13 replies to this topic

[lopess]

Hello, Is it possible to add in future Openpli releases the possibility to choose the type of channel scan? TV / Radio / Data? There is no such choice at the moment. This would be a very useful function when someone wants to scan only TV channels, for example. I understand that during scanning all types of transmissions are found, but the software could only show and save those selected that we need, not all of them.

[WanWizard]

Just wondering why you would want that, as you don't see those anywhere?

 

Also, as soon as you start zapping they will reappear.

[lopess]

Maybe I didn't make myself clear. I mean adding an extra option for selecting channel scanning. At the moment you can choose eg - scan only FTA. I mean a similar option - TV only, Radio Only, Data Only. Then I could, select the option to scan TV only + FTA only for example, if I would like only free-to-air TV channels to be included in the list. At the moment, when I am looking for free-to-air channels, the tuner finds and stores everything it finds, and I do not need them (radio + data). I had such an option in my old AZBOX HD - very useful.

Edited by lopess, 10 June 2022 - 09:13.

[jpuigs]

Enigma, although is being updated daily, is a very old system and has some legacy things that makes impossible (or very difficult) to do "what ever you want".

If  somebody created a real new OS, a completely new one (note that it's not a 1 week job..., it's a months and months job), sure that some new currently impossible features could be added.

The Background scanning is a feature that lets you always have updated all services on a transponder in channel list, by simply tuning to a channel on that transponder.

If you could scan only tv channels and Background scanning is enabled (by default) , when watching a scanned channel, background scanning process would store the ones (radios+data) you didn't get before.

I know you can disable it, but if you start disabling options..... you loose good things.

Some non-enigma receivers have these things that you are asking for, a filter in channel scanning, and of course let you sort and move channels in channel list at your choice.

But in these receivers, if services change their names, their PID values, and some other data, you have to scan again to see changes. Background scanning in enigma does it for you, transparently.

Other things you miss in enigma boxes, is f.i. ....  if you want to have a channel at the top of list, you have to create a favourite list and insert channels there. You cannot sort sat lists in desired mode, they are always listed alphabetically.

[lopess]

@jpuigs, you are talking about saving found channels in the main channel list, and I'm talking about saving channels in "search result" and "last scanned". I mean exactly the same mechanism as when choosing "FTA Only" in Search Menu. The aim would be that in the Search menu it was possible not only to specify the channels you are looking for "FTA only / all" but "TV only / Radio only / All" for example. This would allow, for example, to search for only FTA TV channels, and add them later to some favorites list. Another handy feature is the ability to mark multiple channels and move them around. At this time, you can only move channels individually. Of course, all this can be done with Dreamboxedit, but it would be great if you could do it from the tuner position. Other tuners, not based on enigma2, also have this function. It seems to me that both functionalities I am talking about are possible to be made on the basis of enigma2. If I am wrong, please correct me.

Edited by lopess, 12 June 2022 - 16:14.

[lopess]

And it was clear - it only points to some nice features that would be useful to many. I do not require anything from anyone and thank you for what it is and for the work of all teams that deal with improving the software of our tuners.

[el bandido]

There is not much if any benefit to adding more scan filters. The radio and tv channels or services are automatically separated in a scan, which makes them easy to delete if they are not wanted.
 

The request or suggestion to scan for radio or tv channels only has been asked before by several users in North America. I have never seen a request for a scan only data channels though as almost all data channels are useless for fta. Anyway, these features or selections could be added, but they would not be very useful for most users after all is said and done.
 

The enigma2 receiver scans for services and automatically separates what it thinks is tv or radio channels. If the channel or service is "unknown" or enigma2 cannot decide what it is,  then the channel or service is logged and shown, but is not put in either radio or tv channels. The only way to save an unknown channel or service is to save it in a bouquet so it can be used later. Most of the data channels or services will also be like this.
 

