Mailing List Archive: MythTV: Users

Custom channel ordering ?

Index | Next | Previous | View Threaded

linux at thehobsons

Jan 1, 2009, 5:34 AM

Post #1 of 11 (1876 views)
Permalink

Custom channel ordering ?

Just installed MythTV this week, awesome package. Big thanks to
everyone that made it happen.

But, I'm either missing something obvious, or there's an important
feature missing. It seems I can only order channels by name or number
- neither make any sense for me as every other TV product I've used
has supported custom channel lists of some sort and either method of
sorting currently available gives a very odd order.

For now I've manually renamed channels to add leading spaces &
numbers - eg "MORE 4" is now " 14 MORE 4". It does the job, but it's
a bit of a faff and not really ideal.

If it's not already in the list, can I make a feature request to add
user-specified sort order to channels ? Ideally, and this could be
the mechanism I suppose, I'd also like to see sensible channel
numbers - eg "1" for BBC 1, and so on. "4168" is not exactly
instantly memorable !

--
Simon Hobson

Visit http://www.magpiesnestpublishing.co.uk/ for books by acclaimed
author Gladys Hobson. Novels - poetry - short stories - ideal as
Christmas stocking fillers. Some available as e-books.
_______________________________________________
mythtv-users mailing list
mythtv-users [at] mythtv
http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users

myth at dermanouelian

Jan 1, 2009, 6:13 AM

Post #2 of 11 (1832 views)
Permalink

Re: Custom channel ordering ? [In reply to]

On Jan 1, 2009, at 5:34 AM, Simon Hobson wrote:

> Just installed MythTV this week, awesome package. Big thanks to
> everyone that made it happen.
>
> But, I'm either missing something obvious, or there's an important
> feature missing. It seems I can only order channels by name or number
> - neither make any sense for me as every other TV product I've used
> has supported custom channel lists of some sort and either method of
> sorting currently available gives a very odd order.
>
> For now I've manually renamed channels to add leading spaces &
> numbers - eg "MORE 4" is now " 14 MORE 4". It does the job, but it's
> a bit of a faff and not really ideal.
>
> If it's not already in the list, can I make a feature request to add
> user-specified sort order to channels ? Ideally, and this could be
> the mechanism I suppose, I'd also like to see sensible channel
> numbers - eg "1" for BBC 1, and so on. "4168" is not exactly
> instantly memorable !

This isn't a problem for U.S. folks who use Schedules Direct and
handles the numbering correctly. A quick search revealed some scripts
to help UK users with this like:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=497488

Someone also recently posted a patch to fix up Freeview channel
numbers on a rescan (not sure what you're using, but it might help):
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/commits/363755

If you're seeing something that is clearly out of sorts, chances are
someone else has seen it and has a fix for it. Doing a google search
or looking through the archives is bound to lead to some help. http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/

-Brad

_______________________________________________
mythtv-users mailing list
mythtv-users [at] mythtv
http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users

RobertCL at iname

Jan 1, 2009, 6:27 AM

Post #3 of 11 (1824 views)
Permalink

Re: Custom channel ordering ? [In reply to]

On Thu, January 1, 2009 1:34 pm, Simon Hobson wrote:
> Just installed MythTV this week, awesome package. Big thanks to
> everyone that made it happen.
>
> But, I'm either missing something obvious, or there's an important
> feature missing. It seems I can only order channels by name or number
> - neither make any sense for me as every other TV product I've used
> has supported custom channel lists of some sort and either method of
> sorting currently available gives a very odd order.
>
> For now I've manually renamed channels to add leading spaces &
> numbers - eg "MORE 4" is now " 14 MORE 4". It does the job, but it's
> a bit of a faff and not really ideal.
>
> If it's not already in the list, can I make a feature request to add
> user-specified sort order to channels ? Ideally, and this could be
> the mechanism I suppose, I'd also like to see sensible channel
> numbers - eg "1" for BBC 1, and so on. "4168" is not exactly
> instantly memorable !

I find that just manually (via MythWeb) changing the numbers works for me
- eg set "1" to be BBC1, etc. I'm not sure what happens if/when you
rescan your channels though...

Robert.

_______________________________________________
mythtv-users mailing list
mythtv-users [at] mythtv
http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users

lindsay.mathieson at gmail

Jan 1, 2009, 6:32 AM

Post #4 of 11 (1838 views)
Permalink

Re: Custom channel ordering ? [In reply to]

On Thu, 1 Jan 2009 11:34:04 pm Simon Hobson wrote:
> But, I'm either missing something obvious, or there's an important
> feature missing. It seems I can only order channels by name or number
> - neither make any sense for me as every other TV product I've used
> has supported custom channel lists of some sort and either method of
> sorting currently available gives a very odd order.

