Hi, everyone. Martin and I have had a few back and forth discussions about updating the SearchLite UI. I've included my suggestions below.
We're getting into the realm of software style guides - if your familiar with those. What I recommend as we embark on this project is that we keep feature requests out of the UI refresh discussion. After we get it where we want, then (IMHO) feature requests would be fine.
Let me sidebar a bit...
Since the 1940s, we have thought about TV shows in terms of the "TV Guide". If we wanted to watch, "The Mickey Mouse Club", we would schedule our day around when the show was broadcast. We don't think about television that way anymore (except for sports). We want to watch what we want to watch when we want to watch it. The advantage here is that whatever we can find, we can record and watch it when we want to. If we like certain kinds of shows, computers can recommend other shows we might like.
SearchLite exposes the power of NextPVR to accomplish what we want with the new way we watch TV. Searching by Genre, Actor, Title and other ways, enables us to discover television. In my opinion, this is the most important PlugIn a person can install for NextPVR. (Makes you want to cry, doesn't it.) With this in mind, I offer the following suggestions as how it can be optimized. Let's begin.
From a style guide perspective...
Usability should be the same across Plug-Ins. Meaning, they should have the same look and feel. Keyboard commands and remote commands should do the same thing regardless of what plug-in the user is using. The visual appearance of plug-ins should be the "same" as much as programming allows.
1. Recording Screen
The recording screen (screenshot attached) is an example of something that is the "same" in the TV Guide, Recordings and default Search module.
I've attached a screenshot of the SearchLite Recordings. It's similar. My first recommendation is to make it "more similar".
I'd like to see the same options that are in the standard Recording screen: Close, Quick Record, Record, Find All, & Watch. The SearchLite screen has Save NEWA & Theme. A new user isn't going to know what NEWA is. Although it does save my search, I don't think this is the right place to save a search. Theme didn't work for me. I can only guess that Theme would pull up similar genres. I would recommend getting rid of Save NEWA & Theme and replace it with "Find Similar". (Saving searches should go elsewhere - more about that later.) Find Similar would go underneath Find All. When the user clicks Find Similar, it would close the recording screen and pull up a search in the Genre window (more about that later) with Genre's that match the show.
I noticed that when I pulled up the episode in SearchLite, it shows the generic show information rather than the episode information. Also, the channel number is different. The date/time line is different and no Genre is mentioned. I also noticed that the left/right arrows don't do anything. I'm guessing this is because different information is being pulled from the show. Also, the box art isn't downloaded automatically like it is in the main application.
2. Search on Genre, Title, Cast, etc.
In the recordings screen, most work is done in the main window. The functions at the top of the window: sort, filter, man-rec, keyword & forget are higher function settings. These are used less frequently so they are put out of the way.
When I open the recording window, I can scroll from right to left and I'm shown the following windows: "Ready Recordings, What's New, Pending Recordings, Recurring Recordings & Conflicts".
In SearchLite, the top window has the following options, "Keyboard, Recall, Type, Sort, Genre & Auto." Instead, I'd like these features moved. (This is where it get's fuzzy and we'll just have to play around a bit to see how it looks.) SearchLite would have a window that looks the same as the Recording Window. When I scroll left/right I would see "Title, Genre, Description, Cast, Description, Keyword & Saved Searches." The challenge here is how to expose the powerful features of NEWA to a 10 foot interface. The usability choice might be to not have all the search features in SearchLite but have the Saved Searches exposed in SearchLite.
When I click on a Saved Search, a window pops up with the following options: "Close, Auto Record, Delete & Run." The window is mostly blank. I think it makes sense for the left/right arrows to scroll between saved searches. The window should show the search logic in some presentable manner. I'd also like to perhaps see box art of one of the shows that would qualify in the saved search. Auto Record is an advanced feature (which I still don't quite understand) so instructions might be appropriate to the user so they don't fill up their hard drive. Or, this feature could be hidden so the user would have to expose it in SearchLite settings.
The Saved Search window could be the place where advanced search options are exposed.
My suggestion for my item 2 is to make the main section function similar to the Recordings screen.
3. Install
In my mind, the Genre search is the most important item for users to discover new shows. Currently, a batch file needs to be created and setup to expose this functionality. This should be done by default. If we are concerned about overwriting the batch file, the install could prompt the user if they want to overwrite it or indicate to them that this portion of setup was skipped and that they should refer to the documentation.
Second, the install should ask the user if they want to deactivate the default search and enable SearchLite. It should also update the config.xml so SearchLite is in the same place in the menu. I know I can configure the config.xml to put it where I want but this would be a bit cleaner.
So there you have it.
Please let me know if you have any questions or thoughts.
Let the fun begin.
Is it possible to wake NPVR server using WOL in KODI? If so, please direct me on the correct steps to take. I have trying to figure this out, but with no success.
I'm trying to set up Live TV using my WinTv 950, ATSC and an external antenna. I've downloaded Next Pvr (using Windows 10) and I'm able
to do a channel scan. The scan has found channels, but I can't get any video or audio. I'm fairly certain that my problems are related to my codecs.
