Some ideas to improve the Graphical EPG screen

[bbbuk]

The only problem with that is, what are the official channel numbers? Your preferred channel numbers are in the "All Channels" bouquet but not everyone has this bouquet. So without this, where are the official numbers?

Sorry I misread your previous thread and thought you had found a workaround to avoid the dependency on "all channels".

Could you, when you get a chance, add official channel numbers before the channel name like you previously had done and PM me the file. I have "all channels" so it will work.

Thanks again for your hard work on this significant improvement in the EPG.

 

[matt007]

The workaround to avoid the dependency on "All Channels" was only for the search channel by number feature

 

[abu baniaz]

Entering number goes to channel irrespective of whether there is an "all channels" bouquet or not.

Results of number input test.
ABM main bouquet option = no: You go to "correct" bouquet containing channel.
ABM main bouquet option = only HD/FTA HD: You go to "correct" bouquet containing channel.
ABM main bouquet option = yes: You go to "all chanenls"
i.e first bouquet containing the channel

Image option to show channel number in info bar is not working now, this is on Blue HD as well as default skin. I did not check this on the last file.

 

[matt007]

Strange, as the EpgSelection.py file has no impact on the infobar screen. I have noticed there being a change in the ServiceName.py file on GitHub - That is the file that appends the number next to the name to display in the infobar. May possibly be a seperate issue that is not linked to these tweaks. I will test my image but I don't recall having that issue.

 

[abu baniaz]

I flashed fresh and toggling numbers in infobar tested on stock image. I forgot that some data is kept in RAM and you need to change bouquet for new settings to be used.

Sorry.

A possibility is to change "show chanenl numbers in infobar" to "show chanenl numbers in EPG" and all EPG modes to be affected.

 

[birdman]

The workaround to avoid the dependency on "All Channels" was only for the search channel by number feature

Would it be possible to put those numbers next to the channel names?

 

[Andy_Hazza]

Matt mentioned to keep to official channel numbering then all bouquets needs to be created. Sectional bouquets generally don't keep to official channel numbering. As I said previously, if i go into "movies" section, channel numbering is nowhere near the official channel numbering of 301+. It is, however, if you view movies from main section(bouquet).

I don't have "All Channels" created in ABM as I like each section to have the correct numbering. Thats a personal preference.

 

[bbbuk]

I don't have "All Channels" created in ABM as I like each section to have the correct numbering. Thats a personal preference.

I have "All Channels" only because I then don't have to keep swapping between different sections. I then have sections for the odd times that I specifically want to go straight to list of movies, for example.

In an ideal world we could have "All Channels" and each section, all with correct official numbering

 

[Andy_Hazza]

I have "All Channels" only because I then don't have to keep swapping between different sections. I then have sections for the odd times that I specifically want to go straight to list of movies, for example.

In an ideal world we could have "All Channels" and each section, all with correct official numbering

That would be super duper if that ever materialised. [emoji106]

 

[bbbuk]

I've just thought but if these changes are implemented in a future build (and I hope they are), do all the boxes you support have < and > on the remote to allow switching between different sections?

I'm not sure if you have already thought about this or it has been previously mentioned!

 

[matt007]

That would be super duper if that ever materialised. [emoji106]

So what is stopping everyone from setting up their bouquets like that?

 

[bbbuk]

So what is stopping everyone from setting up their bouquets like that?

The ABM doesn't maintain official channel numbering if using both "all channels" and sectional bouquets.

 

[abu baniaz]

The ABM doesn't maintain official channel numbering if using both "all channels" and sectional bouquets.

This is incorrect.

The numbers in the subsequent bouquets will show a cumulative number. Numbering will still work irrespective of what is shown in the bouquet.

I got fed up with people complaining about numbering not working with Lraizer's plugin, that the default install is now "HD first".

 

[bbbuk]

This is incorrect.

The numbers in the subsequent bouquets will show a cumulative number. Numbering will still work irrespective of what is shown in the bouquet.

So why does it show a cumulative number rather than official number? It may still work but most people wouldn't think it does simply because all they'll see is the cumulative number displayed and think they have to enter that instead of official number and unless you know official number anyhow you couldn't enter it and would have to go by cumulative number as displayed.

If there is a specific pattern to the cumulative number then as a work-around, could the ABM minus the cumulative number to get the official number? If that makes sense?

 

[abu baniaz]

Perhaps it would be a good idea to conduct the number conundrum discussion in another thread and leave this thread for EPG screen changes.