You can edit the channel number to anything you want - its not used for
tuning. So using MythWeb (Settings|Channel Info) set the channel numbers to
the order you want and Order everything by channel number.
--
Lindsay Mathieson
http://blackpaw.jalbum.net/home

Attachments:

signature.asc (0.19 KB)

linux at thehobsons

Jan 1, 2009, 8:21 AM

Post #5 of 11 (1830 views)
Permalink

Re: Custom channel ordering ? [In reply to]

Lindsay Mathieson wrote:

>You can edit the channel number to anything you want - its not used
>for tuning. So using MythWeb (Settings|Channel Info) set the channel
>numbers to the order you want and Order everything by channel number.

Thanks, I'd assumed (there's that word again) that the channel
numbers would be either used internally, or would get mangled on a
rescan.

--
Simon Hobson

Visit http://www.magpiesnestpublishing.co.uk/ for books by acclaimed
author Gladys Hobson. Novels - poetry - short stories - ideal as
Christmas stocking fillers. Some available as e-books.
_______________________________________________
mythtv-users mailing list
mythtv-users [at] mythtv
http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users

mythtv at duncb

Jan 1, 2009, 1:46 PM

Post #6 of 11 (1812 views)
Permalink

Re: Custom channel ordering ? [In reply to]

Simon Hobson wrote:
> Lindsay Mathieson wrote:
>
>
>> You can edit the channel number to anything you want - its not used
>> for tuning. So using MythWeb (Settings|Channel Info) set the channel
>> numbers to the order you want and Order everything by channel number.
>>
>
> Thanks, I'd assumed (there's that word again) that the channel
> numbers would be either used internally, or would get mangled on a
> rescan.
>
>
You are right on one count, unfortunately they will get reset on a
rescan. A pain indeed.

One way around it would be to get them how you want and then write a bit
of mysql to change it back after a rescan.

I'd tell you how but my sql-fu is poor, and its something I've been
wanting to do myself for a long time

Dunc

_______________________________________________
mythtv-users mailing list
mythtv-users [at] mythtv
http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users

ylee at pobox

Jan 1, 2009, 4:15 PM

Post #7 of 11 (1812 views)
Permalink

Re: Custom channel ordering ? [In reply to]

Simon Hobson <linux [at] thehobsons> says:
> If it's not already in the list, can I make a feature request to add
> user-specified sort order to channels ?

As previously stated, channel numbers are only cosmetic from MythTV's
scheduler's perspective. You can change them to whatever you wish.

Callsigns are used by the scheduler to identify channels that are
identical in terms of programming and video quality. They can also be
changed to whatever you wish; here in the US where we use
SchedulesDirect, mythfilldatabase uses only the XMLID to identify the
lineup to retrieve for a given channel, not callsigns or anything
else.

Here in San Francisco, for example, most of the HD channels I get off
the air are duplicated on my cable system. By making sure their
callsigns match, the scheduler can intelligently use all available
tuners to record as much as possible
(<URL:http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/216512#216512>).

Note I said "callsigns match," not "callsigns and channel numbers
match." Program Guide automatically collapses into one line all
channels that match *both* callsigns and numbers. In my case, I have
manually set over-the-air channels' channel numbers to the 1000 block
(just added 1000 to the stock channel numbers), so that there is no
overlap whatsoever between any over-the-air and cable channels'
numbers. This way, in Live TV I can manually input a specific
channel's number and jump to it immediately, regardless of what tuner
I'm on.

--
Frontend: P4 3.0GHz, 1.5TB software RAID 5 array
Backend: Quad-core Xeon 1.6GHz, 6.6TB sw RAID 6
Video inputs: Four high-definition over FireWire/OTA
Accessories: 47" 1080p LCD, 5.1 digital, and MX-600
_______________________________________________
mythtv-users mailing list
mythtv-users [at] mythtv
http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users

mtdean at thirdcontact

Jan 1, 2009, 5:36 PM

Post #8 of 11 (1810 views)
Permalink

Re: Custom channel ordering ? [In reply to]

On 01/01/2009 07:15 PM, Yeechang Lee wrote:
> Simon Hobson says:
>
>> If it's not already in the list, can I make a feature request to add
>> user-specified sort order to channels ?
>>
> As previously stated, channel numbers are only cosmetic from MythTV's
> scheduler's perspective. You can change them to whatever you wish.
>
> Callsigns are used by the scheduler to identify channels that are
> identical in terms of programming and video quality. They can also be
> changed to whatever you wish; here in the US where we use
> SchedulesDirect, mythfilldatabase uses only the XMLID to identify the
> lineup to retrieve for a given channel, not callsigns or anything
> else.
>
> Here in San Francisco, for example, most of the HD channels I get off
> the air are duplicated on my cable system. By making sure their
> callsigns match, the scheduler can intelligently use all available
> tuners to record as much as possible
> (<URL:http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/216512#216512>).
>
> Note I said "callsigns match," not "callsigns and channel numbers
> match." Program Guide automatically collapses into one line all
> channels that match *both* callsigns and numbers. In my case, I have
> manually set over-the-air channels' channel numbers to the 1000 block
> (just added 1000 to the stock channel numbers), so that there is no
> overlap whatsoever between any over-the-air and cable channels'
> numbers. This way, in Live TV I can manually input a specific
> channel's number and jump to it immediately, regardless of what tuner
> I'm on.

