TWP modules for backup/restore Channel Preferences

spitfires · 03-16-2012, 04:32 AM

The "backup/restore" function in both the "Channel Prefs" (channelprefs.itcl) and "Set Channel Preferences" (chanpref.itcl) TivoWebPlus modules do not cater for the new channel structure used in the AltEPG system.

Both have the same issue of assuming that channel numbers are unique, but that is not the case (e.g. all the regional BBC1s and ITV1s).

Amended modules are attached to correctly handle this situation.

(Still doesn't handle having the same channel number + callsign combination on different sources - e.g. if you had BBC1 on 101 on Satellite and also had BBC1 on 101 on Aerial - but why on earth would you want to do that! It would be possible to fix the modules to do this but I can't see the effort is justified.)

Please note: these changes are NOT backwards-compatible so you will not be able to restore any existing saved channel backups you may have. You should do a fresh backup after installing this updated module(s).

Also note: these modules ONLY work with TivoWebPlus 2.1b3.

Credit to mrtickle for pinpointing the problem, and for suggesting I fix it

Installation:
- delete the ".txt" from the end of the filename (so it's just called channelprefs.itcl or chanpref.itcl)
- copy (e.g. by FTP) the file into the "modules" directory in the relevant TivoWebPlus directory on your TiVo, and then restart TivoWebPlus.

.

spitfires · 03-28-2012, 05:58 AM

Ok it seems there are serious problems with using the chanpref module with the AltEPG channel structure - I suggest you don't use it until I've had a chance to fix it

You can use the chanelprefs module instead (it doesn't seem to have this problem).

(chanpref assumes there will always be a one-to-one relationship between channel and station which in the AltEPG system is not the case).

TCM2007 · 03-28-2012, 07:50 AM

Always best to use the TMSID as the unique identifier when coding this stuff - that's why they did it that way in the first place.

spitfires · 03-28-2012, 12:11 PM

Indeed. Unfortunately we don't have those in AltEPG yet.

(p.s. FTAOD, I didn't write this code - I'm just fixing it

)

mrtickle · 03-28-2012, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spitfires

Indeed. Unfortunately we don't have those in AltEPG yet.

With the emphasis hinting tantalisingly on 'yet'. Do you have a spare networked test TiVo, spitfires? I can't remember...

There are some at the moment but not many! You may notice that the station objects in the Lineups have both TmsIds and ServerIds. This is because without them, channel 'moves' and 'deletes' don't work. Poppadum deduced this early enough last year before it was a problem

Angra's Season Pass backup module could be modified to fall back gracefully to ServerIds if TmsIds aren't found in the Series objects. ServerIds are consistent between TiVos and could be used instead. You'd be able to back up and restore a set of season passes on a tivo without tmsids or a tivo with. Going from one to the other would be tricky though.

spitfires · 03-29-2012, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrtickle

Do you have a spare networked test TiVo, spitfires? I can't remember...

I do indeed MrT ...

spitfires · 03-29-2012, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrtickle

Angra's Season Pass backup module could be modified to fall back gracefully to ServerIds if TmsIds aren't found in the Series objects.

I believe that's exactly what the TWP2.1 version of the season pass backup does.

mrtickle · 03-29-2012, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spitfires

I believe that's exactly what the TWP2.1 version of the season pass backup does.

Not only are you right, but the version I had does it too!

There are some nice comments in the credits. It seems there was a collaborative effort to get it working on OzTiVos without TmsIds. Here we are a few years later and they've given us their entire system, and that use of ServerIds is now of benefit to us too!