[mythtv-users] how to set xmltvid to unknown and keep it there?

[Michael T. Dean]

On 07/07/2011 11:30 AM, Eric Sharkey wrote:
> On Thu, Jul 7, 2011 at 10:07 AM, Michael T. Dean wrote:
>> a) How many Schedules Direct lineups do you have?
> One.
>
>> b) How many MythTV Video Sources do you have?
> Three.
>
>> c) What all cards are you using for capture (and which input/connection
>> on them)?
> HDHR, two tuners, both source 5.
> Firewire capture to HD tuner box, source 4.
> PVR150 composite in to same HD tuner box (it downscales everything to
> SD), in the same input group as firewire, source 6.
>
> source 5 has only clear QAM channels.  Sources 4 and 6 have all
> channels enabled in schedules direct, but differ as channels usually
> blocked by 5C encryption marked with visible = 0 in source 4.

(ideally those channels not used in Firewire would be removed from the 
Firewire Video source--which is possible with the below configuration)

>> d) Are you saying that the xmltvid gets "updated" when you run
>> mythfilldatabase?
> That appears to be the case.
>
>> e) Are you saying this happens after each time you try to unset the
>> xmltvid  or only after new channel scans?
> Every time, yes.
>
>> f) Are you running mythfilldatabase with any arguments (such as
>> --do-channel-updates or --do-not-filter-new-channels or ...)?
> No, not as far as I know.
>
>> g) Do you actually receive History/History International on any inputs
>> in MythTV?
> Yes, but not in clear QAM (not via the HDHR).

OK, based on your description--the fact that you're sharing one 
Schedules Direct lineup with mutliple MythTV Video Sources--you need to 
keep the channels in the lineup, so the best solution is to run 
mythfilldatabase with the --remove-new-channels argument.  That will 
prevent it from trying to add/update new channels in the source.  You 
can set the argument as the value for:

mythfilldatabase arguments:
Any arguments you want passed to the mythfilldatabase program. See 
mythfilldatabase --help

in mythtv-setup's General section.  And, you'll need to ensure you 
always run mythfilldatabase using that argument if you ever find need to 
run mythfilldatabase manually.

Oh, and you can take the opportunity to also add --dd-grab-all to the 
arguments (see 
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/449426#449426 +  
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/commits/449416#449416 ) and 
get better listings data while you're at it (assuming the backend has 
sufficient resources--see posts).

>> It sounds like the problem is that Schedules Direct is sending info
>> about the channel such that channel number for History/History
>> International is the same as the channel number currently used for your
>> community channels, so mythfilldatabase updates it for you, thinking
>> it's the same channel and that you didn't configure it.
> No, the channel numbers are different, but the freqid does match.  I'm
> not sure what freqid is used for for firewire or composite in on a
> PVR150.

Yeah, there are actually 3 different matching criteria that could be 
used, all related to channel numbers.  Besides "Live TV" channel number 
configured in MythTV, if the channel is on the same frequency Schedules 
Direct says it's on, and the ATSC minor channel number is the same as 
Schedules Direct says, mythfilldatabase will assume it's the same 
channel.  So, since you have an "unconfigured" channel in the lineup 
(but you want it to remain unconfigured because it's not supposed to be 
part of this Video Source), mythfilldatabase matches it for you.  By 
adding --remove-new-channels, it won't match channels for you, since 
you've said they're all correct.  And, since you can't use new channels 
with the HDHR without doing a channel scan, I'd argue you should be 
using --remove-new-channels, anyway.  (Note, also, that the 3rd channel 
number matching criterion is when the ATSC major and minor channel 
numbers agree with Schedules Direct's.)

Mike