 

[pembo]

Perhaps it would be a good idea to conduct the number conundrum discussion in another thread and leave this thread for EPG screen changes.

please split it
I'd like to discuss a related numbers issue in openwebif api, as I've had a few requests to put numbering in the Samsung smart tv app, but such data doesn't appear to be available currently

 

[birdman]

Bear in mind that if you have multiple sources (Terrestrial, Cable and Satellite) then there may be no such thing as "official numbers" without many clashes.

 

[matt007]

I've spent the past few hours doing various tests with bouquets such as with/without main bouquet, multiple providers etc. From what I have gathered, it will be impossible to get "official" numbers across all bouquets if more than one provider is used - this should be pretty self explanatory. For example on Sky UK, BBC One is 101 but on Sky Ireland, 101 is RTE One. So when generating the bouquets, only one of the mentioned channels can get 101. So only your first provider can get "official" numbers.

So the only way you can achieve the "official" numbering effect is if you have one provider and you have a main channel bouquet ("All Channels"). Note that I used the word "effect". This is because a channel in two seperate bouquets cannot have the same number. For example you cannot have "101 - BBC One" in "All Channels" and "101 - BBC One" in "Entertainment". The reason for this is, suppose you are viewing a channel thats in two bouquets, we need to know what bouquet that channel is referencing. 101 cannot be referencing "All Channels" as well as "Entertainment". It has to be one or the other.

So in conclusion, if you have one provider and a main channel bouquet, then it will be possible to achieve the effect of having consistent numbers across different bouquets. However, this will mean that a channel can still be selected using both the "official" number as well the original number in the relevant bouquet. But if the original number is never shown to the user, then it will become very unlikely anyone will remember or even zap the original number. The only way to prevent the user from zapping an original number is to just search a channel number in the main bouquet. But then this will make the whole idea of bouquets pointless as you will only ever be in the main bouquet, unless your only purpose for bouquets is to organise channels into sections in the EPG.

Another alternative in the G-EPG screen is to replace the bouquets with the markers from the main bouquet. By doing this, there will only be one bouquet, but many different sections (similar to what you are used to on Sky). So in this way, no matter what section (marker) you are in, you will still be in the main channel bouquet so there will always be consistent channel numbers. So for this, you just need to generate the main bouquet and not any of the section ones.

Sorry for the long post, I felt it was important to let people know what is possible from a technical point of view. As mentioned above, lets make a seperate thread for this.

 

[bbbuk]

I also agree the last few posts were mostly, if not wholly, concerning official numbering within ABM (and EPG) and therefore should be split off. Maybe moved to the ABM section of the forum in a new thread?

@matt007, thank you for the detailed response and testing you have done into trying to get this working.

I agree that for those that use more than one provider, it would be impossible to maintain any official numbering and I would have thought this was expected.

I personally only use the "Sky UK (SD)" provider and I would of thought a lot only use the 28.2 satellite unless they're lucky enough to have a motorised dish.

So the only way you can achieve the "official" numbering effect is if you have one provider and you have a main channel bouquet ("All Channels"). Note that I used the word "effect". This is because a channel in two seperate bouquets cannot have the same number. For example you cannot have "101 - BBC One" in "All Channels" and "101 - BBC One" in "Entertainment". The reason for this is, suppose you are viewing a channel thats in two bouquets, we need to know
what bouquet that channel is referencing. 101 cannot be referencing "All Channels" as well as "Entertainment". It has to be one or the other.

This makes sense.

Another alternative in the G-EPG screen is to replace the bouquets with the markers from the main bouquet. By doing this, there will only be one bouquet, but many different sections (similar to what you are used to on Sky). So in this way, no matter what section (marker) you are in, you will still be in the main channel bouquet so there will always be consistent channel numbers. So for this, you just need to generate the main bouquet and not any of the section ones.

When you create just the main bouquet and nothing else, the main bouquet does contain each section within the "main" one but at same time there is no easy way to go to another section like movies, sports, etc without scrolling down the entire list. This is why most people generate section bouquets.



The above screenshot is just the main bouquet created and no sectional bouquets therefore "Entertainment, Sports, Movies, etc" don't exist. If a workaround could be done so that it places "dummy" bouquet names in the screenshot that then "jump" to the respective marker in the main bouquet. This would, to the end user, look the same as having sectional bouquets, but with added benefit of making official numbering possible across the entire the board. Does this make sense?

 

[matt007]

Makes sense and its something I was thinking of doing but it wont be for the masses so it wont get into any future images. Im just wondering if it would be possible to implement this as a plugin so people who meet the criteria (one provider and only a main bouquet) can just download this then. I suppose what I am asking is if plugins have the ability to modify code on the image or at least point the image towards the plugin code instead of the code in the image.