Merged channels

[mvallevand]

Sub a few questions on merged channels since I don't use them

Does Channel.LoadAll() return all channels or are merged combined?

If they are combined do channelOID merged numbers share a channelOID or is it something elses

Fiinally for the returned individual channel in LoadAll how is this list created beyond 0

serviceType = channel.Mappings[0].serviceType

and could an app ever call anything but the first one?

Martin

[sub]

The only channels that exist are those you see in the Settings->Channels list. Each channel can have tuning information (mapping) for one or more devices. ie, a merged channel is only a single channel, which has tuning info for two possible devices (two mappings).

Each of those mappings could be different service types. For example, you might get WCBS-HD via your either your ATSC tuner as MPEG2, or your set top box connected to HDPVR as H.264. Here in NZ, I have DVB-S and DVB-T, providing mostly the same channels, where the satellite versions are MPEG2 and the DVB-T versions are H.264.

That said, most people only have a single channel, or single type, so if MB3 is making knowledge of the stream type optional, then you could just report it when each mapping has the same service type.

Which mapping gets used depends on the normal rules of looking for available devices. For example, it might use the second mapping if the first one's device is already in use for something else.

[sub]

Sorry Martin - was trying to reply to your post, but somehow deleted it. The answer was:

For the new HDHR devices if they scan as h264 will one of the h264 service types be set?

This is device is certainly the only real complication at this stage, since the service type can change after it was scanned. Not really sure what to suggest in this particular case. For this device it might be worth just not reporting the optional stream type, or maybe MB3 will include some sort of "unknown at this time" type.

[mvallevand]

Sorry Martin - was trying to reply to your post, but somehow deleted it. The answer was:

This is device is certainly the only real complication at this stage, since the service type can change after it was scanned. Not really sure what to suggest in this particular case. For this device it might be worth just not reporting the optional stream type, or maybe MB3 will include some sort of "unknown at this time" type.

The reason MB3 want to now is to avoid transcoding h264, so if the user want to take advantage of that the worst case is they have to remove all their channels and rescan. I'm fine with that.

Martin