Skipping DRM Channels on Scan

[jcole998]

I've upgraded my channel lineup and, naturally, did a "Detect Channels" on the DCR-3250 web page. When I went to "Settings -> Devices" and scanned, NextPVR skipped all the DRM channels. Not good.

Is this new behavior? How do I get NextPVR to not do this?

Thanks.

[sub]

I'm not sure I follow you. NextPVR has always tried to just show the copy-freely channels in the scan. To find the list of copy-freely channels, it calls the "http://<ipaddress>/lineup.xml?show=unprotected" url on your device to get the list of channels that NextPVR will be able to view.

[jcole998]

I can view the DRM-protected channels by using the HD-PVR2 USB tuner attached to a set top box. I do it now and it works just great.

Is there something I need to change to list everything?

[sub]

I'm confused what you're asking. The channels you get via your DCR3250 are different from the channels you get via HD-PVR2. The DCR3250 should only get the copy-freely channels during scan. The HDPVR2 will get all channels you import (it doesn't know which are copy-protected via your DCR).

When you go to the Settings->Devices screen, and double click your HDPVR2, does it have all your channels listed?

[jcole998]

Yes, but only the DRM channels since these channels were manually entered by me. I think that's the issue. Since NextPVR cannot service DRM channels, it makes no sense to assign them to a tuner. I can see that. Maybe a way could be found to assign DRM channels to a "special" tuner after which the list can be manipulated all at once. Just a thought.

Thanks for helping me out, sub. I better understand how NextPVR works.

[mvallevand]

Yes, but only the DRM channels since these channels were manually entered by me. I think that's the issue. Since NextPVR cannot service DRM channels, it makes no sense to assign them to a tuner. I can see that. Maybe a way could be found to assign DRM channels to a "special" tuner after which the list can be manipulated all at once. Just a thought.

That doesn't make a lot of sense since NextPVR still won't know if you have subscribed to a DRM'ed channel. That list still wouldn't solve the issue of setting channels on the HDPVR. Probably easiest to just add all channels to the HDPVR and make sure it has a lower recording priority then the DCR device.

Martin

[pBS]

yea, it makes no sense to scan for drm channels on a device that can't use them...[DCR3250]
on hdpvr, you don't scan and drm isn't an issue..

[BrettB]

Yes, but only the DRM channels since these channels were manually entered by me. I think that's the issue. Since NextPVR cannot service DRM channels, it makes no sense to assign them to a tuner. I can see that. Maybe a way could be found to assign DRM channels to a "special" tuner after which the list can be manipulated all at once. Just a thought.

I think that jcole998 is confused about how channels and devices work in NextPVR. Especially given the comment "Since NextPVR cannot service DRM channels, it makes no sense to assign them to a tuner." I think that he is thinking that the HDPVR2 isn't a "tuner" and doesn't understand how the devices and channels work.

jcole998:
1. NextPVR uses "Capture Devices" with associated "Channels" to get input (Live TV/recordings). "Devices" can be true/technical tuners (like the DCR3250), physical capture/encoding devices (like the HDPVR2), or other sources (like IPTV network streams). While these are not all "tuners" people (even veteran users on the forum) will often use the terms "device" and "tuner" interchangeably. So don't get hung up on a literal definition of "tuner."

2. Each "Device" has an associated list of available "Channels". The normal method of configuring NextPVR requires you to go to each "Device" and define/associate it's list of "Channels". The method/process for that varies depending upon the device type.

• For a traditional tuner, you typically do a "Scan" which will involve NextPVR going through all possible tuning frequencies and briefly tuning to that frequency and testing for a valid signal (this process can take a fair amount of time depending upon the number of possible frequencies). For other tuners (like HDHR Prime CableCard tuners), NextPVR just asks the device for a list of the available channels (very quick).
  
• For a capture device, you will typically import a list of available channels from a guide source listing (i.e. an XMLTV file or a Schedules Direct lineup) and simply specify which input of the capture device should be used (HDMI, composite, Channel 3, etc.) and the method of telling the capture device's input source how to tune to the correct channel (i.e. IR blaster command, network tuning string to a satellite receiver, etc.).
  
• For other devices like IPTV sources, you might use an .m3u URL.
  

3. When you have multiple devices of the same "type" (i.e. 3 physical tuners on a DCR3250), you normally select the first tuner, go through the entire device setup process, then go to each additional tuner and simply "copy" the configuration from the first device. (When a device doesn't have any channels associated with it, but another device of the same "type" is already configured, NextPVR will ask if you want to simply "copy" that configuration. Pro-tip: if your channel lineup changes, etc. after your initial configuration, go to the first device and make the appropriate changes. Then go to the additional devices and first delete all of the channels and then re-select Device Setup--which should prompt you to copy the configuration from the first device.)

4. After setting up all of your "Devices" and "Channels", you may have multiple "internal NextPVR Channels" which are really the same "actual source/channels" just available from different devices (i.e. from a cable tuner like the DCR3250 plus from a set-top box capture device like the HDPVR). (This situation would also happen if you did separate channel scans on each physical tuner of something like a DCR3250 rather than copying the configuration from the first tuner to each of the other tuners.) Typically in this situation, you then go into NextPVR and "Merge" each of those "internal NextPVR channels" which are the same "actual source/channel" into a single "internal NextPVR channel". Then when you try to watch or record from that "internal NextPVR channel", NextPVR knows that it can use any of those devices (i.e. either the DCR3250 or the HDPVR) that happens to be available to get the input.


Now, in your case, I believe that what you are wanting to do/missing is "automatically" add a list of "internal NextPVR channels" as being available via the HDPVR2. So you need to go to that device's configuration and update it. Which would normally involve using an XMLTV source file or a SchedulesDirect lineup. (It sounds like you have already done that manually, one-at-a-time for a few channels.)

[jcole998]

Thank you all for your instruction and opinions. I think I know what I have to do: I can use Powershell to format the DCR3250 web page .xml file directly into an importable file for the HDPVR2.

Thanks again.