BTV Negociator - Alpha release

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by opilion

Perhaps you could also allow users to configure what types of conflicts they want to be notified about. "Not a first run", for example, is a given if I am recording new episodes only - It might be desirable to suppress these messages.

With the newest version (.65), it is now possible to filter the rejected recordings, so the logic is in place! The next release or 2 should be dealing with more customizations in terms of fonts and colors. Then I will see about the integration with the FSUI before working on the main reason for this programme: the conflict resolution part.

[jeffreyd_tx]

Why won't it connect to my BTV server. This new version just say, "Sorry, can't connect..." but when I was getting the handling error, it mentioned a license issue.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by jeffreyd_tx

Why won't it connect to my BTV server. This new version just say, "Sorry, can't connect..." but when I was getting the handling error, it mentioned a license issue.

Ok, do you have BTV-Link installed on that machine since it is not the server (even a trial version will do)? If so, open up regedit and go at:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SnapStream Media\Beyond TV

See if you have a license key in either NetworkLicense, ProductKey or somewhere else around there... Let me know where it is. I only have access to a registered BTV and trial BTV-Link, so your key might be somewhere else. Of course don't cut and paste your key here, we don't need to know it.

[jeffreyd_tx]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

Ok, do you have BTV-Link installed on that machine since it is not the server (even a trial version will do)? If so, open up regedit and go at:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SnapStream Media\Beyond TV

See if you have a license key in either NetworkLicense, ProductKey or somewhere else around there... Let me know where it is. I only have access to a registered BTV and trial BTV-Link, so your key might be somewhere else. Of course don't cut and paste your key here, we don't need to know it.

It is where you say it is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SnapStream Media\Beyond TV under the NetworkLicense key. This is a registered version of both BTV and BTVLink.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by jeffreyd_tx

It is where you say it is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SnapStream Media\Beyond TV under the NetworkLicense key. This is a registered version of both BTV and BTVLink.

I am puzzled... If you have not yet, first could you try running it directly on the BTV Server as localhost? Second, what is the format of the address used in your web browser to access the BTV Web Admin (any firewall that might be blocking the port or such?) from the machine with BTV Link? Third, on the BTV Link machine if you go back to regedit, is the NetwortLicense key of REG_SZ format and is the ProductKey empty? And finally, have you been able to run someone else addon successfully (I could try seeing how they do it...)?

If I can not sort it out with that, I might try do a special build with the 220k UPNP.dll from INTEL that I mentionned before...

[Fonceur]

With this latest beta release (.75), it pretty much concludes the customization part that I had in mind. So now I will be going back to adding actual features:

- If possible, having the conflicts show up somewhere in BTV itself. I had in mind something like the warning screen, but it seems that it might only be read only. I'll keep looking...

- The negotiation part. In its current form, the program reports the conflict(s) but offers no suggestion(s) and can not resolve the conflict(s). What I have in mind is to look at those conflicts and see if a show could be recorded at another time, maybe on another channel or such. Since it might creates more conflicts, this gets tricky fast...

- Showing more informations when a specific recording is selected, like the full description and such. I am not sure yet if I want to show those as a floating tip or maybe at the top or bottom of the tab's. I guess that choice could be another option too...

[Fonceur]

Ok my latest release (beta .8) gives more informations on the selected show/movie from the Blocked/Forced/Rejected/Upcoming recordings tabs. This was basicaly an intermediate step to see how I could interact with the list's elements of the conflict tab. So now it is time to have fun with the negotiating part for the next release...

[jeffreyd_tx]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

I am puzzled... If you have not yet, first could you try running it directly on the BTV Server as localhost? Second, what is the format of the address used in your web browser to access the BTV Web Admin (any firewall that might be blocking the port or such?) from the machine with BTV Link? Third, on the BTV Link machine if you go back to regedit, is the NetwortLicense key of REG_SZ format and is the ProductKey empty? And finally, have you been able to run someone else addon successfully (I could try seeing how they do it...)?

