PVR Setup Quick Start Idea

  • As mentioned above I’d be willing to give it a try with TVHeadend43 Alpha or whatever the hell it’s called these days. Zero point going backwards now.

    Attached is v0.0.3 using the TVH43 Alpha addon as the default 'server'.

    script.quicktvh.zip

    Logging is currently fairly verbose. If you try it and something goes wrong, please send me your Kodi log. Actually, if you try it and it works, I'd also like to see your Kodi log just to see what the addon actually did on your system.

  • Attached is v0.0.3 using the TVH43 Alpha addon as the default 'server'.

    script.quicktvh.zip

    Logging is currently fairly verbose. If you try it and something goes wrong, please send me your Kodi log. Actually, if you try it and it works, I'd also like to see your Kodi log just to see what the addon actually did on your system.

    As soon as I get back from a business trip I’ll try it and report back.

  • petediscrete - Some recent experience with a tangentially related project suggests that during scanning, if new services are encountered that contain accented characters, the script has a very good chance of crashing.

    Here is a new and improved version that hopefully should not crash due to this issue. It also has some logging enhancements too.

    script.quicktvh.zip

  • petediscrete - Some recent experience with a tangentially related project suggests that during scanning, if new services are encountered that contain accented characters, the script has a very good chance of crashing.

    Here is a new and improved version that hopefully should not crash due to this issue. It also has some logging enhancements too.

    script.quicktvh.zip

    I’ll be back in the driving seat this coming week so I’ll give it a spin. Looking forward to trying it.

  • Apologies. Things have been mad here.

    I didn't manage to get past the first hurdle. I installed the zip file and ran it. On the opening screen it states "no adapters found". In the background you can see http://123.123.123.123:9981. My tuner is a Digibit Twin Sat/IP which TVH finds no problem on 192.168.0.11:9981. Not sure where your script is searching to find the instance of TVH. Obviously I can't proceed any further.

  • petediscrete - Thanks for trying. I am travelling at the moment and will be home in a few days. Can you please try again and have a look at the Kodi log file? The script has fairly verbose logging so hopefully something will show up there.

    Travelling too for a week or so. I’ll grab a log as soon as I get back. Just curious why your addon doesn’t allow the user to supply the TVH server details rather than trying to auto discover it. The Config button on the addon screen remains greyed out as soon as the error message appears.

  • Travelling too for a week or so. I’ll grab a log as soon as I get back. Just curious why your addon doesn’t allow the user to supply the TVH server details rather than trying to auto discover it. The Config button on the addon screen remains greyed out as soon as the error message appears.

    The addon is designed to be run on a newly installed LE system or a system where TVH has not yet been installed. The default configuration when installing TVH is to have it running on the same device along with Kodi.

    When you performed your test, did you run it on a freshly installed LE device? If you used an existing device, did the TVH instance have a password set?

  • Yes I installed both LE and TVH on the same device and configured TVH with a password before installing your addon.

    If your addon requires access to TVH surely it would have a facility to supply an IP address along with a user name and password for access at any stage along the lines of the PVR addon.

    I could either start with a fresh LE install or remove the TVH server addon from my test setup but it will be a while till I get back at that setup.

  • Thanks for your feedback.

    The idea of the addon is that a new user will be able to setup a basic PVR from scratch with little effort.

    The way that I envision the final solution being implemented is that at the end of the existing LE Setup Wizard, the user will be asked ‘Would you like to configure a PVR?’ If the answer is yes, then this addon will be run. Later on, perhaps a choice could be offered between TVH and NextPVR. The addon will actually install the TVH Client and Server Kodi addon automatically for the user.

    The URL at the top of the page shows the user the address that they will need to access further/advanced configuration options such as passwords, etc.

    I have a huge number of TVH data directories on my test LE machine. In ‘/http://storage.kodi/userdata/addon_data/’ and I just stop the TVH service, rename them as required and then restart for my next test.

    This test script is designed to be run on a newly installed LibreELEC system by a relatively inexperienced user.

    Perhaps I should do some additional testing to see if TVH is already running and ask the user ‘Are you sure?’ before proceeding.

  • I completely agree with a TVH helper in LE for a first time install. Makes a lot of sense particularly if both LE and TVH are installed on the same unit. No need for remote access to configure TVH and gives that integrated set top box experience.

    I’m running LE on a Rock64 board with only TVH and YouTube so for daily use that TVH helper addon is ideal.