Since enigma2 receivers automatically separate tv and radio services, then it would seem at least half the work of adding a scan for tv or scan for radio only would already be done. Telling the enigma2 receiver to delete everything but radio, tv, or data channels could be added fairly easy, but it does not make much sense to do so because some radio channels will scan as tv channels, and at times, some tv channels may show as data or unknown channels. So you would end up deleting something you could possibly use if you add scan for tv, radio, or data only filters.

The radio and tv channels are already automatically separated, and there really are few if any benefits of adding additional scan filters.
 

Then the final thing that kept me from really wanting to add scan only radio or tv filters was scan time. Usually when you add filters, the time it takes to complete a scan will increase. Enigma2 has to find a service, then decide what it is, and then decide whether it needs to be added or deleted. All of this takes time.  As an example, on c band, 105 west, enigma2 receivers can log  2500 or more radio channels or services during a scan. Most enigma2 receivers that I own can usually scan this satellite in 15 minutes or less, but if you add the "Scan only free" or "Scan only FTA" filter, then your 15 minute or less scan will turn into  2 or 3 hours because enigma2 has to find the service and then decide if it is free or fta.

 

[Dream1975]

What would have added value I think if the automatic scan could be done in the background. When I start the scan from the GUI it takes about 20 minutes (2x Astra and HB) and all this time the screen shows the scan progress bar. I don't know if it is possible to make an option to continue the scan in the background while releasing the GUI for normal operations. If a scan is progressing and I use the partnerbox (that uses the main box's tuners) this works fine, so it would seem that tuner use etc is possible if only the GUI could be used during a scan.

[lopess]

There is not much if any benefit to adding more scan filters. 

 

I understand that not everyone needs it, like a lot of other things that enigma2 has. The thing about each filter is that you can use it or not. If someone does not need it, he does not use it.

You say search time is important - you are right. But what of the fact that the search will take less time, if later I have to spend this time on tidying up and deleting scrambled channels, or other types of transmission, such as date or radio, that have been scanned and which I do not need.

You can also annotate in GUI - "this scanning mode can significantly increase its time", for example...

In the event that I run a scan with additional filters, I can do other things during this time and this time is not lost for me. The time spent on checking which channel is TV and unencrypted - this time is irretrievably lost.

Edited by lopess, 5 July 2022 - 10:32.

[lopess]

Excerpt from the user manual from my azbox HD (it's also a linux based receiver):

 

3.8.2 Satellite Scan  Satellite can be scanned directly from the Satellite Scan menu, Select Satellite Scan menu and press the OK( ) button.   Scroll through the satellite dropdown list, and select a satellite by pressing the OK( ) button. When you press the OK( ) button to start process, you will be given four options in the search criteria: TV channels, Radio channels, FTA (Free-to-air) channels and Scrambled channels. You can select or deselect any of the options.

[Huevos]

You don't seem to get it. If you avoid channels during a scan they will be picked up anyway later by background scan. This is desired behaviour. If you don't want channels don't add them to your bouquets. Stop comparing things that are different. If you prefer the functions of the azbox stick with it, but enigma updates from the SDT automatically.

[lopess]

If you avoid channels during a scan they will be picked up anyway later by background scan. 

as well as encrypted channels. Based on this assumption, the existing filter in scanning (FTA only) is also pointless.

 

 

you are talking about saving found channels in the main channel list, and I'm talking about saving channels in "search result" and "last scanned". I mean exactly the same mechanism as when choosing "FTA Only" in Search Menu. The aim would be that in the Search menu it was possible not only to specify the channels you are looking for "FTA only / all" but "TV only / Radio only / All" for example. This would allow, for example, to search for only FTA TV channels, and add them later to some favorites list. 

I am surprised at this hate when someone proposes something. Most often the answer here is one - it makes no sense .... Everything that exists is already sufficient and the best of the best, All other ideas are pointless, because I don't need them.

Edited by lopess, 5 July 2022 - 17:37.

[Huevos]

Why don't you try ABM? It does exactly what you want and even orders the channels exactly as the broadcaster wanted them.

[Pr2]

Translation: ABM is Automatic Bouquet Maker a plugin that you can install on your box (enigma2-plugin-systemplugins-autobouquetsmaker).