[mythtv] RFE: Watch list - show oldest EPISODE for a given series

[Bruce Markey]

Ross Campbell wrote:
> The Watch list recording group in SVN is really growing on me. One
> request I'd like to make is to change the behavior of how it handles
> selection for series recordings.
> 
> Currently, watch list shows the OLDEST RECORDING for a given series,
> which is usually fine, but I would prefer to see it show the OLDEST
> EPISODE so that I can "catch up" with recordings in the same order as
> they originally aired - regardless of recording order.

John Poet mentioned this too. While I'm no opposed to this
it does raise some other issues and isn't as simple or
obvious as it sounds.

> Since the code is already there to provide sort by original airdate
> for series listings, it shouldn't be too hard to use that for watch
> list too.

No problem finding and comparing original airdate if they exist
but the selection of oldest showing is done as it's filling the
whole All Programs list before any special sorting. That could
change though...

Here are some of the new issues this would raise:

- It should suggest the recording most at risk to auto-expire.
If you got a later air date followed by several earlier, the
later air date may never be suggested as other episodes arrive
and eventually auto-expire. In practice, this wouldn't happen
to me, you or John would it?

- Original Air Date is not a required field in the listings.
If a title has some with and some without air dates (this does
happen) how should they be sorted? Should those without dates
be first or last? If mixed, on what basis.

- Generic, unidentified episodes usually have a date from the
beginning of the series. If you had a title with some generic
and some specific episodes, it would suggest all the generics
before getting around to the known episodes.

- If an episode was recorded three weeks ago and an earlier
air date was recorded yesterday, should the score be based
on it aging one day or 21 days?

I don't mean to be a total wet blanket but I'm not seeing a
clean solution.

I don't see this case very often but if I do see a title suggested
and I know I want to watch a different episode (which may be
for reasons other that just the air date(!)), I use the item
on the Watch List as just a reminder then go the the All Programs
list to find the episode that I decided to watch. After I watch
and delete this other episode, last_delete is updated and the
title is again blocked out of the Watch List for a couple days.

I sometimes have to remind myself that just because it is making
suggestions doesn't mean that I can't watch whatever I dang well
feel like =).

--  bjm