[mythtv-users] Mapping unknown scanned channels to Schedule Direct channels for Verizon FiOS

[Michael T. Dean]

On 12/10/2008 09:14 AM, Greg Woods wrote:
> On Tue, 2008-12-09 at 22:26 -0800, Darren Hart wrote:
>   
>> 1) Shouldn't my Schedules Direct listings for Verizon FiOS TV Local be
>> able to make this mapping for me?
>>     
> Unfortunately, it seems to depend on whether or not your provider
> includes information about what channel it is in the transmission. I'm
> not saying this right I know, but the bottom line is, if the channel
> scan does not pick up the XMLID,

The xmltvid is /never/ broadcast in the stream (after all, it's 
something that's "made up" by TMS as an internal identifier of a 
channel) and, therefore, can never be picked up by the scan.  Instead, 
digital streams typically contain information such as channel number, 
callsign and/or name.  In the event that a channel has no xmltvid and 
has a callsign (or, if no callsign, then name) and channel number that 
matches exactly the callsign and channel number used by TMS/Schedules 
Direct, then mythfilldatabase will "automatically" fill in the xmltvid.

>  then the mapping doesn't happen and
> there is no alternative to tediously doing it manually. I have heard
> reports from people who had everything magically "just happen" when they
> did a scan, but here in Louisville CO, Comcast doesn't provide any
> information at all and I have to enter all my digital channels by hand.
> It sucks. On the flip side, when I scan my analog channels via a PVR-500
> card, the mappings are all set up properly for me.
>   

Actually, you should /never/ scan analog channels with the MythTV 
channel scanner if you live in the US.  Instead, mythfilldatabase is 
responsible for retrieving and configuring them (using the "Fetch 
channels from listings source" button) since we have excellent data 
provided by SD.  If you scan for channels before doing the "Fetch 
channels...", you will end up with a broken channel configuration (and 
should really do 
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/264034#264034 to 
clean it up).

I'm guessing that you didn't really scan for your analog channels, but 
just used the "Fetch channels..." button to populate them, but just 
wanted to make sure no one was confused by the statement.

>> 2) What is supposed to go in Channel Name, Channel Number, and Channel Callsign?
>>     
> What is really important is the XMLID. All this information is in your
> Schedules Direct lineup.
>   

Yep.  With the xmltvid, mythfilldatabase will know that the channel is 
the same.  The rest of the information--channel name, channel number, 
and channel callsign--is for the user to edit as desired.

The channel name is simply a long description (64 characters max) used 
to identify the channel to the user.

The channel number is simply used to tell LiveTV which channel you want 
to watch (and really serves no other purpose) and, therefore, should be 
unique for each channel.

The channel callsign is used to tell the scheduler to treat 2 channels 
as identical for the purposes of "this channel" recording rules.  For 
example, if you create a "Record at any time on this channel" rule for a 
channel with callsign WFTV, it will be allowed to record on any channel 
with the callsign WFTV.  Note that no 2 channels should have the same 
callsign unless they are "substantially identical."  (So, what does 
"substantially identical" mean?  Well, that's a whole other discussion.  
In my interpretation, it means that the 2 channels have exactly 
identical content, but if a /very/ small percentage of shows differ on 
the 2 channels, it should be OK to give them the same callsign.  If 
their content differs too much, however, you will have issues.)

This means that if you have analog sources /and/ digital sources and you 
want to treat the high-definition digital versions of the channel as 
equivalent to the standard-definition analog versions (i.e. you don't 
care to set "this channel" rules to say "on high-def only"), you can 
give the high-definition and the standard-definition channel the same 
callsign.  If, instead, you want your "this channel" rules to 
distinguish between the analog and digital versions of the channel, you 
should give them different callsigns (i.e. "WKCF" and "WKCF-DT" or 
"WKCF-HD").

Note, also, that 2 channels with the exact same callsign /and/ channel 
number are displayed only once in the EPG.  So, if you do have several 
channels with the same callsign, you may tell the EPG to hide the 
duplicates by giving them all the same channel numbers.  (This is really 
the only other use for channel number, besides specifying what channel 
to watch in LiveTV.)

Mike