EPG Collector

[jcjefferies]

Thanks Sub that worked and the "unique_id field is now populated. Obviously I have not yet been able to check that it prevents duplicating existing recordings as these dont yet have ID data. However when you make a "Series" recording does NextPVR check if the list of potential recordings itself contains duplicates. Several of our channels repeat a programme later in the day or several times over a week, the most extreeme being one that is currently recorded 8 times over a weekend!

[sub]

Thanks Sub that worked and the "unique_id field is now populated. Obviously I have not yet been able to check that it prevents duplicating existing recordings as these dont yet have ID data. However when you make a "Series" recording does NextPVR check if the list of potential recordings itself contains duplicates. Several of our channels repeat a programme later in the day or several times over a week, the most extreeme being one that is currently recorded 8 times over a weekend!

The unique_id is used to make sure it doesn't record programs that it's already recording, or already has scheduled to record.

The "series" data in the database isn't used for anything at this stage. Just about nobody has any of this data. It's too rare to be relied on for features.

[jcjefferies]

The reason for the question was because as a test I scheduled a "Record Series" recording this evening knowing the same programme with the same "programme ID" part of the unique_id was repeated several hours later. Should NextPVR detect that the later recording is identical and cancel it because it is actually going to record both.

[sub]

Do they have the exact same unique_id in the NextPVR database? If so, then the app should avoid scheduling the episode.

If it's only part of the number, then it sounds like NextPVR is using to much info when constructing the unique_id. If that is the case, exactly what bits of the EPG Collectors should it be using?

[mvallevand]

My experience with unique_id are the logic only applies to individual recurring rules unless the unique_id is also in the deleted recordings table. The logic does not appear to check in the scheduled_recording table to see if it is already scheduled or recorded but not deleted.

Martin

[mvallevand]

As one example, since I didn't notice that I had to delete it, this just finished recording

Code:

<Event>
  <OID>14841285</OID>
  <Title>The Big Bang Theory</Title>
  <SubTitle>The Bad Fish Paradigm</SubTitle>
  <Description>Penny&apos;s first date with Leonard goes awry; Penny finds Sheldon to be an unwilling confidant.</Description>
  <ChannelOID>7971</ChannelOID>
  <StartTime>2012-08-07T23:30:00.0000000Z</StartTime>
  <EndTime>2012-08-08T00:00:00.0000000Z</EndTime>
  <FirstRun>false</FirstRun>
  <OriginalAirDate>2008-09-22T00:00:00.0000000</OriginalAirDate>
  <Rating>TV-14</Rating>
  <Audio>stereo</Audio>
  <Genres>
    <Genre>Sitcom</Genre>
  </Genres>
  <UniqueID>EP009311820019</UniqueID>
</Event>

and this was in my completed recordings from last week on the same tuner, but a different run of the EPG

Code:

<Event>
  <OID>14338069</OID>
  <Title>The Big Bang Theory</Title>
  <SubTitle>The Bad Fish Paradigm</SubTitle>
  <Description>Penny&apos;s first date with Leonard goes awry; Penny finds Sheldon to be an unwilling confidant.</Description>
  <ChannelOID>7971</ChannelOID>
  <StartTime>2012-07-29T22:30:00.0000000Z</StartTime>
  <EndTime>2012-07-29T23:00:00.0000000Z</EndTime>
  <FirstRun>false</FirstRun>
  <OriginalAirDate>2008-09-22T00:00:00.0000000</OriginalAirDate>
  <Rating>TV-14</Rating>
  <Audio>stereo</Audio>
  <Genres>
    <Genre>Sitcom</Genre>
  </Genres>
  <UniqueID>EP009311820019</UniqueID>
</Event>

Martin

[jcjefferies]

At the moment I am new to being able to use "Avoid duplicate recordings where possible" so am still learning what NextPVR can do. I have around 900 recordings only 4 of which were made since the latest version of NextPVR included the ability to extract "Unique_id" from the UK Freeview data stream using using EPG Collector. The Unique_id as broadcast in the UK is split up into three parts separated by a "." but in the database by ":". The first element is used by PVRs when making a "Series" recording but from what Sub says is not used by NextPVR. The second part is a "Programme ID" which is unique to each version of a show and is the element used to avoid duplicate recordings with the third element always "0".

This is example of two different programmes part of the same series:-
L4D2FW:AGY5IC:0
L4D2FW:AGW1A7:0

This is an example of a programme repeated later in the day with the same "Programme ID" so they are given different "Series ID" numbers.
L3MDO7:4KU42J:0
L3MDO9:4KU42J:0

These are the recordings I queried in my previous message as I set "Record Season" on the first but it also recorded the later version with the same "Programme ID". However from what Martin says above this is normal. I also assume from Sub's earlier comment that NextPVR is aware that my UniqueID unlike Martin's ID above also contains "SeriesID" data but ignores it.

[mvallevand]

Actually,the unique id we have in North America EP009311820019 is comprised of a program id EP00931182 and a series/episode id 0019 (the count of the episode, not season/episode)

Martin

[jcjefferies]

Last night while browsing the EPG for something new to record I came across a programme which is in the Recurring Recordings list and remembered had been recorded the previous day. This one was not due to be recorded and on checking is the same episode as the one from the previous day. Therefore Next PVR must have detected it as a “Duplicate Recording". Thanks again Sub!

[jcjefferies]

NextPVR now appears to be preventing some duplicate recordings as “Already got this episode scheduled” appears several times in NPVR.log but many other duplicates are not being detected.

Test on “Agatha Christie's Marple” with existing episode recorded on 11th August with Unique ID “0:25721910:0”. (No series ID set)

EPG has the same episode repeated on 18th Aug with Unique ID “42174113:25721910:0”.

At EPG update in NPVR.log :- Already has completed episode “0:25721910:0”.

But schedules the 18th Aug duplicate recording.

If I manually create a “Recently_Deleted” entry with ID “42174113:25721910:0” then the 18th Aug episode is no longer scheduled after an EPG update.

If I change the entry to “0:25721910:0” then after the EPG update the 18Aug duplicate episode is scheduled.

I have found quite a few programmes with a SeriesID of “0” and these seem to be mainly the ones that have avoided duplicate recordings.

Sub earlier in the thread you said that the “Series” data is not used by NextPVR but it would seem that in this particular format of Unique ID NextPVR is not ignoring “SeriesID” part of the UniqueID.

Chris