Default codecs are loaded, but I don't have clue on whether they're right, or what I should be using??
<?xml version="1.0"?><version><component name="NextPVR" version="3.8.3" buildDate="160929" display="NextPVR 3.8.3"><url>http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?58636-3-8-3-Available-(25th-Sept)</url><installer>http://www.nextpvr.com/NPVRSetup_3_8_3_160929.exe</installer></component></version>
2016-10-25 07:07:02.511 [INFO][3] current online version: 3.8.3 (160929)
2016-10-25 07:07:02.511 [INFO][3] last notified version: 3.8.3 (160929)
2016-10-25 07:07:04.473 [DEBUG][1] CaptureSource.LoadAll()
2016-10-25 07:07:12.903 [ERROR][1] Unexpected error doing Schedules Direct login: System.Net.WebException: The remote server returned an error: (503) Server Unavailable.
at System.Net.HttpWebRequest.GetResponse()
at NShared.SchedulesDirectJSONEPGSource.DoPOSTRequest(String url, String token, String body)
2016-10-25 07:07:12.903 [ERROR][1] System.Net.WebException: The remote server returned an error: (503) Server Unavailable.
at System.Net.HttpWebRequest.GetResponse()
at NShared.SchedulesDirectJSONEPGSource.DoPOSTRequest(String url, String token, String body)
2016-10-25 07:07:12.903 [ERROR][1]
2016-10-25 07:07:13.024 [DEBUG][1] Unable to get SD token: Newtonsoft.Json.JsonReaderException: Error reading JObject from JsonReader. Path '', line 0, position 0.
at Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JObject.Load(JsonReader reader)
at Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JObject.Parse(String json)
at NShared.SchedulesDirectJSONEPGSource.GetToken(String& error)
2016-10-25 07:07:13.184 [DEBUG][1] Lineups:
2016-10-25 07:07:13.184 [DEBUG][1] Unexpected error getting lineups: Newtonsoft.Json.JsonReaderException: Error reading JObject from JsonReader. Path '', line 0, position 0.
at Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JObject.Load(JsonReader reader)
at Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JObject.Parse(String json)
at NShared.SchedulesDirectJSONEPGSource.GetExistingLineups()
2016-10-25 07:07:13.197 [DEBUG][1] CaptureSource.LoadAll()
2016-10-25 07:07:13.206 [DEBUG][1] CaptureSource.LoadAll()
2016-10-25 07:07:15.546 [DEBUG][1] CaptureSource.LoadAll()
2016-10-25 07:07:15.804 [ERROR][1] Unexpected error loading channel list: System.Net.WebException: The remote server returned an error: (503) Server Unavailable.
at System.Net.WebClient.DownloadDataInternal(Uri address, WebRequest& request)
at System.Net.WebClient.DownloadString(Uri address)
at System.Net.WebClient.DownloadString(String address)
at NShared.SchedulesDirectManageLineupsForm.SchedulesDirectManageLineupsForm_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e)
2016-10-25 07:07:17.960 [DEBUG][1] LoadLineups()@1
2016-10-25 07:07:17.960 [DEBUG][1] LoadLineups()@2
2016-10-25 07:07:18.057 [ERROR][1] Unexpected error doing Schedules Direct login: System.Net.WebException: The remote server returned an error: (503) Server Unavailable.
at System.Net.HttpWebRequest.GetResponse()
at NShared.SchedulesDirectJSONEPGSource.DoPOSTRequest(String url, String token, String body)
2016-10-25 07:07:18.058 [ERROR][1] System.Net.WebException: The remote server returned an error: (503) Server Unavailable.
at System.Net.HttpWebRequest.GetResponse()
at NShared.SchedulesDirectJSONEPGSource.DoPOSTRequest(String url, String token, String body)
2016-10-25 07:07:18.058 [ERROR][1]
2016-10-25 07:07:18.058 [DEBUG][1] Unable to get SD token: Newtonsoft.Json.JsonReaderException: Error reading JObject from JsonReader. Path '', line 0, position 0.
at Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JObject.Load(JsonReader reader)
Hey, this is my first post, although I've been using NextPVR for 2-3 years, off and on. My name is Jim, I'm 65, retired/disabled, and one of my "superpowers" is getting stuff to work. Currently, I'm using NextPVR on a consumer-level Toshiba Satellite running Windows 10. I hope this post helps someone to use NextPVR more effectively. NextPVR is the best program of its type: it is so well thought-out, and generally does exactly what it needs to do.
-=-=-=-
1. Create the following batch file:
Code:
net stop "NPVR Recording Service"
"C:\Program Files (x86)\NPVR\NextPVR.exe" -updateepgonly
net start "NPVR Recording Service"
Save the file somewhere you have access, and give it a name, such as UpdateEPG.bat. You will probably need administrator-level access to perform the next step.
