[mythtv-users] Channel Setup

[Nick]

On 14/10/05, Richard Smith <rick_t_smith at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> I'm struggling to understand the mechanics of setting up the channel
> information in Mythtv/XMLTV.
>
> What is the relationship between the channel.xmltv files and the channel
> table in the database?

The xmltv files define the channels that the grabber will get for each
video source. If using the uk_rt grabber, they will contain the XMLTV
IDs of the channels which are defined in the channels table in the DB.
The grabber then maps the XMLTV ID to the BBCs own numbering scheme
for listings and retrieves the correct ones.

> What does clearing the channels in mythtvsetup actually do?

It removes the channel definitions from the channels-related tables in
the database.

> What is the role of mythfilldatabase in respect of  the channel information?

It gets your listings using a grabber (using the xmltv files) or XML
source file, and then, using the XMLTV IDs in the channels table,
updates the program listings data in the database for the relevant
channels.

> What is the best way of managing a channel database?

(In the UK) Once it is defined, new channels are usually very rarely
added (unless you don't want to add channels in one go). Therefore,
there is very little in the way of required maintenance. If you do
need to make changes to channels, you can either edit the DB directly
via mysql, or use a visual DB editor.

In the case of DVB, the system will detect new channels automatically.
It is then up to you to decide how to rename it and associate a
suitable XMLTV ID with it to make it work with your chosen grabber.

>
> Is this stuff documented anywhere, or shall I delve into the sourcecode?

It's mostly in the archives. I'm not sure if there is a canonical
reference. Looking at the DB structure itself and understanding where
data comes from and which fields are relevant is extremely useful if
you have the time.

Nick