NPVR - Getting started, current patches, tips and tricks **!!!!PLEASE READ!!!!**

[rookie]

I see lots of threads in the support forum with patches to the same file. Are the patches cumulative?

Sub is so prolific that it is hard to keep track of the latest patch to use.

[johnsonx42]

As a general rule, any update to the same file with a later date and time will include any fix implemented in a previous file. This is why the patch summary section includes a note to check the date and time of each file and install the newest one. I am actually just now updating the patch list to include detail on which file is included with each patch, along with the compile date and time.

Also, if you have come across any other patch that's not just for a special or testing purpose and I don't have it listed then please let me know.

[UncleJohnsBand]

EWA's autosearch/autorecord feature along with the CLI utility can be used to have EWA scan the EPG on a regular basis (I do it daily) to look for shows based on character strings (and a few other things - channel, etc) so that if you add an autorecord for "matrix" it will automatically record any show with the string "matrix" in the title (or optionally subtitle or description). EWA accounts for about 99% of my recordings, although you can get some stuff you don't want, but it's easy enough to delete stuff...

OK thanks for that. I've had a bit of a search, but can't seem to find a CLI for NEWA, so will keep my eyes open. (there again, it may be me, but I can't seem to find much one NEWA at all....).

Sorry, I was referring to my experiences with GBPVR's EWA - I'm not sure if the CLI will still work with NEWA, but I'm sure if I ask UJB very nicely, he will convert it.

Give this a whirl and post any results/issues in the thread.....

[johnsonx42]

I really need to look into what NEWA can do with keyword based recording... that's a feature I really miss from my old TiVO days. I suppose I'd need a epg listing enhancer too to get more program detail to search against, an extra tuner or two for all the additional recording that would result, and of course a 2TB drive to store it all on. Oh, the fun!

[UncleJohnsBand]

I really need to look into what NEWA can do with keyword based recording... that's a feature I really miss from my old TiVO days. I suppose I'd need a epg listing enhancer too to get more program detail to search against, an extra tuner or two for all the additional recording that would result, and of course a 2TB drive to store it all on. Oh, the fun!

Not familiar with what TIVO could do....so I am not sure what a Keyword based recording would be....can you explain?

[johnsonx42]

Well perhaps I don't understand what NEWA can do here; I gather you can tell it to record anything where the title or description matches a character string? That seems to be what ACTCMS was saying in the post you quoted. So if I want to record all shows about airplanes for my son (ok, me too!), I would setup auto-recordings for "airplane", "aircraft", "flight", "flying", "air combat", etc. That's all I mean by Keyword based recording, which is I think what NEWA can already do?.

TiVO took it a step or two further, you could have searches for specific actors, directors, various other criteria. That took advantage of their more robust EPG data of course, and is really much more specific than I think is needed for NPVR/NEWA to do.

[UncleJohnsBand]

Well perhaps I don't understand what NEWA can do here; I gather you can tell it to record anything where the title or description matches a character string? That seems to be what ACTCMS was saying in the post you quoted. So if I want to record all shows about airplanes for my son (ok, me too!), I would setup auto-recordings for "airplane", "aircraft", "flight", "flying", "air combat", etc. That's all I mean by Keyword based recording, which is I think what NEWA can already do?.

Correct....you set the option in the Config tab to allow auto-records.

Then you create searches that match your criteria and save them with a meaningful name setting the option for the search to be an auto-record search.

Then when you accesses NEWA the search will execute 1 time per day following the EPG update.....or you can use the CLI (original post) and set it up to run via the task scheduler at a specific time each day.

When the search runs....for any matches it finds it will schedule the event to record.

TiVO took it a step or two further, you could have searches for specific actors, directors, various other criteria. That took advantage of their more robust EPG data of course, and is really much more specific than I think is needed for NPVR/NEWA to do.

GBPVR supported Genre's (i.e. Drama, Comedy, Talk Show, etc.).......which are valid search criteria.....NPVR does not yet support them. As for the other items such as actors and directors many EPG's do support them....but many do not and they were never pushed forward into GBPVR.....and I would suspect they will not make it into NPVR either. I had built an extension for SchedulesDirect users that provided the Actors, directors, etc. via NEWA.....but did not extend those attributes to searches since EAWA for GBPVR and NEWA for NPVR stay as close to the native capabilities of NPVR as possible.

Whenever integrated schedules direct EPG is brought back to NPVR I will update the schedules direct extension to work with NEWA the way it did with EWA for GBPVR.

[johnsonx42]

Very cool stuff, and exactly what I'm looking for. I'm hopeful that Martin will be supporting some of this auto-record functionality in SearchLite. As nice as I think the NEWA web interface is, I always prefer to treat my TV like a TV and setup recordings with the remote... plus even if I get in the habit of using NEWA via the browser, I'll never get the wife to do it. To me having a front-end plugin like SearchLite that leverages the intelligence of NEWA on the back-end is a perfect marriage.

[UncleJohnsBand]

Very cool stuff, and exactly what I'm looking for. I'm hopeful that Martin will be supporting some of this auto-record functionality in SearchLite. As nice as I think the NEWA web interface is, I always prefer to treat my TV like a TV and setup recordings with the remote... plus even if I get in the habit of using NEWA via the browser, I'll never get the wife to do it. To me having a front-end plugin like SearchLite that leverages the intelligence of NEWA on the back-end is a perfect marriage.

Yea...we have been corresponding off-line so I believe that searchlight will see the auto-record functionality making its way into its capabilities.

[McBainUK]

NOTE: as a general rule you will have to at least exit NextPVR.exe to copy in any patch, and in most cases you will need to stop the NPVR Recording Service as well; remember to restart it when you are done!

For the NShared.dll patch I found I had to exit the tray app awsell.