Preventing Duplicate Recordings (1 Viewer)

[Heina]

There you go

Seems to thing the recording failed and is trying to resume it (Line 3942)? Both recording files are the same size though

Cheerz
Hein

 

[jameson_uk]

There was a bug in the duplicate recording identification in 1.1 (and 1.2 beta) within the same day. This has been fixed and will be in 1.2 RC to be released soon.

0003608: Prevent duplicate recordings does not work in the same day - MediaPortal Bugtracker

 

[Heina]

Thanx Guys.

Good to know it is sorted.

Cheerz

 

[owilsky]

AW: Re: Preventing Duplicate Recordings

The final condition that is required is that the old recording exists in the place indicated by the database. If you've moved or renamed it then that would explain why TV Server records.

So if I understand this correctly the old file still must exist. I'm coming from SageTV and am currently evaluating MP.
When I watched an episode of a series I normally delete it and expect my HTPC to never record it again, only new episodes/seasons, no repetitions. SageTV does exactly this, but MP not, right?
Is there a plugin that can help?

 

[foxbenw]

Hi
1.2 RC. I am also getting duplicates.
I have been moving my recordings to another folder, renaming (both .ts and .xml), and then importing that folder back into the recording database, leaving the xml as is. I have also used 'remove invalid entries' a few times and it seems to pick out the correct titles. I only point this out for completeness to describe what I have been doing. (ie I assume the invalid entries search looks for invalid filenames but the duplicate recordings for shceduling looks for episode/series# or title, or something like that anyway)
NB I just started using MP a week ago so can believe I am doing something wrong (Another ex SageTV user - there seem to be a few of them on the forum at the moment)

Anyway, I have family guy and big bang theory set to record on all times all channels, and have had repeat recordings already. I am using digiguide xmltv data and the filenames have the episode#, series# and title in ok (using the %series% tags etc in tv server config) so the epg data seems correct.

I have just reset the big bang theory schedule by deleting it and adding it again, having moved some recordings to the 'storage' folder earlier (as decribed above), and in the fresh schedule it is trying to record two of the same episodes, on Friday and Saturday on E4. Should I expect the second recording to cancel itself at the time or should it never appear in the schedule? So far it has recorded everything in my schedule which makes me think that is where the issue lies. If it is going to record the first one and then add it to the recordings database and forget the second one, isn't that the wrong way round? There may be recording conflicts that never need to happen.

Apologies for the rambling post but there are too many moving parts to work out what I should focus on. If I don't get an answer I will update on Sun as to what happens with the existing scheduled duplicate.

Cheers
Ben

 

[mm1352000]

Hi Ben

If anything it would record the first, then cancel the second at the time of the second recording. What key ("episode key") are you using as the match to pick up the duplicates? Note that the program names have to match as well as the episode details...

mm

 

[foxbenw]

Hi
Thanks. I am using episode#. I moved to 1.2 rc at some point in the last week. It is possible that it won't happen due to the issue above but I can't remember if I changed before or after the duplicate happened. What got me confused was the dups in the schedule, that's all. I'll wait and see if it records both at the weekend, given what you said. The two shows on fri and sat have the same epg data.

Is it not a bit odd not to cross check the recording database while searching epg data for a schedule? Maybe there's a good reason for that that I haven't got as I am new to it. It just doesn't seem intuitive as it may cause conflict messages that aren't real.
Cheers
Ben

 

[foxbenw]

Note that the program names have to match as well as the episode details...
mm

PS when you say 'program name', do you mean the epg data TITLE and/or EPISODENAME? Or do you mean the .ts file name?

Note - I have been changing the file names and the .xml filenames and then importing back into the recording database - as you suggested a couple of threads ago
I have changed the filename to use a S##E## convention. If I need to change that back to what TV Server needs I will have to add a parsing string into the TV Series plugin to convert S#E# into S##E##. It looks like that is possible from what I have seen so far. That's quite a frustrating little difference if it has caused these duplicated shows.

Cheers
Ben

 

[mm1352000]

PS when you say 'program name', do you mean the epg data TITLE and/or EPISODENAME? Or do you mean the .ts file name?

I mean %title%.

Note - I have been changing the file names and the .xml filenames and then importing back into the recording database - as you suggested a couple of threads ago

My understanding is that is fine as the metadata should be read from the XML file. That's what it is there for after all. Does everything look okay when you re-import?

I have changed the filename to use a S##E## convention. If I need to change that back to what TV Server needs I will have to add a parsing string into the TV Series plugin to convert S#E# into S##E##. It looks like that is possible from what I have seen so far. That's quite a frustrating little difference if it has caused these duplicated shows.

I don't think renaming like that is a problem.

 

[foxbenw]

Hi
Thanks for that. Have checked the XML files on the duplicates and they are the same except for start/end time. The date is different.
Everything looks ok when I re-import into the recording database, although I don't know how to view the database yet. Is there an easy way to do so? I have found it in the mysql folder but am not familiar with mysql so don't have a program to view it.
O/w I will post back if there are more duplicates over the weekend. There are scheduled recordings that are duplicates soon and I will leave them in the recordings folder to see if it happens without the move/rename/import.
Best
Ben

I have just noticed something very odd.
After i installed MP a week or so ago, I happened to rename the folder I will be using for recordings. From 'Recorded TV' to 'Video - Recorded TV'.

Now, when I look in the recording section in the tv server configuration it still has the old path and folder name. I had not noticed before.
Even if I press browse and select the new folder (ie same folder but different name, and the new name shows up ok in the folder select dialogue box) it still shows the old name in the recording folder field.
But, the recordings are going to the correct folder (ie the one with the new name, as the one with the old name doesn't exist).

I was wondering if somehow the path used by the scheduler is different from the path used to store the recordings, so that it doesn't recognise duplicates. Might be off on the wrong track here, but either way I couldn't get the recording folder to show the correct path. I tried changing it to a completely different folder and then back again, but it didn't work, ie the path didn't change.

Then I looked in Windows Explorer. Under my localcomputer\P drive the folder is named correctly with the new name. However, in network\servername\P the folder is still called Recorded TV. This is what MP is seeing too i guess.

I have changed the name of the folder back to the original and will see if this fixes my duplicates issue. If it does I am not really worried why it happened but thought you might like to know what happened. I do not know what would cause windows not to rename the folder via the network share. I have probably still got that folder linked to Media Center and it is also shared on the Win7 homegroup.

Sorry for all the posts, i just thought you may be interested to hear this bit.
Best
Ben