[mythtv] Channel changing Bugs...

[Chris Palmer]

Andrew M. Bishop wrote
> Chris Palmer <mythtv at zencow.com> writes:
> > I don't see why a chanid has to be based on a channel number.  It 
> > should simply be UNIQUE.  I don't change channels based on the 
> > chanid.
> 
> I do.
..snip..
> In europe people select a channel on their TV by chanid which is
> mapped to channum when the TV is tuned.  The channum is never used
> except for tuning in a TV or Video or MythTV box.

so...  help me understand the european tv system a little better.
It pretty simple here in the states:  channel number = frequency.
when I turn the dial on my TV to 5 (if it had a dial), then that is 
the same channel my neighbor (on the same cable system) will see.

Are you saying that TV's in europe essentially use programmable
slots for stations?  Does that mean your "channel 5" could be
different than your neighbor's "channel 5" even on the same
cable system?  Am I understanding that?

> Forcing all MythTV users to use channum is counter-intuitive 
to you... ;-)
> and a backward step to what MythTV was like in September before 
> Isaac added the chanid to the database.

ok, I can see that this fundamental difference in systems 
(or more accurately, the lack of understanding in differences)
is making things awkward to design.

ok, I want to understand the european system, so if you could
comment and correct me, that would be great.  I'll try to find
some info online, too.

If I am understanding the slots concept correctly, then I have
some ideas on how to clean this up nicely for everyone (if there
is, in fact, anything to do).  But I'll save that idea until I'm 
sure I'm understanding the european tv channel numbering (naming?)
system.

Do you have HBO or Showtime there?  I don't personally get those,
but they might be a good common-ground for explaining the 
relationship between channel numbers, stations (call letters), 
and chanid's in your part of the world.  :)

> If you are trying to solve the "channum>1000" problem then you can
> blame me for it because I added the "id * 1000 + channum" code to
> mythfilldatabase.  But whatever you do please don't remove the chanid,
> people DO use it.

My impression was that it was intended solely as a relational 
database link between tables, and it certainly seems to be used
that way, however, I was oblivious to the way it was being used
outside the states.  Andy is the only one who wanted to remove it,
but if he is following along, I think he'll see how that won't
help things.

-Chris