Feature request: get channel names into "edit favorites"

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DSperber

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Feature request: get channel names into "edit favorites"

#1

Post by DSperber » Tue Sep 26, 2017 9:24 pm

Running 1.1.17 now, and really enjoying the series/episode information showing up everywhere.

I think I made this comment/suggestion way back when I first installed the initial 1.0.0 version of EPG123 over a year ago, but I'm going to bring it up again just in case the past year's experience in coding enhancements and deeper insights into how WMC works might have made this feature request now possible.

When going through the "edit channels" dialog in WMC, the channel names appear next to the channel numbers. These are for all the channels which have been specifically selected in the EPG123 configuration for the channel lineup(s) in effect for my SD subscription. For example, the following shows just the beginning of my available channels, in this case coming from my ATSC/OTA channel lineup mixed in with my TWC cable channel lineup. Note that the channel names are shown for those channels I have actually selected to be "active" from the SD channel lineup, whereas those other channels for which I have no interest and have not selected remain simply channel numbers:

Image

Now if I want to create a "favorites" lineup subset, and get into the "edit favorites" dialog in WMC, unfortunately ALL CHANNELS SHOW ONLY NUMBERS. There are NO CHANNEL NAMES SHOWN, even though they are obviously known and available in the "edit channel" list. For example, the very same initial set of ATSC/OTA channel numbers as was shown above in the "edit channels" dialog is shown below, but this time in the "edit favorites" dialog.

Image

Without the channel names displayed, it is really cumbersome to create a "favorites" list. I have to first go through the "edit channels" list and manually write down all of the channel numbers I want to place in the "favorites" list. If I make a mistake, or overlook a channel I really do want to pick up, well I don't really have any way of knowing that until I actually make use of the "favorites" list and notice my mistake. And then I again have to make the appropriate corrections "blind", first having written down the channel numbers that comprise the correction and then going through "edit favorites" to make the adjustments... again, "blind".

Before using EPG123, the standard WMC Guide logic populated channel names next to the channel numbers in both "edit channels" as well as "edit favorites". So it's obviously possible, if that's how WMC and its standard Guide logic worked.. But for some reason whatever EPG123 is doing to populate the channel names in "edit channels", it is obviously NOT also populating these same channel names in "edit favorites". This is a significant user-interface deficiency, as we all know.

Surely with all that's been improved and enhanced in EPG123 over the past year, based on newly learned understanding of how to work with WMC and the associated new coding techniques, this "edit favorites" channel name problem which has existed forever can perhaps finally be looked into again and maybe resolved? Showing channel names next to the channel numbers in "edit favorites" would be a real improvement in EPG123, making it identical to the original WMC functionality in this regard.

Thank you for considering it.

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garyan2

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#2

Post by garyan2 » Tue Sep 26, 2017 9:40 pm

This is actually a quirk with WMC. You are not seeing any channel names because your very first channel, channel 2, has no name. The very first channel dictates the column width used for the channels names ... since it is 0 length, those channels that do have names can not be seen.

The fix is to edit channel 2 and give it a name, something long like "THISISADUMBWAYTOGETTHISTOWORK". Once you have done that, then the column width will be large and you will be able to see all the other channels.
Last edited by garyan2 on Tue Sep 26, 2017 9:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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garyan2

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#3

Post by garyan2 » Tue Sep 26, 2017 9:45 pm

- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

DSperber

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#4

Post by DSperber » Wed Sep 27, 2017 10:03 am

Fantastic. I didn't know that, and hadn't seen the related thread from back in July.

I simply checked cable channel 2 in my SD cable lineup, to "activate" it. And I un-checked it in "edit channels" since I'm really not interested in it on any Guide display. I then renamed the default true KCBS to be a long name (to set the extra width as you suggested).

Image

And, just as you predicted, sure enough my "edit favorites" now shows all of the channel names. Again, I left channel 2 out as I have no interest in it.

Image


And, in passing, I actually did this earlier tonight... when a number of recordings were going on. As is now the latest functionality, when I pushed "save and execute" it started and launched the GUI, but didn't actually get going since recordings were in progress. Instead, the actual operation was apparently successfully deferred until WMC was finally finished with all of the recordings currently in progress.

Excellent! Hard to imagine the way things used to be with the old Zap2it/Rovi WMC Guide functionality. Back in March I built a new HTPC, with a 6-tuner Ceton card (replacing my old 4-tuner card) for cable and 4-tuner Hauppauge Quad card (replacing my old 2-tuner card) for OTA/ATSC. It all works brilliantly... especially EPG123 with series/episode information to really make my life easy. I have my recordings displayed by "title and original air date", and having series/episode info in the title is fantastic.

Thanks.

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IT Troll

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#5

Post by IT Troll » Wed Sep 27, 2017 12:57 pm

Would it be possible/useful for EPG123 Guide Tool to have an "Add to Favorites" checkbox?

This would save the need to do this in Media Center.
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Sammy2

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#6

Post by Sammy2 » Wed Sep 27, 2017 4:01 pm

garyan2 wrote:This is actually a quirk with WMC. You are not seeing any channel names because your very first channel, channel 2, has no name. The very first channel dictates the column width used for the channels names ... since it is 0 length, those channels that do have names can not be seen.

The fix is to edit channel 2 and give it a name, something long like "THISISADUMBWAYTOGETTHISTOWORK". Once you have done that, then the column width will be large and you will be able to see all the other channels.
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#7

Post by Sammy2 » Wed Sep 27, 2017 4:03 pm

On a (semi) related note.. I just went through setting up Favorites in my New Harmony 950 Elite after transferring the settings from my old Harmony 900 and I'll post a link to that discussion if you're interested. Otherwise, move along there's nothing to see here.

https://community.logitech.com/s/questi ... =1&s1ext=0

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