NPVR Channel Numbering with XMLTV source

[steeb]

Dear all,

I've been meaning to ask this for a while, and apologies if it has been asked before and I missed it!

With GB-PVR I spent ages when I 1st set up my XMLTV sources changing the channel numbers to suit my configuration via post processing of the .xml file before updating the EPG. GB-PVR would recognise these channel numbers and allocate them accordingly. With my NextPVR set-up I scanned my 1st DVB-S device, selected the channels I wanted and to use the .xml source, then updated the EPG (from the identical .xml that GB-PVR uses). However the channel numbers do not appear to be recognised and just remain on a default numbering allocation starting @ number 1 and appears to simply reflect the order in which the channels have scanned. Have I missed something?

cheers

steeb

[martint123]

Interesting - with gbpvr I never got imported channel numbers from my epg source. They were just allocated as first come, lowest number - just like npvr does for me.

[steeb]

Interesting - with gbpvr I never got imported channel numbers from my epg source. They were just allocated as first come, lowest number - just like npvr does for me.

It may be just interesting because my memory is so poor Of course I set this up along time ago with GB-PVR.... However I am 97.9% certain (I have to allow some room for doubt now!) that this did indeed work, in fact I'm going to try it in GB-PVR and set up a new channel. If I don't report back it is because I have been sent to the corner with the dunce's hat on Maybe I should add that now I am also 2.1% certain that this worked? That covers all bases.......

steeb

[steeb]

I breathe a sigh of relief that I do not have to wear the hat

I just added channel 'Blighty' to XMLTVGUI - RT listings (RT site ch id 1602, or something like that) added that line to altchids.txt

1602 777

hit update epg in GB-PVR, opened config.exe and voila Blighty is now listed as channel 777 for recording source PVR150 and in channels list. So now am realising that this must have been with analog only? i.e. if I configure my analog source 1st and pull in EPG then the channel numbering works? So I guess what happens if I do it this way around and then pull in the EPG for the digital devices? Did they then automap to the same numbers in GB-PVR? I just can't remember And is any of this relevant to NextPVR?

Hmmmmmmm

steeb

[martint123]

Hmmm, altchids is something that I never seemed to get to work ;( Did that set up both the on-screen channel number and the Sky box blaster channel number in gbpvr??

There again, like yourself, setting up the gbpvr channels was such a long time ago, I have just about forgotten the nausea of having to do it. And then Sly keeps quietly moving channels about!

[steeb]

Hmmm, altchids is something that I never seemed to get to work ;( Did that set up both the on-screen channel number and the Sky box blaster channel number in gbpvr??

Once again my memory about this may be a bit off! But i do have a recollection that it took me ages to get the altchids working. How I configured it I just don't know.... I vaguely remember it was where they were placed in the postprocessing line-up, but that could be wrong. I see i have them set as the 2nd to last option in postprocess with altchnames as the last. But yes this test set channel 777 both on channel number and blaster. Everything worked a charm. Channel 777 in guide, blast 777 (SkyBox channel unavailable becuase I just made up memorable number for me to play with!

There again, like yourself, setting up the gbpvr channels was such a long time ago, I have just about forgotten the nausea of having to do it. And then Sly keeps quietly moving channels about!

I do remember it being very painful at the time, and yes an absolute PITA when Sly Sky go and shift the numbering about... Having said that I thought my memory was right that it then became a joy importing into GB-PVR if I ever reset/changed anything and had to redo EPG. All the channel numbers straight in as I wanted and mapped into GB-PVR (I knew I mut have spent ages allocating these numbers for a good reason )

So now I suppose it is a case of whether this would be at all relevant to my NextPVR set up (although I spent ages a few weeks back manually changing every channel number for my digital devices, what I haven't configured properly yet is my PVR150.) Which now makes me wonder if I had added that first whether it would have done the numbering for me.....

Guess that's next!

steeb

[steeb]

Hmmm,

so in device setup in NextPVR for my PVR150, select the import tool. Select input source/country/XMLTV and location of XMLTV file. Option of Cable or Antenna, went for cable, does this matter which is selected?

All the channels I have in my XMLTV file are there, click OK, back a screen and they they all are, beginning with channel numbered 1.

So I guess the questions are:

Is there a way NextPVR can respect the XMLTV channel numbering?

If not can I then map these channel numbers to my already set channel numbers for my Digital Devices in a quick and effective way or do I have to once more individually renumber the channels as imported for the PVR150?

(Hope I haven't missed a thread all about this already, if so just point me there anyone )

cheers

steeb

[sub]

hit update epg in GB-PVR, opened config.exe and voila Blighty is now listed as channel 777 for recording source PVR150 and in channels list. So now am realising that this must have been with analog only? i.e. if I configure my analog source 1st and pull in EPG then the channel numbering works? So I guess what happens if I do it this way around and then pull in the EPG for the digital devices? Did they then automap to the same numbers in GB-PVR? I just can't remember And is any of this relevant to NextPVR?

Channel numbers in xmltv files are only used when new channels are being created. ie, analog 'import channels' button. When you have existing channels in the database (like digital channels scanned earlier), and you change that channel's EPG source from DVB EPG to XMLTV, it doesnt change that channels number. That channel is left with whatever number it already had. Often though, digital channels already have the correct number, in the case where the broadcaster transmits "LCN numbers".

[steeb]

Channel numbers in xmltv files are only used when new channels are being created. ie, analog 'import channels' button. When you have existing channels in the database (like digital channels scanned earlier), and you change that channel's EPG source from DVB EPG to XMLTV, it doesnt change that channels number. That channel is left with whatever number it already had. Often though, digital channels already have the correct number, in the case where the broadcaster transmits "LCN numbers".

Thanks Sub, now don't forget you're talking to Mr Dunce here!

Now I'm sure when I first set up my Digital Devices (once again this was a few weeks back, and my memory is not exactly the best) I scanned, I de-selected the channels I didn't want, then went to channels in settings and bulk mapped everything to my XMLTV file. The numbering at this point all started from 1. I updated the EPG and the numbering remained the same. So I guess there were no LCN Numbers being transmitted? OK, I then edited every single channel number to suit my line-up.

I have now just got round to adding the PVR-150. I used the channel import button after selecting my XMLTV source and those channels have now all appeared as 'duplicates' all with the same name as the renumbered Digital channels but all starting from number 1 again, even though they are numbered correctly in the .xml file (as proved with GB-PVR) and should match identically to the channel numbers I have changed for the digital devices.

So, (and I apologise in advance if I just haven't 'got' something here), the analog import channels is not respecting the channel numbering in the XMLTV file?

cheers

steeb

[sub]

The UK does broadcast LCN numbers, and it'll usually use them. I know in some situations it can find the channel list before the LCN in the stream, so hasnt waited long enough to know channel numbers, which might be why you ended up with the incorrect numbers after the digital scan.

When importing channels from XML, it'll usually honour any channel numbers included in the file, but if you've already got channels with those numbers - all bets are off. You cant have two channels with the same number, so you'll need to either update them to other numbers not already in use, or merge them with the existings channels (hold ctrl, click both, right click, select merge). "merging" effectively makes them two sources of the same channel, and the app can use either when scheduling recording etc. (simply having the same name or number is not the same thing)