Device Update - Channel Mapping

[chezmorris]

Hello

First time on the forum and first time problem, which shows the strength of NextPVR.

I use NPVR to view some IPTV channels which I subscribe to. The EPG data is not so strong (and only a few days long) which proves difficult when it comes to setting the record function. As a result, I have now subscribed to Schedules Direct which is a far better EPG provider, even if it takes a bit of time to manually match the channels to begin with.

On occasions, such as now, the IPTV provider updates the channel listings requiring me to undertake a rescan. This works perfectly fine when I use the IPTV provider's EPG data (XML) but it screws up the Schedules Direct channel mapping.

So my questions to you good people are:


1. Is there any way to rescan the channels whilst preserving the existing EPG channel mapping? [I suspect not, in which case....]

2. Is there any way to make a back up of the channel mapping (e.g. by saving a copy of the npvr.db3 data) which I can then subsequently reinstall, thus preserving most of the EPG data, leaving me to only deal with the channels that have changed?


Thanks for reading this and hopefully someone out there will have an answer for me.

Cheers

David

[sub]

You can run "nextpvr.exe -m3u" to add any new channels from your existing m3u. This will leave your existing channels unchanged. You can backup your npvr.db3 file, which contains channels and recordings before doing this, incase anything goes wrong and your need to get back to where you were.

[chezmorris]

Thanks for the quick response. Can you please advise me how and where I have to run the .exe?

I tried opening Command Prompt and running from the default program directory (in my case C:/Program Files (x86)/NPVR but nothing happened.

[sub]

I can't remember if it will actually show anything on the screen. The npvr.log has information about what happened though.

(it was only an experimental feature, but it works, so could use it if your need to)

[chezmorris]

Well I stand (or rather, sit) corrected.

I experimented by deleting some channels then ran the .exe command as you stated (via Command Prompt from the program directory as I mentioned above).

It worked (even though you don't see anything changing).

I didn't think that it had worked to begin with as I could not see the "new" channels (i.e. those that I had deleted previously that had now been reinstated). The .exe program worked but it stuck the "new" channels at the end of the channel list, rather than in their original positions.


Thanks very much for this.

[martint123]

I can't remember if it will actually show anything on the screen. The npvr.log has information about what happened though.

(it was only an experimental feature, but it works, so could use it if your need to)

I'd really appreciate some form of acknowledgement with all the command line options when they exit. Normally the only way I find I have done something wrong is when the NPVR screen pops up

[sub]

I'd really appreciate some form of acknowledgement with all the command line options when they exit. Normally the only way I find I have done something wrong is when the NPVR screen pops up

In my defense - this was never a feature I'd intended you guys to use. It was just something I was experimenting with, and I wanted the output in the logs.

I can't print messages to the command line window, since nextpvr.exe is marked as a windows app (so doesn't have access to the console window), and I can't pop up a message box telling the user about the changes requiring the user to click anything - since I know some people have put this in a batch file they're running each night and it needs to run without requiring interaction. Might be able to show some info in a popup window that auto disappears after a few seconds.

[martint123]

Fair enough - I'd forgotten the implications of being a windows app. (my brain is still in the dark ages). It's not important enough to go to any trouble. I'd noticed with one or two of the epg command lines that I was unsure that it completed successfully. Peeping in the logs would probably be sufficient for me.

[ElihuRozen]

In my defense - this was never a feature I'd intended you guys to use. It was just something I was experimenting with, and I wanted the output in the logs.

I can't print messages to the command line window, since nextpvr.exe is marked as a windows app (so doesn't have access to the console window), and I can't pop up a message box telling the user about the changes requiring the user to click anything - since I know some people have put this in a batch file they're running each night and it needs to run without requiring interaction. Might be able to show some info in a popup window that auto disappears after a few seconds.

What about a flag if the user wants the message box? Batch files wouldn't be affected, but an interactive user could choose to see the messages.

[Karl0ss]

You can run "nextpvr.exe -m3u" to add any new channels from your existing m3u. This will leave your existing channels unchanged. You can backup your npvr.db3 file, which contains channels and recordings before doing this, incase anything goes wrong and your need to get back to where you were.

Hi, sub, can you tell me, is there anyway for me to do this on linux? I am running nextprv on ubuntu and have just run into this same issue....

I installed using the guide here - https://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?tid=60875

I realise this is nearly a 4 year old post...sorry about that...

Thanks

Karl