[mythtv-users] Pilots and Premieres power search anyone?

Michael T. Dean mtdean at thirdcontact.com
Fri Oct 2 11:19:49 UTC 2015


On 10/01/2015 06:06 PM, Hika van den Hoven wrote:
> Hoi Kenneth,
>
> Friday, October 2, 2015, 12:04:36 AM, you wrote:
>
>> On Tue, Sep 29, 2015 at 10:51 AM, Michael T. Deanwrote:
>>> On 09/29/2015 11:35 AM, Jim wrote:
>>>> On 9/29/2015 10:32 AM, Kenneth Emerson wrote:
>>>>> I have used Doug's power search with a few more categories added, and
>>>>> it is working fine for the new season.  My question is this: Once I've
>>>>> decided I don't want to watch a particular series and I select the
>>>>> Edit Recording Rule for that program and tell it to never record, does
>>>>> that affect the power search rule or is there a separate rule created
>>>>> for each match the power search finds?  I'm afraid that I'll affect
>>>>> all of the other series that are being recorded.
>>>>>
>>>>> If it is the former, how do I change the rule under which the series I
>>>>> want to keep is recorded? (i.e. remove it from the power search rule
>>>>> and give it its own).
>>>> That is only going to record the pilot shows.
>>>> You have to watch it and decide if you want to continue recording that
>>>> show.
>>>> If you do then you must create a rule for that specific show.
>>>> If you don't like it - do nothing.
>>>>
>>> Alternatively, create the rule and set it to inactive.  Then, the rule will
>>> match first episodes, but won't record anything.  So, at the start of fall
>>> season, mid season, and summer season, you can go through your Upcoming
>>> Recordings list, find all of the matches (marked to not record because the
>>> rule is inactive) and, if you decide you want to record the series, create
>>> an any time/all channels rule for the series.  This way, you don't have to
>>> watch the premieres immediately (or risk missing episodes because you were
>>> behind) and when you get around to watching, you can either keep the
>>> rule/recordings or delete them if you decide it's not worth watching.  This
>>> approach notifies you of new shows to allow you to create new rules for the
>>> series.  Usually, it takes me a couple of times looking at Upcoming
>>> Recordings to create the rules for the new season/mid-season because they
>>> spread out the premieres over about a month, and I only have 2 weeks data.
>>>
>>> With this approach, there's no reason to do a "Never Record", either.  If
>>> you don't want to record the show, just don't make a rule for it and since
>>> the "First Episodes" rule is inactive, it won't even record the first
>>> episode.  This is actually good because all of those "Never Record" rules
>>> slow down scheduling a little bit each (where scheduling performance is
>>> related to the number of programs (often related to the number of channels),
>>> the number of "previously recorded" programs, and the number of recording
>>> rules (including Never Records, etc.)).  And if you'd like to clear out
>>> old/no-longer-necessary recording rules, use the frontend's Manage
>>> Recordings|Recording Rules interface, and to clear out
>>> old/no-longer-necessary recording history (i.e. you've already recorded and
>>> watched an entire series that has run to completion and deleted the
>>> recording rule for that series), use the frontend's Manage
>>> Recordings|Previously Recorded interface (which can either delete individual
>>> episodes or all episodes of a given series--use the MENU).  And, FWIW, you
>>> can clear out programs by using mythtv-setup's Channel Editor to delete
>>> channels you don't want/need (i.e. all those shopping channels, etc.) or, if
>>> nothing else, just set the channel to not visible and remove its XMLTV ID
>>> and remove the channel from your XMLTV configuration or your Schedules
>>> Direct lineup and once your current listings for that channel expire, you'll
>>> no longer have programs for that channel.  (Make sure you remove the channel
>>> from your XMLTV config/SD lineup, even if you delete the whole channel from
>>> mythtv-setup so it doesn't cause problems, and so you don't waste resources
>>> pulling channel listings you don't need.)
>>>
>>> Mike
>
>> Thanks, Mike, and to all the others that answered.  I used Mike's
>> suggestion and that works quite well from the front-end (not so well
>> in the web I/F).  Although, I had to really search to find the
>> 'Inactive' switch.  Looking at the Upcoming Recordings, the ones that
>> are inactive are marked with an 'X'.  Choosing one and hitting enter,
>> I choose override rule which appears to create a new rule for that
>> series.  Now, I just need to remember to check for this about once a
>> week or ten days!
> I think the created override rule is just for that one episode. And be
> aware it's time set. So if the start-time is adjusted at the last
> moment, which regularly happens here with some channels, it wont
> record!

It's actually easiest to use MythWeb to create the new rules for the 
showings that match the First Episodes inactive search (though it's 
easiest to create the First Episodes custom recording rule in the 
frontend).  In MythWeb's Upcoming Recordings, the First Episodes will be 
listed without a border around the Status box (first column) and no 
status description in there (i.e. not "Earlier" or similar). Then, just 
click (or middle-click to get a new tab) the title and change to "Record 
at any time on any channel" and uncheck the "Inactive" checkbox and set 
any other desired rule settings.

MythWeb allows you to create a new rule for an episode that matches an 
existing rule.  In the frontend, doing so is much harder.

Mike


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