Some questions about NextPVR 5.0.4 vs. 4.2.5

[DSperber]

Last year I installed NextPVR 4.2.5 in my Win10 system, which has a Hauppauge QuadHD ATSC tuner. I also have a subscription to Schedules Direct, so that's my data source for overnight scheduled EPG updates. I also have installed the TV Listings plugin, and have custom colorized the guide cells by genre.

All in all I have zero complaints, and have been totally satisfied.  I realize 4.2.5 is now "legacy", but it works fine for me just as it is.  I realize any new development will be for version 5.

So my questions are:

(1) Is there anything significantly improved or additional functionally in NextPVR version 5 that should definitely motivate me to upgrade? At the moment I have no wish list of features missing from 4.2.5, but if 5.0.4 had something totally new that was really terrific I could be persuaded.

(2) If I run the installer for version 5.0.4 is this like installing a totally separate independent new app, so that my existing install of 4.2.5 is completely unaffected?  In other words will BOTH programs exist side by side so that I can run either one independently?

Or is the install of 5.0.4 an "upgrade-in-place" so that my previous install of 4.2.5 is no longer conceptually present, but rather I'm now running 5.0.4?

I realize there is a conflict of the Hauppauge tuner, and I am not planning on running both program versions simultaneously. I'm only asking if the install of version 5.0.4 will use all of my existing setup and customization of version 4.2.5 so that I don't have to start from scratch?  And I'm asking if I will end up with both 4.2.5 and 5.0.4 as two independent programs either of which I can run?  Or will I instantly only end up with only 5.0.4 replacing the contents of any 4.2.5 program and data folders and 4.2.5 will now be "gone"?

It would be nice if the install of 5.0.4 would detect the existing presence of 4.2.5 and use its configuration even if 5.0.4 is installed as a totally independent second program, so that I wouldn't have to start from scratch again customizing 5.0.4. It would be ideal if installing 5.0.4 would simply upgrade-in-place my 4.2.5 setup, so that I have do to nothing except begin using 5.0.4 and not miss a beat. Sure, I would probably take time to learn about any new features and explore, but at least I would have to do nothing in order to make the upgrade other than to run the 5.0.4 installer exe.

(3) Is the TV Listings plugin still supported with 5.0.4?

Thanks for any additional editorial comments or insights you can offer.

[Graham]

Is there anything significantly improved or additional functionally in NextPVR version 5 that should definitely motivate me to upgrade?

V5 is a re-write of the NextPVR Server process ... it is likely that you would have have fewer problems if your source is unreliable (for example, poor reception from an aerial or an especially dodgy IPTV provider).

A new NextPVR client app is under construction and is referred to as being months away ...  A client app is included in the V5 install that looks like the V4 app and only runs under Windows and only on the same machine as NextPVR Server V5 and that doesn't appear to support plugins (and, in my limited attempts, doesn't appear to support some of the skin changes that I made in V4) ... https://github.com/sub3/NextPVR/wiki/player-settings

You can run V4 and V5 side by side ... note the reference to port ... at ... https://github.com/sub3/NextPVR/wiki/updates-upgrades

You should be able to copy your npvr.db3 from the v4 folder to the v5 folder ... https://github.com/sub3/NextPVR/wiki/components

I am content with V4 and have not yet seen anything that would cause me to switch.

[DSperber]

A new NextPVR client app is under construction and is referred to as being months away ...  A client app is included in the V5 install that looks like the V4 app and only runs under Windows and only on the same machine as NextPVR Server V5 and that doesn't appear to support plugins (and, in my limited attempts, doesn't appear to support some of the skin changes that I made in V4) ... https://github.com/sub3/NextPVR/wiki/player-settings

You can run V4 and V5 side by side ... note the reference to port ... at ... https://github.com/sub3/NextPVR/wiki/updates-upgrades

You should be able to copy your npvr.db3 from the v4 folder to the v5 folder ... https://github.com/sub3/NextPVR/wiki/components

I am content with V4 and have not yet seen anything that would cause me to switch.

