[vdr] Re: split up channels.conf

[Klaus Schmidinger <Klaus.Schmidinger@cadsoft.de>]

Thomas Jagoditsch wrote:
> 
> > 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
> -><-

The "equipment-nr" you are suggesting here will be the new "source" parameter
(which replaces the "diseqc" parameter).

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

This will be "diseqc.conf". The CAM setup is already defined in "ca.conf"
and "setup.conf".

> -><-
> [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.

The channels.conf that comes with VDR is just a suggestion - nobody is
forced to use it or even overwrite his own one when a new version of VDR
comes out.

> 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*

What I don't like here is the introduction of yet another numbering.
It would require a new number to be assigned whenever a new channel
goes on the air - let's not start another ICANN ;-)

I believe what you mainly want is that the channel numbers can have
"holes" in their sequence. This could be easily achieved by allowing
empty lines in channels.conf. Again. no "splitting" would be necessary
for that.

I can't see why everybody is routing towards a centralized channels.conf file.
The channels.conf file is a user defined setup file, just as the timers.conf is.
VDR simply provides a channels.conf as a starting point. You're free to rearrange
the channels, add or delete them as you wish. Sources on the Internet or wherever
else can provide channel definitions that you can incorporate into your channels.conf
file, if you like. If we allow empty lines in channels.conf you could even do
this without altering the existing channel numbers (assuming you left enough space).

Klaus
-- 
_______________________________________________________________

Klaus Schmidinger                       Phone: +49-8635-6989-10
CadSoft Computer GmbH                   Fax:   +49-8635-6989-40
Hofmark 2                               Email:   kls@cadsoft.de
D-84568 Pleiskirchen, Germany           URL:     www.cadsoft.de
_______________________________________________________________