[mythtv-users] Automatic channel scans

[Stuart Auchterlonie]

On 10/08/17 12:19, Mike Bibbings wrote:
> On 08/08/17 19:01, Jeff wrote:
>> It seems to me that there are changes to the channel line-up on Astra
>> something every couple of weeks. Mostly I don't notice until recordings
>> start failing, and then I don't have the necessary block of couple of
>> hours to do anything about it, and so I end up running mythtv-setup
>> perhaps every 18 months.
>>
>> Would it not be possible to achieve something like automatic channel
>> updates by having a job run, say once a week or once a month, which
>> performs a scan when the backend is not being used (e.g. in my case,
>> before it is shutdown), compares the results to the previous scan, and
>> then presents the differences to the user?
>>
>> e.g. 'New channel "XYZ" found on Input 1. Add/Ignore?'
>>       'Channel "XYZ" moved to frequency/sid/... Update?'
>>
>> Is this feasible?
>>
>> Does anyone else think this is a good idea?
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> Jeff
>>
> Yes, it is a good idea and is probably feasible with some changes to
> mythtv.
> 
> mythtv-setup already has the capability to perform an automated scan and
> either apply immediately  or save it for later use, see
> https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Command_Line_Channel_Scanner
> However, as far as I can tell this automated scan does not work for
> DVB-S/S2, hence changes to mythtv.
> 
> I was thinking of something along the lines of comparing current channel
> setup with automated last scan and just identify something has changed,
> the user would then use mythtv-setup manually, to either rescan existing
> transports (with search for new transports selected) or import the
> automated scan results.
> 
> Mike
> 

We used to do this automatically back around 0.19 iirc. The problem this
lead to was in some countries it resulted in valid channels being added
and removed on a daily basis (ie, channels that weren't actually being
added / removed) which played havoc with scheduling.

The best theory i had on how to do this, was to collect the relevant
signalling tables and if the new / removed channel change has been there
for at least 24hrs, then "activate" that change.

It is distinctly non trivial....


Regards
Stuart