    I’ll try another fresh install when I’m back at base and see if I can provide you with some helpful feedback.

  • DeltaMikeCharlie Rather then messing up the testing thread, I thought I'd reply here

    Code
    Once tested/vetted/working, what is your opinion of adding it to the LE repository for easy installation by those who want it?

    For the subset of users with who just plugin a single supported DVB-T card and have a good tuning file PVR could be easy. Otherwise it will take time, know-how for setup and potentially support. Assuming you support TVHeadend via the tvheadend.org forum I don't see any major issue. Once the addon is working support needs to get handed to backend support. Integrating PVR backends could lead to more posts about getting specific tuners h/w and firmware installed and this is already a concern for devices not supported by the kernel. Without a LinuxTV expert one board this could well be an on-going issue.

    As always on open source there is a question on what will happen if you decide to stop supporting the addon. edit4ever's excellent work is a case in point.

    You do need to support the source on a own GitHub repo though not just a pre-built package. I can submit issue's and PR's there as things mature if I feel that it is worth adding NextPVR support. This will need to wait until the next version though since NextPVR currently doesn't do OTA ATSC (because it is terrible) and DVB-S is under re-development for improvement. I am monitoring upstream dtv-scanning-tables too since outside of the UK upstream conf files they suck.

    There is also seems to be a big hole in the uses case for various tuners like SAT>IP, IPTV capture, HDHR devices, pipe devices, CAM/CI, ffmpeg integration and integrating XMLTV and Schedules Direct guide data. Not sure how to limit expectations and what this addon can do, and the differences in PVR on x64 on a full PC and aarch64 devices with an octopus of USB connections.

  • You do need to support the source on a own GitHub repo though not just a pre-built package.

    I had always planned to publish the source on my GitHub repository once it had been tested and worked OK.

    I can submit issue's and PR's there as things mature if I feel that it is worth adding NextPVR support.

    NextPVR would have been a separate addon, perhaps build on the same core, but a separate stand-alone addon.

    For the subset of users with who just plugin a single supported DVB-T card and have a good tuning file PVR could be easy.

    Thank you for your advice, I was just trying to be helpful, but now I understand that this is not enough.

    My recent experience with CrazyTurk’s testing on a DVB-S system showed me that although DVB-S shares the ‘DVB’ name, its setup is more complicated than DVB-T.

    Because I will only ever have access to DVB-T equipment, this is the only platform that I will truly be able to support in any meaningful way. My current thought is to rename the addon and only allow it to work on simple DVB-T systems.

  • OK I thought this was a generic addon, one more reason not to prompt this during every LE install Why not just merge your addon in the python addon that already exists when the server gets installed?

    I still want to test ATSC since it should be similar to DVT-T and I will see how long scanning the outdated upstream frequency list takes and then the EPG scan/update. It is quite long with NextPVR. What do you think would be reasonable for a new user to accept?

    Also how would you handle inevitable questions like, it didn't find any/all the channels, the guide is incomplete etc and my tuner wasn't discovered?

  • Why not just merge your addon in the python addon that already exists when the server gets installed?

    I assume that you are referring to the LE Setup Wizard: Although I have now abandoned this plan, my original idea was to add a question at the end of the LE Setup Wizard with a menu - 'Install PVR?':

    • No PVR (Default)
    • TVH PVR
    • NextPVR
    • etc

    The LE Setup Wizard would then either load and execute the required separate script or exit accordingly.

    What do you think would be reasonable for a new user to accept?

    It will take as long as it takes. I feel that giving users feedback is important, as the script scans and re-scans looking for LCNs, it updates the percentage complete on the screen. The user can cancel during this process if they become impatient.

    I still want to test ATSC

    I plan to cripple the existing addon to restrict it to DVB-T. I have a python file with some constants, the cripple flag will be added there. Those people keen enough will be easily able to hack this file and re-enable non DVB-T tuners.

    Also how would you handle inevitable questions like, it didn't find any/all the channels, the guide is incomplete etc and my tuner wasn't discovered?

    With my normal grace and poise.:D

  • I assume that you are referring to the LE Setup Wizard: Although I have now abandoned this plan, my original idea was to add a question at the end of the LE Setup Wizard with a menu - 'Install PVR?':

    No I was meaning make download.py and settings.xml more automated. https://github.com/LibreELEC/Libr…eadend43/source Also if someone downloads the server you could modify tvheadend43.start to optionally install pvt.hts and then configure the server.