Where that last part, "in Live TV I can manually input a specific
channel's number and jump to it immediately, regardless of what tuner
I'm on," is really the only purpose of channel numbers in MythTV--to
provide a means to tell LiveTV which channel to watch.

Good description of the other related issues, too, Yeechang.

Mike
_______________________________________________
mythtv-users mailing list
mythtv-users [at] mythtv
http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users

dmb.mythtv-users at ntlworld

Jan 2, 2009, 1:01 AM

Post #9 of 11 (1797 views)
Permalink

Re: Custom channel ordering ? [In reply to]

On Thu, 2009-01-01 at 21:46 +0000, Duncan Brown wrote:

> One way around it would be to get them how you want and then write a bit
> of mysql to change it back after a rescan.
>
> I'd tell you how but my sql-fu is poor, and its something I've been
> wanting to do myself for a long time

That's how I do it, and also how I populate the XMLTVID strings for the
listings grabber / mythfilldatabase to match against.

Create a text file called e.g. "update-channel.sql".

Add one line per channel you want to update, something like:
update channel set xmltvid='channel4.com',channum='4' where
name='Channel 4';

Run this file against the database:
$ mysql -u mythtv -p mythconverg < update-channel.sql
[Enter mythtv's MySQL password when prompted; "mythtv" by default]

Make sure the channel "name" matches what the channel scanner reports
and that the "xmltvid" matches what the XMLTV listings grabber wants.

dMb

_______________________________________________
mythtv-users mailing list
mythtv-users [at] mythtv
http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users

linux at thehobsons

Jan 2, 2009, 11:26 AM

Post #10 of 11 (1760 views)
Permalink

Re: Custom channel ordering ? [In reply to]

Duncan Brown wrote:

>I'd tell you how but my sql-fu is poor, and its something I've been
>wanting to do myself for a long time

OK, I've written a script to do it :

>#!/bin/bash
>
># Set MythTV channel numbers
>
>. ~/.mythtv/mysql.txt
>
>echo '
> update channel set visible=0 ;
> update channel set visible=1,channum=1 where callsign="BBC ONE" ;
> update channel set visible=1,channum=2 where callsign="BBC TWO" ;
> update channel set visible=1,channum=3 where callsign="BBC THREE" ;
> update channel set visible=1,channum=4 where callsign="BBC FOUR" ;
> update channel set visible=1,channum=5 where callsign="ITV1" ;
> update channel set visible=1,channum=6 where callsign="ITV2" ;
> update channel set visible=1,channum=7 where callsign="ITV2 +1" ;
> update channel set visible=1,channum=8 where callsign="ITV3" ;
> update channel set visible=1,channum=9 where callsign="ITV4" ;
>' | mysql --database=${DBName} --user=${DBUserName} --password=${DBPassword}

Neatly makes all the stuff I'm not bothered about invisible, then
sets the channel numbers for the stuff I do want (I've trimmed a few
lines for brevity). Uses the existing config file for database access
details.

--
Simon Hobson

Visit http://www.magpiesnestpublishing.co.uk/ for books by acclaimed
author Gladys Hobson. Novels - poetry - short stories - ideal as
Christmas stocking fillers. Some available as e-books.
_______________________________________________
mythtv-users mailing list
mythtv-users [at] mythtv
http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users

mythtv at duncb

Jan 3, 2009, 2:29 AM

Post #11 of 11 (1747 views)
Permalink

Re: Custom channel ordering ? [In reply to]

Simon Hobson wrote:
> Duncan Brown wrote:
>
>
>> I'd tell you how but my sql-fu is poor, and its something I've been
>> wanting to do myself for a long time
>>
>
> OK, I've written a script to do it :
>
>
>> #!/bin/bash
>>
>> # Set MythTV channel numbers
>>
>> . ~/.mythtv/mysql.txt
>>
>> echo '
>> update channel set visible=0 ;
>> update channel set visible=1,channum=1 where callsign="BBC ONE" ;
>> update channel set visible=1,channum=2 where callsign="BBC TWO" ;
>> update channel set visible=1,channum=3 where callsign="BBC THREE" ;
>> update channel set visible=1,channum=4 where callsign="BBC FOUR" ;
>> update channel set visible=1,channum=5 where callsign="ITV1" ;
>> update channel set visible=1,channum=6 where callsign="ITV2" ;
>> update channel set visible=1,channum=7 where callsign="ITV2 +1" ;
>> update channel set visible=1,channum=8 where callsign="ITV3" ;
>> update channel set visible=1,channum=9 where callsign="ITV4" ;
>> ' | mysql --database=${DBName} --user=${DBUserName} --password=${DBPassword}
>>
>
> Neatly makes all the stuff I'm not bothered about invisible, then
> sets the channel numbers for the stuff I do want (I've trimmed a few
> lines for brevity). Uses the existing config file for database access
> details.
>
>
>
Thats great, thanks

Dunc
_______________________________________________
mythtv-users mailing list
mythtv-users [at] mythtv
http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users

Index | Next | Previous | View Threaded

Interested in having your list archived? Contact Gossamer Threads