UI To Specify 2nd Recording Folder For Plex Users

[MovieWiz]

Like many Plex users, I have given up on the Plex DVR in absolute disgust and I've been happily using NextPVR for almost two years now.  The flexibility and reliability is just unmatched.

I still use Plex for my video library and player.  It's very good at that.

I have NextPVR recording directly into folders seen by Plex.  The thing is that certain recorded programs are not recognized as TV Shows very well in Plex (such as daily news program, specials, sports, etc.).  So I record programs like that into my Plex "Other Videos" library (a 2nd folder).

I realize that you can specify a 2nd NextPVR recording folder in the config file.  However that's not very user friendly for people switching from Plex.  And, in the Plex forums, I tell anyone that will listen how great NextPVR is as an alternative to the Plex DVR.

So it would be really helpful if the UI could at least let you specify a 2nd (maybe even a third) recording folder.  I suspect you have been holding off adding a UI for extra folders because I know that UI for an arbitrary number of things is a real pain in web UI.  However, adding a 2nd (and maybe 3rd) folder as an interim improvement would be a lot more manageable from a development perspective and it sure would make things a lot easier for new users.

I know you have your own development priorities and limited time.  And I know others have asked about this.  Just pointing out that a scaled down UI for this sure could make a lot of people happy.

Anyway, no pressure.  Just trying to be helpful.

[mvallevand]

The issue with allowing an arbitrary number like 2 or 3 is it could really screw up if you 3 or 4 or more.

Most users don't really use extra directories, I doubt it is a "lot" but I'm sure it will come.

Martin

[MovieWiz]

I don't doubt that extra folders hasn't be a huge need until now.  This is why I took the time to point out an emerging use case where it is very necessary.

Agreed, if you add one or two additional fixed folders, there will be a few people that want more.  I'm a former developer myself and I know this well.  But if you added even one more folder to the UI (which is a change that is on the faster/simple side of things), I suspect this would handle the needs for a lot of people that use the feature.  Any changes to provide an arbitrary number of folder could be put on the distant back burner (and perhaps never done).

Making it easy for Plex users to switch probably isn't a bad thing.

[mvallevand]

I was more worried that someone with more than the displayed entries would lose data if they used the web UI and if the work preventing data loss would be just as hard as creating a proper UI.

Martin

[sub]

It's on my to do list. I just haven't got around to it yet because not many people have required extra drives, and as you say - creating a web UI for this stuff is a bit of pain.

It is relatively high on the list - I'd actually considered adding it just a couple of days ago, but ran out of time before the current release.

[MovieWiz]

Martin, say you added a 2nd field for Recording Folder to the settings page.  The existing first folder would continue to load from and save to the existing <RecordingDirectory> element in the config.xml.

The new (2nd) folder field on the settings page would load as the first folder in the <ExtraRecordingDirectories> list in the config file.  When saving the new 2nd folder field, you would load the list from the config file, change the first element to the one specified by the user in the new 2nd folder field on the form.  Then save the list back to the config file.

The additional extra folders in the config file would never be changed by the UI.  But at least, there would be a way to change the first extra folder.

Anyway, sub is obviously a smart guy and knows exactly how he would approach this.  It's just a matter of "does the UI support an unlimited number of extra folders or a fixed number of extra folders?" Just depends on how much time sub wants to devote to this.  But regardless, there should be absolutely no risk of losing data.

In other words, in my example, users could continue to have as many recording folders as they wanted in the config file but could only edit the first two of them in the UI (the main one and the first extra one).

[mvallevand]

I wonder if you just documented the field properly on the wiki would be good enough The people who want a simple solution are probably content with Plex. How hard would it be to write a template

Code:

TV Shows~foldername~Movies~foldername~Music Videos~foldername

and paste it into a text editor?

Martin

[MovieWiz]

Sure, but I'm a retired systems programmer.  Config files don't bother me at all.  Anyway, I was just trying to point out that a UI might make things a little easier for a category of new users that might be not technically inclined.  If you think there are other much higher priorities for development, I can't argue with that.

[mvallevand]

I am positive that making the web recording page more useful for NextPVR users would be higher priority but sub did say he was looking at it. The similar arbitrary list in the web UI is the XMLTV files that is less complex and it doesn't allow edits either so there is plenty for sub left.

Martin

[MovieWiz]

Another way to help people would be to include a link on the Settings page beside the Recording Folder field.  Something like "Click here for info on how to specify additional recording folders" that would take people to a page in the wiki that tells them how to modify the relevant section of the config file (and where the config file will be).  That's a super easy way to help people resolve the problem that requires almost no programming.