How to stop duplicate recordings?

[zaldwaik]

Ever since I switched to NPVR I keep getting lots of duplicate recordings. Is there a way to prevent this?

Here is an example from my xmltv.xml file (I am using mc2xml for guide updates) for two consecutive scheduled recordings for the same show that has already been recorded before.

Code:

<programme start="20110113120000 -0500" stop="20110113130000 -0500" channel="I27.28455777.microsoft.com">
        <title lang="en">NOVA</title>
        <sub-title lang="en">Deadliest Earthquakes</sub-title>
        <desc lang="en">Scientists in Haiti and Chile gather data to prevent future disasters.</desc>
        <date>20110111</date>
        <category lang="en">Educational</category>
        <category lang="en">Episodic</category>
        <category lang="en">Other</category>
        <category lang="en">Science</category>
        <category lang="en">Series</category>
        <episode-num system="onscreen">3801</episode-num>
        <episode-num system="dd_progid">EP00003163.0608</episode-num>
        <video>
            <aspect>16:9</aspect>
            <quality>HDTV</quality>
        </video>
        <audio>
            <stereo>stereo</stereo>
        </audio>
        <previously-shown start="20110111000000" />
        <premiere />
        <subtitles type="teletext" />
        <rating system="VCHIP">
            <value>TV-PG</value>
        </rating>
    </programme>
    <programme start="20110113130000 -0500" stop="20110113140000 -0500" channel="I27.28455777.microsoft.com">
        <title lang="en">NOVA</title>
        <sub-title lang="en">Deadliest Earthquakes</sub-title>
        <desc lang="en">Scientists in Haiti and Chile gather data to prevent future disasters.</desc>
        <date>20110111</date>
        <category lang="en">Educational</category>
        <category lang="en">Episodic</category>
        <category lang="en">Other</category>
        <category lang="en">Science</category>
        <category lang="en">Series</category>
        <episode-num system="onscreen">3801</episode-num>
        <episode-num system="dd_progid">EP00003163.0608</episode-num>
        <video>
            <aspect>16:9</aspect>
            <quality>HDTV</quality>
        </video>
        <audio>
            <stereo>stereo</stereo>
        </audio>
        <previously-shown start="20110111000000" />
        <premiere />
        <subtitles type="teletext" />
        <rating system="VCHIP">
            <value>TV-PG</value>
        </rating>
    </programme>

[zaldwaik]

Am I the only one experiencing this? Is this feature yet to be developed?

[sub]

There is nothing built in for this at this stage.

[zaldwaik]

Thanks sub, are you planning to add this in the future? I often get in situations where my HD is running out of space because of duplicates, so I may have to find a way around it for the near term.

[sub]

Yes. Its a US-only feature though (since only SD supplies the dd_progid needed), so hadnt made it to the top of my priority list.

[Reddwarf]

I often get in situations where my HD is running out of space because of duplicates, so I may have to find a way around it for the near term.

My solution was to buy a BIG raid-array

[_Iz-]

Also VERY anxiously awaiting the return of this feature, it's truely missed here...

[zaldwaik]

If anyone is interested, I wrote a little program that runs after EPG update and removes duplicate recordings in NPVR DB for shows you select. I need to do some additional work to package it for others, but I thought I would gauge interest first.

[Reddwarf]

If anyone is interested, I wrote a little program that runs after EPG update and removes duplicate recordings in NPVR DB for shows you select. I need to do some additional work to package it for others, but I thought I would gauge interest first.

Definitly

[zaldwaik]

See attached file. Please note that it needs time to build a list of old recordings before finding duplicates, but you can test it by copying npvr.db3 to a temporary location, add some unique IDs to old.txt (see readme.txt) and include the show title in include.txt.

IDs can be found in the XML schedule file as below

<episode-num system="dd_progid">SH00703406.0000</episode-num>

This is still beta, once tested by few folks I will add it to the wiki.