TiVoWeb module to help resolve clashes if you have two TiVos

sanderton · 10-17-2003, 10:43 AM

I've written this TiVoWeb module because I was aware that I was missing recording on one TiVo while the other was sat idle, but figuring out which recordings to copy was too much like hard work.

To use it, copy the module into the tivoweb-tcl/modules directory of BOTH TiVos, and restart TiVoWeb on both machines.

Click "Conflict Resolve" on one of the TiVos, type in the name/IP address of the second TiVo and the number of days ahead you want to look for conflicts. It will then show you a list of unresolved conflicts on the first TiVo. Click the button and it will display the possibilities of recording those shows on the second TiVo:

Click the links to record using the normal TiVoWeb system.

I have written this for my own use and it works for me, but I offer it in case its of use to anyone else.

pahunt · 10-17-2003, 10:48 AM

Sounds like a brilliant idea. I only wish I had 2 tivos

pgogborn · 10-17-2003, 11:37 AM

Having seen what one volunteer can do to greatly increase the functionality of networked TiVos, the salary earning team at TiVo Inc should be hanging their heads in shame.

dialanothernumb · 10-17-2003, 12:00 PM

Stuart,

Which should you be most embarrassed about, being a Bath supporter or showing "evidence" of extr@ction

This looks good. Will try when I've recovered from my little "pulled disks" problem of earlier in the week

warwick · 10-17-2003, 04:01 PM

I was just discussing how handy a feature like this would be with a friend at work today (we've both just installed endpad this week)

And I get in and it's sitting waiting for me... Fantastic !!!!

Installed no problems - and it appears on both menus - and - if I start the procedure from my Sky Tivo (192.168.1.200) it works fine, - BUT _ if I start it from my freeview Tivo (192.168.1.201) I get this:

--cut here--
action_findconfs '' 'set "tivoname" "192.168.1.200";set "daysahead" "7";set "Save" "Next";'
can't read "conflicts": no such variable
while executing
"html_form_hidden "conflicts" $conflicts"
(procedure "::action_findconfs" line 52)
invoked from within
"::action_$action $chan $part $env"
("eval" body line 1)
invoked from within
"eval {::action_$action $chan $part $env}"
--cut here--

The only thing I did that's not mentioned in the instructions was to CHMOD 664 both files, so that they have the same permissions as everything else in the modules folder. Was this right ??

Any ideas where i'm going wrong ???

horwitz · 10-17-2003, 06:08 PM

Well, it sounds like it's finally time to hack the second TiVo. Nice work!

sanderton · 10-17-2003, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by warwick
I was just discussing how handy a feature like this would be with a friend at work today (we've both just installed endpad this week)

And I get in and it's sitting waiting for me... Fantastic !!!!

Installed no problems - and it appears on both menus - and - if I start the procedure from my Sky Tivo (192.168.1.200) it works fine, - BUT _ if I start it from my freeview Tivo (192.168.1.201) I get this:

--cut here--
action_findconfs '' 'set "tivoname" "192.168.1.200";set "daysahead" "7";set "Save" "Next";'
can't read "conflicts": no such variable
while executing
"html_form_hidden "conflicts" $conflicts"
(procedure "::action_findconfs" line 52)
invoked from within
"::action_$action $chan $part $env"
("eval" body line 1)
invoked from within
"eval {::action_$action $chan $part $env}"
--cut here--

The only thing I did that's not mentioned in the instructions was to CHMOD 664 both files, so that they have the same permissions as everything else in the modules folder. Was this right ??

Any ideas where i'm going wrong ???

The conficts variable stores a list of the unresolved conflicts. Is it possible that there aren't any on that TiVo (check the Recording History module of TiVoWeb to see)? My Freeview TiVo comes up with very few. If that were the case the bit of the routine that adds to the conflicts list never gets called so the conflicts variable never gets initialised, hence the error. TCL's a bit crap like that.

You don't need to chmod TiVoWeb modules, but it doesn't hurt if you do,

sanderton · 10-18-2003, 11:22 AM

I fixed that bug, and it was suggested in Another Place that it would be good to have the "Busy" entries clickable to cancel the existing recording and record the conflict, which seemed a good idea, so I've added that.

The zip in the firts post has been amended.

cyril · 10-18-2003, 11:54 AM

What about if you have more than 2 TiVos ?

Well I suppose I don't really get any clashes except during Christmas Day and Boxing Day

warwick · 10-18-2003, 02:06 PM

Working perfectly now ...

Thanks for all your help.

km · 10-18-2003, 02:24 PM

This module suggests another that would be useful with multiple tivos., namely a unified "Now Showing" list.

sanderton · 10-18-2003, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cyril
What about if you have more than 2 TiVos ?