If I can not sort it out with that, I might try do a special build with the 220k UPNP.dll from INTEL that I mentionned before...

Hadn't had much time to mess with this until now.
I ran this prg on the server and it is awesome, but it still doesn't run on the client.
The format that I access web admin fromt he clients is http://server:8129
The network key is REG_SZ and ProductKey does not exist at all.
I have not messed with many addons so I guess that answer would be no.
Thanks!

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by jeffreyd_tx

... and ProductKey does not exist at all.

Ah, there we go! Without a ProductKey to read, it would return a null which does not convert to ""... Try the beta .81, now it should work for BTV-Link...

[jeffreyd_tx]

Thanks for the quick response and I will test it tonight when I get home.

[Fonceur]

Another update, now up to the beta version .85.

On the conflict tab, you can now see alternate times/channels to perform those recordings (for now, you will need to use BTV to actually setup those recordings). The alternate recordings at the time of the conflict but on other channels are not shown, should there be a need like on a dual tuner (or more) setup with different listing, let me know.

The next step consists in having the possibility of adding/modifying recordings to get rid of those conflicts that are preventing some TV Shows/movies from being recorded... Probably a right-click showing a context menu to add the recording...

[Fonceur]

The beta version .91 is available.

This is the first real step of the conflict resolution. The conflict tab is split in two lists, the first shows:

1) in red the movies/TV shows not being recorded

2) in orange-red the movies/TV shows not being recorded (those could be resolved by changing the recording frequency from once to always)

3) in black the movies/TV shows in conflict (if those could be resolved by changing the recording frequency from once to always, a menu wil be available)


The second list shows the alternate recordings:

1) in red, they would create a new conflict

2) in green, they are totaly safe to be added

3) in black, currently they don't create a conflict, but should some priorities of existing recordings be changed, they might lead to a conflict


For the conflicts appearing in orange-red, by right-clicking that conflict a context menu will appear, allowing to solve that conflict. All the other properties are copied from the original recording (i.e. quality, folder, etc.). All the lists are repopulated to reflect the changes.

The next step will consist in allowing the other alternate recordings to take place

[Fonceur]

Another small update, version beta .92...

I have added a tab with the list of recording jobs. This also allowed me to solve another pet peeve of mine: there was no easy way to change the frequency of a recording (i.e. always, first run, once) wihout deleting and recreating a recording! Now there is, just right click and select the new frequency...

[opilion]

Thanks for all your work on this. My wife was upset the other night when we missed recording a season finale because BTV doesn't have the smarts to notify when a conflict occurs. Had I known, I would have scheduled around the conflict.

op

[Fonceur]

A few small updates later, now up to version beta .96...

- I added a tab with the list of recent recordings. I needed it to filter out some false conflicts (repeats of shows already recorded), so I figured no point in letting that list hidden, someone might like to see that info...

- Clicking the column header (except for Conflicts) now sort the list accordingly.

- For the alternate recordings list I added the possiblity to filter out the hidden channel. I put my unsuscribed channels as hidden, so I do not want to have false alternatives... On the other hand, that might suggest channels that I should subscribe too, so it is a toggle...


Todo list

- Possibility to replace/add the alternate recordings (context menu like the ones to change the frequency...).

- (Adding some multi-threading. Presently the various lists are filled one after the other, which makes the initial load rather long. I assume I can save some time there.) Tried this and it didn't help, might try again later if I can actually get a gain from that...

- Mass recording. The possibility of adding all the showings (at any time and on any channel) to the job recording list. For example, for a Starchoice customer that means converting a single recording to multiple recordings covering all the CTV affiliates...

- Look into some possible memory leak. It seems that every click increases the memory used by a few bytes... I do not know if it stops growing, but that might cause a problem for the next point....

- Possibility to let the program run in the background, updating at a certain frequency and sending some kind of warning in BeyondTV when a conflict is detected. I am thinking of creating some kind of bogus job which might trigger a warning.