File: README — Documentation for sensible-cinema (0.17.0)

Sensible-cinema is a program that allows you to apply pre-programmed edit decision lists (i.e. “mute out” or “bleep out” scene lists or skip scenes) for DVD’s.

An experimental player also works on arbitrary media players like netflix online, vlc, hulu, etc, but is currently disabled.

It is basically a linear editor [1] that applies Edit Decision Lists [2] to videos, by wrapping a few freely available open source (GPL) programs [2].

1: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_video_editing
2: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edit_decision_list
3: www.gnu.org/licenses/

To use it, basically install it, then run it. It will come up with some windows where you choose what to do (edit a list, apply a list to a DVD, etc.)

Installation ==

download the latest .zip version file from: rogerdpack.t28.net/sensible-cinema/ unzip it (right click -> Extract all) “click into it” and search for and start the file “run sensible cinema.bat”

Note that you’ll need java previously installed for it to work, but chances are you already have it.

Creating Your Own List ==

You create an edit decision list for sensible cinema to use against whatever you want.

An Edit Decision List looks something like this example:

Here’s one with more detail

github.com/rdp/sensible-cinema/blob/master/zamples/edit_decision_lists/example_edit_decision_list.txt

Basically your job is to create an appropriate file (like that one) somewhere, then start sensible-cinema and instruct it to use your new file.

Once you’re done then you can contribute your scene descriptions file if desired, back to the project itself [1].

1: submit an issue: github.com/rdp/sensible-cinema/issues

FAQ ==

How do I watch these on my TV?
You can burn a DVD with it. First create it on your hard drive. Then use

Dvd Flick ()a good one for windows) (here's a screencast of using it within http://rogerdpack.t28.net/sensible-cinema)
For OS X : iDVD might work well.
You could also drag your laptop over to your TV and hook it in that way.  Or buy a very long cord and plug it in as an extra monitor.
If you're interested in also being able to "beam" it from your computer to your game console (ex: PS3) ping me--I might have 
something in mind that could eventually help.

Caveats ==

NB that “someone” has to create a edit decision lists, per DVD. If one doesn’t yet exist for the DVD you want edited, you could employ somebody to create it, or create it yourself. Make sure to submit it back to us when you’re done, so that everyone can benefit from it. Fortunately only one person has to do it, once, for everybody to benefit, and the editing process is fairly easy.

License ==

See the included LICENSE file for licensing, usage terms (basically gplv3 for all the source). Some other programs are (distributed separately and) called by this one, typically under the gplv2.

The concept isn’t too novel. Some earlier examples:

Edited “airplane edit” style movies. Commercial TV (ABC, NBC) show their own (edited) movies. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_video_editing imdb.com tends to have reasonably good lists of what occurs in movies (find a movie, click on “parent’s guide” on the left). Sometimes it even lists the time signatures for events (ex: “Labyrinth” www.imdb.com/title/tt0091369/parentalguide) which you could use to translate into a sensible-cinema compatible list. Normal movies versus “directors cut” versions of movies (one is at times preferable) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edit_decision_list (it’s a linear editing tool, after all–so see the vast list of those) Clean Flicks (used to) sell edited movies www.mplayerhq.hu/DOCS/HTML/en/edl.html www.oreillynet.com/sysadmin/blog/2005/06/make_your_own_phantom_edit_wit.html (mplayer has had this ability for awhile, with no complaints). clearplay.com a commercial editing player (tracks DVD’s while they play–closed source, costs money, no user contribution possible), and only for DVD’s. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RiffTrax has an interesting idea of “overlaying” audio over the original video, and synchronizing between the two (their re-player does, anyway). forum.bsplayer.com/feature-requests-feedback-suggestions/7157-chapter-playlist-scene-cut-3.html www.inmatrix.com “scene cut editor” of the zoom player wiki.xbmc.org/?title=EDL_(commercial_skipping)_and_SceneMarker_support (XBMC’s scene cut support–also contains links to some other editors) dvdshrink.info “Re-author” mode: to make “movie-only” backups, compilations, combine “flippers”,.… DvdShrink has the ability to “crop or cut parts of a title” etc. The VCR with its record button, coupled with the stop+rewind button. code.google.com/p/movie-content-editor (written in Python, controls VLC based on captions and edit decision lists, in realtime) www.imdb.com/swiki/special?ParentalGuideHelp (search for “scene description”) www.mythtv.org/wiki/Removing_Commercials Using the remote control with the pause, mute, stop, fast forward, and play buttons, along with previous knowledge of scene locations The scissors and old VHS tapes (Clean Flicks’ origin, BTW). Windows Movie Maker. Allows for users to cut and copy scenes of movies to their heart’s content. forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=56998 VLC Media Player using EDL’s via playlists Corel WinDVD has “Quick Clip” settings for capturing on DVD. superuser.com/questions/85278/how-can-i-cut-scenes-out-of-a-dvd blog.josephhall.com/2008/09/command-line-dvd-authoring-part-1.html

Feedback ==

Feedback, including feature requests, comments, etc. welcome.