256b29 available

- General
I decided to upload a version of the latest beta of 2.56.
Many of you already have earlier builds of this version. Your current version number is shown at the top of the dabdig.ini

DigiGuide 8.3 is still in Beta - so I have kept back some of the changes (to the marker) that I have been making in preparation for it. The marker in this build of DABDig works will all version of DigiGuide back to 6.x including the 8.3 beta.
However, the next release of the marker will only work with 8.3 and includes some new features that will mean that users no longer have to customise their DABDig.dgmarker if they want to enable the main hidden features. I do not plan to release it until DigiGuide migrates all users from DigiGuide 6.x and 8.2 to 8.3

Note - customised DABDig.dgmarker users (DigiGuide only) - there is a new marker file in this release.
If you have never changed yours (or never had a special release of the marker directly from me) then do not worry. Otherwise - compare with what you already have before you overwrite.
The changes remain backward compatible (back to 6.0)

Special thanks to Oliver and Aaron

- 2.56b29 - 19-Apr-2006
- Reinstate broken support for Matrox eTV - but only for beta builds.
- For TwinHan VisionDTV - most new users should be using the 2.6 version of the TwinHan software so change defaults to match.
- For TwinHan VisionDTV - move the registry path check to be after the INI file setting is checked.
- For WinTVPVR and WinTVCap - allow a command line override for people who always record from same channel source - e.g. a Sky box
- Make configurable the set of allowed characters in file name - so that extended European characters can be used by those that want to.
- Add channel name into list of simple file name substitution fields (FileName fields in dabdig.ini).
- Allow the divider in the title/filename to be specified.
- Allow diagnostic messages to be written to file without going to screen.
- For WinTVCap - allow a wait for exit because when GBRecord is being used as a WinTVCap replacement there is a problem if 2 copies are trying to record at the same time from a single board.
- For Leadtek Winfast - there is a new digital TV device available. Very similar schedule format and new registry key to use.
- For DVBViewer - version 3.2 changed the schedule file format and also added a COM interface including ability to notify On-Screen-Display.
- Make sure that all calls to create objects using SET have previously had the variable DIM'd because it might be the cause of an obscure ActiveX scripting problem when not running as Admin on XP.
- Add parameter substitution for Streaming and Streaming2 via CmdOverride facility.
- Implement the previously documented (but skipped) WebSchedulerURLRadio.
- Add a simple remote execution mechanism.
- Include native HTTP GET operation so that local browser can be avoided (initially for WebScheduler).
- For DVBViewer - add some different handling for when software already running.
- Add EpisodeName as substitutable parameter and optional 13th command line parameter.
- For ProgDVB, make the request to Exit configurable and hence optional.
- For ExternalChannelChanger, make configuration easier for simple installations by adding a base channel number definition and default source.
- For Leadtek - looks like another version of their software does not use registry at all so try to make the use optional by adding configurable path.
- For GBPVR - if specified, then use capture source

ExternalChannelChanger

- ExternalChannelChanger
Added some extra code to make it possible for configuration of a mixed device set-up with ExternalChannelChanger (typically an IR sender of some sort) to by-pass having a dabdig.map by simply specifying which channel number the changer starts from and the default recording device channel.
(256b25)

TopfieldViaJag

- TopfieldViaJag
Aborigine was kind enough to send me a note about his success with using DABDig and version 3.0 beta of Jag's EPG in LCN mode.

If anyone else wants to run it this way then it just needs 4 simple changes to the dabdig.ini file.

The potential benefit for an existing user is that new channels coming to the platform or any more channel renumbering have an even better chance of working without further update.
For new users - setting this waay should lead to getting up and running more quickly because it by-passes the issue of channel names in DigiGuide not always being the same as used over-the-air by the broadcasters.

The changes to the dabdig.ini are:
TopfieldViaJagFindChanName from 1 to 0
TopfieldViaJagChanLength from 4 to 6

TopfieldViaJagSyntaxRec from
Command.AddTimer:$CP,$DY-$DM-$DD,$DH:$DN,$LH:$LN,$MO,OT,Rec;$TI
to
Command.AddTimerEXT:LCN$CP|$DY-$DM-$DD,$DH:$DN,$LH:$LN,def,def,def,OT,Rec;$TI

TopfieldViaJagSyntaxPlay from
Command.AddTimer:$CP,$DY-$DM-$DD,$DH:$DN,$LH:$LN,$MO,OT,-P-;$TI
to
Command.AddTimerEXT:LCN$CP|$DY-$DM-$DD,$DH:$DN,$LH:$LN,def,def,def,OT,-P-;$TI

The thread about the new version of Jag's EPG is over on the UK Toppy forum.

