My custom BIF files not working

[jfgilliam 26]

I was using the Roku Thumbnail plugin, but it wasn't generating very accurate thumbnails. So, I downloaded the biftool.exe from Roku's site to create the file. I ran the following commands to get the images and finally the bif file. These commands produced a good bif file that Roku was very accurate when skipping around, as long as I copied over the file the plugin created. So, I decided to turn off the plugin and put my commands in a post processing script. While this is working fine and it is generating the bif files just like the plugin did, the Roku is not using them. It's as if they are not there. What steps am I missing that the plugin is doing and I'm not?

 

set f=%~1

set b=%~dpn1

%~d1

chdir %~p1

mkdir "%b%-320"

ffmpeg -i "%f%" -ss 30 -s 320x240 -vsync cfr -r .1 -f image2 "%b%-320\%%05d.jpg"

copy "%b%-320\00001.jpg" "%b%-320\00000.jpg"

biftool -t 10000 "%b%-320"

rmdir /s /q "%b%-320"

 

Since ffmpeg starts numbering the files at 1, I start the process 30 seconds in.

Since the Roku seems to want index 0 to be at 20 seconds in, I just copy the first file to 00000.jpg.

 

If you want to apply this logic to the plugin, it should work. I think there may be a bug in the custom argument interval 10 that I saw the plugin was passing to ffmpeg.

The above logic creates perfect thumbnails for me.

Edited February 16, 2019 by jfgilliam

[Luke 37046]

Strange. I suppose the first thing to check would be the requests for the bif file in the server url, to see if those are happening or not. If they are happening, then it must mean the Roku doesn't like your .bif file.

[jfgilliam 26]

I played older shows that the bif was created by the plugin before I uninstalled it. They did not have thumbnails. Here's what's in the log.

 

2019-02-16 09:11:06.458 Info HttpServer: HTTP GET http://192.168.10.61:8096/emby/Videos/422518/index.bif?width=320&mediaSourceId=56316d086bb56ad870803c4153616a2d. Connection=close, Host=192.168.10.61:8096, User-Agent=Roku/DVP-9.0 (299.00E04084A)
2019-02-16 09:11:06.458 Error HttpServer: Could not find handler for /emby/Videos/422518/index.bif
2019-02-16 09:11:06.458 Info HttpServer: HTTP Response 404 to 192.168.10.148. Time: 0ms. http://192.168.10.61:8096/emby/Videos/422518/index.bif?width=320&mediaSourceId=56316d086bb56ad870803c4153616a2d

 

So, I reinstalled the plugin and now it retrieves them.

 

2019-02-16 09:20:06.024 Info App: Returning bif file: V:\Video\Emby Recordings In Progress\Shows\NASCAR Monster Energy Series\Season 0\NASCAR Monster Energy Series 2019_02_14_19_00_00 - Gander RV Duel 1 At Daytona-320.bif

 

So, I guess the plugin is providing the handler. Maybe I can keep it installed. Will do some more testing.

[Luke 37046]

Yes that's correct.

[speechles 1917]

If you want to use your script to generate rather than the plugin make sure to remove the timers in scheduled tasks that cause the Roku thumbnails task to run. Then you can have the script generate them and the plugin is merely dispatching not creating.

[jfgilliam 26]

If you want to use your script to generate rather than the plugin make sure to remove the timers in scheduled tasks that cause the Roku thumbnails task to run. Then you can have the script generate them and the plugin is merely dispatching not creating.

 

Thanks, that was the piece I was missing. I did adjust my original post. After testing some more, had to start 30 seconds in using this technique.