[ViX_Misc] EPG Refresh, iEPG and VPS

[dntaylor]

As reported I can only get VPS to stay on when I set a timer through OpenWebif and not on the receiver. Autotimer works fine and always stays on when selected.
I have tested BBC1 BBC2 ITV Ch4 on Freesat 28.2 & also Freeview. As others have confirmed VPS works fine on these channels and the programs start & finish where the red makers are displayed at the beginning and end even though I have set a buffer of 1 minute before and five minutes after the scheduled time. This is using OpenViX 5.4.007 on a GigaBlue UHD QUAD 4K.

 

[goRt]

As reported I can only get VPS to stay on when I set a timer through OpenWebif and not on the receiver. Autotimer works fine and always stays on when selected.
I have tested BBC1 BBC2 ITV Ch4 on Freesat 28.2 & also Freeview. As others have confirmed VPS works fine on these channels and the programs start & finish where the red makers are displayed at the beginning and end even though I have set a buffer of 1 minute before and five minutes after the scheduled time. This is using OpenViX 5.4.007 on a GigaBlue UHD QUAD 4K.

There's a fix in the other thread, so I guess the next release will fonction

 

[ronand]

5.4.007 was built before the fixes. You can add it yourself if you want to try

Download the modifications.py from here: https://www.world-of-satellite.com/...VPS-geht-nicht&p=510097&viewfull=1#post510097

Put it in /usr/lib/enigma2/python/Plugins/SystemPlugins/vps with an ftp program and delete modifications.pyo from the same folder. Restart E2 and it will build a new .pyo and then you can delete the .py file.

 

[birdman]

Also its pretty pointless having the vps check in any case - if you are using autotimers and enable the vps recording you are doing so on the assumption that it will work (the check doesn't take place for autotimers).

I do have a version that turns the check off, and I'm sure this can be made a configurable option.

Needs much tidying up, though, as I forgot I wasn't editing the "live" source file and was surprised that nothing seemed to have any effect. By the time I'd seen the error of my ways I'd made four or five sets of (accumulative) changes. I suspect only one is actually required - I just have to find out which one that is.


There is still the issue of setting a manual timer then changing the time or channel, but I'll leave looking at that until later.

 

[birdman]

I do have a version that turns the check off, and I'm sure this can be made a configurable option.

Needs much tidying up, though...

If anyone is interested in trying it out, here are the modified files.

Removed - see later post for reversed description

There's not much changed, just that it spreads over 4 files.

There's a new menu option ("Do not check for PDC" - default is Off). If you enable it then your default VPS setting gets used without the pop-up occurring (or, indeed, any check).

NOTE: that the Instant Record use of VPS only applies if you chose to record the current event (top option). If you chose one of the others VPS is disabled. So don't report this as a bug, as it isn't.

Here are the full changes (as a diff):

Removed - see later post for reversed description

 

[ronand]

That seems to be doing the trick. It might be better to reverse the menu option - maybe "Check for VPS" as ON/OFF instead.

 

[Joe_90]

Thanks birdman - have downloaded the .py files and have set a timer for testing. I would agree with ronand regarding the PDC check. Might be better to say "Check for PDC" on/off. Seems to be a double negative at present.

 

[birdman]

Thanks birdman - have downloaded the .py files and have set a timer for testing. I would agree with ronand regarding the PDC check. Might be better to say "Check for PDC" on/off. Seems to be a double negative at present.

I know.
So I'd switch the default too (Check for PDC - default True).

 

[birdman]

Here's that pair of files with the option inverted (it's now "Check for PDC").

View attachment NoPDC-Check-new.zip
View attachment NoPDC-Check-new.txt

Unless anyone spots a problem I'll submit a PR later.

EDIT:

https://github.com/oe-alliance/enigma2-plugins/pull/422

 

[Joe_90]

Will test shortly and report...


EDIT Working fine. Have turned off PDC check.

 

[birdman]

Will test shortly and report...


EDIT Working fine. Have turned off PDC check.

Just waiting for the PR to be incorporated then.

 

[birdman]

There is still the issue of setting a manual timer then changing the time or channel, but I'll leave looking at that until later.