ProgDVB

- ProgDVB
Had a report that ProgDVB (in conjunction with a DVB-T set-up) is prompting for something every time it starts up.
So - as a temporary workaround while the ProgDVB users works out how to stop this happening ... I have made the sending of "/Exit" to ProgDVB optional. This means that it can be configured so that it will only prompt when run the very first time (e.g. put it in the Windows startup group).
My guess is that there is a progdvb.ini setting that could be used to prevent this prompting.
(256b24)

256b23 available

- General
Had a request to make the Episode Name available as a parameter. Easy enough to do but needs a modern version of DigiGuide.
(256b23)

256b22 available

- General
Add a simple remote execution mechanism.
Initially requires a shared folder (with the remote system where the recording is to be done).
Simply drops a file into the share containing the parameters of the request.
A batch file running in a loop can then easily find the file and get a local DABDig to action it.

Also added an "All" function for multi-device installations - example from requestor was to record the same channel from both DAB and Digital TV - i.e. belt and braces solution.
One day ... should be extended to "Any" and then let DABDig pick the one that appears to be free (and has highest priority).

(256b22)

256b20 available

- Streaming
Added parameter substitution to Streaming and Streaming2 (via CmdOverride).

- WebScheduler
Added support for "radio" indicator in channel assignment (or channel name) so that it can trigger different URL. This allows a different capture type to be set because WebScheduler seems to have problems with automatic recording of audio only DVB-T stations.

(256b20)

Leadtek and DVBViewer - part 2

- Leadtek Winfast
The Leadtek Winfast DTV1000 looks like it is now close to working. There were about 5 fields in the record that have either changed meaning or needed to be set-up.
Now need to parse their channel list file to perform lookups - this will be a bit complicated as the file format is a bit convoluted - but at least it is all in plain text.

- DVBViewer
DVBViewr Pro 3.2.6 is now working. I went the COM route in the end. Turned out to be quite easy. However, they take the date using the local settings of the PC. For now I have made the syntax configurable but really should do it automatically and allow an override.
Handling the new text format does not seem so important for now because the free Technisat version still seems to use the old format.

Leadtek and DVBViewer

- Leadtek Winfast
Some progress on the revised file format.
Spent some time over last couple of evenings and after a few file exchanges via email I am pretty sure that I have worked out what they have done with their new structure. It is pretty well the same as before but they have done some horrible things - e.g. storing data about the offset of the channel within a Mux and the Mux number - and then storing somewhere else an identifier for the mux and the channel.
Ultimately it will require some automatic parsing of one of their configuration file - but the stupid thing is that on a rescan the file gets re-written and part-time channels that are not broadcasting are lost from the file.

- DVBViewer
I have not had any requests from users for the DVBviewer interface since I first wrote it for someone. My guess is that there are very few users of it - perhaps only one. But a new request has come through from someone else because he could not get it to work. What has happened is that DVBViewer Pro 3.2 has a different interface. The data is pretty much the same as in the old Technisat version but is now in an XML file and has a couple of extra fields. They have also added a COM interface.
So question is - which way to go. Handle the new file format or go with COM.
Initially I thought I would stay file based but since the COM mechanism allows updates to the schedule without having to stop/start DVBViewer then it is probably the best way to go.

Leadtek WinFast queries

- Leadtek WinFast
Two requests came through today.

One from another developer who wants to see how the schedule file works so that he can build his own application. I'll have a look to see how easy it is to extract the relevant parts of my code and send it over to him.

The second was from an existing user who bought himself the new WinFast DTV1000 for Christmas ... and has found that they are using a different mechanism for scheduling to their DTV card. I've asked for some samples and will see what I can do.

WinTVCap

- WinTVCap
If using GBRecord as a direct replacement for WinTVCap then there is a potential issue with recording consecutive or overlapping programmes.
With WinTVCap it seems to close the current file and start the new one without a problem.
With GBRecord it looks like if there is a slight overlap then the 2nd programme gets cut at the end of the scheduled recording of the 1st programme. Not 100% sure that this is the cause - but put some code in place to wait for GBRecord to exit before issuing the new command.
(256b08)

- WinTVPVR
Allow a command line override for people who always record from same channel source - e.g. a Sky box

- General
Make configurable the set of allowed characters in file name - so that extended European characters can be used by those that want to.
Add channel name into list of simple file name substution fields (FileName fields in dabdig.ini)
Allow the divider in the title/filename to be specified - default to a minus-sign as before.

