Important Note  

Timing of Marker Firing and Back to Back Recordings - ShowShifter BUG

There is an issue with ShowShifter when recording 2 programmes back to back whereby the second recording will not take place if an event is passed to the VideoServer right at the changeover point!

The chances of hitting this with a manually selected recording are slim, so you only need to worry about automatically set events, such as Season Passes.

You should set your EPG program to send signals to DGShow at an odd number of minutes in advance to avoid potentially losing a programme.

In DigiGuide this is done by setting the MinutesBefore parameter in DGShow.dgmarker and DGShow-menu-markers.dgmarker files to be an odd number so that it is unlikely to submit a program at that exact point in time.

Eg. if you usually set 1 hour ahead then set to 1 hour and 3 minutes (63 minutes), if you set 1 day ahead then set it to 1 day and 3 minutes (1443 minutes), etc.

In TVHolic set the tvholic /update option to run at an odd time, eg. 6:03 AM

Support

Requests for support should be made by e-mail to dgshow@ntlworld.com

If you have problems it would help if you can give me as much detail as possible to work on, exact error messages, copies of log files, screen dumps, etc.

The daily log file is particularly useful as it will tell me what parameters have been passed to DGShow and how far it has gone before failing.

Eg. DGShow  20031113.log

Latest Patches

Updates to DGShow are provided as Patches.

Each patch will have it's own specific installation instructions on the Download Page, download the Patch and install as per these instructions.

Note the use of , , , - these buttons will be used on many of the DGShow Screens and have the same effect on each screen.

- Adds a new record to the Database

- Scrolls through the DataBase (FirstRecord, PreviousRecord, NextRecord, LastRecord)

- Changes the currently viewed record to represent exactly what you see on the screen

- Deletes the currently viewed record from the DataBase

Configuration

After installation it is important to configure the program to run correctly, start the Enquiry program by either selecting START, PROGRAMS, DGSHOW, ENQUIRY or by selecting DGSHOW from the ShowShifter main menu:

You will see a screen something like this:

 Button

Press the Config button (highlighted above) to enter the configuration section, once in configuration enter data on the appropriate screens selected from the Buttons down the right of the screen. The current screen is always highlighted in white.

Global Settings - Mandatory Setting

Enter the appropriate data in the screen above and press update when finished.

1.         DropTruncatedPriority – if this is set to True then if a program is started late (AllowShortened=True) due to a conflict with an already set recording then it’s priority is dropped by 100 (taking it below other recordings) and it may be displaced by other complete recordings

2.         ExcludedChannels – Enter here any channels that you wish to have ignored by DGShow when setting recordings. You would use this for Pay-Per-View channels where you still want to see the channel listings in DigiGuide, but do not want automatic recordings set.

3.         AllowShortened – this determines whether you want a recording to start late, after another recording is allowed to finish.

 4.        FileNameFormat – there are 5 pre-determined filename formats as follows:

4.1.            Normal – this is based on what ShowShifter gives you as standard:

ProgrammeName on Day, Mth DD YYYY

Millenium on Tue, Oct 22 2002

4.2.            Short – taking out the long date format at the end and adding episode information

ProgrammeName – EpisodeName

Millenium – Matryoshka

4.3.            Date – this takes the Short format and adds in a short format date at the beginning to allow listing in date order

YYMMDD ProgrammeName – EpisodeName

021022 Millenium – Matryoshka

4.4.            Series

ProgrammeName – SxxExx – EpisodeName

Millenium – S03E14 – Matryoshka

4.5.            SeriesDate – This is the same as the above, but substitutes the date if Series/Episode numbers are not available

ProgrammeName – SxxExx (OR YYMMDD) – EpisodeName

Millenium – 021115 – Matryoshka

 

4.6.            SeriesDateTime – This is the same as the above, but adds in the timestamp of the start of the recording

ProgrammeName – YYMMDD HHMM  – EpisodeName

Millenium – 021115  2130 – Matryoshka

It should be noted that Series/Episode Numbering is currently only provided by DigiGuide, the XMLTV guides cannot provide this at present although this may come reliably to XMLTV in the future (if this happens then an update to DGShow will be required to take full advantage of it).

5.         Record To Preference  – This enables setting of the directory that the show will be recorded to, there are  3 options:

5.1.           None - RecordTo location is ignored and all recordings go to the default ShowShifter video record directory

 

5.2.           Guide - Whatever data is passed by the Guide (using the Category information) is used for the RecordTo Directory (as a subdirectory of the default ShowShifter video record directory)

 

5.3.           Database - If there is already an entry in DGShow for that Show then that directory will be used in preference to anything passed from the Guide, if there is no entry in DGShow then the Guide directory is used.

