A few requests

[imilne]

Hey sub,

Just wondering if any of the following would be possible at some point:

1) Could ChannelMapping.tuning be made writeable?

2a) Could the EPG_EVENT table have a colour column added to it, used to store, for example, a #FF0000 style string?
2b) Could you make the TV Guide paint the background for each entry based on that colour?

2c) Not really needed, but would help... could your xmltv reader be updated to read a <Colour> entry that would populate the above if found?

3) Could you get NPVR to ignore plugins that are in a folder starting with (just as an example) an underscore, eg "_System"?

As an aside to the above, have you thought about trying a gradient paint effect to the current red/green colouring in the guide (eg go from dark green in one corner to light green in another)? Might not work (or look that great), but you never know...

Thanks as always.

Iain

[sub]

Hey sub,

Just wondering if any of the following would be possible at some point:

1) Could ChannelMapping.tuning be made writeable?

Why? What are you intending to put in it?

2a) Could the EPG_EVENT table have a colour column added to it, used to store, for example, a #FF0000 style string?

2b) Could you make the TV Guide paint the background for each entry based on that colour?

2c) Not really needed, but would help... could your xmltv reader be updated to read a <Colour> entry that would populate the above if found?

Sorry, but I probably wouldnt do this. If I was going to do genre colouring, I would do it a different way.

3) Could you get NPVR to ignore plugins that are in a folder starting with (just as an example) an underscore, eg "_System"?

OK, I've added this for the next build of NUtility.dll.

[imilne]

Why? What are you intending to put in it?

It's for the non-broadcasting channels problem (TimeSharer). When a channel is off-air, I change its tuning so that it continues to show something, which means NPVR doesn't act like it's hung when channel flicking.

At the moment, that's done by updating the database, and then forcing a reload of all the settings, and then resetting the values in the database back again (so that recordings stay safe). But that's fiddly, and also means the database is wrong for a time (however short). Bring able to directly change the tuning string in NPVR itself solves these issues.

Sorry, but I probably wouldnt do this. If I was going to do genre colouring, I would do it a different way.

I actually had more in mind than just genres, such as marking programmes as HD or not (many of our "HD" channels only show real HD part-time), or whether a programme was new or a repeat, and so on. Colours could provide an easy at-a-glance summary of this sort of stuff.

It seemed like a fairly clean way to open up this functionality to the rest of us (and with hopefully very little effort required on your part). Of course, if you feel like implementing genres, I'll happily step aside

OK, I've added this for the next build of NUtility.dll.

Thanks, appreciated.

Iain

[sub]

It's for the non-broadcasting channels problem (TimeSharer). When a channel is off-air, I change its tuning so that it continues to show something, which means NPVR doesn't act like it's hung when channel flicking.

At the moment, that's done by updating the database, and then forcing a reload of all the settings, and then resetting the values in the database back again (so that recordings stay safe). But that's fiddly, and also means the database is wrong for a time (however short). Bring able to directly change the tuning string in NPVR itself solves these issues.

I dont know if I'm that comfortable with this type of stuff being updated.

If someone can record a few minutes of full transport stream over the time that the channels swap, I'd be happy to take another look getting the OSD to update when these channels are offline. I've got an idea of how to solve this without having to switch between channels etc.

[imilne]

I dont know if I'm that comfortable with this type of stuff being updated.

Hence why I thought being able to change only the NPVR in-memory cache, and not the database would be a better way of doing it (on the assumption that it wasn't fixable).

If someone can record a few minutes of full transport stream over the time that the channels swap, I'd be happy to take another look getting the OSD to update when these channels are offline. I've got an idea of how to solve this without having to switch between channels etc.

I should be able to do that. Do you need it during a swap, or just while something is off-air?

Edit: if you can remind me how... I've seen the instructions often enough but typically can't find them now.

Iain

[imilne]

Ok, found them eventually. Reproducing the instructions here for reference:

Create a c:\temp\live directory, and set HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\NPVR\RecordFullTS=1 (DWORD), then start nrecord and watch a channel on that frequency, and it'll create a c:\temp\live\full-xxxx.ts file.

Iain

[imilne]

Ok, let me just clarify what I'm doing again - should I be watching a channel that will go off-air, or just any of the ones that share its multiplex?

There's only a few times a day when this is possible so I want to get it right, especially as I'll need several minutes worth (they don't always swap exactly on time), so the resultant upload will be huge! In which case, maybe I should be watching one going off-air because then I'll know when it's happened?

Iain

[sub]

Ok, let me just clarify what I'm doing again - should I be watching a channel that will go off-air, or just any of the ones that share its multiplex?

It's probably best to watch another channel on that same frequency, which stays on all day.

[imilne]

Have sent you a PM with the details.

Iain

[sub]

Iain - I have come up with a solution for the next release, allowing the OSD updates to be seen even when the video is not playing.