Number and Episode Number (Perl)

The Perl if (/^(.*)[s.-]+s?([0-9][0-9]?)[ex]?([0-9][0-9])/i) { $show=$1; $season=$2; $episode=$3; $show=~s/s*-s*$//; // Remove dash from end of show name $show=~s/./ /g; // Convert dots to spaces $show=~s/((^w)|(sw))/U$1/g; // Capitalise each word print "$show
$season
$episode
"; } Show Season Episode

The Second FolderAction Invoked when files appear in “encoded” folder. Adds files to iTunes Works out Show Name, Season Number and Episode Number (Perl) Sets info in iTunes

Invoked when files appear in “encoded” folder.

Adds files to iTunes

Works out Show Name, Season Number and Episode Number (Perl)

Sets info in iTunes

iTunes Does any syncing that you’ve told it to do with your TV Shows! You get to watch the shows you want without having to be around when they’re on TV. Awesome.

Does any syncing that you’ve told it to do with your TV Shows!

You get to watch the shows you want without having to be around when they’re on TV.

Awesome.

The Overall Process

But wait, there’s more!

Current Gotchas Deletion process still to be written. VisualHub can’t cope with videos inside folders. VisualHub doesn’t like things to be added to its “to encode” list - shows get encoded twice.

Deletion process still to be written.

VisualHub can’t cope with videos inside folders.

VisualHub doesn’t like things to be added to its “to encode” list - shows get encoded twice.

Write-up / Instructions Full instructions for setting up your own “TV Tubes” process will be available at workingwith .me. uk very soon.

Full instructions for setting up your own “TV Tubes” process will be available at workingwith .me. uk very soon.