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

[mvallevand]

What you want can't be done easily with nscripthelper.  What you want is really only important for looking at filenames in a file manager.  I prefer to watch videos and as your screen capture shows the channel name displays just fine in NextPVR 

I wrote the utility to deal with esoteric file naming of course you think it is useful since you asked for it.  In 18 years no one else has asked.

This thread is done but I I can show you the post processing line if you want to use my utility.

Martin

[sub]

On topic I provided you with a utility to do your custom renaming, but if you don't want to use it that is fine. 

Martin

Not exactly "provided you with a utility". Had it been something I could have actually followed step-by-step and that actually matched my goals and objectives, I would have certainly attempted it and learned from it

However what you actually provided was:

"Brett's reference to custom naming using batch files and NSCripthelper https://github.com/sub3/NextPVR/wiki/nscripthelper might be of value..."

With all respect and appreciation for your attempt to guide me in the right direction, I found this to be incomprehensible. I was also unable to fathom how to initiate a "post-processing script", as none of the writeups and examples were simple and clear and specific, at least not for me as a FIRST-TIMER trying to use NextPVR and doing something not absolutely default.

None of any writeup or article I read about "post-processing" showed me anything I could actually use, much less then try to invent my own "custom naming batch file" in order to insert that channel ID value as I want. If there actually were a single place where this precise project was implemented by someone, starting from step 1 and going to step N, I would attempt it. But otherwise, I'm sorry I'm not the programmer who apparently these articles are all intended for.

And bottom line, I honestly do NOT feel this should be only available through some complex programming and customization method. The ability to insert season/episode into file names apparently was felt important enough to be implemented through a simple config.xml variable "UsePlexStyleNaming". I know it is SUB that this is really being directed to, but it's essentially that request, to add one additional config.xml variable "InsertChannelID" to provide this additional file naming option to the user.

And though my feelings have obviously been expressed numerous times already, personally I feel that channel ID responsible for the TS/XML recording files is VERY APPROPRIATE information to include in the external file name, certainly no less appropriate than recording date and time which is there right now (to identify and distinguish, for anybody browsing the folder using Explorer, for no other reason really since like channel ID the date/time is ALSO present elsewhere in the "catalog of recordings" so that it is displayed when you drill-down to see details for one or more occurrences of a recording title).

Still haven't made it over to Shield/Xiaomi devices yet to confirm that both NextPVR and uiDroid running on both devices can, in fact, now play recordings without a problem, now that the folder/file structure are in sync with the "recordings catalog", all created correctly from scratch with Win10 server. But that discussion is to be continued over on my other thread.

honestly, it seems unnecessary to add the station name in the recording, and you’re the only person I remember asking about it, but I could probably add some setting in config.xml for it. I won’t bother putting it in the UI. (Trying to stay focused, and not add everyone’s suggestions, to avoid building the Homer Simpson car)

[DSperber]

honestly, it seems unnecessary to add the station name in the recording, and you’re the only person I remember asking about it, but I could probably add some setting in config.xml for it. I won’t bother putting it in the UI.

This would be 1000% perfectly acceptable. As long as I knew it existed I would manually tweak it myself. Absolutely no need to put it in GUI for Settings -> General.

That is honestly all I ask for. Obviously this has no real value when using the desktop app and working through the list of programs presented via "Recordings". It is 100% only for helping when browsing a folder that contains two or more files that represent the same program name, and in particular when examining two recordings that were made simultaneously from both the ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 channel versions... perhaps with MediaInfo, or maybe to play them with some 3rd-party player program, or whatever. It is just helpful if the two filenames were "different" in a useful way, so that it was known externally which was the ATSC 1.0 recording and which was the ATSC 3.0 recording.

In years past this may not ever have been a thing, so you may never have had a user request it. But now that we're seeing the appearance of Silicon Dust 4K tuners, and actual ATSC 3.0 channels being broadcast and recorded, the need for this addition differentiation in the external file names visible to Explorer, well this is really a brand new situation.

Having nothing to do with my own inherent predilection towards things the way Windows Media Center did it, I still feel that this data item is just very informative period, even if there are NOT two recordings from the 1.0 and 3.0 channels present.

Anyway, if you can make this happen and it's not too terribly much effort, I would naturally be much appreciative. Thank you. And once you announce its availability in the corresponding changelog, and users think about it and decide whether or not to avail themselves of this new file naming option, I imagine I might not be the only one who would prefer seeing the channel ID in the file name given the choice. Maybe.

Thank you again.

[justian]

Well, I'm sorry to bring this thread and topic back to life, but I'm working through an issue involving uiDroid being able to play Live TV just fine, but being unable to play recordings (on both Shield Tube as well as Xiaomi Stick 4K). I'm not quite there yet in terms of finally getting a recording to play successfully, but I believe the underlying problem is how the recordings were made in the first place. And this further involves (a) file naming and folder/sub-folder structure, as well as (b) whether the recording DVR server was running in Win7 or Win10, with both configured to point to the same common "high-level parent recording folder".

