[trogggy]

Maybe there's some big technical reason why this is difficult, or maybe my searching has been rubbish.

What I'd like to be able to do is to set a shortcut to open a specific channel group - either via name or via the idGroup stored in the TVxx.db file.
Example of usage:
I have buttons mapped to playlists for kids' films / tv-shows. I'd like to stick another button next to those for kids' tv-channels.

It seems a bit odd that you can't do that at the moment, as it's an obvious feature (to me at least) and the required info appears to be all there in TVxx.db - but maybe there's a good reason.
If someone has a solution that works now (however complicated) please shout!

[trogggy]

Five months later I came back to this and figured out how to do it by a very roundabout route.
Still seems odd that there isn't a proper method, it's a very obvious feature.
Ho-hum.

[ksooo]

What do you mean by "open a channel group"? What exactly shall happen? I guess you want the channels window to open, displaying the content of the respective group?

[trogggy]

What do you mean by "open a channel group"? What exactly shall happen? I guess you want the channels window to open, displaying the content of the respective group?

I click a shortcut or press a remote button and jump to a page showing the channels in a specific channel group.
eg there's a 'kids tv' shortcut on the home screen that goes straight to childrens' channels.
Moving between channel groups is just completely unintuitive - I can do it, but I'm the only one in my house who does, the rest just scroll down the list.
Anyway it's solved for me, albeit in a clumsy way with scripts and an alternate keymap.

[ksooo]

Moving between channel groups is just completely unintuitive

Okay. Can you tell us what intuitive moving between channel groups would be for you?

[Ned Scott]

I don't know what trogggy has in mind, but right now channel groups are "hidden" away in a sidebar menu (another reason why I hate that menu, because it places things out of sight that shouldn't be out of sight). My family doesn't even know there are other groupings, and explaining it to them is hard because it's just one more complicated menu in their eyes. However, a home screen shortcut, or a remote control button, dedicated to "sports channels" is something they would understand.

[trogggy]

Moving between channel groups is just completely unintuitive

Okay. Can you tell us what intuitive moving between channel groups would be for you?

I'll have a go - although tbh this is a conversation I really wish I'd had 4 months ago.
Default behaviour:
If I'm in confluence* and I want to watch a news channel I open the tv channels window from the home screen.
Then I left-click to open the sideblade.
Then I click down 5 times to get to 'channel groups.'
Then I select and scroll down to the 'News' group, and click.
At that point I can see the channels I want.
When I've finished I go back to the home screen.
Later my son clicks the tv window, and sees the same News channels.
'Where's CBBC dad?'
'Hang on, I'll sort it out.'

There are some workarounds. I've used 'next channel group' and 'previous channel group' in my keymap, and also mapped a button to 'xbmc.executebuiltin('SendClick(28)')' to bring up the groups menu directly. Again, though, that's unintuitive - works for me, I know they're there, no good for anyone looking at an unfamiliar page.

What I have now:
Shortcuts on the home screen (and mapped to remote buttons) that take me directly to the channels in a particular group.
The tv channels window always set to open 'all channels' from the main link on the home screen.
That works for me, but it's specific to my system, I basically use scripts with plenty of simulated clicks, eg this sort of thing would take me directly to the second channel group channels from anywhere:

xbmc.executebuiltin('ActivateWindow(TVChannels)')
xbmc.executebuiltin('SendClick(28)')
xbmc.executebuiltin( "XBMC.Action(FirstPage)" )
xbmc.executebuiltin( "XBMC.Action(Down)" )
xbmc.executebuiltin( "XBMC.Action(Select)" )

Having the ability to open a specific channel group via json-rpc, or having a mappable 'channel group(argument)' function (like the next / previous channel group functions) would make it straightforward and intuitive to use once set up. Setting up would still be a bugger fairly 'advanced', but nobody would have to use it.
A permanently visible 'channel groups' button on the tv channels screen wouldn't be a bad thing either imo.

*Estuary is significantly better than confluence in that a left-click on the tv-channels page puts you straight on the channel groups button - still only works if you know it's there though.

PVR on kodi is mostly fantastic, this is a relatively minor thing that it just seems (to me) to be missing.

[trogggy]

I don't know what trogggy has in mind, but right now channel groups are "hidden" away in a sidebar menu (another reason why I hate that menu, because it places things out of sight that shouldn't be out of sight). My family doesn't even know there are other groupings, and explaining it to them is hard because it's just one more complicated menu in their eyes. However, a home screen shortcut, or a remote control button, dedicated to "sports channels" is something they would understand.

Exactly that.

<Still need that thumbs-up smiley>

[Ned Scott]

Alternatively, if there was a good way to show the channel groups in the GUI that was more intuitive then that might reduce the desire for a specific shortcut. However, that might be harder to get "right" in a way that makes everyone happy ;)

[ksooo]

Thanks for the feedback. I will see what I can make out if it.

Regarding "i wish I had this discussion 4 months ago": understandable, but as I'm basically the only active Kodi pvr developer for months now and given that I'm doing all this in my spare time, I would appreciate if you omit such comments next time as they are good for nothing - only have potential to upset people ;-)

[trogggy]

Alternatively, if there was a good way to show the channel groups in the GUI that was more intuitive then that might reduce the desire for a specific shortcut. However, that might be harder to get "right" in a way that makes everyone happy

I have a link on my homepage (as of yesterday ) that takes me straight to the group selection list - that at least would make people aware of its existence.

[trogggy]

Thanks for the feedback. I will see what I can make out if it.

Regarding "i wish I had this discussion 4 months ago": understandable, but as I'm basically the only active Kodi pvr developer for months now and given that I'm doing all this in my spare time, I would appreciate if you omit such comments next time as they are good for nothing - only have potential to upset people ;-)

I'm not apologising for that comment because there was nothing wrong with it.
If it upsets you then you're reading something into it that isn't there - it isn't a complaint, it was a lighthearted observation punctuated by a smiley.

[ksooo]

You have seen my smiley, haven't you.

I'm personally not upset in any way, it was just a general comment. My experience with this forum is, especially as we are multi cultural here, that some people are very sensitive when it comes to "negative" or even slightly negatively touched comments. Some of those, willing to help in the first place, will just ignore you after such a comment.

[black_eagle]

Alternatively, if there was a good way to show the channel groups in the GUI that was more intuitive then that might reduce the desire for a specific shortcut. However, that might be harder to get "right" in a way that makes everyone happy

Dunno if you've ever seen Sky TV's EPG Ned, but it has a list of what are effectively channel groups across the top (All Channels, Entertainment, Kids, Music, Movies, News etc) with the first few channels listed down the side.

My wife has no idea that channel groups exist, much less that I have some set up for Kodi. If I tried to explain to her what they are I think she would be totally confused. Yet she can easily navigate the Sky EPG without even realising that she's using channel groups.

This is an old version, but you get the idea.

[trogggy]

You have seen my smiley, haven't you.

I'm personally not upset in any way, it was just a general comment. My experience with this forum is, especially as we are multi cultural here, that some people are very sensitive when it comes to "negative" or even slightly negatively touched comments. Some of those, willing to help in the first place, will just ignore you after such a comment.

As you can see ksooo I've been here for 5 years so I have an idea of who's who and how it all works. It's not often that I ask for input, it's usually the reverse. I don't go out of my way to be horrible to people, and I can happily do without input from anyone who's offended by me.
If that sounds blunt it's not particularly intended to - it's just how it is.
Edit: and it's not aimed at you.