[mythtv-users] Cable company changes channel numbers?

[David Engel]

On Fri, Apr 22, 2022 at 04:25:45PM -0700, DryHeat122 wrote:
> On Sun, Apr 17, 2022 at 8:56 PM Gary Buhrmaster <gary.buhrmaster at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
> > On Mon, Apr 18, 2022 at 3:36 AM DryHeat122 <dryheat122 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > But once I know that, then what do I do to get it dialing the right
> > channel numbers? Does SchedulesDirect have to provide a new lineup, or....
> >
> > Well, yes, and no.  ScheduleDirect gets the
> > channel numbers from the provider (well,
> > SchedulesDirect's upstream, Gracenote
> > gets the data from the provider, which goes
> > downstream to SchedulesDirect).  *Some*
> > providers provide the updated channels
> > proactively (they care (at least a bit) about
> > their customers.  *Some* do not (although
> > when a SchedulesDirect/Gracenote ticket
> > gets created it gets fixed, eventually).
> >
> > If the provider is not proactive, you will
> > need to open a lineup ticket with
> > SchedulesDirect (which turns into a
> > ticket at Gracenote) to get the channel
> > numbers updated.  Typically your
> > provider will include the changes on your
> > bill in the additional information section
> > (the part most never read (FD: I read
> > those sections)), and you should review
> > that part of your past bills to add info
> > to the lineup ticket to get everything
> > updated.
> >
> > mythfilldatabase, with certain options,
> > may attempt to add new channels.
> > Sometimes that works ok, and sometimes
> > not so much.
> >
> > There is also a 3rd party utility documented
> > on the MythTV wiki that can be used with
> > the premier xmltv grabber for the json
> > SchedulesDirect feed that can (attempt)
> > to automatically correct the
> > channel/xmltvid/name values when
> > Gracenote/SchedulesDirect gets the
> > new data.  I regularly (about once every
> > other month) use that 3rd party utility to
> > check and re-sync my ScheduleDirect
> > lineup with my MythTV configuration.
> > Highly recommended.
> >
> > Which is the 3rd party utility you refer to?  I have checked with

https://github.com/garybuhrmaster/MythUtil

> SchedulesDirect and they have the right channel numbers (maybe have had for
> a while). I'm not sure what the problem is, then, because shouldn't the
> scheduler start using the new channel numbers it gets from DirectTV?  Or is
> the problem that my recording rules specify the old channel numbers? If
> that is the problem, is there a way to automatically fix those, or do I
> need to delete and re-create the recording rules?

MythTV doesn't autmatically add/delete/move channels.  There are plans
to improve things some day but developers and round tuits are in short
supply.  Until things improve, there is the aforementioned MythUtil
and the --do-channel-updates and --only-update-channels that can be
used with mythfilldatabase.  If you use tv_grab_zz_sdjson_sqlite,
MythUtil is by far the better choice.

David
-- 
David Engel
david at istwok.net