Thank you very much for your comments. They match what conclusions I'd come to myself after reading the installation instructions and some other posts.

You've just saved me lots of time and unnecessary effort, for no gain.  Like you I'm perfectly content with v4.  I believe I will stay put, at least for the time being.

Just in passing, I mention that I also have a Ceton 6-tuner cablecard-enabled ETH tuner in addition to my 4-tuner Hauppauge QuadHD. I'm running Windows Media Center inside a VMWare Win7-VM, in support of the Ceton ETH tuner and Spectrum cable.  I also run EPG123 inside that Win7-VM (using my Schedules Direct subscription for nightly Guide data updates).  This is possible because the Ceton ETH tuner is a network device, and VMWare supports "network bridging" so that the Ceton tuner is 100% visible and usable from within Win7-VM.

In contrast, the Hauppauge QuadHD card is not visible inside Win7-VM.  So to support it I am using NextPVR running "native" in Win10 using WinTV 8.5 drivers from Hauppauge.  I use this 4-tuner OTA/ATSC card fed by my roof antenna for local broadcast network channels.

Recordings from WMC are to WTV files in a \Recorded TV folder, and are played back by WMC as "Recorded TV".  Recordings from NextPVR are to TS files in a \Videos folder, and are played back by WMC as "Videos".  So I can play both cable programs provided by Spectrum and recorded by WMC running in Win7-VM, as well as OTA/ATSC programs available from my roof antenna and recorded by NextPVR running in native Win10. Everything is available at my WMC extenders which can play both "recorded TV" as well as "videos", and are supported perfectly by WMC running inside Win7-VM.

This was my "compromise solution" to dealing with Win7 EOL, while not being forced to give up WMC and the four extender/HDTV locations around my house. I can still upgrade my PC to any "new modern" hardware I might want to go with by running Win10 as the VMWare host, while still running Win7 in Win7-VM forever so as to run WMC forever.  And Schedules Direct supports Guide data for both NextPVR as well as EPG123 for WMC.

[Graham]

Just in passing, I mention that I also have a Ceton 6-tuner cablecard-enabled ETH tuner in addition to my 4-tuner Hauppauge QuadHD.

I wait to be corrected ... but, I suspect that Ceton devices are not supported in NextPVR Server V5 ... though there is this (that may not be relevant to your device) ... https://github.com/craigmox/cetonproxy

[mvallevand]

Although it is not always apparent there are some significant improvements behind the scenes especially if NextPVR.exe is not your main client.

If using cetonproxy or opendct sounds too tough my suggestion is to run v4 in your obsolete tech VM and connect to it via http from your v5 setup. You can serve these streams to v5 using the http m3u. You don't even have to set up a guide or recordings in v4 it can stay unmanaged and do all the management in v5.

Martin

[DSperber]

As I mentioned, I do NOT have the Ceton ETH tuner under the control of NextPVR. It is managed in its "traditional" fashion through Windows Media Center running inside VMWare and Win7-VM guest running under VMWare Win10 host. Standard Ceton drivers installed into Win7-VM to support Ceton ETH through WMC and Win7, not NextPVR and Win10.

So NextPVR is strictly for Hauppauge QuadHD tuner card operating in native Win10. Schedules Direct for Guide via updates using NextPVR functionality. Recording/viewing only for OTA/ATSC local broadcast networks via roof antenna.

And WMC is strictly for cablecard-enabled Ceton ETH tuner operating in Win7-VM. Again, Schedules Direct for Guide, facilitated through EPG123 which runs nightly (also in Win7-VM) and imports updated Guide info into WMC database. Win7-VM operates exactly as a true real physical HTPC. Recording/viewing only for Spectrum cable (basic and premium, some copy-freely but almost all copy-protected) via cablecard and Motorola MTR700 digital tuning adapter.

I only have a Windows platform. And I run NextPVR.exe as my client. Standard and straightforward and all-Windows.