Help with massive channel management

An evolving, supported alternative to Rovi
Forum rules
★ Download the latest EPG123 here: https://garyan2.github.io/ <> Setup guide here: https://garyan2.github.io/install.html
Post Reply
jonwz

Posts: 76
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2016 3:03 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

Help with massive channel management

#1

Post by jonwz » Wed Jan 08, 2020 9:59 pm

Help!

I'm trying to prune down my comcast cablecard lineup (several hundred channels) to just the channels I actually get as shown by "myxfinity", and also remove duplicates.

I figured I could download the full Schedules Direct lineup with epg, and then use epg client to disable the channels I don't want. This way I could easily enable channels without a new download (it seems that "myxfinity" isn't 100 percent accurate).

I figured that epg client would allow me to do 7mc "disables". But it doesn't seem to work that way. If I highlight a channel and then hit the "x" to delete", that channel number seems to be gone until I do a clean client setup. I expected that channel number to become blank so that I could reassociate it with with the channel at a later time.

What am I missing - thanks.....

Space

Posts: 2838
Joined: Sun Jun 02, 2013 9:44 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#2

Post by Space » Wed Jan 08, 2020 10:08 pm

I don't think you want to "delete" the channel, you just want to remove the check mark.

jonwz

Posts: 76
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2016 3:03 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#3

Post by jonwz » Wed Jan 08, 2020 10:11 pm

I tried that. Spent two hours setting the check marks just right, but it didn't change the 7mc listing. Then when I did a new epg download all the checkmarks were reset
Space wrote: Wed Jan 08, 2020 10:08 pm I don't think you want to "delete" the channel, you just want to remove the check mark.

jonwz

Posts: 76
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2016 3:03 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#4

Post by jonwz » Wed Jan 08, 2020 10:14 pm

jonwz wrote: Wed Jan 08, 2020 10:11 pm I tried that. Spent two hours setting the check marks just right, but it didn't change the 7mc listing. Then when I did a new epg download all the checkmarks were reset
Space wrote: Wed Jan 08, 2020 10:08 pm I don't think you want to "delete" the channel, you just want to remove the check mark.
Awww, son of a bitch! I just tried your suggestion on one channel and it worked just like you said. I can't imagine why my hundred of changes didn't take effect.

Space

Posts: 2838
Joined: Sun Jun 02, 2013 9:44 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#5

Post by Space » Wed Jan 08, 2020 10:24 pm

Sorry about that, maybe Gary can offer a reason as to why the changes may not have worked the first time you tried.

Also, if you "deleted" any channel, it is best to restore them as I am not sure if you will be able to use them in the future if you don't (I'm not sure if there is a way to easily "add" them back individually.)

jonwz

Posts: 76
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2016 3:03 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#6

Post by jonwz » Wed Jan 08, 2020 11:00 pm

Space wrote: Wed Jan 08, 2020 10:24 pm Sorry about that, maybe Gary can offer a reason as to why the changes may not have worked the first time you tried.

Also, if you "deleted" any channel, it is best to restore them as I am not sure if you will be able to use them in the future if you don't (I'm not sure if there is a way to easily "add" them back individually.)
Thanks for the replies!

I have a very large lineup. I'm seeing strange results. For example, when I try to sort by service name (to find and remove duplicates) in either epg or epg client most everything blanks out. If I restart the program, all starts out well again.

Fortunately, I'm doing this on a test machine.

Space

Posts: 2838
Joined: Sun Jun 02, 2013 9:44 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#7

Post by Space » Thu Jan 09, 2020 1:49 am

Gary is going to have to help you there.

I'm sure he is taking a much needed break now that the posts on here have died down. I suspect they will pick up again when the Microsoft/Rovi guide truly breathes it's last breath.

User avatar
garyan2

Posts: 7438
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2015 7:23 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#8

Post by garyan2 » Thu Jan 09, 2020 3:19 am

I have no idea why the checkbox would not have immediately enabled/disabled the channel in the guide, but you probably don't want to delete a channel unless you know you will not need it again. The saving grace is you can manually add it back in using the '+' button in the client.

When the client is recreating the merged channel list on the left side, it can take a while depending on the speed of the computer. I disable the widgets on the form while I am doing this so it might give the appearance of being locked up, but it isn't. Just need to give it some time. If your test machine is a VM, then it could be even slower than expected for 9999 channels. There really is no reason for the configuration GUI to exhibit that behavior though.
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

jonwz

Posts: 76
Joined: Sun Sep 18, 2016 3:03 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#9

Post by jonwz » Sat Jan 11, 2020 2:20 pm

OK, I've redone the channel pruning on this "test machine".

Is there a safe way to copy this pruned channel listing to my active machine, and preserve my recording schedule? I'm set up (on the test machine) to download the full guide from SD, and I do all the pruning with the epg client. I'm guessing it would require a specific sequence of backup and restores.....



garyan2 wrote: Thu Jan 09, 2020 3:19 am I have no idea why the checkbox would not have immediately enabled/disabled the channel in the guide, but you probably don't want to delete a channel unless you know you will not need it again. The saving grace is you can manually add it back in using the '+' button in the client.

When the client is recreating the merged channel list on the left side, it can take a while depending on the speed of the computer. I disable the widgets on the form while I am doing this so it might give the appearance of being locked up, but it isn't. Just need to give it some time. If your test machine is a VM, then it could be even slower than expected for 9999 channels. There really is no reason for the configuration GUI to exhibit that behavior though.

Post Reply