Turn PPV channels into normal channels... Finally!

[_Formula]

Well, I started looking into this problem (again) today. I was working on it awhile back, but once I got a version of PITOU that allowed advanced PPV purchases, I quit working on this. Now I'm running a different setup and I wouldn't want to purchase them even if I could. So here is my solution...

This script is a less than ideal way to accomplish this. Unfortunately the TiVo stores this PPV flag in each showing instead of each channel. This makes it a little tougher to do, but the main problem with this is that the script will need to be re-run at an unknown interval.

Since this script can't change data that isn't available yet, when 2 weeks are up, you'll probably run into a PPV showing that was added after you ran this script. I'm guessing it will need to be run every 2 weeks +/- a few days.

I've seen quite a few posts about this, so hopefully this will come in handy out there. Also, every time you run the script, it will say it removed the PPV flag for a show even if it's already been removed.

Let me know if anyone has any suggestions (like using a file to store stations like mvchannels does to speed things up).

Updated archive (v1.1) posted w/ 594-598 support

Updated archive again (v1.2)

[AlphaWolf]

I got this output:

bash-2.02# noppv.tcl
<166>Feb 24 03:55:19 tcl[209]: Tcl created pool of 1458176 bytes
can't open object (errDbNotFound)

while executing
"db $db openid $fsid"
("uplevel" body line 2)
invoked from within
"uplevel $body"
invoked from within
"transaction {uplevel $body}"
invoked from within
"MyRetryTransaction {
set sday [db $db openid $fsid]
set showings [dbobj $sday get Showing]
foreach show $showings {
# Get program inf..."
("uplevel" body line 2)
invoked from within
"uplevel $body"
invoked from within
"ForeachMfsFile fsid name type "/Schedule" "$sid:" {
MyRetryTransaction {
set sday [db $db openid $fsid]
set showings [dbobj $sday get Showi..."
("foreach" body line 14)
invoked from within
"foreach channel $channels {
MyRetryTransaction {
regexp {([0-9]*)/(.*)} $channel junk fsid subobjid
set obj [db $db openidconstruction $fsid $sub..."
(file ".//noppv.tcl" line 52)

Is this normal?

[_Formula]

That's an easy one... No, that isn't normal.

I really don't know why it would be doing that unless the ForeachMfsFile function is returning a bad fsid. I tested an instance where a station would have no values in /Schedule and it ran through with no output. It still didn't throw an exception like yours did.

Is anyone else having this error?

[AlphaWolf]

I haven't looked at how your script works, nor do I know jack about MFS at all, so this I must ask, do you think for any reason that my using a patched kernel following GhostCoders specs (for no scrambling) should cause a problem?

[StanSimmons]

Worked for me. DSR6K, 25xtreme, rmLogs, sc.tcl.

Would calling this script from TClient-lib.itcl like I am doing with rmLogs be a good idea?

[_Formula]

Alpha: I am also using the noscramble hack by GhostCoder. Even if I wasn't, it is unrelated. I'll add some catch statements and we'll see if we can track it down.

StanSimmons: You could do that, but it would take quite awhile to finish the call, as TClient-lib wouldn't return until noppv.tcl returned. You could certainly try it.

[Glitched]

i used the script seemed to work great... good idea.. lets see if i understand how this works, by looking at the output... it re-lables every ppv event in the ~12 day guide.. as non ppv.. point being it relables everything in the guide at the current time.. right?

.. hmm , wonder what you switched to instead of pitou

p.s. i noticed it removed the ppv flag from {tivo nightly service download} wonder why that would be ppv? hmm

[AlphaWolf]

Hmm....Ya know, I just rebooted my tivo and tried it...seems to work now.

Says PPV flag removed. (movie name here)
several times.

Problem appears to be solved.

Would have tried it earlier but I was in the middle of recording something, sorry

[IWantMyDTV]

I'm pretty sure you could call it like this and have it return immediately.

noppv.tcl >> /dev/null &

[_Formula]

Originally posted by Glitched
.. hmm , wonder what you switched to instead of pitou

Haha.. Yeah

Anyway yes, that's what it does. It only modifies stuff currently in the database. Everything added afterwards will be like normal.

AlphaWolf, try running this script. I added a catch to the line that's causing you problems. Maybe the output will give me some clues.

Edit: removed the attachment... No need to have 2 seperate downloads now that Alpha got his working.

[_Formula]

Originally posted by IWantMyDTV
I'm pretty sure you could call it like this and have it return immediately.

noppv.tcl >> /dev/null &

From a tcl script? I know that will return immediately from a bash script, but not sure how to do it from a tcl script (or even whether or not it's possible).


Also, reguarding TIVOR listed in the output, that's just because it lies in the 101-200 range of channels that it checks. It doesn't do anything to those channels, even though it says it does.

[AlphaWolf]

BTW, nice fix formula, if it were up to me, I would recommend everybody use this because it adds the convience of not nearly as much hassle to record a pay per view.

EDIT: As for this running daily, if you happen to be using the TivoTitle script and have it set to run daily, add a line in RunTivoTitle to execute noppv.tcl > /dev/null inside of the if/fi statements.

[Glitched]

i got ya.. so it just does this for all channels in the 100-200 range... including 100(tivo service download)...

i havent check, but does it do the 594-598 range also?? LOL

[AlphaWolf]

Originally posted by Glitched
i got ya.. so it just does this for all channels in the 100-200 range... including 100(tivo service download)...

i havent check, but does it do the 594-598 range also?? LOL

Just tested it...nope. Ready for another version formula?

[Glitched]

yeah.. not much use in recording those channels in advance, this version works fine for me...

unless your bubbaJ, then it would be a must!... LOL couldnt resist.

AWESOME script _forumla.. great idea, thanks a ton!