6.         PVR Interface - at present there is only one option - ShowShifter

7.         Compression Profiles  – select from the drop down list the ShowShifter Compression profiles that you wish to associate with High Quality, Medium Quality and Low Quality settings in the EPG.

Allow Duplicates - Optional Setting

Enter in here the program names that you want to allow duplicate recordings for.

For some programs your EPG may not record specific information for each showing and as all the details would always be the same DGShow would never record a subsequent show as it would treat it as having already been recorded. For this type of program you need to create a Allowed Duplicate Record.

Use the drop down list to select the programme name - the list will include all programme names that DGShow knows about, so if you have set a recording before then it will be in the list.

If you add an entry with Programme Name = ALLPROGRAMMES then this sets a Global Allow Duplicates and DGShow will record everything that is passed to it even if recorded before.

Then press the button to add a new rocord.

Add as many records as you need.

To change a record use the Arrow Buttons () to get to the record you want, change the details on screen and press the button to update the record.

To remove a record, get to the record you want to remove and press

This is useful for programs such as News bulletins that always have the same desription data in the EPG.

Channel Settings - Optional Setting

You can set a profile here for each channel and any recordings for this channel will default to this profile unless another setting overrides this.

Channels are taken from past history in the database, as a successful recording is made the channel is added – a history will build up over time. Channels for DGShow purposes are the EPG Channel Names which are not, necessarily, the ShowShifter Channel Names.

Compression Profile Hierarchy - the higher up the list takes precedence over anything lower:

1. Compression Set per Recording from EPG

2. Compression Set per Show in DGshow

3. Compression Set per Channel in DGShow

4. Default Compression Set in ShowShifter

Record To Location is a subdirectory of the default record to location (unless a full drive/path is entered)

Show Settings - Optional Setting

You can set a profile here for each Show and any recordings for this Show on any channel will default to this profile unless another setting overrides this.

Compression Profile Hierarchy - the higher up the list takes precedence over anything lower:

1. Compression Set per Recording from EPG

2. Compression Set per Show in DGshow

3. Compression Set per Channel in DGShow

4. Default Compression Set in ShowShifter

Record To Location is a subdirectory of the default record to location (unless a full drive/path is entered)

Disk Space - Mandatory Setting

This screen is used to show the records for all the disc drives that you want DGShow to manage, each record is on its own page and you can navigate through these using the  buttons bar at the bottom of the screen.

1.         Drive - Enter the drive letter here

2.         Minimum Free Disk Space – Once the free disc space gets down to this Percentage Level automatic deletion of video files will take place.

3.         Expand To Free Disk Space – Once the automatic deletion is triggered by above video files will be deleted (from the directories listed within the File Locations Screen) until the free disc space exceeds this value.

To add a new record Enter the details you want in the new record (over-typing any details you see

on the screen and then click on  to add the new record.

Enter the appropriate details and click on to amend the current record.

Click on  to remove the current record

In the example above if the free disc space goes below 5% the  video files will be deleted (oldest first) until the free disc space exceeds 6%.

Episode Retain - Optional Setting

For some programs you may only want ShowShifter to retain the last X number of recordings, eg. for news you don’t want to keep a copy of every bulletin ever recorded.

Programme Name – Enter the start of the program name (you only need enough of the file's name to make it unique).

Number of Episodes – Enter the number of episodes you want to keep, every time DGShow runs it will check this figure and delete episodes (oldest first) until only this number remain in the set Video Directories.

 Use the , , , and buttons to make/change entries as on other screens.

File Locations - Mandatory Setting

You can have as many video directories on a drive as you wish and for Episode Control and Disk Space Management purposes these will all be scanned and taken into account. Now that DGShow and ShowShifter support Record To directories use of this setting is important - DGShow will only perform housekeeping on the Drive and Directories that it is made aware of on this screee - enter the details for all directories you wish DGShow to scan when deleting files.

1.         Drive – Enter the drive letter

2.         Directory – Enter the directory name (using the full path as in the above example), do not use a trailing \

If you have files you want to keep forever or want to manually delete yourself then put them in a directory that is not listed here.

Use the , , , and buttons to make/change entries as on other screens.

Daily Operation – DigiGuide

DGShow adds extra options into DigiGuide.

