Tvheadend

Nicola Apicella wrote:

Hello!

I'm running into a bit of trouble, but I decided to break my questions down a bit.

Since the tutorials seem to be a bit outdated, could somebody please confirm this to be the correct sequence when setting up a brand new installation of Tvheadend? (I'm only considering setting up tv channels and omitting everything else, like access entries and such.)

#Configuration -> DVB Inputs -> Networks -> Add -> Type: DVB-C Network.
#Give it a name, disable "Skip Initial Scan", select the appropriate "Pre-defined Muxes" (note 1) -> Create.

I personally don't like using the predefined muxes as they're extremely out of date I find it best to add one mux manually & let network discovery do the rest. This may be difficult if you don't know any frequencies for your network.

"Skip Initial Scan" has been enabled by default for a while now, all that does is tells Tvheadend not to scan muxes on start, 3.4 used to do this by default without an option to turn it off! Why you're turning this on (disabling it makes Tvheadend scan at start) I'm not sure.

It's pointless to have Tvheadend to scan on every start unless your provider makes massive changes regularly might be easier to use the idle scanning if that's the case.

#Configuration -> DVB Inputs -> TV Adapters -> select the adapter
#Check "Enabled".
#In the "Networks" dropdown, check the network created above.
#Select "Save".
#Check Configuration -> DVB Inputs -> Networks and wait until "Scan Q Length" drops to zero (cross your fingers for "# Services" to climb!).
#Configuration -> DVB Inputs -> Services should now be populated; select "Map All", then "Map" (note 2).
#Head to Configuration -> Channel / EPG -> Channels and set channel numbers; don't forget to hit save at the top!

Is this correct? I'd gladly amend/update the corresponding wiki-page if I get your blessing! :-)

Some of us are working on updating the documentation, see https://github.com/tvheadend/tvheadend-documentation & http://docs.tvheadend.org you're more than welcome to help out!

(Further questions:
*Why not arrange the tabs under Configuration -> DVB Inputs in the order they are needed? They're not arranged alphabetically, and I honestly can't find a reason for them being the way they are…

I'm not sure why it's like this.

Are the default settings in (note 1) and (note 2) really the recommended ones? I believe they should be; also, required fields should be tagged as such.

It's down to the user to be honest, some people like the old Tvheadend behaviour of scanning muxes at the start but MANY myself included hate it, As for mapping I only ever use Map selected once I've highlighted the services I want.

Most of the fields are tagged as required & only show an error when entered incorrectly.

*Especially with (note 1), if I don't change the defaults—disabling to skip the initial scan and selecting a predefined mux—I cannot, for the life of me, get anything to work…)

Disabling the skip initial scan shouldn't have any affect when scanning unless you restart Tvheadend after adding the predefined muxes.

Once muxes are added Tvheadend does not scan them right away there is a bit of a delay (It's there for a reason I believe, what that is I don't know for sure) but if you really don't want to wait just play the mux (for a few moments) to trigger a scan or use the force scan button in the Networks tab.

Btw, What exactly is not working? Getting muxes scanned, 'fail, no data'?

Thanks for your input!
Nicola

HTH

Hey!

Mark Clarkstone wrote:

Nicola Apicella wrote:

#Give it a name, disable "Skip Initial Scan", select the appropriate "Pre-defined Muxes" (note 1) -> Create.

I personally don't like using the predefined muxes as they're extremely out of date I find it best to add one mux manually & let network discovery do the rest. This may be difficult if you don't know any frequencies for your network.

Yes, that's exactly it. I don't have the slightest idea where to get that information from. :-(
With cable, I guess my provider should be able to tell me—if they ever understand what I want from them instead of being directed to some brochure or something… And for DVB-T, I have even less of an idea!

"Skip Initial Scan" has been enabled by default for a while now, all that does is tells Tvheadend not to scan muxes on start, 3.4 used to do this by default without an option to turn it off! Why you're turning this on (disabling it makes Tvheadend scan at start) I'm not sure.

It's pointless to have Tvheadend to scan on every start unless your provider makes massive changes regularly might be easier to use the idle scanning if that's the case.

From your reply I think for the first time I figured out what "Skip initial scan" is supposed to mean. For me, it meant "when setting up a network for the first time, do an initial scan". Apparently—that's what I understand from your words—it means "when starting up Tvheadend, do a scan". Trust me: I'm going to do a pull request to have it changed from "initial" to "startup" scan; I don't think I'm the only one having done that mistake!

(Since my installation runs off my home server that gets rebooted maybe two or three times a year, it's possibly actually not even such a bad idea; but you're right, under the circumstances, default should be to indeed skip.)

[…]

Is this correct? I'd gladly amend/update the corresponding wiki-page if I get your blessing! :-)

Some of us are working on updating the documentation, see https://github.com/tvheadend/tvheadend-documentation & http://docs.tvheadend.org you're more than welcome to help out!

I'll have a look at it!

(Further questions:
*Why not arrange the tabs under Configuration -> DVB Inputs in the order they are needed? They're not arranged alphabetically, and I honestly can't find a reason for them being the way they are…

I'm not sure why it's like this.

I always found myself skipping randomly between the tabs. The UX-OCD-guy in me wants to change this badly. ;-)

Are the default settings in (note 1) and (note 2) really the recommended ones? I believe they should be; also, required fields should be tagged as such.

