TvServer should keep track of added / updated channels (1 Viewer)

[disaster123]

Hi,

when you're using DVB-S/S2 and you have about 1000-2000 channels it is very difficult to recognize which channel doesn't exist anymore or which channels are new. So my EPG grabbing hangs very often as there are channels which don't exist anymore. At the moment i've to look into the EPG log and delete them manually.

OK now my idea comes in ;-)

The idea is to extend the channels table with two fiels:
added and updated both type DATETIME.

These are filled by the channel scan process.

Then under TV Channels you should be able to sort for added and updated so you can detect which channels weren't updated through the last channel scan so most probably they do not exist anymore. Also you can see which channels were added and then sort them into your groups or disable them as you haven't a subscription.

Stefan

 

[jameson_uk]

The main issues here are that providers do things in lots of different ways. We have been playing around with lots of things and from our testing we can see that not a single provider the team was using was actually using any of the DVB specs around channels moving or being removed.

We are planning some major rework of scanning for 1.3 to help with this sort of thing and hopefully provide the ability to delete old channels (0002130: Give the user the opportunity to delete old channels after a complete scan - MediaPortal Bugtracker)

One route is likely to be external plugins for maintaining channels which will allow for different providers doing things in different ways. Check out https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...st-here-48/custom-data-grabber-plugins-96767/ (no help for you yet but there could be a plugin created for your provider)

 

[disaster123]

AW: Re: TvServer should keep track of added / updated channels

The main issues here are that providers do things in lots of different ways. We have been playing around with lots of things and from our testing we can see that not a single provider the team was using was actually using any of the DVB specs around channels moving or being removed.

Thanks for your reply. But i cannot see the relationship to my idea. I understand that automatic removing / moving frequencies and so on isn't working as the providers don't use the standard.

But i don't see how this influences my idea. I don't even want an automatic channel deleting for not updated channels. But me (the user) can manually sort the list an delete channels which weren't found through the scan. I know some of my channels do not send 24h but it's just a hand full and i know them.

 

[jameson_uk]

Re: AW: Re: TvServer should keep track of added / updated channels

Thanks for your reply. But i cannot see the relationship to my idea. I understand that automatic removing / moving frequencies and so on isn't working as the providers don't use the standard.

But i don't see how this influences my idea. I don't even want an automatic channel deleting for not updated channels. But me (the user) can manually sort the list an delete channels which weren't found through the scan. I know some of my channels do not send 24h but it's just a hand full and i know them.

The plan is that scanning will change so even those that do not transmit 24x7 will be picked up by the scan (presumably if you use something like TransEdit from DVBViewer these off-air channels are picked up ?)

The deletion process would then not be automated but rather give you a list of channels which were not picked up and allow you to choose to delete these if you want.

I guess what I was saying is that if we can get the scanning improvements in so that we pick-up all channels then we should be able to improve maintenance. What we want to do is actually remove the amount of manual intervention rather than add to it.

 

[disaster123]

AW: TvServer should keep track of added / updated channels

ah OK - sorry

 

[jameson_uk]

Although I have been thinking about this on the walk to work....

New channels would still not be obvious but the thing here is what classes as a new channel. The way TV server works currently with most providers is that if a channel moves transponder (which seems to happen an awful lot on 28.2E) then this appears as a new channel even though it is actually a moved channel from another transponder (which is still transmitting but will be switched off very soon).

Can't see that adding these fields to the database would hurt either way. This does however possibly need a bit of consideration as to how this is displayed to users? Perhaps after a scan a window showing all new, moved and removed channels would be an idea where the user could allocate new channels to groups, check moved channels and give the OK to delete removed channels

 

[disaster123]

AW: TvServer should keep track of added / updated channels

Oh right we forgot the new channel idea ;-) You're that this shows a channel as new if it has just moved. But this is correct this way as it is new to tvserver an i need to readd it to my groups.

Can't see that adding these fields to the database would hurt either way. This does however possibly need a bit of consideration as to how this is displayed to users? Perhaps after a scan a window showing all new, moved and removed channels would be an idea where the user could allocate new channels to groups, check moved channels and give the OK to delete removed channels

A new screen may be nice BUT normally you would need then the whole functionality of the TV Channels setup tab - as you then need to delete, reorder, readd those.

 

[doveman]

Re: AW: TvServer should keep track of added / updated channels

Oh right we forgot the new channel idea ;-) You're that this shows a channel as new if it has just moved. But this is correct this way as it is new to tvserver an i need to readd it to my groups.

Couldn't this be automated, at least in some cases?

For example, MP picks up a new channel called ITV2 on DVB-T when it does a scan. It then looks at the existing channels and if it finds an existing ITV2 on DVB-T, overwrites it with the new one (including in any groups it's been added to).

 

[disaster123]

AW: TvServer should keep track of added / updated channels

doveman
i've for example two or three channels called disney cinemagic HD. But all of them are different and i own only one subscription. So it would be really bad to overwrite them only by it's name.

 

[jameson_uk]

Couldn't this be automated, at least in some cases?

For example, MP picks up a new channel called ITV2 on DVB-T when it does a scan. It then looks at the existing channels and if it finds an existing ITV2 on DVB-T, overwrites it with the new one (including in any groups it's been added to).

We have been here before...
Channel name is not any good. Eg. As stated previously there are several channels called channel 4 on dvb-s (regional variations)

See the above link for djblu's plugin link. If he adds a freeview plugin it will automatically update channels (as it does currently for sky)