Well I suppose I don't really get any clashes except during Christmas Day and Boxing Day

I did think of you Cyril, but then I figured you probably ahd one TiVo per channel anyway!

cyril · 10-19-2003, 09:39 AM

I guess I might be the one who would most benefit from a unified Now Showing List!

dialanothernumb · 10-19-2003, 11:30 AM

I have an unsubbed tivo, mainly for kids programmes. Will this work with a subbed tivo and its unsubbed cousin?

sanderton · 10-19-2003, 12:52 PM

No, as it expects there to be programme guide details on the other TiVo. You could adapt the code easily enough though.

dialanothernumb · 10-23-2003, 06:45 PM

Seems that it takes a while for the conflict database to refresh (or whatever it does in tivo-ese)

I've found that shortly after I've set up a few new recordings, confres isn't picking the conflicts up... needs about an hour. Is this similar to other experiences.

Also, how often do others run confres? Once a week or so? Prehaps it could be automated?

Stuart, I have ordered the tcl book you mentioned so (but don't hold your breath) a buggy bugger of a piece of code will attempt to link this module with the manrec module to hand off conflicts to an unsubbed box.

I alsowondered (and I know this is offtopic) whether one could write script to pass a marker in digiguide to the manual recording module. I would use this as a quicker way of scheduling when at the computer/at work, than the standard way in tivoweb. Also it would be a marginally easier interface than manual recording alone on an unsubbed spare box. Any views?

PaulK · 12-22-2003, 05:32 AM

Another top mod Stuart !

I wonder if this could ever be automated?

Paul

sanderton · 12-22-2003, 05:35 AM

I set off with that in mind, but found that for my purposes I actually wanted manual control.

It would be reasonably simple for the code to automatically schedule into any free slots, but it's not something I want to do myself. If anyone wants to mod it, then feel free!

ChrisJB · 12-22-2003, 09:16 AM

Regarding automation, I found that using the DailyMail email was enough to give me a nudge to sort out conflicts. Like Stuart, I would prefer to do the handoff manually

bignoise · 12-22-2003, 04:47 PM

The man. You are.. the man. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is. You are the man.

smiffy · 01-06-2004, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dialanothernumb
I have an unsubbed tivo, mainly for kids programmes. Will this work with a subbed tivo and its unsubbed cousin?

Me too... would this be an easy update like the manual recording from Digiguide?

sanderton · 01-06-2004, 12:01 PM

You would have to adapt it a little.

At the moment it "sends" the channel ident, title and start time to the remote TiVo, which then finds a match in its database and shows that.

You would need to adapt it to send channel number, start time and end time and feed that into an adaptation of cwyngert's manual recording code.

Of couse is the unsubbed machines channel numbers were different, you'd then have another level of complexity, as you'd need to map them.

Perfectly possible though. Feel free to have a go using my code as a base if you want!

FredThompson · 01-09-2004, 08:11 AM

Any chance you'll be releasing another version which enables recording of the possible matches by default? This might also be real cool if there was a way to automatically set all recordings to stay until manually deleted. Say you're gone for a couple of weeks, this combination could let the 2 TiVos work as a team so you've less chance of losing something due to a full TiVo. Gang-scheduling would be cool too, more than 2 TiVos.

sanderton · 01-09-2004, 08:17 AM

No; this module does what I need it to do, so I'm not planning any more devlopment on it myself.

However dialanothernumb has hinted that he might be going to add stuff along the master-slave line.

gart · 01-17-2004, 10:15 PM

Would it be possible to coordinate between the two tivos and mark the status of shows that are moved something other than Conflict?

kweller · 02-05-2004, 04:45 PM

Ignorant of Kent writes...when I run this it can't open 'otherside' as the URL needs the port number. I know nothing about TCL (can anyone recommend a good book?) but looked at the code and saw a line that said -

set othertivourl "http://$tivoname/otherside"

In my naiveté I thought if I changed it to look like -

set othertivourl "http://$tivoname:1683/otherside"

that woud resolve the problem but it doesn't seem to have. Can someone give me a clue please?

Thanks.

Kevin

Edit: And then I realised the problem isn't that I'm ignorant, it's that I am a prat! Funny how reloading TiVoWeb sorted that out.

So, just the recommendation for the book remaining.

sanderton · 02-06-2004, 04:27 AM

Just put the port number in the name of the other Tivo when prompted; no need to edit the code.

kweller · 02-06-2004, 11:20 AM

Ah that's easier, thanks.

Kevin

lcsneil · 02-07-2004, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kweller

So, just the recommendation for the book remaining.

Try putting TCL TUTORIAL into Google!

No idea if they are any good but looks a lot of info in the first item alone!

Neil

kweller · 02-08-2004, 06:47 AM

Thanks Neil, that first one is a useful resource particularly as I'm struggling with Linux as well.

Kevin (wondering why he didn't think to do an on-line search)