[VU+ Uno4KSE] Timer Update Question

[AB2022]

After a timer is set (either manually or via an Autotimer) is there a process that checks it against any subsequent schedule changes in the EPG and updates it if a change is found, if so what's the trigger that starts the checking process?

 

[adm]

After a timer is set (either manually or via an Autotimer) is there a process that checks it against any subsequent schedule changes in the EPG and updates it if a change is found, if so what's the trigger that starts the checking process?

As far as I'm aware no such mechanism.

 

[birdman]

After a timer is set (either manually or via an Autotimer) is there a process that checks it against any subsequent schedule changes in the EPG..

Ngt for timers, but AutoTimers do (try to) handle schedule changes.

 

[cactikid]

Interesting as i had autotimers set up on a program as i never knew what series or episode it was recording.
A recent change with a newer provider now lists series and episode number and does only record that episode and no future ones.
Maybe a setting was overlooked?

 

[adm]

Ngt for timers, but AutoTimers do (try to) handle schedule changes.

But once a timer has been set by an autotimer it will not be changed.

Say, if you configure your box to search the epg 7 days in advance it will find the program 7 days in advance to be recorded and set a timer. The start and end time of that timer (and channel) are now fixed in stone.

You may be able to react better to program changes by configuring autotimers to only search one day ahead but that doesn't get over the problem of last minute program changes such as a delay or overrun. No CRID or start stop marker information is used by the timers.

Autotimers polling, say, every 30 minutes may catch a program changing channels by creating two timers, the original which will record something you don't want and and the new timeslot on a different channel. This can fail if you run out of tuners and/or are trying to avoid recording repeats by checking the short description option. The short description of the channel changed program will be the same as the description for the program in the original timer so the second occurrence is ignored.


Having said all of this in the many years of using Openvix and setting up autotimers I've never knowingly missed an episode of any program I've wanted to record.

 

[adm]

Interesting as i had autotimers set up on a program as i never knew what series or episode it was recording.
A recent change with a newer provider now lists series and episode number and does only record that episode and no future ones.
Maybe a setting was overlooked?

You probably now have a branded Freesat, Freeview or Sky box/recorder. These use broadcast CRID and start stop markers to control recordings. In my experience this works well on the BBC, ITV, less well on the CH4 and CH5 channels and can be somewhat of a lottery on some of the lesser channels.

Ideally what is needed is a mash up of what is implemented in Openvix Autotimers and what other boxes use. Something that was achieved a decade or more ago with the Topfield boxes running the Mystuff software.

 

[birdman]

But once a timer has been set by an autotimer it will not be changed.

Odd then that an AutoTimer run will mention that some timers have been modified.
It's supposed to be looking for minor scheduling changes, according to how I've read the code/comments.

 

[birdman]

...but that doesn't get over the problem of last minute program changes such as a delay or overrun. No CRID or start stop marker information is used by the timers.

The VPS plugin can help with those.

 

[birdman]

Ideally what is needed is a mash up of what is implemented in Openvix Autotimers and what other boxes use. Something that was achieved a decade or more ago with the Topfield boxes running the Mystuff software.

Which still relied on broadcasters CRID data.

 

[adm]

Odd then that an AutoTimer run will mention that some timers have been modified.
It's supposed to be looking for minor scheduling changes, according to how I've read the code/comments.

It may also depend on how often the EPG data is modified. For Sky FTA using the Sky IEPG channel I only fetch it once a day. For Freeview it may/is updated more regularly but most of my viewing/recording these days is via satellite.

 

[Joe_90]

The VPS plugin can help with those.

I actually started to compose a reply earlier regarding my usage experience of VPS, but I cancelled it as I thought it didn't really add much to the store of knowledge. Long story short - VPS works well on BBC and ITV and mostly works ok on CH4HD, but there have been so many issues with programme EIT data on the C4 subsidiary channels (caused by the playout systems used by the broadcasters) that it is very unreliable on those. I only enable VPS for BBC/ITV/CH4HD.

 

[AB2022]

Tx for the replies, it would explain why some of my recordings have missed schedule changes.

I was not aware of the VPS plugin and putting that to one side for a minute it would seem the best way to reduce "missed" recordings is to update the EPG data frequently with the Autotimer polling set to a short interval so that it will change any pre existing timers to reflect the change - is that the general view?
Related to this (I think) - within the Autotimer Settings is the option "Modify Existing Timers" with the choices of:
"none"
"All non-repeating timers"
"Only Autotimers with the same EIT"
I assume these relate to behaviour when the Autotimer finds that there has been an EPG change but whats the difference between using "All non-repeating timers" and "Only Autotimers with the same EIT"?

Coming back to VPS.
I have searched the forum for info in VPS and have found hundreds of postings about it, mostly "I tried this, it didn't work, trying this" and though there are bits of info on how to setup/use it scattered around, I'm having difficulty pulling it all together to understand how I can use it and its limitations such as:

VPS works well on BBC and ITV and mostly works ok on CH4HD

Have I missed a user guide somewhere?

 

[birdman]

but whats the difference between using "All non-repeating timers" and "Only Autotimers with the same EIT"?

I would assume that a change to a start time would be a change with the same EIT, but a change of episode would not, so would only be covered by the "non-repeating timers" choice.

Coming back to VPS.
I have searched the forum for info in VPS and have found hundreds of postings about it, mostly "I tried this, it didn't work, trying this" and though there are bits of info on how to setup/use it scattered around, I'm having difficulty pulling it all together to understand how I can use it and its limitations...

I converted it to Py3 (I think) and use it on AutoTimers. In safe mode.
Which means that the original times set are honoured, but the VPS plugin will keep the recording going of the broadcaster hasn't sent the "it's finished" signal.

It works for me. However most of my recordings are on BBCx, ITV and C4 and I did't really have any problems without it.

The only programme that habitually overran was "Match of the Day", which (used to?) have a habit of finishing 5 mins late so I'd miss the end of the playout theme tune. With the VPS plugin that did get extend to catch it all. So it works when the data is sent.

I have had one occasion of a sport overrun that pushed the following programme (which I was recording) back by 15mins(?) and it handled that without an AT run updating anything.

 

[twol]

@Birdman - the VPS plugin is already python 3 ...... https://github.com/oe-alliance/enigma2-plugins/tree/master/vps

 

[Huevos]

@Joe_90 is there any chance you can write a semi-comprehensive readme/guide in txt or pdf format and we can push it to the repo and plugin folder.

 

[birdman]

@Birdman - the VPS plugin is already python 3 ...... https://github.com/oe-alliance/enigma2-plugins/tree/master/vps

Yes.
I fixed various things ~18 months ago, but they might not have been Py2->Py3 related (although it did include setting up relative imports, so some of it was).