Multiple Timers created from Autotimers

[Ocelot]

Since upgrading to the latest firmware on my T4 I have been having many duplicate recordings created from my auto timers. Most of my auto timers have "Require description to be unique:" set to "Any service/recording", yet it will record every episode of Four Corners played during the week, for example. Even recordings on the hard drive that I haven't yet watched or deleted are still being recorded again. I have a lot of David Attenborough recordings I have yet to watch and I have to keep disabling timers and then deleting recordings when I miss the duplicate timers.

Furthermore, there are often two timers created for the same recording, starting at the same or similar times and on exactly the same channel (not on an identical channel such one on SD and one on HD). Even when I disable (not delete) a timer the T4 sometimes seems to create another one and record the show anyway.

It seems as though my T4 has no idea what it has recorded. I have "Remove completed timers after (days)" set to 14. I have experienced this issue occasionally since getting my T4 but found it was because I set this value too high or too low.

The only thing relevant I can think of was that I ran a script provided by Grumpy_Geoff to backup my auto timers before upgrading the firmware and then running a second script to restore them. Could it be this that has caused the trouble? I have tried deleting a couple of auto timers and creating them again, but I still experience the same problem.

I hope there is a fix for this as, with in excess of 50 auto timers set, I am unable to keep up with all the duplicate timers and my hard drive is filling up with repeats.

[Grumpy_Geoff]

The only thing relevant I can think of was that I ran a script provided by Grumpy_Geoff to backup my auto timers before upgrading the firmware and then running a second script to restore them. Could it be this that has caused the trouble? I have tried deleting a couple of auto timers and creating them again, but I still experience the same problem.

Wash your mouth out!

Since upgrading to the latest firmware on my T4 I have been having many duplicate recordings created from my auto timers. Most of my auto timers have "Require description to be unique:" set to "Any service/recording", yet it will record every episode of Four Corners played during the week, for example.

Ensure 'Check for uniqueness in' setting is set to value 'Title and Short description'.

I created a test Four Corners definition using uniqueness checks 'On same service' and 'Title and Short description' against my Favourites bouquet which has ABC HD and none of its ABC SD simulcasts and the definition generated one timer only, it didn't generate timers for the repeats on Tue and Wed. Job done.

Even recordings on the hard drive that I haven't yet watched or deleted are still being recorded again. I have a lot of David Attenborough recordings I have yet to watch and I have to keep disabling timers and then deleting recordings when I miss the duplicate timers.

I don't think the existing recording check is actioned across all directories that have recordings. I think it is limited to the list of directories as gathered from the AutoTimer definitions 'Custom location' field, plus the default recording directory of course. Whether that list is gathered at the very beginning or as each definition is processed I don't know.
If you specify a 'Custom location' directory then a uniqueness combo of 'Any service/recording' and 'Title and Short description' should prevent the generation of the timer if the recording exists in that directory.

Furthermore, there are often two timers created for the same recording, starting at the same or similar times and on exactly the same channel (not on an identical channel such one on SD and one on HD). Even when I disable (not delete) a timer the T4 sometimes seems to create another one and record the show anyway.

The EIT from the EPG event is a "key" field in the timer and if the broadcaster changes the EIT for an EPG event then the AutoTimer plugin will simply generate a new timer; it won't update the existing timer and it'll leave it in place.
To get the AutoTimer plugin to update the existing timer, enable setting 'Check existing timer based on begin/end'; although the program time overlap has to be within 80% (I think) of the original to update the existing timer.

[Ocelot]

Wash your mouth out!

Haha, that got your attention . I didn't think it would be related but I had to mention it just in case it was relevant.

Ensure 'Check for uniqueness in' setting is set to value 'Title and Short description'.

Where do I find these settings? I don't see them on the auto timer page. Do I have to be using the new OpenWebif design to see them? Please don't say yes.

I don't think the existing recording check is actioned across all directories that have recordings. I think it is limited to the list of directories as gathered from the AutoTimer definitions 'Custom location' field, plus the default recording directory of course. Whether that list is gathered at the very beginning or as each definition is processed I don't know.

The recordings are, indeed, in directories that are listed in the custom location field of the auto timers.

The EIT from the EPG event is a "key" field in the timer and if the broadcaster changes the EIT for an EPG event then the AutoTimer plugin will simply generate a new timer; it won't update the existing timer and it'll leave it in place.
To get the AutoTimer plugin to update the existing timer, enable setting 'Check existing timer based on begin/end'; although the program time overlap has to be within 80% (I think) of the original to update the existing timer.

This issue used to occur occasionally, but now it is quite frequent. The start times and duration are often identical. I'm not familiar with what is in the EIT and EPG and how they work, but I guess the uniqueness check will fix up a lot of this anyway.

[Grumpy_Geoff]

Where do I find these settings? I don't see them on the auto timer page. Do I have to be using the new OpenWebif design to see them? Please don't say yes.

It was in OWIF at one point in time, and then it was removed.
The AutoTimer plugin applies a default of title and all descriptions.
See "OpenWebif missing 'Check for uniqueness in'".
So OWIF doesn't apply it to the definition being created, thus the AutoTimer plugin applies a title and all descriptions in the absence of anything else.

