Recordings file name should include date/time, and network ID

[BrettB]

I will look at what the post-processing script functionality is, to see if that might better solve my needs. As was pointed out, I'm not used to having sub-folders for each show name, and then further sub-folders for season, etc. I understand this is completely irrelevant if you use NextPVR GUI to browse your recordings through a client. But if I'm at the server PC and looking at things, all of these sub-folders is just not what I'm used to in order to "see what I have". And I guess I'd better not manually delete things else the "database" is now broken for that recording (unless it is "self-healing" and will eliminate detritus found if the TS file pointed to my the database is suddenly gone).

Lot to learn about this.

If you really want all of the recordings stored in a single folder, you can set NextPVR do that, too. Although why on earth you'd want that (other than to "be like WMC"), I don't know!

And, if you want to be able to delete files directly from the filesystem and have NextPVR automatically update its database to remove the deleted recording, you can set it to do that, too.

[DSperber]

I understand but when I look at a filelist like that I can find the date as you also see it on the right and that is good enough for me but if you aren't using S/E naming maybe Plex naming might make the NextPVR date time a little easier to read.

Martin

I've now changed to Plex naming. Looks much better to me. I will keep it.

I also disabled creating sub-folders by season. Honestly, that's not of value to me.

I noticed that the test recordings I'd made WITH the S/E data present also concatenated what looks like the episode title or detail description or something like that, making for some very long file names. It's one thing to get just the S/E, but could I have suppressed the additional data or does that just come along with wanting S/E? Anyway it seems to have disappeared by my un-checking that option in favor of recording date, unless it disappeared because I opted for the Plex names.

[DSperber]

If you really want all of the recordings stored in a single folder, you can set NextPVR do that, too. Although why on earth you'd want that (other than to "be like WMC"), I don't know!

I already have specified only one "parent" recording folder. No additional recording folders. But there still are sub-folders created by show. I've just now disabled the additional sub-folders by season. This seems acceptable to me.

But I don't understand what your criticism pertains to? You mean suppressing the first level sub-folders by show? I don't see any way to suppress that, but it actually would be fine with me if that were the case. Is there such an option?  Please point me to it if there is.

The program name first (plus the station ID if it were possible, a la WMC) makes it totally obvious what the program name is. The alphabetical program name as high-level in the file name (followed by station ID, if it were present) is sufficient to "group" all recordings together if you browse the one master folder using Explorer. I don't need to have them actually reside in a sub-folder of the identical program name. It's already in the file name itself, and presented alphabetically by Explorer. What is the value of the sub-folder holding that subset of files all starting with the same name?

Just my opinion, of course. I'm not trying to duplicate WMC, but I don't see the need for sub-folders by program. So if you know how to suppress that, please do share.

And, if you want to be able to delete files directly from the filesystem and have NextPVR automatically update its database to remove the deleted recording, you can set it to do that, too.

Again, please share this technique.

Also, can you please point me to what I can look at to learn how to build a "post-processing script"? No need to keep it a secret. I'm obviously a rookie on NextPVR and you're the mentor, so please share the knowledge.

[BrettB]

I already have specified only one "parent" recording folder. No additional recording folders. But there still are sub-folders created by show. I've just now disabled the additional sub-folders by season. This seems acceptable to me.

But I don't understand what your criticism pertains to? You mean suppressing the first level sub-folders by show? I don't see any way to suppress that, but it actually would be fine with me if that were the case. Is there such an option?  Please point me to it if there is.

The program name first (plus the station ID if it were possible, a la WMC) makes it totally obvious what the program name is. The alphabetical program name as high-level in the file name (followed by station ID, if it were present) is sufficient to "group" all recordings together if you browse the one master folder using Explorer. I don't need to have them actually reside in a sub-folder of the identical program name. It's already in the file name itself, and presented alphabetically by Explorer. What is the value of the sub-folder holding that subset of files all starting with the same name?

Just my opinion, of course. I'm not trying to duplicate WMC, but I don't see the need for sub-folders by program. So if you know how to suppress that, please do share.

Set the config.xml setting <AutoCreateFolders> to false and NextPVR will put all of the recordings in one folder.

Again, please share this technique.

This one is documented in the NextPVR Wiki. Set the config.xml setting <AutoRemoveMissingRecordings> to true.

Also, can you please point me to what I can look at to learn how to build a "post-processing script"? No need to keep it a secret. I'm obviously a rookie on NextPVR and you're the mentor, so please share the knowledge.

Check out the NextPVR Wiki which explains the scripts and even has a set of sample batch files for Windows.

[DSperber]

Set the config.xml setting <AutoCreateFolders> to false and NextPVR will put all of the recordings in one folder.

AHA!

This one is documented in the NextPVR Wiki. Set the config.xml setting <AutoRemoveMissingRecordings> to true.

This one was already set to TRUE. But again, AHA!

Check out the NextPVR Wiki which explains the scripts and even has a set of sample batch files for Windows.

This will take a little time for me to grok the postprocessing example to appreciate what and how I can adapt it. But thank you very much.

Obviously, the Wiki is where I probably will find answers to future questions... most likely. I shall avail myself of it.

[BrettB]

This will take a little time for me to grok the postprocessing example to appreciate what and how I can adapt it. But thank you very much.

Obviously, the Wiki is where I probably will find answers to future questions... most likely. I shall avail myself of it.

You should also probably try searching the forums for "postprocessing.bat". Over the years, there have been several "sample" files posted that do all sorts of different things. In particular, I'm quite sure that there have been examples of renaming files after recording.