It's down to the user to be honest, some people like the old Tvheadend behaviour of scanning muxes at the start but MANY myself included hate it, As for mapping I only ever use Map selected once I've highlighted the services I want.

Most of the fields are tagged as required & only show an error when entered incorrectly.

OK, this is probably my mistake: Since leaving the defaults (almost) never worked for me, I incorrectly assumed some of the options were required. Probably thought a tooltip would make things a whole lot easier for people who are newbies at Tvheadend (like for me). A sentence or two is usually more than enough.

*Especially with (note 1), if I don't change the defaults—disabling to skip the initial scan and selecting a predefined mux—I cannot, for the life of me, get anything to work…)

Disabling the skip initial scan shouldn't have any affect when scanning unless you restart Tvheadend after adding the predefined muxes.

Once muxes are added Tvheadend does not scan them right away there is a bit of a delay (It's there for a reason I believe, what that is I don't know for sure) but if you really don't want to wait just play the mux (for a few moments) to trigger a scan or use the force scan button in the Networks tab.

As I just mentioned, I had the feeling that by skipping the initial scan would not kick off at all. (Yes, I knew about the delay!) Even the "Force Scan" button never appeared to have any effect (still not sure it does, though it could very well be me and not the software). That's part of the reason for my understanding (described above) of what the setting actually did.

HTH

It did, thanks! :-)

Nicola

Nicola Apicella wrote:

Hey!

Mark Clarkstone wrote:

Nicola Apicella wrote:

#Give it a name, disable "Skip Initial Scan", select the appropriate "Pre-defined Muxes" (note 1) -> Create.

I personally don't like using the predefined muxes as they're extremely out of date I find it best to add one mux manually & let network discovery do the rest. This may be difficult if you don't know any frequencies for your network.

Yes, that's exactly it. I don't have the slightest idea where to get that information from. :-(
With cable, I guess my provider should be able to tell me—if they ever understand what I want from them instead of being directed to some brochure or something… And for DVB-T, I have even less of an idea!

"Skip Initial Scan" has been enabled by default for a while now, all that does is tells Tvheadend not to scan muxes on start, 3.4 used to do this by default without an option to turn it off! Why you're turning this on (disabling it makes Tvheadend scan at start) I'm not sure.

It's pointless to have Tvheadend to scan on every start unless your provider makes massive changes regularly might be easier to use the idle scanning if that's the case.

From your reply I think for the first time I figured out what "Skip initial scan" is supposed to mean. For me, it meant "when setting up a network for the first time, do an initial scan". Apparently—that's what I understand from your words—it means "when starting up Tvheadend, do a scan". Trust me: I'm going to do a pull request to have it changed from "initial" to "startup" scan; I don't think I'm the only one having done that mistake!

(Since my installation runs off my home server that gets rebooted maybe two or three times a year, it's possibly actually not even such a bad idea; but you're right, under the circumstances, default should be to indeed skip.)

[…]

Is this correct? I'd gladly amend/update the corresponding wiki-page if I get your blessing! :-)

Some of us are working on updating the documentation, see https://github.com/tvheadend/tvheadend-documentation & http://docs.tvheadend.org you're more than welcome to help out!

I'll have a look at it!

(Further questions:
*Why not arrange the tabs under Configuration -> DVB Inputs in the order they are needed? They're not arranged alphabetically, and I honestly can't find a reason for them being the way they are…

I'm not sure why it's like this.

I always found myself skipping randomly between the tabs. The UX-OCD-guy in me wants to change this badly. ;-)

Are the default settings in (note 1) and (note 2) really the recommended ones? I believe they should be; also, required fields should be tagged as such.

It's down to the user to be honest, some people like the old Tvheadend behaviour of scanning muxes at the start but MANY myself included hate it, As for mapping I only ever use Map selected once I've highlighted the services I want.

Most of the fields are tagged as required & only show an error when entered incorrectly.

OK, this is probably my mistake: Since leaving the defaults (almost) never worked for me, I incorrectly assumed some of the options were required. Probably thought a tooltip would make things a whole lot easier for people who are newbies at Tvheadend (like for me). A sentence or two is usually more than enough.

*Especially with (note 1), if I don't change the defaults—disabling to skip the initial scan and selecting a predefined mux—I cannot, for the life of me, get anything to work…)

Disabling the skip initial scan shouldn't have any affect when scanning unless you restart Tvheadend after adding the predefined muxes.

Once muxes are added Tvheadend does not scan them right away there is a bit of a delay (It's there for a reason I believe, what that is I don't know for sure) but if you really don't want to wait just play the mux (for a few moments) to trigger a scan or use the force scan button in the Networks tab.

As I just mentioned, I had the feeling that by skipping the initial scan would not kick off at all. (Yes, I knew about the delay!) Even the "Force Scan" button never appeared to have any effect (still not sure it does, though it could very well be me and not the software). That's part of the reason for my understanding (described above) of what the setting actually did.

HTH

It did, thanks! :-)

Nicola

The webui has really been a last thought TBH & could use a little T.L.C so if you're up to it feel free to overhaul it :).

Hy!

Mark Clarkstone wrote:

The webui has really been a last thought TBH & could use a little T.L.C so if you're up to it feel free to overhaul it :).

Give me some time, but trust me I'll try!

Oh, and thanks for the links provided: Finally got around to checking them out and they actually are exactly what I had been looking for. Not yet perfect, but would've gone a long way to help me out; hope to get around to helping out there, too!

Nicola