[mythtv-users] Enabling multirec borks usability a bit.

[Douglas Peale]

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Michael T. Dean wrote:
> On 04/20/2010 03:20 PM, Douglas Peale wrote:
<SNIP>
>>
>> When using live TV and selecting channel 2, which variant of channel
>> 2 should live TV choose? I need to be able to access all variants to be
>> able to test the setup and to see if the cable company has played
>> musical channels again, but if I'm channel surfing, I'd like to just surf
>> the best quality variants of the channels.
>>    
> 
> The sole purpose of channel numbers is to allow users to jump directly
> to a given channel when in Live TV. 

I can think of a few more purposes for the channel numbers:
1) All TV listings from all sources use channel numbers. Use your own random numbers and you will need a map to find that show you want to watch.
2) TV advertisements use those channel numbers to tell you what channel the show is on.
3) the channel list that the cable company sends out lists stations by channel number.
3) it is much easier to enter a channel number than a call sign to tune a channel.

> If you assign 2 channels the same
> channel number, you're saying, "These are equivalent and I never have a
> need to differentiate them."

No, what I am saying is that these channels all have the same programming. I use the channel and card priority to tell the system which is the best one to use.
It would be nice if the live TV would use the same priority data to choose which one to tune in.

>  So, in your case, every channel should
> have a unique channel number.  Channel numbers are user-editable, so
> just go into mythtv-setup, mythfrontend, or MythWeb channel editor and
> change them as desired.

That would make a mess of the listings, and require a book of a translation table to find the right channel.
Worse, this data all gets wiped out every time one must rescan the channels (something I'm doing right now since Comcast encrypted all extended basic), and
even just setting everything back to the Comcast channel numbers usually takes a full day.


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