By Right-Clicking either on a Channel Logo or on a Program and selecting DGShow Channel Change, ShowShifter will change channel immediately to the channel selected:

Right-Click on any program and you have a new Option DGShow Schedule,  select this menu option and a series of Sub Menus becomes available:

Watch this Programme

Record This Progam on This Channel

Record This Program on Any Channel

Record Smart Search

Watch this Programme - This option will set a scheduled Channel Change in ShowShifter to allow you to watch the program.

 

For each of the Record options there is a sub menu:

 

Highest Priority

High Priority

Medium Priority

Low Priority

Lowest Priority

 

And for each of these there is a sub menu:

 

Default Quality

High Quality

Medium Quality

Low Quality

 

Default Quality picks up the standard ShowShifter Compression Profile
High Quality, Medium Quality and Low Quality pick up the profiles from your settings in DGShow Configuration

Record Smart Search

 

This option creates a marker that you then edit to enter your criteria and give the marker a meaningful name:

In this example the marker is named “James Stewart” and will record any programmes that star James Stewart.

When a marker is created it shows up in DigiGuide, if it is a one-off marker then it disappears when fired, if it is a recurring marker then it get's Crossed-off in Red once fired.

DGShow One-off Recording

This is the one-off recording screen, this enables you to set the Compression Quality and the Record To location.

Record to location will be a sub-directory of the ShowShifter default, unless a full path is entered - the entry defaults to the Category as supplied by DigiGuide.

Fast Action Buttons

DGShow adds functionality to some of the buttons at the top of the screen to add short-cuts to DGShow functions – highlight a programme and then press the appropriate button  to do the following:

Favourite - Selecting this option is the same as selecting Record This Programme on Any Channel Medium Priority

Reminder - This function remains “as-is” for DigiGuide and sets up a Reminder

Video - This option is the same as a One-off recording (wothout the pop-up)

Watch - This is the same as Watch this Programme

The one-off recording option in TVHolic has the same characteristics as fir DigiGuide the above window will pop-up.

This screen enables you to set the Compression Quality and the Record To location.

Record to location will be a sub-directory of the ShowShifter default, unless a full path is entered - the entry defaults to the Category as supplied in the XMLTV data.

Other operation is as per the instructions for TVHolic. It should be noted that if you use the "Conflict was added" as instructed - conflict management control moves from TVHolic to DGShow - this is the recommended option to get the best out of DGShow.

TVHolic priorities are set according to the order as shown in the Season Pass screen.

Daily Operation – Enquiry

Attention: It is important to note that while you are viewing/updating the database in the Enquiry Program, DGShow will not submit any programs to ShowShifter – they will remain queued until you quit the program.

When you open the Enquiry program it defaults to the Currently set Schedule in ShowShifter.

Main Menu 

This Screen shows you any Current or Future Events that have been passed to DGShow.

You can scroll through the shows, using the navigation bar ().

If you have any conflicts then the number of conflicts can be seen - click on the Conflicts Button to view the conflicts.

Conflicts

The Conflicts screen shows at the top the entries that will not be recorded and the reason below:

1. Dismiss Conflict - the entry will be removed and will not show again - you do not have to do this as expired (past   due) conflicts are automatically removed from the database.

2. Priority Increase - the prriority of the selected show is increased and DGShow will be called to force a recalulation to let the show be recorded (this will only work if the reason for non-recording is due to another show with a higher priority.

3. Cancel/Remove - the conflicting entry is removed and DGShow is called to allow the show in the top half of the screen to have another chance to get submitted.

The All, Duplicate and Priority buttons can be used appropriately to make Conflict Management easier.

Full List

This will show all the records in the database, this is the same as selecting SubSet and clocking on Find without making any changes.

SubSet

The subset option is used to select data from the database for user's own use for viewing and exporting - the following screen will show up:

You can then subset the data as you wish - the defaults will show everything.

It should be noted that the selections all narrow down the search, eg if you select as follows:

For every subset you do a Comma Delimited File (CSV) file called export.prn is placed in the DGShow Program directory

Tip: If you select on Import: against Programme Name then you will get a listing of all the records you have manually imported (using the import option) into the database.

Delete All Selected and Delete This Record are pretty self explanatory.

Web Help

Selecting this option will open your Default Web Browser and take you to the DGShow on-line manual.

The on-line manual will be kept fully up to date with enhancements and new features to the program.

Import

This button opens the Import utility:

Use this utility to Import Existing Video Files to the DataBase

This program allows you to Scan CDR’s (or hard disc directories) for Video files and add to the database as if already recorded.

Scan of a named directory for video files, at each file program is paused to allow editing of filename and opportunity to add to database or skip to next video file.

Exit

You can exit DGShow by selecting this button or by pressing the "X" key while on the Main Menu (only).