Possible for an end-user to filter the database?

[davidshack]

Apologies in advance if this is a stupid question . . .

The database of programmes/information which forms the new epg (the RT data?) includes a variety of information about each programme (I recall this mentioned in an earlier forum topic on "flappy hands signing"), including (eg) category.

When "picking programmes to record" in TiVo you can filter down to INCLUDE just (eg) comedy category. It has always disappointed me that you cannot EXCLUDE categories; thus halving (or less) the number of programmes I have to scan through each week to pick those to record.

I recognise that we cannot change any of TiVo's menu items or flags - so cannot modify TiVo to do this.
But could a user trim the (weekly?) epg database before loading it onto their TiVo? Or by extracting it from TiVo after download, then pushing a modified database back?

When using an ordinary database, I can import it, manipulate it with a "retreive" request - which would exclude anything with CATEGORY= (say) children, animation, whatever - then pipe the output to a new database. Ditto with a "sort" request on (eg) date film released.

YY

[mikerr]

Not a stupid question, and this was addressed at least for wishlists in the blocklist hack:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/sh ... p?t=353390

-with that you can block recording of films earlier than 1970, or exclude kids programmes
(note that this probably needs updating for altEPG as the genres have changed)

Are you asking for a way to zap sections of guide data, so it won't show up at all in searches (or the TV guide - its all the same data)
on your tivo ?
Could be done - but would leave gaps in the TV guide overlay - e.g killing "childrens programmes" would mean BBC1 3-5pm would show up as "BBC1 programming"

[davidshack]

Thanks for your helpful reply. Had a look at the wishlists thread.

Different people use their TiVos in different ways.
Mine, (rightly or wrongly!) is to once a week go through the list of films in the epg by "pick progs to rec" > "films" > "a". So I'm shown all films alphabetically & can record ones my wishlists (eg of actors) haven't picked up.

Plus about once a month I go through ALL progs the same way to pick out new material of interest. Only once a month because it takes a while, even though I only use freesat channels!

I never watch live TV, never use the TV-guide overlay.


So I'm seeking a way to zap sections of guide data, as this would dramatically reduce the number of films/programmes presented to me during my alphabetical searches. In particular "childrens" (there are so many of them - which is as it should be for kids)

.
.
As a completely unrelated point, perhaps updating the "global blocklist for wishlists" might simplify the altepg's team SP work. Take for example the F1 thread - where contributions arguing about 1SP or 3SP have been er . . . forthright . . ?

viewtopic.php?t=458&p=2999&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+tivoland+%28tivoland.com%29#p2999

1 wishlist supported by blocklist would enable people to record the race whilst ignoring qualifying & highlights.
As one contributor has found on the original thread:
""So if I add the words "Qualifying" and "Highlights" to the right hand column (episode descriptions) in the manual editor of the block files accessed from the User Interface/To Do list in TivoWeb will the Qualifying and Highlights programs for "Formula 1" on BBC One and BBC Three then be blocked but the Race program still recorded?""
Pete77 4/5/09

[davidshack]

< bump >

any progress, please?