[mythtv-users] Setting manual HD flag for a channel

[Michael T. Dean]

On 01/20/2010 01:52 PM, Rod Smith wrote:
> On Wednesday 20 January 2010 11:06:49 am David Kubicek wrote:
>   
>> Hello,
>>
>> I have a mix of HD and SD channels - some exist in both variations, but
>> my provider doesn't broadcast the "HD flag" MythTV can recognize
>> (visible as the yellow "HD" in MythWeb listings?). If I could label my
>> HD channels as such manually, I could use the neatly built-in schedule
>> option "prefer HD" for my recordings. Can I force this flag for a
>> *channel* somewhere?
>>     
> I don't know of an easy way to do this. The HD flag is actually part of the 
> listings data, not the signal from the broadcaster, cable company, or 
> satellite company (unless of course you're using EIT listings data, in which 
> case the listings data comes with the broadcast). As I understand the way it 
> works, you'd need to write a custom script to download the listings and then 
> modify them for some channels.

Exactly.

>  I don't know of a ready-made script that does 
> this, but it's conceivable it exists.
>
> A simpler but more brute-force solution is to modify the channel priorities. 
> In the frontend, go to Setup->TV Settings->Recording Priorities->Set Channel 
> Recording Priorities. (The exact location can vary depending on your chosen 
> layout.) Page down in the list until you find one of the channels whose 
> priority you want to adjust. Either increase the priority of the HD channel 
> or decrease the priority of the SD channel by using the right or left arrow 
> key, respectively.

But don't do this unless you fully read /and/ understand all of Section
12 of the HOWTO: http://www.mythtv.org/docs/mythtv-HOWTO-12.html .


>  The scheduler will then give a priority boost or decrement 
> to the respective programs.
>   

Note that it's changing priority of programs, not channels...  Meaning
you could record some "OK" show that's on the HDTV channel and miss your
favorite show (even if the exact same things are broadcast on the HDTV
and SDTV versions of the channel--because you have to factor in the
effects of time/schedule).

> Note that this will affect between-channel priorities, too. That is, if a 
> program is being shown on two unrelated channels (a local broadcast channel 
> and a cable channel, say), then the scheduler may switch from favoring them 
> equally but recording from the lowest-numbered channel by default to going 
> out of its way to record from whichever channel now has the higher priority 
> value. Chances are this won't cause any real problems, but it's conceivable 
> it could cause unexpected changes, perhaps even involving shows that you 
> hadn't initially considered as being problems.
>   


Yep.  Though I'd disagree with the, "Chances are this won't cause any
real problems," part.  I'd say, "Chances are you won't notice the
problems this causes."  So, if ignorance truly is bliss...

> Another point is that this priority change will be applied whether or not the 
> programs are correctly flagged as being HD. That is, if the HD flag is 
> correctly applied to some programs but not others, then increasing the 
> priority of the HD channel will result in even more of a priority boost for 
> it when its HD programs are correctly flagged. This could make manual 
> overrides fail, depending on the values you've got set for priorities 
> elsewhere in MythTV. Reducing the priority of the SD channel could delay 
> recordings in favor of a later showing on another channel even if both are in 
> SD.
>   

Definitely.

Therefore, the best approach is to get the listings data fixed--either
manually, as mentioned above, or by reporting issues to SD so they can
forward them to TMS so they can forward them to the stations.

Mike