In that link I also detail what I perceive as a bug in handling 'Check for uniqueness in'.
In my defaults I have -

Code: Select all

 <defaults avoidDuplicateDescription="1" searchForDuplicateDescription="1">
  <bouquet>1:7:1:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:FROM BOUQUET "userbouquet.favourites.tv" ORDER BY bouquet</bouquet> 
 </defaults>

So when I create the definition in OWIF (by selecting the OWIF EPG event's entry and clicking on 'Add AutoTimer' (clockAT) button) I get a definition with "title and short desc" checking -

Code: Select all

 <timer name="test 2- Four Corners" match="Four Corners" enabled="yes" avoidDuplicateDescription="1" searchForDuplicateDescription="1" searchType="exact" searchCase="sensitive" overrideAlternatives="1">
  <bouquet>1:7:1:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:FROM BOUQUET "userbouquet.favourites.tv" ORDER BY bouquet</bouquet> 
 </timer>

Resulting in 1 timer only being generated -

Code: Select all

{1110}<  4352.914> [eEPGCache] lookup events with 'Four Corners' as title (case sensitive)
{1110}<  4352.928> [RecordTimer] [AutoTimer] Try to add new timer based on AutoTimer test 2- Four Corners.
{1110}<  4352.928> [RecordTimer] [AutoTimer] Timer start on: Mon May 18 20:25:00 2020
{1110}<  4352.935> [RecordTimer] Record RecordTimerEntry(name=Four Corners, begin=Mon May 18 20:25:00 2020, end=Mon May 18 21:41:35 2020, serviceref=1:0:19:2E5:261:3201:EEEE0000:0:0:0:, justplay=0, isAutoTimer=True)
{849}<  4353.502> [Task] job Components.Task.Job name=AutoTimer #tasks=101 completed with [] in None

This issue used to occur occasionally, but now it is quite frequent. The start times and duration are often identical. I'm not familiar with what is in the EIT and EPG and how they work, but I guess the uniqueness check will fix up a lot of this anyway.

As I said, the EIT from the EPG event is a "key" field so the plugin will generate a new timer for that event with the new EIT.
The start times and durations won't be identical - they just appear in the GUI to be so. The granularity shown in the GUI is to the minute, whereas the values are stored to the second.
You'll still get the duplicate timer unless you enable the setting 'Check existing timer based on begin/end'.

Here's an example where the plugin has been able to alter the existing timer and not create a new one for this 10m:31s start time adjustment and new EIT (because I have Check existing timer based on begin/end enabled)-

Code: Select all

<timer begin="1589468611" end="1589473756" serviceref="1:0:19:684:607:1014:EEEE0000:0:0:0:" repeated="0" rename_repeat="1" name="Blue Bloods" description="Frank must find the truth when a cop accuses another fellow cop of police brutality. Also, Danny and Baez investigate a murder of a famous photographer recently accused of assault by his former models" afterevent="auto" eit="11089" tags="" disabled="0" justplay="0" always_zap="0" descramble="1" record_ecm="0" isAutoTimer="1">
<log code="500" time="1588813432">[AutoTimer] Try to add new timer based on AutoTimer Blue Bloods.</log>
<log code="509" time="1588813432">[AutoTimer] Timer start on: Thu May 14 22:53:00 2020</log>
<log code="501" time="1588928251">[AutoTimer] Warning, AutoTimer Blue Bloods messed with a timer which might not belong to it: Blue Bloods .</log>
<log code="501" time="1589442030">[AutoTimer] Warning, AutoTimer Blue Bloods messed with a timer which might not belong to it: Blue Bloods .</log>
<log code="15" time="1589442030">record time changed, start prepare is now: Thu May 14 23:03:11 2020</log>
</timer>

[Ocelot]

It was in OWIF at one point in time, and then it was removed.

I entirely forgot about being able to set the auto timers directly on the T4 with the remote! After changing all the relevant auto timers last night I ran the test and it still showed duplicate timers. However, I figured I'd just wait and see what the T4 would do and so far, so good - it hasn't created duplicate timers. Thanks for that!

In my defaults I have -

So how do I create these defaults. I searched everywhere in the settings. This time I even used the T4 directly (without OWIF) but couldn't find them. Are you editing a file or something?

Thanks again.

[Grumpy_Geoff]

After changing all the relevant auto timers last night I ran the test and it still showed duplicate timers. However, I figured I'd just wait and see what the T4 would do and so far, so good - it hasn't created duplicate timers. Thanks for that!

OWIF AutoTimer 'Simulate' doesn't apply that duplicate check - it's only applied on a 'Parse' actual run.
Same with 'Preview' in the AutoTimer plugin in the GUI.

So how do I create these defaults. I searched everywhere in the settings. This time I even used the T4 directly (without OWIF) but couldn't find them. Are you editing a file or something?

AutoTimer>>MENU>>7/Edit new timer defaults

[Ocelot]

Thanks. Much appreciated