[mythtv-users] merge guide to show one channel from two sources.

[Michael T. Dean]

On 07/02/2009 12:37 PM, David Snider wrote:
> On Jul 1, 2009, at 10:48 PM, Michael T. Dean wrote:
>> And, as an added bonus when 2 channels have the exact same channel 
>> number and callsign, the EPG will only display one row for both 
>> channels--because you've told MythTV that their content is identical 
>> and they appear next to each other on the guide, so there's no reason 
>> to duplicate the content.
>>
>> So, use the channel editor in mythtv-setup or MythWeb to give both 
>> channels the exact same channel number and callsign and you'll see it 
>> only once in the guide.
> I like this idea a lot, but have a question.  I have an HDHR receiving 
> OTA HD channel 2.1, callsign KUTV-HD.  I also subscribe to DirectTV HD 
> and channel 2, callsign KUTV-DT is identical in content to the HDHR 
> OTA channel.   If I change both of the Channels to 2, and callsign 
> KUTV, if I understand you correctly, I'll only have one entry in my 
> program guide.  Will this interfere with Myth's ability to tune the 
> channel on the HDHR, I'm pretty sure that if I change both channels to 
> 2.1 it will screw up my DirecTV tuning as I'm using the directv.pl 
> script and it uses the channel number to tune the STB. 

No, that uses the freqid to tune the STB--assuming it's a proper 
external channel change script (and doesn't do something 
stup^H^H^H^Hunsupported like query the database to get channum).  The 
channel change scripts /only/ receive a single command-line argument 
from Myth, which is the freqid.  If you need 2.1 to tune the DirecTV 
box, your freqid should be 2.1.  It can be any 10 characters you 
want--i.e. "2 1" or "2-1" or "2.1" or "two.one" or whatever your script 
wants.  (So, it can be a frequency or anything that identifies a 
frequency--including a channel number.)

The only result of changing 2 channel numbers to be identical is 
that--once you do--you cannot distinguish between them when telling 
LiveTV to tune the channel.  I.e. if one were 2.1 and the other were 
1002.1, you could tune the one on DirecTV or the other specifically.  If 
they're both 2.1, you'll have to either watch whichever one it tunes or 
switch to the input on which the one you want is available before tuning 
(i.e. go to the input for your DirecTV box before typing in 2.1 to watch 
through the DirecTV box).

Mike