Determining file format within a torrent without full download

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bgoodr
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Determining file format within a torrent without full download

Post by bgoodr »

Right now, I have to download an entire torrent only to discover that my particular A/V system cannot either handle the video and/or audio codecs. Usually I have to download multiple torrents of a given media file, trying out each one, until I find a matching one. What a waste of bandwidth.

Is there some add-on/extension to Deluge that allows me to pre-determine the video and audio formats from a selected file within a selected torrent without downloading the entire multi-megabyte or multi-gigabyte torrent? Perhaps this would work by the extension arranging to only download the first 1024 bytes or so of the user's specified file within that user's specified torrent, and putting the torrent into paused mode, and then displaying the format so that the user can determine whether or not to continue with the full torrent download?

Thanks!
shamael
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Re: Determining file format within a torrent without full download

Post by shamael »

Hi bgoodr,

Knowing the limitation of your media player don't you have a description of the file on your tracker? I never saw a tracker without nfo file displayed in the torrent information but I guess it may exist. If the nfo file is present but not displayed (check file list on the tracker) you can download the nfo file only too.

Have you considered adding a media player to your A/V setup? No details about what you have but a RPI+Kodi is able to handle almost all file formats (x265 10bits 1080p/UHD may be problematic). Superior hardware (armv8, NUC, etc) are able to play all I think.
bgoodr
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Re: Determining file format within a torrent without full download

Post by bgoodr »

First, thanks!
shamael wrote:Knowing the limitation of your media player ...
That's the issue actually. When I browse some of the media files that are stored on the NAS from my Sony TV (also I have a BluRay player that I usually do this through for reasons I don't want to bore you with, but the same thing applies), it usually comes back with some type of error about invalid format or codec or something. So that led me to conclude that the problem is simply the TV. And that let me to experiment with a Roku Ultra with the hope that I can bypass the limitations of the TV and have the Roku just handle it. But I'm having problems there too ATM, but that may be user error ... cannot tell just yet.
shamael wrote:I never saw a tracker without nfo file displayed in the torrent information but I guess it may exist.
Some of the torrents do have the nfo file, some of them don't.
shamael wrote:Have you considered adding a media player to your A/V setup? No details about what you have but a RPI+Kodi is able to handle almost all file formats (x265 10bits 1080p/UHD may be problematic). Superior hardware (armv8, NUC, etc) are able to play all I think.
Yes, that is why I'm now experimenting with the Roku Ultra, because I've concluded that I need something that is somewhat guaranteed to handle most of the formats I'm likely to encounter.

RPI+Kodi: I believe you are refering to http://kodi.wiki/view/Raspberry_Pi, correct? If so, then no I've not experimented with that yet. But if I can't get the mainstream Roku Ultra to play the media, then I will look into RPI+Kodi.

So from your answer alone, I conclude that Deluge is not up to the task of pre-screening torrents based upon specific file formats and codecs right now, and my best bet is to just wrangle the media player side of it so that a Deluge extension is not even needed. Correct?

Thanks!
shamael
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Re: Determining file format within a torrent without full download

Post by shamael »

Hi bgoodr,

To the best of my knowledge at least it cannot:Deluge handles the torrents part but cannot tell anything about the content itself.
My recent Sony TV has good media capabilities but failed on some files on the subtitles/non-default language...Not really an issue, I faced such problem years ago and decided to be more specific about expectations: I only check the screen capabilities for the screen (motion compensation, 24Hz handling, etc) and let a media box do the decoding. Maybe obvious for a part of the audience but not for me at the time I tried to get all in the same device :)

I'm not familiar with the Roku Ultra but sure give it a try :). I end up with a low cost solution composed by an RPI 3 with OSMC software (https://osmc.tv/). In a nutshell it's a distribution based on Kodi and Debian with full access to the Debian part and very well maintained.
The setup is weak but not to much: the RPI is next to the TV (HDMI) handling Deluge, Kodi, Samba shares without slowness (acceptable at last).
Having Deluge running with my wife watching a movie on the TV and myself upstairs watching a Full HD movie through the Samba share on a projector is not a problem. Deluge will slow a bit of course but no experience issue with both movies (HDMI+network) at the same time. For me it's enough at this time.
For a more powerful device (4K etc), if I have to chose now, it will be the box sold by OSMC. The Vero 4k is the commercial part and do the same as RPI+OSMC but with an ARMv8 processor able to deal with 4k etc.

I guess there are plenty of similar projects and maybe the Roku is even capable of better but so you have a feedback for similar needs.
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