DVArchive problem?

[chain777]

I have some problems with conflicts that don't exist when trying to schedule recordings via DVArchive. I've had *some* problems in the past with this, but ignored it since it was a rare problem. The problem now is DVA reports a conflict and a recurring recording that I can't seem to eliminate. The Replay that the conflict appears on doesn't show any recording scheduled, and I've rebooted it, but the "ghost" recording still shows up on DVA.

Is there some way I can clear out all the data in DVA and have it rebuild the info without completely wiping out DVA and reinstalling? I'm assuming that there's some bad (old) data in there somewhere that's causing this?

I'm running the latest version of DVA and the latest version of software on both Replays.

[Cutrock]

To clear out all the data in DVA, you could delete your XML files. You will have to reset your preferences, tv listings and such after deleting the files, but you will not lose your programs.
However, I'm wondering if you might be conflicting on a recording that actually goes 1 min overtime such as "LOST" on ABC. Like you, I had this issue of what appeared to be a ghost conflict and wasn't able to automatically detect it by scanning DVA's tv listings. I finally discovered it was because of the extra minute of programing.

[chain777]

Originally posted by Cutrock
To clear out all the data in DVA, you could delete your XML files. You will have to reset your preferences, tv listings and such after deleting the files, but you will not lose your programs.
However, I'm wondering if you might be conflicting on a recording that actually goes 1 min overtime such as "LOST" on ABC. I had this issue and wasn't able to automatically detect it by scanning DVA's tv listings.

Thanks for the info.

About the conflict: No, it isn't a recording that goes over the time slot. It's an old recurring recording (ABC news at 11:00 p.m.) that I deleted about a month ago from the Replay but it still shows up in DVA. It isn't listed anywhere on the replay, but DVA insists it still exists...I can't seem to elimnate it, so I think I'll delete the .xml files (I was hoping to find another way since this means rebuilding my TV listings, which is a major PITA).

*I just did a search for the .xml files and 473 showed up, about half related to DVA or poopli. Is there a specific file I should look for to clear this up, or do I have to delete all of them? I assume the ones related to specific shows don't need to be deleted, and ones not related to DVA, but that still leaves quite a few. Am I on the right track?

[MaxH]

I would recommend you start by clearing the listings by going into DVArchive Preferences, choose the TV guide tab, and you will find a button to "Clear TV Listings". Then, BEFORE you reload the listings, shut down DVA and restart it. (That may not make any difference, but I have to do that every so often when DVA won't free up memory.)

If that doesn't work, you ONLY should delete the DVA_TV.xml file and any similarly named backups, then reload your listings.

If that doesn't do it, it's probably not going to help to delete your settings file DVArchive.xml.

[burger23]

Just to clarify the .xml files in DVA:

There are two .xml that DVA requires: dvarchive.xml and DVA_TV.xml. Both of these can be deleted, and DVA will rebuild them-- but you need to be prepared to re-enter relevant data.

Beginning with DVA 3.0, all other .xml files will have a show name attached (showname.xml)- DO NOT DELETE these since they contain information on the recorded show-- if for some reason such a file is corrupt, then only that one show will be effected.

[MaxH]

Originally posted by burger23
Just to clarify the .xml files in DVA:

There are two .xml that DVA requires: dvarchive.xml and DVA_TV.xml. Both of these can be deleted, and DVA will rebuild them-- but you need to be prepared to re-enter relevant data.

Yes, but why not start with the one that contains the TV listings, DVA_TV.xml, since the main thing Andy wants to do is to try and clear the listings? Then, since you didn't delete your DVArchive.xml file, you don't have to re-enter all your settings and your tasks.

[burger23]

I wasn't making a recommendation of what to do - rather, I was further explaining the relationship between the xml files.

But since you bring it up, :-) by all means try deleting the DVA_TV.xml file first. For most people it is the easiest to rebuild (ZIPCODE and any custom channel preferences).

[chain777]

OK guys, I'm stumped now. I tried deleting the TV_.xml files (there were 2), but same problem. I then deleted all the .xml files related to DVA, restarted it and re-entered all the info. It rebuilt the line-up, and the phantom recording is still there? I have no idea where DVA is getting this data from. The Replay has *no* information about this long-ago deleted recording.

Does my machine have a ghost? Oh well, back to do some more searching. Thanks for the help so far.

Hey Gerry, you out there?

[Wrecks]

The problem isn't with DVArhive, it's with the ReplayTV unit. Deleting a show is like deleting a file on a computer. All the data is still there, just the pointers to it are wiped. If you use a program like ReplaySchedule and look at the data returned when you query a unit as to it's recording schedule, you'll see lots of recordings listed that haven't been used in a very long time. They are supposed to have a bit set to tell other units that the entry is really a "blank" spot ready for use again, but sometimes that bit doesn't get set.

