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Foxsat-HDR: Speeding up the Guide


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Old 02-12-2008, 20:22
OnlyLee
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As has been commented on in other threads, pressing the Guide button brings up the EPG quickly (especially when the genres page is turned off in the settings), but it behaves quite sluggishly for half a minute or so while the listings are updated.

Last night while recording there obviously wasn't a tuner free to collect the whole guide, so the box didn't try. The result was an instantly loading grid, no interruption in the audio and it was really pleasant to use right away.

Since this was so much nicer, it got me thinking about why the Guide needs to get all the listings every time it's invoked. After all, the whole week's information was stored and available to me last night, so why not only update listings if it's been a few hours since the last check? Or when in standby? Maybe there could be an option to choose.

But this isn't just a feature request, or I'd have posted it with the others. Through playing with it further I discovered a trick for a fast loading guide every time:
Don't press Guide; instead press Schedule and then Red. Sorted!
I'd still prefer some optimisation or an option so the Guide button works this way anyway.

(Standard disclaimer: I'm using version 1.00.01 of the software with one LNB feed if that makes a difference.)
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Old 02-12-2008, 20:54
son_t
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Well done! It works (on v1.00.02 too)... Nice!

Now just have to program this sequence for my Harmony remote...

(It's like 'mirror' action for getting the schedules on the 9200T - Guide, then Yellow).
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Old 02-12-2008, 21:33
carvell
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Rock and roll!
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Old 02-12-2008, 21:45
Berwhale
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So if I used this combination all the time, when would the HDR pull down the updated EPG?
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Old 02-12-2008, 21:51
OnlyLee
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So if I used this combination all the time, when would the HDR pull down the updated EPG?
A good question. It must surely collect it at some point on its own though ... I'm sure there are some people who never use the Guide and the box still has to present the information on the i-plate and keep track of series links.
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Old 02-12-2008, 22:04
wastedyuthe
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Wow! Thanks for the tip OnlyLee. Pressing Schedule and Red is a lot quicker, and doesn't get rid of the channel still playing behind the menu unlike when you press Guide.
Why didn't they just make Guide to the same job? What's the difference between the two? Is it that Schedule/Red doesn't check for updates when it loads the EPG?
Be gentle with me, I am a novice
Like Son_t, I will now program my remote to automatically select Schedule/Red when I press the Guide button.

[EDIT] Done. My Guide button on my Logitech now quickly selects Schedule then Red automatically. Great.
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Old 02-12-2008, 23:46
OnlyLee
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Wow! Thanks for the tip ... What's the difference between the two? Is it that Schedule/Red doesn't check for updates when it loads the EPG?
No problem! You're right that it doesn't check for listings updates at that point, so they may not be completely up to date.

Whether it's worth bringing up the EPG the standard way from time to time I'm not sure. I suppose that would ensure that it knows about all upcoming episodes of a series link for example, but then it really should be checking for those without the user's help anyway!
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Old 03-12-2008, 09:04
son_t
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Is it that Schedule/Red doesn't check for updates when it loads the EPG?
It would seem to be the case - hence the instant EPG with TV pictures in the background. With the normal method, the HDR tunes into the Home Transponder to update the EPG (taking about 30 secs to do so, and the picture in the background appearing...)

As the OP originally says; what is the point of pulling the EPG data down again if you already done it a few hours ago..? This only stands if we assumed that the EPG is saved/cached and that you did pull down the EPG properly a few hours ago...

So if I used this combination all the time, when would the HDR pull down the updated EPG?
The HDR does some house keeping work over night (or early in the morning?), but whether this includes pulling down the EPG data and caching it, is something to find out... Also with scheduled recordings, the box does come out of standby 15 mins earlier to check on the metadata associated with the timers, but again, whether the box retrieves the EPG data to save it is something to find out again...

Unless we can confirm the above two actions... I think users of this quick EPG, have to pull down the EPG data the proper way at the start of their viewing session, at least...
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Old 03-12-2008, 10:04
awo1949
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Perhaps this should end up as another feature request. Seems it would work better if the HDR kept track of when it last downloaded the EPG. If it was within the past (say) 12hours, pressing Guide would behave like Schedule/Red, otherwise it would download the EPG.
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Old 03-12-2008, 12:31
OnlyLee
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Unless we can confirm the above two actions... I think users of this quick EPG, have to pull down the EPG data the proper way at the start of their viewing session, at least...
That's my advice too. However, I really can't see that the box is designed to require regular use of the Guide. On my Sky box, there are certainly whole weeks that go by where I don't go into the EPG, and mostly then to get extra information on a forthcoming programme (which can be done from the i-plate on the HDR).
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Old 03-12-2008, 12:37
son_t
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Freesat+ metadata! i.e. changes in Series Record data, etc... rare, I'd admit, but possible...

(I wish people would stop using their knowledge of Sky+... Freesat+ works differently!)
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Old 03-12-2008, 12:40
wastedyuthe
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Perhaps this should end up as another feature request. Seems it would work better if the HDR kept track of when it last downloaded the EPG. If it was within the past (say) 12hours, pressing Guide would behave like Schedule/Red, otherwise it would download the EPG.
Yes this should be noted on that thread. I much prefer using the guide now I have set my remote to use Schedule/Red, and would like it if the guide worked like this. However, I think someone else should post on that thread instead of me, as I don't know what I'm talking about at the best of times
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Old 03-12-2008, 12:41
OnlyLee
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Freesat+ metadata! i.e. changes in Series Record data, etc... rare, I'd admit, but possible...

(I wish people would stop using their knowledge of Sky+... Freesat+ works differently!)
I have no experience of Sky+ ... I wasn't suggesting that it should work on the HDR because it does on Sky+; I was just illustrating how it's quite possible for people to never use the guide and that metadata still needs to get through.
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Old 04-12-2008, 22:14
wastedyuthe
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I had a problem using my new button function tonight (my universal remote automatically selecting Schedule, RED instead of the usual Guide function). I wanted to set a record for The IT Crowd tomorrow night, and tried to find it first, with no results found. So I went to the Table from there to look at tomorrows listing, and Channel 4 was completely blank for that time period. So I pressed Exit, and tried again using my universal remotes Guide button, going back to the table view, again with the same result. So I used the Guide button on the original remote, and lo and behold the listing loaded properly for tomorrow night, and The IT Crowd appeared, allowing me to set the record.
So, looks like I'm going to have to revert back to the proper Guide function.
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