[mythtv-users] Comcast OnDemand on Multiple STBs

[Worldnet]

> On 11/11/07, David Shay <david[at]shay.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>> <snip>




>> Reading the database is not really the right approach - querying the 
>> backend via the protocol would be.Even that is not necessary for this  
>> piece of information -- it isavailable via the status port on 6544. In  
>> this case, you can get quite abit of info from the XML status on  
>> http://my.myth.ip:6544/xml You get alist of encoders, and if one is  
>> recording, you will see what program,callsign, and channel it is tuned  
>> to.

> A complete solution could look like this:
> * Local .lircrc entries on each frontend with appropriate irexec entries  
> forthe keys which you want to use to control the STB. I am assuming  
> these willhave to be a unique set of navigation and "enter" keys since  
> otherwise theywould conflict with the function and meaning of those in  
> myth. These irexecentries would call a script on the local frontend  
> which would:
> * call wget on the backend status port. Parse this to determine which the 
> video-on-demand tuner. Personally, I would cache this output for a minute 
> or two locally to avoid repeated unnecessary calls to the status port.  
> Oncethe tuner was determined use "rexec" or the remote-execution  
> mechanism ofyour choice to call an "irsend" script on the backend with  
> the desiredparameters.
>
>


I need to look into the remote execution, I've never done that before.  
Once I
learn how to do the that this idea addresses almost all of my issues

The only issue left is with the info from the status port, it only lists
what encoder is on what channel. This will work if one frontend is watching
OnDemand but if two frontends are watching OnDemand then they will both
show that they are watching channel 1 and since the content is independent
of myth there will be no program info to differentiate the two. I found  
this
table in the database which gives the info that I need. I agree that direct
access to the database is not the prefered route as a change to the  
database
will render my work null not to mention the security and integrity issues.



*************************** 6. row ***************************
        chanid: 1171
     starttime: 2007-11-10 21:00:00
       chainid: live-bedroom-2007-11-10T20:36:29
      chainpos: 1
discontinuity: 0
      watching: 0
    hostprefix: myth://192.168.1.200:6543/
      cardtype: MPEG
         input: S-Video 1
      channame: 171
       endtime: 2007-11-10 21:30:01

This table tells me which encoder is feeding the frontend host so I
have confirmation of which STB I am watching


This may seem slightly absurd on the surface but the reason we want the
OnDemand is the kids love the content and it is quite possible that there
will be two frontends watching different things at the same time. I'm
reluctant to roll out the myth system to the family until I know that it
will work so that there is no rebelion. I love the myth system but if the
rest of the family revolts then I'm finished.

Thanks David