vdr-plugin-tvguide/README

This is a "plugin" for the Video Disk Recorder (VDR).

Written by:                  Louis Braun <louis DOT braun AT gmx DOT de>

Project's homepage:          http://projects.vdr-developer.org/projects/plg-tvguide 

Latest version available at: http://projects.vdr-developer.org/projects/plg-tvguide/files

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.
See the file COPYING for more information.

Requirements
------------

- Clone Git Repository: git clone git://projects.vdr-developer.org/vdr-plugin-tvguide.git
- VDR version >= 2.0.0
- Installed ImageMagick or GraphiksMagick for showing png/jpg Channel Logos, EPG Images 
  and menu icons
- for scaling the video picture to fit into the VDR menu window please use
  softhddevice plugin revision 87c1c7be (2013-01-01) or newer.
- Installed epgsearch Plugin for extended search & recording features.
- Installed remotetimers Plugin for creating timers on a vdr server remotely from a 
  vdr client.


Description
-----------

"TvGuide" is a highly customizable 2D EPG viewer plugin.

Installation
------------

After "normal" Plugin installation you have to care about the paths for the
used Icons, the channel logos and epg images. The following paths can be set
at startup:

-l path, --logodir=path
    Path to the logos (Default: <ResourceDirectory>/plugins/tvguide/channellogos/).

-e path, --epgimages=path
    Path to the epgimages (Default: <CacheDirectory>/plugins/tvguide/epgimages/).

-i path, --icons=path
    Path to the icons directory (Default: <ResourceDirectory>/plugins/tvguide/epgimages/).

<ResourceDirectory> and <CacheDirectory> is taken from your VDR configuration 
(make.config or vdr.pc).

During a "make install" the Icons are automatically copied from <PlgSourceDirectory>/icons/
to the default path. Included Theme files are also copied from <PlgSourceDirectory>/themes/
to <ConfigDirectory>/themes/

I recommend to use channel logos from https://github.com/3PO/Senderlogos
To download them just change in the directory you want to place the logos
and do a:

git clone https://github.com/3PO/Senderlogos.git logos

An update of the logos can then be done with a "git pull" just inside this
directory.

For S2-6400 Users: Disable High Level OSD, otherwise the plugin will not be
loaded because lack of true color support

For Xine-Plugin Users: Set "Blend scaled Auto" as OSD display mode to achieve
an suitable true color OSD.

For Xineliboutput Users: Start vdr-sxfe with the --hud option enabled

Usage
-----

Remote Control Keys:

Up/Down/Left/Right:    Navigation in the EPG grid
Ok:                    Detailed EPG View of the selected grid
                       2nd Ok closes the detailed view
Red:                   Search & Recording Menu
Green / Yellow:	       Jump (default) five channels back / forward
Blue:                  Switch to currently selected channel

Numeric Keys: If Setup Option "Functionality of numeric Keys" is configured
to "Jump to specific channel", the numeric keys are used for channel number
input. If "Timely Jump" is configured, the keys are used as follows:

1 / 3:                 Big jump (default 3h) back / forward in time
4 / 6:                 huge jump (default 24h) back / forward in time
7 / 9:                 jump to previous / next prime time (8pm)

Exit:                  closes plugin

In Search & Recording menu the following options are available:

- Instant Record: create a timer for the currently selected program. An
  check for timer conflicts will be performed, if a timer conflict occurs,
  the involved timers can be adapted to solve the conflict.
- Delete / Edit Timer: if a timer already exists for the currently selected
  broadcast, this timer can be deleted or edited.
- Create Series Timer: create a periodical timer for a dedicated time on
  dedicated days.
- Create Search Timer: create an search timer with epgsearch. The most
  important options can be defined directly in the menu, alternatively
  epgsearch templates can be used to define the searchtimer options.
- Create Switch Timer: create a switch timer for the currently selected
  program.
- Search: search with epgsearch
- Search in Recordings: check if a recording already exists for the currently
  selected program.
- Check for Timer Conflicts: check for timer conflicts with epgsearch.

