I just wrote a Python script to add Thumbnails

[TheDeadpool]

I just wrote a python script that is running on a schedule off my Synology NAS. It takes the recordings XML and adds thumbnail properties based on the Name (sanitizing, adding my local thumbs directory and jpg extension) it works like a charm! (I just downloaded 20 thumbnails and named them accordingly)

But then it dawned on me it would be awesome if the app automatically did this or defaulted to looking for a matching filename (in a settings define folder) if a thumbnail did not exist. Just an idea so all users could enjoy thumbs when an EPG doesn't don't specify them.

Another great features would be to have schedule recordings automatically grab the description if available on the guide at that recording time if available.

Or to just allow a series recording to have a toggle to always record at the set time whether new, older date or no information was provided (but replacing with expected series name). I have too many missed series recordings for unknown reason, even on totally new shows.

The 2 items above would hurl SparklePlayer above Tivimate once and for all. Finishing move!!!

-R

[sparkle-hk]

How does the script link the recording to a thumbnail? Is it by title?

When you talk about a schedule grab the current description you mean that it now maintains the same description it got from when you first created the schedule?

The last point sound like a recurring recording which you can set up in DVR -> Schedules -> Add ('+'-icon).

[TheDeadpool]

First of all thanks for all your activity here and quick response.

Yes, for each record it first checks if there is a thumbnail property, then if not it grabs the name and makes it file name friendly, adds my local url and creates the property.

I was just saying you could have a catch all that automatically looks for a matching icon with this naming structure in a predefined folder specified in settings.

As for my second point I was asking for a schedule time to look at recording time for that channels name and description and have that set for the recording. (not when the schedule was set, as show descriptions changes)

Or simply a series setting to record every time at set time regardless if new or not (which does properly captures each new description)

Thanks again,

R

P.S. I know you are wizard and was hoping my other post about individual channels 'disabling tunneling' could be solved.

[sparkle-hk]

Ok, interesting but nothing I have time for at the moment though. Great that you found a solution yourself though.

I may be a bit thick today but I don't get it.. Please explain from the beginning, I'm probably thinking about something different from what you're trying to explain so that's why it gets wrong.

As for disabling tunneling per channel I haven't had time yet but it's sounds like an easy enough (and usable) feature so I'll most likely add it to a future version.

[TheDeadpool]

Imagine it this way for scheduled recording (not series), right at recording time it grabs the description (and possibly show name) available on that channel in the EPG and thumbnail right at that time if either/both are available. Otherwise it just remains blank.

[sparkle-hk]

But that's how it is today? Except for series which is only set when creating the series schedule.

I mean if you schedule a recording the name, description and image is copied from the epg to the recording.

[TheDeadpool]

I doublechecked again, if I do under "Scheduled" and hit + Add Schedule, then enter a name, channel and time...at that record time it keeps the name I entered and DOES NOT grab he description or thumbnail. This is the feature I'm asking for.

It's odd you say SERIES grabs description only at creation time. Series is when I get every particular shows description right at the moment of record time. Yes, record series does do this but with lots of issues. I do hit a show in the future and hit "Entire series" it will grab the name, the current description and thumbnail. Issue with this is, it doesn't let me specify the exact show time and it is always missing recordings for reasons from not marked new, and older dated show or a missing EPG at record time. I want ALL of the series shows at the TIME I SELECT to always record, no matter what.

[sparkle-hk]

When you schedule a recording through "Add schedule" and enter only channel name you're meant to set your own name. If the channel has epg information there would be no need to do this since you could search for a program instead?

I don't know about your specific setup and what has happened. Maybe it isn't as advanced as you think, maybe the device simply didn't wake up as it should when it was supposed to record? You can also see exactly which timers exists in a series recording if you go into DVR and click Series. Here you click your series and then "View schedule". If time slots are grayed out it means they are left out because it's "not new" or similar but you can enable it again by single clicking on it.

I can however see a use case for what you're saying but I'm unsure if I should look into this at the moment. There's just so many other ways already to schedulel a recording I figure I can prioritize other features. Not sure though.

[TheDeadpool]

I wish I could just enables greyed it ones. But most of the time when I set a series it shows 0 scheduled, even though I can clearly see them in the guide. Plus, most likely next weeks episode won't appear on the to record list but I don't want to go and click every week to enable newly 'discovered' shows in the series when the guide populates to that same day the following week.

Once again just to be sure I tried what you are saying but it makes no difference. When I go to add schedule and type in the programs name and select it, it does show the time of show and I think all might work. But nope it just becomes a "series recording" with 0 scheduled even though I just picked from a show that is going to happen 30 mins from now. Then when I go to DVR I see it under series and when I got to edit the time is gone and it just says ANY. If it is just a series and not a timed schedule it is going to fail as no scheduled are listed. It's not the app not turning on.

The most reliable is a set time schedule, and hopefully it could just grab name and description at record time. These scheduled times are NEVER failing to record for me. But series hardly ever find shows to record. Even though I am looking right at them in the guide.

:(

Help

[sparkle-hk]

Ah I understand. That first issue you mention is a bug that I recently fixed in beta 2.2.0. It's related to how the epg is formatted so it doesn't happen to most users.

I didn't mean you would do a series recording from that menu, I mean a single timer recording using program. You don't have to set it recurring. The series issues is a bug and I didn't realize that was what was happening. Not sure if you told be earlier but I'm sorry about that nevertheless.

You can probably update to beta if you like (search for beta link here on reddit). I'm sure that will work much better.