Now looking.

It's definitely a bug. You can set a VPS timer for weeks in the future with the EventID of the current programme.
There is the concept of showing VPS start/stop times in the menu, but they only ever show if the menu starts with an empty title. On Vix it never does as it is always pre-filled with the current event (including its EventID).

I'm testing code to capture the data that comes in at the start and check whether the start/end times or service have changed. If they have then the code can work out the relevant EventID if it is in the EPG cache, and if it isn't it should be able to route it to whatever code the (unreachable) VPS timer bits used.

In the process of a quick look at this I've already found two other bugs in enigma2 itself.

 

[Huevos]

Going off topic slightly...

Simple1080 skin has a PDC icon on the infobar. I can't find a single channel that will trigger this icon. Maybe FatTony knows one.

 

[Joe_90]

I'll have a look on 19.2E.

 

[ccs]

I used topfield series links with great success for many years, but have found autotimers equal to the task.

Reschedules actually work well, although I run autotimer every 25 minutes to make sure they're caught - they usually are soon after the epg changes.

I adjust things a bit during Wimbledon to take into account the bbc's obsession with moving bbc1 programmes over to bbc2 instead of leaving them well alone.

They've already started doing it tonight.

 

[ronand]

That's fine as long as they ditch wimbledon on Thursday evening to show the athletics from Oslo.

 

[Joe_90]

This is just an observation for those using the VPS plugin. Channel4HD and SD and C4+1, E4, E4+1 are not working for me using VPS. This has been happening since Monday last. The timer log reads "Event Ended" when scanning for the EIT p/f data in order to accurately record the programme. I have to use VPS in safe mode as a workaround. Other channels don't seem to be affected.

I fired up my old Windows 7 PC just now and had a look at the EIT data for C4. There doesn't seem to be any Event ID data in the EIT PIDs (Actual TS Present/Following) for the Channel 4 family on various transponders. Other channels on the same transponders have P/F data. I looked through a selection of BBC/ITV and other channels and all are ok.

I don't see any reports of this issue in the usual Digital Spy forums etc. Anyone shed any light on this? It may be a further fallout related to the Red Bee playout system which caused huge issues for C4 and C5 in the months prior to Christmas.

 

[goRt]

This is just an observation for those using the VPS plugin. Channel4HD and SD and C4+1, E4, E4+1 are not working for me using VPS. This has been happening since Monday last. The timer log reads "Event Ended" when scanning for the EIT p/f data in order to accurately record the programme. I have to use VPS in safe mode as a workaround. Other channels don't seem to be affected.

I fired up my old Windows 7 PC just now and had a look at the EIT data for C4. There doesn't seem to be any Event ID data in the EIT PIDs (Actual TS Present/Following) for the Channel 4 family on various transponders. Other channels on the same transponders have P/F data. I looked through a selection of BBC/ITV and other channels and all are ok.

I don't see any reports of this issue in the usual Digital Spy forums etc. Anyone shed any light on this? It may be a further fallout related to the Red Bee playout system which caused huge issues for C4 and C5 in the months prior to Christmas.

Yes, started happening for me on Thursday this week.
Also noticed that EPGRefresh at 19:15 misses tons of data (days from most/all channel) whereas if run at 13:15 all channel data is there???

 

[Joe_90]

Just to confirm - my reference is to satellite EPG / EIT data.

@goRt - can't say that I have had issues with actual EPG data although I use the in-built OpenTV EPG reader which runs 5 mins after boot and I have it set to run at 9 hour intervals. EPGRefresh has the option to clear EPG data before it tunes to the SKY transponder.

 

[goRt]

Just to confirm - my reference is to satellite EPG / EIT data.

@goRt - can't say that I have had issues with actual EPG data although I use the in-built OpenTV EPG reader which runs 5 mins after boot and I have it set to run at 9 hour intervals. EPGRefresh has the option to clear EPG data before it tunes to the SKY transponder.

Yes, my issue is also with satellite EPG/EIT data exactly as you reported.

Yes I have cleared the EPG data prior to refresh - same issue, but let's not let this cloud the problem on the 4 channels