Marking an Episode as Recorded

[pkscout]

New isn't the issue, it is how they are defining "not new" that becomes the issue.

Martin

I just came here to post what fancybits did about the XML feed.  I confirmed with the Channels folks that they put <new></new> for new episodes.  Looking through the XML feed a bit more, it appears that anything without <new></new> is considered not new.  Here are a couple examples:

NCIS: New Orleans (new episode)

Code:

  <programme start="20210104060000 +0000" stop="20210104070000 +0000" channel="7">
    <title>NCIS: New Orleans</title>
    <sub-title>Operation Drano, Part I</sub-title>
    <desc>The team tries to prevent a secret, high-tech battery from falling into the wrong hands.</desc>
    <category>Episode</category>
    <category>Series</category>
    <category>Crime drama</category>
    <category>Action</category>
    <category>Adventure</category>
    <category>Mystery</category>
    <icon src="http://tmsimg.fancybits.co/assets/p10779088_b_h6_aw.jpg"></icon>
    <series-id system="tms">10779088</series-id>
    <date>20210103</date>
    <episode-num system="tms">EP019223100175</episode-num>
    <episode-num system="onscreen">S7E5</episode-num>
    <new></new>
    <credits>
      <director>LeVar Burton</director>
      <actor>Scott Bakula</actor>
      <actor>Vanessa Ferlito</actor>
      <actor>Rob Kerkovich</actor>
    </credits>
  </programme>

NCIS: New Orleans re-run (not new):

Code:

<programme start="20210103103000 +0000" stop="20210103113000 +0000" channel="7">
    <title>NCIS: New Orleans</title>
    <sub-title>No. 1 Fan</sub-title>
    <desc>An erratic whistleblower kidnaps Pride to help her locate a serial killer targeting young women.</desc>
    <category>Episode</category>
    <category>Series</category>
    <category>Crime drama</category>
    <category>Action</category>
    <category>Adventure</category>
    <category>Mystery</category>
    <icon src="http://tmsimg.fancybits.co/assets/p10779088_b_h6_aw.jpg"></icon>
    <series-id system="tms">10779088</series-id>
    <date>20171003</date>
    <episode-num system="tms">EP019223100077</episode-num>
    <episode-num system="onscreen">S4E2</episode-num>
    <credits>
      <director>Hart Bochner</director>
      <actor>Scott Bakula</actor>
      <actor>Lucas Black</actor>
      <actor>Vanessa Ferlito</actor>
    </credits>
  </programme>

Channel 7 in this case is my CBS affiliate.  I also checked NCIS: New Orleans on other channels (i.e. in syndication).  All those episodes DO NOT have the <new></new> tag, so they are considered reruns.  In case this is something that is going to get worked on, here's a link to a full 2 weeks of the XMLTV feed from Channels.  I do want to stress again that I will be fine with what I have.  The "new" stuff is definitely just a nice-to-have with this feed.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Nvf7DI2...sp=sharing

[sub]

There is an exception to this, when the header on the xmltv file indicates the 'generator is mc2xml and the source is schedules direct' or 'generator is zap2xml and the source is zap2it.com', then it'll assume a show is old unless it has a <new/> tag.

Ok, the next release will also use this logic if source-info-name="channels-dvr"

[pkscout]

There is an exception to this, when the header on the xmltv file indicates the 'generator is mc2xml and the source is schedules direct' or 'generator is zap2xml and the source is zap2it.com', then it'll assume a show is old unless it has a <new/> tag.

Ok, the next release will also use this logic if source-info-name="channels-dvr"

Awesome. Thanks.

[puenktchen]

For xmltv, they usually come from having a <previously-shown> tag. If a show doesn't have this, then it's assumed to be new.

There is an exception to this, when the header on the xmltv file indicates the 'generator is mc2xml and the source is schedules direct' or 'generator is zap2xml and the source is zap2it.com', then it'll assume a show is old unless it has a <new/> tag.

Can't this be exposed as a setting to the webif please or least to the settings file for the time being?
To assume everything that has not a <previously-shown> tag is "new", is completely nonsense imho. What would make sense is, that everything that has the <previously-shown> tag is a "repeat"!

[mvallevand]

It is not nonsense it is undefined right from the XMLTV spec https://github.com/XMLTV/xmltv/blob/master/xmltv.dtd

Sub marks it as new so recording new can work but these previously shown would not be included. It is best to use a source with known values for New and Repeats.

Code:

<!-- When and where the programme was last shown, if known.  Normally
in TV listings 'repeat' means 'previously shown on this channel', but
if you don't know what channel the old screening was on (but do know
that it happened) then you can omit the 'channel' attribute.
Similarly you can omit the 'start' attribute if you don't know when
the previous transmission was (though you can of course give just the
year, etc.).

The absence of this element does not say for certain that the
programme is brand new and has never been screened anywhere before.
-->
<!ELEMENT previously-shown EMPTY>

Martin

[puenktchen]

Funny that you quote the xmltv specs, but have you even read it?

The absence of this element does not say for certain that the
programme is brand new and has never been screened anywhere before.

[mvallevand]

I sure did and posted it was undefined. Sub makes the choice that they are new unless they are clearly marked as reruns for XMLTV files that don' guarantee a new flag. This choice does allow users to skip clearly marked reruns as potential duplicates. If he didn't make that assumption, then everything would be marked as rerun.

Perhaps your xmltv file provides a guaranteed new flag and sub needs to confirm the generator.

Marin

[puenktchen]

... sub needs to confirm the generator.

And that's all i want. But i don't think it makes sense to hardcode every exception because there are so many xmltv providers and generators out there. At best there would be a ui setting for xmltv with three checkboxes.

Treat programs as new by these flags:
# new
# premiere
# absence of previously shown

[sub]

The current rules are definitely the best defaults, so no plans to change that. ie, if it doesn't know that a show is a repeat or new, then it is assumed to be new. This means that users that have created recurring recordings like 'record all new episodes' will default to recording, rather than skipping recording, on shows it doesn't know. User's would not have been happy if their recordings weren't happening because their EPG only provided basic data, and it meant they needed to be more careful on the type of recording they scheduled.

Until now, we've encountered very very few xmltv sources that contain this information. Those couple that we have encountered which reliably include this information, NextPVR has logic to automatically handle these, to give the best guide information automatically (without the users having to dig into config files, or obscure settings). If you've got a source that reliably includes this information for *all* shows, supply a sample file, and I'll look to also include it in the set that is automatically handled for the user.

I'm not against adding some settings to allow you to override these defaults, but the current logic is there so that it behaves well without the user needing to explicitly do something.

[mvallevand]

Perhaps an expert config.xml setting like <XmltvSupportsNew>default</XmltvSupportsNew> would allow knowledgeable users to add a "trusted" generator-info-name so you don't have to custom code these anymore.

Martin