(256b06)

- TwinHan VisionDTV
Changed the installation defaults to match a TwinHan 2.6 software release since new installations are likely to be running that. Modified the documentation to help users with old TwinHan versions to change the settings back.
This will not change existing settings for someone that is upgrading - i.e. it remains backwards compatible.

(256b01)

- General
Decided to release 2.55 version.
Took curent 255b18, removed most of the non-supported pieces that are still in development/testing and made a new 255b19.

- FusionHDTV
Just had a new query on this one - again from Australia. The database record formats appear to be the same - so sent over the pre-existing test version to see how it goes.
First reaction is that it appears to work so a few more things to investigate that were left over from before.
e.g. how is the channel number really calculated
Also stuffed the programme title into the file name field - checked for overlength and truncated first.

(255b18)

- WebScheduler
Had a couple of queries about interfacing with WebScheduler.
Both have similar work-arounds.
One was that recordings of some channels were not working.
The failing ones were where the channel name from the EPG (DigiGuide in this case) did not match the channel name in WebScheduler (e.g. BBC 3 and BBC Three).
This sort of thing could potentially happen with other software that DABDig schedules into. Often it is cirumvented by DABDig performing matching on "3" and "Three" or by using the channel number rather than the channel name.
If the automated ways to get around this do not work - then the user has to do something.
There are essentially 3 routes:
a) tackle the problem at source - and change the name in the EPG (in DigiGuide you can right-click on the channel icon and change the channel detaild)
b) modfy the name in the target - but this might be based on data in receives over the broadcast network and could change back on the next scan that it performs
c) using a mapping facility in DABDig

In this case - the mapping in DABDig was used.
However, there is one extra twist. The mapping facility in DABDig (via the optional dabdig.map file) is really for generating a channel number from a channel name.
So - although this might appear to change BBC 3 to BBC THREE ... that resulting conversion is stored as the "Channel Assignment" (think of it as channel number).
So - you then have to make a small configuration change in DABDig (via dabdig.ini) to tell DABDig to use the channel number when controlling WebScheduler rather than the channel name. The result is that DABDig then sends "BBC THREE" ... exactly as required.
But - there is now an additional problem. Namely, for channels that do not have a name map, the real channel number will be sent rather than the required original channel name. So - while I think of a simple way to resolve it via a change to DABDig - the simple work-around is to put all of the channels into the dabdig.map and for those where the name is the same ... simply put the same value on each side of the mapping.
e.g.
BBC 3=BBC THREE
five=five

The second problem reported was that a feature of WebScheduler is that if it is asked to record an audio only DVB channel (often called radio) using using capture type that it usually uses to record TV (video and audio) then it appears to record but the end result is not saved properly.
Therefore, until WebScheduler is changed, it is necessary to be able to specify a different capture type for audio-only stations.
In theory - this should be easy - especially if a dabdig.map has already been created from the steps above.
Simply hide the capture type in the output map.
e.g.
BBC Radio Four=BBC Radio 4&captype=5
(It might also be necessary to remove the captype=2 from dabdig.ini and add &captype=2 to each of the TV stations if WebScheduler can not handle 2 captypes in the request)

- GBPVR
Looks like recording requests are not (always) picked up ... so added ability to stop/start the GBPVR Recording Service. Need to find the real reason though.
(255b16)

- DigiGuide
Had a request to be able to set the time range in DigiGuide - e.g. to help avoid repeats on BBC 7 when using an Anytime marker.
A more comprehensive solution would check to see if the show was already recorded and skip it - but ... for now at least ... added time range to the DABDig.dgmarker.
Has to be enabled by modifying default marker and changing intRanged = 0 to intRanged = 1 (or some other number).

- Topfield
If the Toppy is used in conjunction with a (slugged) Linksys NSLU2 then it is possible to FTP direct to the Toppy. This can be enabled in DABDig by make 2 one-line edits to the dabdig.ini and creating 2 small text files (that contain the FTP commands). More details are in the next update to the DABDig "manual".

- AVerTVDVB
Looks like they have a totally different setup nowadays - at least when using BDA drivers. Will require rewrite within DABDig. Trying to get their software to install locally to try a few things out.