How to fix it: I don't know of an easy way. A factory reset should do it, but that is kinda drastic.

You might try setting a recording (on the unit itself using the remote, not using DVArchive) for the same day of the week and time. Your unit may tell you that there is already a recording scheduled and ask you if you want to schedule the new show anyway. But I suspect that this won't affect the "bad" recording slot. A factory reset may be the only solution.

Don't think that a factory reset is all that terrible. Go to my.replaytv.com and make a printout of all your recordings, do the factory reset, and build the recording schedule again. I did this myself in a few hours when I was having troubles with a slow ReplayTV unit.

[chain777]

Thanks Wrecks.

I had considered a factory reset, but off-loading about 100GB's to DVA is what's stopping me. I don't have the space available.

I guess I'll just live with it until I can find the time and space to do the reset.

[gduprey]

Just to clarify -- when scheduling a show, DVA does not use any info local to DVA. It may get the date/time/name of the show you want to request from it's TV listings, but that just "primes the pump". After that, DVA sends to request to the ReplayTV and the ReplayTV decides when/if it can record the show and sends back a list of possibilities. If there is just
one option, DVA auto-selects it and sends the final request back. If there is >1, you'll be prompted for which one you want, then that one is scheduled. If there are 0, you get the error about conflicts.

Nothing much DVA can do about it -- all the conflict resolution for scheduling is done in the ReplayTV itself.

[chain777]

Thanks for the clarification Gerry. I suspected it was the Replay giving the bad data, but I didn't know how to "fix" it. It looks like a factory reset is the only option.

[Slack]

Before you reset.

Have you checked the bottom of 'All Shows' category?
Perhaps it is hiding down there.

[chain777]

I didn't find the recording there, but your idea gave me an idea.

I looked at the recording details via DVArchive, and see that the errant recording is actually a legitimate recurring recording I set up. The thing is, it's not recording at the time specified in the details.

I set up a recurring recording from 6:00-6:30p.m. M-F for ABC news. It's fine every day but Monday. That's the day it shows up both at 6:00p.m. *and* 11:00p.m. I still don't understand why it would record the 11:00p.m. slot. I see that Monday Night Football is on, but it's two slots ahead of the 6:00p.m. news, followed by the 11:00p.m. news. I don't see how the Replay *thinks* it's supposed to record the 11:00p.m. slot. I thought it might be catching it because of football and the recurring recording being able to catch changes if they weren't more than one time slot away, or was it two? Maybe this is what's happening. But why would it catch the 11:00 episode if the 6:00 episode is already scheduled to record?

Any ideas what logic it's using to do this?

[boekjar]

I thought it wouldn't hurt to add my experiences into the mix.

On my ReplayTV, I record SportsCenter every morning. (I think the 5am-6am one, which is not consistent all 7 days of the week, but it records one episode every morning before I get up anyways.) The first time I noticed this "ghosting" problem was when I viewed my Upcoming Shows in DVArchive, and it listed the 11pm SportsCenter on Monday nights (58 minutes), though my ReplayTV has never recorded that slot (conflicts or no). So, for a few months now, I've had that listing, and I didn't know why.

I tried troubleshooting it by setting ReplayTV to record that slot (both commanding the recording from the ReplayTV and from DVArchive) and then deleting it later, but now I've just got MORE SportsCenter episodes popping up in my Upcoming Shows. Right now, I also have Friday morning (12/24) at 12:15am SportsCenter (60 minutes), Saturday night (12/25) at 11:30pm SportsCenter (60 minutes), Monday night (12/27) at 11pm SportsCenter (58 minutes), and Wednesday morning (12/29) at 12:15am SportsCenter (60 minutes). I'm guaranteeing you now that none of those will actually record. (The recording on the morning of the 29th actually "wins" the conflict battle, but I'm sure the other will actually record successfully, as has happened in the past.)

I've just been resigned to ignoring it at this point. It just makes me nervous when a ghost recording is set to "win" the conflict battle over something that is much more important to me.

[Wrecks]

I suppose it might be possible to delete the offending recording and replace it with a manual recording of the same time slot. This might get the ReplayTV unit to not try and match shows by name, but record only at a certain time.

[boekjar]

SportsCenter does not air at the same time each of the 7 days of the week. I guess I could set up a manual recording for Tuesday-Saturday, then another recording for Sunday and another for Monday... But wouldn't it make more sense to get to the bottom of the issue and figure out what is causing it?

[boekjar]

By the way, if I go to http://my.replaytv.com/ and search for "SportsCenter", it will show all listings, but will only correctly mark the 5AM timeslots as 'to be recorded'.

Currently, DVArchive also lists the 10pm (90 minutes) SportsCenter on Sunday night (1/30/05) and the 10pm (60 minutes) SportsCenter on Monday night (1/31/05).
And those two recordings will not actually record on the ReplayTVs.