2. Create a scheduled task which calls this batch file 1 or more times a day. The important thing is that you change the user to SYSTEM, which will allow the net stop and net start commands to work properly. No other special attributes are needed, although I like to select the option, "Run this task on demand" for testing purposes, or if I just need to run it to update the EPG again for some reason.
(This is not a tutorial on using Task Scheduler, although you may ask any questions, and I will attempt to answer them.)
3. Finally, uncheck the options within NextPVR to auto-update the EPG at a set time, and to update the EPG during live TV. (This last is not as exciting as it sounds: it can only update the channels at the same frequency as the one you are watching, and you must watch for at least 1 minute to get it updated.)
Here are some observations about using NextPVR with a TV card or USB TV stick:
A. Your tuner can only do one thing at a time. If you are watching live TV when the background task runs, the recording service will be stopped and restarted but the EPG will not be able to update. You will not receive an error message when this happens.
B. This batch file should give you exactly the same results as manually updating the EPG from the settings, and it will take just as long. How long? 60 seconds per frequency (not per channel: a single frequency can include more than one channel). This means the update could take 10 or 15 minutes or longer depending on how many data streams are retrieved. The 60-second duration is hard-coded into the program and is a very clever way to make sure that the EPG update does not get stuck or take too long.
C. Therefore, it is up to you to decide when the task will run. You cannot record a show and update the EPG at the same time. My own task is set to run at 1:05 AM, 9:05 AM, and 5:05 PM; i.e., once every 8 hours. I have a particular channel which gives me only 10 hours of EPG, so I need more than a single daily update.
D. The concept of turning the recording service off and back on was derived from some articles in the forum archives. When the recording service turns back on, it will take a "fresh look" at your scheduling requests. This is primarily useful for recording TV series by name. Note that OTA data does not give you season and episode numbers, so the setting option to prevent duplicate recordings will not have any effect with this method. Sometimes I end up with a few duplicates of The Outer Limits, but this is no big deal. In fact, it helps, in case one of the recordings did not get good reception.
E. If you're using a USB TV stick, it may not work properly after your computer does a soft boot. You will know this when you are no longer retrieving EPG data, or cannot watch a live show. Generally, unplugging the USB stick for a few moments and then plugging it back in will do the trick. Then you can run the task on demand (if you selected that option when setting up the task).
F. This is cool: there is one exception to not being able to watch live TV while also recording a program: when the channel you wish to watch is on the same frequency as the channel recording, you can do both! The tray icon will turn red whenever you are recording a show or running NextPVR.
Anyone working on an XBox One app? Is there an API exposed from NPVR to allow for a xbox one app that would show an EPG grid, recorded shows, and play live/recorded shows?
I've moved to SD as I could not get the genre mapping from Clickfinder working -- the Clickfinder team keeps "inventing" genres and keeping up was a nightmare.
The SD lineup for my cable provider has hundreds channels, and they seem to come up in the channel mapper in a random order (or some order from SD which is not evident) -- all I am seeing is a listing similar to
0 - ZDFGER
0 - ARDALP
and it's driving me crazy trying to decipher which abbreviation would apply, especially when the list has hundreds of entires.
Some questions:
1. Can you find a way to sort the SD channel abbreviation listing in the channel mapper alphabetically?
2. Does SD have a more verbose channel name description available?
For the SD team here, I'm in Germany in 60318 Frankfurt and using the Unity Media digital cable list.
For the first time I got to use NPVR remotely outside of my home network. To my pleasing I had everything setup correctly in the network and NPVR worked like a charm. I had intended to try it out with my Android but something even better was available.
I recently was in the hospital and they only had abc/nbc/fox/cbs and a whole host of specialty hospital health programs/channels. Primetime would have been tolerable but day time, overnight and morning was miserable TV viewing. They did have a decent selection of pay per view with fee's added to you hospital bill.
I noticed when the hospital TV turned on it went through a few processes that made me think the TV was "smart". This hospitals TV's were smart tv's and even had a browser. It took me a day of getting sober from my procedure and some tinkering with the remote to figure out how the TV's smart features worked.
I finally got a browser opened and I pointed it to my NPVR home address and NPVR was there in the Modern Interface waiting like an old friend. I have a short, stupid domain that I use for my home network and I had a folder redirect setup to my NPVR making it easier to find. This is not it but it is like 123.com/npvr and it goes to NPVR much like 127.0.0.1:8866 would.
I got to enjoy TV options that weren't at the hospital, was able to watch recordings and even record a few that I would have missed by not being at home.
On a side note, one of the nurses came in and saw the "Netflix" type stuff on the TV and was wondering how I figured out how to pull all that up because they knew the TV's had "special" features that would let patients check their emails, Facebook, etc but they were too busy doing healthcare related stuff to learn the new TV system.
I gave her a little show and tell of my NPVR and also showed her how other patients can get to the smart features of the TV.
I would have had a couple miserable, boring days and a few months of waiting for an unplanned show to be in rerun's but NPVR saved the day.
With this in mind, I offer the following suggestions as how it can be optimized. Let's begin.
