[vdr] Re: split up channels.conf

["Thomas Jagoditsch" <t.ja@gmx.at>]

> Whatever way you "split" the data, you'll end up duplicating
> information. The channels.conf lines contain all information necessary
> to tune to a given channel, and their line numbers give a natural way
> of having channel numbers going 1, 2, 3,... With an additional
> "favourite" field we could have up to 32 different favourite channel
> lists without the necessity of duplicating information or cross
> referencing tons of files.

the only thing somebody needs is a unique artifical key for the 
channel. no other duplicate information...

my problems with the current situation:

1.
i have my own ordering with sections in channels.conf.
every time i update vdr (and there were changes in channels.conf - 
may it be for updated channels or new fields) i have to decide to 
edit my own channels.conf to incorporate the changes or to edit the 
new one to incorporate my ordering.

2.
new channels should go into my sections - but the following channels 
numbers will change and i have to remember them anew.

maybe im not the only one with this problems. the trouble with manual 
editing & timers adds to it.

dtv had a artifical channel number and therfore i could leave room 
for new channels in my sections without changing remebered channel 
numbers.

my vision:
channels.conf (with different cam/sat-cable-terr numbers in it = 
equipment-nr) is maintained centrally - as it is now by klaus. it 
holds all the technical information.
each channel gets a unique number, this could be done incremental 
because it is used vdr-internal only.
this number will not change, never.
after all transponder/pid/etc... could change for a channel (as we 
see regulary with premiere), maybe the textual id will change too 
(like fs1 became orf1) but as long as the content stays the unique 
number stays too.
channels that are to be removed will be deleted - we get holes in the 
unique numbering but who cares anyway.

-><-
[unique]:.....
1:ARD:11837:h:0:27500:101:102:104:[equipment-nr]:28106
2:B1:12110:h:0:27500:601:602:604:[equipment-nr]:28206
3:BR3:11837:h:0:27500:201:202:204:[equipment-nr]:28107
10:Hessen-3:11837:h:0:27500:301:302:304:[equipment-nr]:28108
11:MDR:12110:h:0:27500:401:402:404:[equipment-nr]:28204
25:N3:12110:h:0:27500:2401:2402:2404:[equipment-nr]:28224
-><-

myequipment.conf would describe my cards/cam/positioning equipment to 
allow vdr to tune the desired channel like the cam conf file.

-><-
[equipment-nr]:[card]:[positioning info] ...
-><-

mychannels.conf references the unique id of channels.conf and holds 
at least a "selectable channel number", ordering/sectioning 
information, a custom description (which would be selected from 
channels.conf if blank).
channels with "selectable channel number" "0" would not be used by 
vdr - neither for the user nor by epg-scan ...

-><-
[unique]:[selectable channel number]:[my description] ...
1:21:Gern schau ich ARD
2:44:B1 ist auf 44
3:22:Bayern 3 oder so
0:20:a new section in town
10:25:
11:0:MDR nie
-><-

result:
i could update channels.conf (or vdr) without any manual editing 
needs and have all the new fields, channels as i like.

someone could update channels.conf (from the web, automagically) 
without second thinking - new channels (not in mychannels.conf) could 
be displayed in a seperate list on the osd to let you choose where to 
put them.

all sorts of possible extensions could be implemented without 
touching channels.conf - logos, channel types ("docu", "sport", 
"info" etc...). different users could use different mychannels.conf 
(one for the kids etc.) - but channels.conf would stay the same.

apids could be selected too - extra field in mychannels.conf would 
reorder the apids (or suppress one).

-><-
[unique]:[selectable channel number]:[my description]:[apid order]
1:20:ARD aber apid 2 und 3 - apid 1 is mir wurscht:2,3
-><-

> I still firmly believe that it's best to keep things simple, and that
> means having channels.conf as it is, possibly extended by a
> "favourite" flag field and (if this is something people would like to
> have) and arbitrary string field for various purposes.

im with you at keeping things simple - but you maintain channels.conf 
with your preferences - your legitimate right.

i would not say its too hard for me to edit channels.conf every time 
i update - but the repeating discussion about this topic shows there 
is a need to seperate technical from user information and therefore 
this would be a nice extension imho.

i would be happy to have it *G*

wbr.tja...

-- 
thomas jagoditsch
mail t.ja@gmx.at