Schedule a recording

[ioan]

(Sorry for the crossposting, this post was meant to be here not on "GB-PVR Support (legacy)"

How do I schedule/start a recording? Let say I have the following record in PROGRAMME oid 14792. Do I just write all the infos in RECORDING_SCHEDULE?
I'm working on a Roku channel that will play all the recordings and I want to make it search programs and schedule / cancel recordings. Also, is there a way to get some gb-pvr or npvr art (images, icons, etc) to make the Roku channel looks like it belongs with GB/N-PVR?

Thanks.

[sub]

How do I schedule/start a recording? Let say I have the following record in PROGRAMME oid 14792. Do I just write all the infos in RECORDING_SCHEDULE?
I'm working on a Roku channel that will play all the recordings and I want to make it search programs and schedule / cancel recordings.

GBPVR included a command line schedule.exe that could be used to schedule recordings. If you run it with no parameters it'll give example command lines. It doesnt accept a programme oid, but you can specify the start time, duration, name, channel etc.

Remember GBPVR is a dead end though. You cant even download it from here any more. Basing your solution on NPVR would be better in the long run.

Also, is there a way to get some gb-pvr or npvr art (images, icons, etc) to make the Roku channel looks like it belongs with GB/N-PVR?

GBPVR/NPVR doesnt embed artwork etc, its all just files. It'll look for 'folder.jpg' in the same file as a recording, or a some_recording_filename.jpg. For channels icons, see C:\Users\Public\NPVR\Media\Channels in NPVR. Similar directory in GBPVR install in 'program files'.

[ioan]

Remember GBPVR is a dead end though. You cant even download it from here any more. Basing your solution on NPVR would be better in the long run.

Of course, I will make it work with both, right now I'm using gbpvr because I'm more familiar with it and I'm spending my time learning how to develop for Roku. Does NPVR provide the same command line schedule.exe? I would prefer to write directly to the database if that's an option.

[sub]

Does NPVR provide the same command line schedule.exe?

No, but I could probably add one reasonably quickly when you're ready for it, using the same command line.

I would prefer to write directly to the database if that's an option.

To be honest, thats probably the less preferrable option in my book. The app has logic to know about available devices, and what types of recordings can happen at the same times on the available devices, and does all these types of checks before it'll determine it's ok to write to the database. It'd be virtually impossible for you to implement this same logic without a hell of a lot more information. Also, if you just write to the database, you'd need to restart the recording service to have it reload the new data from the database.

[ioan]

No, but I could probably add one reasonably quickly when you're ready for it, using the same command line.

I'll let you know when I'm ready to switch to NPVR for this.

To be honest, thats probably the less preferable option in my book.

Fair enough. If it was as easy as writing in the RECORDING_SCHEDULE table, that would have been an option, but if it takes bells and whistles to schedule, it is better to have an application that is maintained by you for this.

Thanks.

[ioan]

One more question, is the Web server that NPVR uses capable of handling isapi dlls?

[sub]

No it's not.

[ioan]

Looks like the schedule.exe won't help me. The application that is communicating with Roku is an ISAPI dll handled by Apache. Apache - by default - won't allow any kind of external applications to be started, so schedule.exe is out of question for now. I want to make it as easy as possible for the user to install and use, so I don't want them to mess with the service and users rights.

[sub]

You can probably use UncleJohnsBand's NEWA web services to schedule the recording. ie, just making an http request.

[ioan]

You can probably use UncleJohnsBand's NEWA web services to schedule the recording. ie, just making an http request.

I built a stand alone application for this that includes the web server for streaming the videos to Roku, this way I can run the schedule.exe to schedule a recording. The problem I run in to is that the schedule.exe doesn't put any informations from PROGRAMME table into RECORDING_SCHEDULE about the show. This is not good, because I wanted to report back to Roku when a show is already scheduled, so the user doesn't have to do it twice... I will really like to have the schedule.exe accept an oid, and have in RECORDING_SCHEDULE table the info just like when you schedule the recording from gb or n-pvr.
Pretty please? ;; )

Here is how the Roku application is going to work. You will have a channel on Roku called NextPVR (or GB-PVR). When you select it you will have the option to search for a program or watch what's already recorded. If you what to watch shows already recorded you will have a list of shows, and for each show a list of episodes (thanks to pvruser). You can watch any prerecorded shows.
If you want to schedule a recording, you select search and then you can type in the name of the show (using roku remote and the on screen keyboard), a list of shows will be created on the screen while you type. When you see the show you are looking for you select it and then you will get a list of all the times and channels the show is on. You select one that you want to record, and the gb-pvr will schedule the recording for you. This way you don't have to have a computer in the living room next to the tv and you don't even need a dedicated computer, I have gb-pvr on my gaming machine ... and sometimes is acutally recording while I'm playing or working.

Can we get schedule.exe accept oid? Pleaseeee....

If you explain to me how to start a recording, I'll do the work and I'll send you the code to check it and I'll keep that part as closed source (if this is required).