sermon-converter/README.md

Sermon Converter

An event-driven Rust service that automatically detects and converts sermon video files for efficient storage and streaming. Uses the shared video_processing crate for optimal performance.

Features

• Event-driven file detection - No polling, instant response to new files
• AV1 video conversion with Intel QSV hardware acceleration
• Preserves original filenames - Backend handles metadata parsing
• File stability checking - Ensures files are fully written before processing
• Syncthing-aware - Ignores temporary sync files
• Efficient disk space usage with modern compression
• Configurable via environment variables

Prerequisites

• Rust (latest stable version)
• FFmpeg with AV1 support (or configure different codec)
• Intel Media SDK (for QSV acceleration, optional)
• Sufficient disk space for video processing

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone <repository-url>
cd sermon-converter

2. Build the project:

cargo build --release

Configuration

Create a .env file based on .env.example:

cp .env.example .env
nano .env

Required Environment Variables

# Directory paths (REQUIRED)
SERMON_WATCH_PATH=/path/to/watch/sermons
SERMON_OUTPUT_PATH=/path/to/output/sermons

# FFmpeg Configuration
FFMPEG_BINARY=ffmpeg
VIDEO_CODEC=av1_qsv              # or libx264, libx265, etc.
HW_ACCEL=qsv                     # hardware acceleration
HW_DEVICE=qsv=hw
FFMPEG_PRESET=4
VIDEO_BITRATE=6M
MAX_BITRATE=12M
BUFFER_SIZE=24M
AUDIO_CODEC=libopus              # or copy, aac, etc.
AUDIO_BITRATE=192k

# File Stability Settings
STABILITY_CHECK_INTERVAL=1       # seconds between stability checks
STABILITY_REQUIRED_CHECKS=30     # consecutive stable checks required
MAX_STABILITY_WAIT_HOURS=0.5     # maximum time to wait for stability

# Directory Settings
CREATE_YEAR_MONTH_DIRS=true      # organize by date (unused currently)
PRESERVE_ORIGINAL_FILES=false    # delete original after conversion

Usage

Run the service:

cargo run --release

Or run the built binary:

./target/release/sermon_converter

The service will:

1. Process any existing MP4 files in the watch directory
2. Watch for new files using efficient event-driven detection
3. Wait for file stability before processing
4. Convert to optimized format with same filename
5. Output converted files for backend metadata handling

Expected File Format

Sermon files should follow the naming convention:

Title - Speaker Month Day Year.mp4

Examples:

• God's People in the Time of the End - Pastor John Smith December 28 2024.mp4
• The Great Hope - Elder Jane Doe January 15 2025.mp4

The backend will parse this format automatically for metadata.

Running as a System Service

Create a systemd service file at /etc/systemd/system/sermon-converter.service:

[Unit]
Description=Sermon Video Converter Service
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=rockvilleav
Group=rockvilleav
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/sermon_converter
WorkingDirectory=/home/rockvilleav/sermon-converter

# Load environment variables from .env file
EnvironmentFile=/home/rockvilleav/sermon-converter/.env

# System environment variables
Environment=HOME=/home/rockvilleav
Environment=USER=rockvilleav

# Intel Media Stack (if using QSV)
Environment=LIBVA_DRIVER_NAME=iHD
Environment=LIBVA_DRIVERS_PATH=/opt/intel/media/lib64
Environment=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/intel/media/lib64

Restart=always
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable and start the service:

sudo systemctl enable sermon-converter
sudo systemctl start sermon-converter
sudo systemctl status sermon-converter

View logs:

sudo journalctl -u sermon-converter -f

Architecture

This service uses a clean, event-driven architecture:

• Event Detection: Uses inotify for instant file detection (no polling)
• File Stability: Ensures files are completely written before processing
• Shared Logic: Uses video_processing crate for common functionality
• Simple Processing: Convert file, keep same name, let backend handle metadata
• Resource Efficient: Only uses CPU/disk when actually processing files

Video Conversion Details

Default settings (configurable via .env):

• Video Codec: AV1 with Intel QSV acceleration
• Audio Codec: Opus (high efficiency)
• Hardware Acceleration: Intel Quick Sync Video
• Video Bitrate: 6Mbps (configurable)
• Audio Bitrate: 192kbps (configurable)

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Service fails to start:

# Check if .env file exists and has correct paths
ls -la /home/rockvilleav/sermon-converter/.env

# Verify directories exist and are accessible
ls -la /path/to/watch/sermons
ls -la /path/to/output/sermons

FFmpeg errors:

# Test FFmpeg with your codec
ffmpeg -encoders | grep av1
ffmpeg -hwaccels | grep qsv

# Check Intel Media SDK installation
vainfo

Files not being detected:

# Check logs for file events
sudo journalctl -u sermon-converter -f

# Verify file permissions
ls -la /path/to/watch/sermons/

Out of disk space:

# Service checks for 5GB minimum free space
df -h /path/to/output/sermons

Log Analysis

The service provides detailed logging:

• INFO level: Normal operation, file detection, conversion progress
• WARN level: Non-fatal issues (low disk space, sync failures)
• ERROR level: Conversion failures, configuration errors

License

See LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! This service is part of a larger church media processing system.