So, once again, it turns out that while a product as simple and archaic as Windows Media Center always just simply dynamically builds a new index of recordings then discovered to be present in its own recording folder(s) whenever the client app is launched, that is NOT the way NextPVR works.  So apparently you can't just create folder/file structures within the NextPVR parent folder and populate them with the correct TS and XML files that truly were created by a true recording event. They apparently will not simply be auto-detected when the NextPVR client is launched and Recordings is examined.

I'm sure this is at the heart of the problem as to why uiDroid CANNOT play the recordings that it shows listed correctly, but official NextPVR client CAN play the same recording also listed correctly.

Now when last we interacted here on this thread, I had gone ahead and moved to "Plex file naming" -> TRUE, in order to insert the season/episode within the file name.



This still didn't insert the station ID in the file name, but theoretically it would insert SxxxEyyy which would help me when just browsing the folder manually using Explorer.

So today, as part of my ongoing chasing down of the uiDroid recording-playback issue I decided to boot to Win10 (I had previously been in Win7 and running NextPVR server that way), in order to do everything in Win10... just to be current and consistent. I also made sure I absolutely was at the very latest NextPVR server/client, and in fact have now upgraded from 5.2.6 up to 5.2.7.

I then looked at Recordings, expecting to see the three recordings I'd made yesterday (but while under Win7). Imagine my surprise when I didn't see any of them, but instead saw several old recording of shows I'd created back in January (when last I was playing with NextPVR and experimenting with uiDroid). I then looked at my recording folder (commonly named in both Win7 and Win10 NextPVR setup), and saw just the files I'd recorded yesterday while in Win7. The recording files currently named in the Win10 client I just launched were gone (obviously due to my own improper manual interference and actions and "cleaning house" foolishly).

So the Win10 NextPVR client showed supposedly existing recordings (obviously still named in some other "recordings" file somewhere that I know not what or where), that don't exist. And the files that are there which were created by Win7 yesterday most likely do not conform to the folder/file structure implied by my Win7 version of config.xml. I think I was previously experimenting with eliminating the season and show-name folder structure and just putting everything into one large single folder (a la WMC) in Win7, but it looks like I never implemented that same change in Win10. In fact I can't even remember now how I did it in Win7 (but I could find it if I looked hard enough).

Ok. I just decided to forget about whatever I did yesterday in Win7. I deleted all the recording files present as shown in the Win10 NextPVR client list (and which no longer existed on disk), deleted the recording files made yesterday while in Win7 from the recordings folder (and which never appeared in the Win10 NextPVR client list of recordings when I launched it), and with everything now "empty" started all over from scratch in Win10. I went to NextPVR Guide, and decided to record 5 minutes of the news program currently playing on KTLADT (5) which is ATSC 1.0, and also its counterpart being broadcast on KTLA HD (105) which is ATSC 3.0. This would probably be useful input to chase down the uiDroid issue (assuming it just didn't automatically start working properly once I got the recordings folder contents straightened out to meet its expectations).

Here then is the result of those two simultaneous recordings:

(1) Contents of the recording folder (note that even though file naming is Plex-format, this is just a date-oriented show with no SxxxEyyy to be inserted, so there is only the ordinary date and time suffix, AND NO STATION ID in the external file name to distinguish which file is from KTLADT and which file is from KTLA HD):



(2) Here is what NextPVR -> Recordings presents (note only one program name, because the Guide title is identical for both the ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 broadcasts):



(3) And when I drill down into this one recording title to see all sub-files (i.e. season/episodes, date-based, etc.) I see this (note, finally there is the recording's originating station ID shown next to each individual recording... which is what I'm pleading for on this thread, if only this information which is clearly known could simply be inserted into the external file name and be done with it!!!):



Of course I can in fact play BOTH of these recordings just fine using the Win10 NextPVR client app. Of course there's no sound from the 105 recording (ATSC 3.0) but that's expected.

Anyway, I am now about to move over to both NextPVR client app and uiDroid client app, running on both Shield Tube and Xiaomi Stick 4K, to see if they can now all play these brand newly made recordings from Win10 NextPVR server. Certainly the folder/file structure produced just now is different from the way things looked yesterday when I made my three test recordings while in Win7 NextPVR server. There's no season/episode info in these new recordings (even though file names are supposed to be in Plex-format), but we shall see what happens.

Nevertheless... no matter how much you beat on me, I maintain that the [optional by config.xml setting is fine with me] facility for automatic insertion by NextPVR of recording station ID into the external file name (say as optional and ignored "suffix data", so as not to break anything) would be very helpful in just physically doing a manual browse of folder/file things using Explorer. It breaks nothing, has zero impact on file name uniqueness, and is only useful and helpful information.

No need for any unnecessary post-processing (which I never could understand how to actually implement from the many writeups I attempted to read and follow) or Extra stuff or anything. Just put the station ID in the external file name (say always at the very end), like WMC does. Very useful and informative by being there when using Explorer. It's obviously already present in the "recording catalog data of files", so it's nothing new that needs to be gathered. Just inserted into the file name.

It is not redundant of the same information shown in anything else external that is currently being create. Not currently shown in any folder or file name. But clearly present in the "catalog of recordings" as it is presented on that drill-down lowest levei list of individual recordings for a program title.

I agree. I would 100% love this feature.
Being able to see the channel #s and capture devices in the recorded directories file name would be AWESOME.