The search & recordings menu is intended to present a convenient interface
to different VDR core recording features and additional epgsearch features.
The main goal is to reach better usability for "non expert users". Some
advanced features like editing or deleting search timers and creating epgsearch
templates are not implemented. For these "expert settings" the epgsearch plugin
(or the VDR schedules menu replaced by epgsearch) have to be used directly.

The navigation through the search & recording menu can be done easily with
up/down, left/right and the ok key. In scrolling lists, with left/right
(after the first/last option of the displayed list element is selected) you
jump directly to the top/bottom of the list.

If the Option "Use folders for instant records" is set, both during creating an
instant records and a series timer you can choose the directory where the
recordings will be stored. As possible folders all entries from VDRs
<VDRCONFIG>/folders.conf will be used. These entries can be edited via OSD
through VDRs Timers Menu.

Setup Options
-------------

* General Settings:

- Show Main Menu Entry
  Display "tvguide" in main menu
- Replace VDR Schedules Menu
  If set to "yes", the original VDR schedules menu will be replaced by tvguide
- Use appropriate nOpacity Theme: if nOpacity is configured as VDR skin, you can 
  configure TVGuide to select the choosen nOpacity theme automatically also as 
  TVGuide theme. If the appropriate theme is not avaiable, the default theme
  will be used. If set to "no", you can configure the theme independend of
  nOpacity
  - Theme: nOpacity independent theme to use
- Time to display in minutes: period of time to display in main EPG view
- Rounded Corners
  Use rounded corners for displayed boxes
- Channel Jump Mode (Keys Green / Yellow)
  select between jumping x channels back/forward or to the previous / next 
  channel group
- Keys Blue and OK
  Blue: Channel Switch, Ok: Detailed EPG 
  or
  Blue: Detailed EPG, Ok: Channel Switch
- Close TVGuide after channel switch: If set to "no", tvguide will not be closed
  after a channel switch.
- Functionality of numeric Keys: see chapter Usage / Remote Control Keys
- Hide last Channel Group
  If set to yes, the channels of the last channel group will not be displayed
- Big Step (Keys 1 / 3) in hours
  Hours to jump vertically with keys 1 / 3
- Huge Step (Keys 4 / 6) in hours
  Hours to jump vertically with keys 4 / 6
- Time Format (12h/24h)
- Use folders for instant records. If set to yes, when creating an instant record
  or a series timer you'll be asked about the folder for the recordings.
- Use Remotetimers: Timers are handled not locally but on a VDR Server defined
  with the remotetimers plugin.
- Display Reruns in detailed EPG View

* Screen Presentation:

- Display Mode
  Choose between horizontal or vertical display of the channels. All further
  width / height settings are dependend of this setting
- Width/Height of Channel Header (% of osd width/height)
- Width/Height of Timeline (% of osd width/height)
- Number of Channels to display
- Height of Footer
- Display status header
  - Height of status header (% of osd height/height)
  - Scale video to upper right corner
  - Rounded corners around video frame
- Display Channel Names in Header
- Display channel groups
  - Width/Height of channel groups (% of osd width/height)
- Show Channel Logos	
  show / hide channel logos, if logos are shown:
  - Logo Extension
    jpg / png
  - Logo width ratio
  - Logo height ratio
- Show EPG Images
  show / hide EPG images, if images are shown:
  - EPG Image width ratio
  - EPG Image height ratio
  - Number of additional EPG Images: number of additional EPG
    images displayed at the bottom of the detailed EPG view.
  - Additional EPG Image width (in Pixel)
  - Additional EPG Image height (in Pixel)
	
* Fonts and Fontsizes:

- Font:
  Used Font, all Fonts installed on your system are shown
- adjust various font sizes:
  the defined value is added to / subtracted from the default font size