[DSperber]

You should also probably try searching the forums for "postprocessing.bat". Over the years, there have been several "sample" files posted that do all sorts of different things. In particular, I'm quite sure that there have been examples of renaming files after recording.

Well I think I'm doomed without a genuine change to NextPVR itself to [optionally offer the ability to] insert the CHANNEL NAME, NOT CHANNEL NUMBER, in the file name. It's really that simple a request.

I've done searching for "postprocessing.bat" and thought I'd come pretty close to something reasonably understandable in this post from back in 2017. I honestly don't know what "language" this scripting is in and certainly could never code it from scratch. I might be able to adapt it from something pre-existing, if I know what to do or someone told me specifically what to do. But in the end the parameters passed to postprocessing.bat include the CHANNEL NUMBER, and not the CHANNEL NAME/ID call letters which is really what I want.

It seems like such a simple thing to ask for. The Plex-format file names are perfectly 100% fine with me, and that's an option. Why the station ID isn't just always part of the file name as well I don't understand.

For example looking in the XML for a recording, the exact information needed is right here already! The channel name is already populated in the <channel> XML item:

<recording>
  <filename>f:\WinTV\Maury_2022-01-10_14001500.ts</filename>
  <channel>KTLA HD</channel>

All I'm asking (perhaps with imbedded blanks in the channel ID either removed or maybe just substitute a dash which would work fine and result in no imbedded blanks which seems desirable) is that the enhanced filename be:
  Maury_KTLA-HD_2022-01-10_14001500.ts

Doesn't seem possible to do that with a postprocessing.bat script since <channel> value is not available.

What is so objectionable about inserting the channel name in the file name all the time, as a standard format? Is there some aesthetic that is offended by that appearance? On the contrary (and again just my opinion) I think this additional item is ENORMOUSLY USEFUL AND VALUABLE. Instant information about what channel the recording was made on, which for example therefore makes it instantly known whether it was an ATSC 1.0 or ATSC 3.0 channel that produced the recording (for example if you're recording both to compare them, since both end up in the identical sub-folder with the identical file name!)... in the name itself! How can that possibly be bad or objectionable to have present?

[pkscout]

I'm really trying to understand why the filename matters. You can view the recordings in NextPVR with nice names and all kind of details. You can even use something like Kodi to see them. It seems like you're trying to recreate some file based viewing system based the old Windows Media Center, and that's going to be hard to do with basically any modern DVR software. I suspect many others here are trying to help you but similarly confused about why you are spending so much time trying to recreate something so old.

I don't know how objectionable an actual change to the filename is, but sub is one person doing this in his spare time for basically nothing (I suspect the donors and ad revenue from the site amount to not much). I know there are other feature requests that I'd rate much higher than adding something to the filename for one person, so I'd object to the change just in terms of prioritization.

[DSperber]

I'm really trying to understand why the filename matters.  You can view the recordings in NextPVR with nice names and all kind of details.  You can even use something like Kodi to see them.  It seems like you're trying to recreate some file based viewing system based the old Windows Media Center, and that's going to be hard to do with basically any modern DVR software.  I suspect many others here are trying to help you but similarly confused about why you are spending so much time trying to recreate something so old.

Well at the moment, there is nothing in the external file name that indicates whether it is from the ATSC 1.0 or 3.0 version of a channel. Same file name format, in the same sub-folder for the program.

So if I wanted to say use MediaInfo specifically on one or the other, or perhaps run FFMPEG on the ATSC 3.0 version to convert AC-4 audio to AC-3, or anything at all... I have nothing externally visible looking at the folder in Explorer to distinguish one from the other. I'd just guess and look at the first one first probably, and if that was the one I wanted great. Otherwise it's the other one. And of course if I had many days of recordings, from both 1.0 and 3.0 channels, it really would make me crazy.

I'm not trying to play these from Explorer. That's what NextPVR is for, or Kodi. I understand. It's for programming needs or just using Explorer to look at the files in a folder to do something that this one crucial (to me, anyway) missing piece of identifying information becomes so bothersome. Why is it any more or less valuable in the external file name than say the start-end time (in HH:MM form) appended to the end? That information is already inside the XML for use by NextPVR in presenting program details when you're in the actual GUI to play a recording. So why bother putting it in the filename?  Because it is very useful and helpful at times to see it visibly when browsing the folder with Explorer perhaps to distinguish one partial recording from another, or for any reason really. It's useful identifying infomation so why not have it externally visible in the filename itself?

I don't say every piece of metadata should be in the filename, but basic fundamental identifying information that can really distinguish one recording from another that might have pretty much the same content for most of the rest of the external name, I think this is helpful. Say the same program (e.g. "Friends") that might be on multiple channels. How would you otherwise distinguish them using Explorer to browse the folder, not NextPVR to play them?

WMC inserted the station name in its recordings filenames because it is a very good and useful piece of information to have in the filenames. True, they only had one recording folder and no sub-folders by program name, but that still doesn't take anything away from the inherent value of seeing station name in the recording filename.

[BrettB]

What is so objectionable about inserting the channel name in the file name all the time, as a standard format? Is there some aesthetic that is offended by that appearance?

As I stated before, the default file naming format produces unique filename for each specific show episode regardless of when/where it was recorded from. Adding the channel name all the time would break that. Additionally, the vast majority of NextPVR users (99%+) use NextPVR or a related client (kodi, Emby, Plex, etc.) to manage and watch recordings. And those can already get and display the channel it was recorded from.

The referenced post is a standard Windows .bat batch file script. I would say that the easiest way for you to convert from the channel number to channel name in your postprocessing.bat file would be to use a lookup table type mapping between channel number and channel name. You can look at this article for an example of how you might do that in a .bat file.