Disable Delete for Local Content

Beta Community DVR Beta
#21

This comment is enough to make us look deeper into how we can make it work how you guys want it to work! :rofl:

We would hope you consider Channels to be your all in one media center. This is what we're working towards. We don't want you or your families having to use multiple pieces of software. That goes against our mission.

While we have DVR in the name of our server, we consider DVR just one of multiple ways for you to get content in your all in one media app. Considering Channels not that app actually breaks my heart!

The bottom line is, there are fans that DO want to delete content. And fans that don't. If we don't let you delete content, then only one side gets what they need.

We can sometimes be provocative in our feature development. And this is just one case. It not only got everyone to really communicate how much they feel about this, but also WHY.

So we'll be looking into ways to make it so you can protect your imported content.

11 Likes
#22

Meanwhile my DVR upgraded to the pre-release the gives the ability to delete local content. So I made the decision to remove my imported content and Playon Cloud until this is addressed.

#23

Exactly. I use Emby for all my local collections tv series etc. It has multi user profile support, with username/password and extensive permissions u can set for pretty much every aspect or function of the software.
Channels DVR, not even close to useable for a local media server, imo.
Unless they add in that level of functionality, I will never use it for local media things.

Channels is great for a single user, or everyone use just one interface cable tv dvr and live tv play back...cable box replacement setup.

#24

Yeah but Playon Cloud is also deletable. Now who would want to delete from Playon Cloud after you have paid for the content,

#25

Unfortunately, because Channels still has issues with large libraries, it is not adequate as a complete media solution.

  • Its information density is quite poor (no text-only list view)
  • Full data cannot be seen (a movie's description is truncated about half-way down the screen, with no way to view the complete description; only the first 3 actors are listed)
  • The interface still has text contrast issues that make reading descriptions in a Detail modal a chore

Those are just a few of the paper cuts that make Channels just a TV/DVR app, while some like Kodi or Plex must be used as a proper media center for movies or archived TV series.

1 Like
#26

Yeah but Playon Cloud is also deletable. Now who would want to delete from Playon Cloud after you have paid for the content,

Personally speaking I'd delete from PlayOn Cloud, after I've watched what I recorded. I don't typically use PlayOn Cloud to acquire content that I intend to keep forever. I paid to record and watch it, not necessarily archive it. But maybe that's just me.

Back on topic though, I see both sides, those who want to be able to delete, and those who really don't want to see that functionality for local content for fear of family members deleting stuff. Perhaps there's a compromise that makes everyone happy? Just to brainstorm, what about adding an optional setting that would require the entry of a pre-selected PIN code in order to delete a title? Or a PIN code lock on the global setting that enables deletability. That way only "authorized" users, who know the PIN code, will be able to actually delete local content, and those who don't know it, would be prevented. Just an idea. :slight_smile:

#27

Hopefully before this goes in the next Stable Release that gets forced on every user.
Windows 10 anyone?

I'm all for an improved Channels experience and see it becoming more of a single solution, but things like these need feedback and time to ferment. It's a drastic change for some and for others it's a 'meh'. Depends on what you use Channels for.

#28

I'd be fine with being able to control file deletion based on user profile :smile:

2 Likes
#29

When I first started testing the Movie Import "Alpha" feature I was concerned about loosing my collection of movies. We were told in the being that our movies could not be physically deleted so I was ok with it. Not too long ago I noticed the option to disable deletions which I thought was a good idea to make sure that could not happen. But then I found out that my wife could not delete her TV Show recordings. So that was a problem. So I had to re-enable that feature but still felt my Movies were safe from physical deletion. But now they can actually be deleted forever. I am not happy about this new feature. Not sure what to do about it. I mainly still use PLEX waiting for this feature to be completed so limited testing. However, sounds like the developers are seeing the seriousness of this and will come up with a better solution. I would prefer global settings at the DVR level instead of in the client. And for it to be on the actual import source. I.E. DVR recorded content. Yes delete. Imported TV Shows. Yes on some and No on others. Import Movies. No. Maybe some would even say Yes and No so the content can come from multiple imports and have the setting at the import level.

4 Likes
#30

Maybe it’s me, but I don’t see the big deal.

Make sure your wife only deletes her shows? Problem solved?

If you have kids however, well that’s a bit different. You could do what somebody else suggested and set read only permissions on all your local content for the user running channels... then you can’t delete?

#31

Why would we be forced to set read options on our Stuff just because Channels DVR allows deletion of all content. That is really a dumb idea. EMBY Plex Sagetv all allow you to protect imported content against deletion. I am not in the habit of baby sitting a DVR. This is a step backwards. I moved all imported content back to EMBY. And if EMBY were to support Comskip I would move all my recorded content there too.

EMBY
Screenshot 2021-02-25 202016

#32

I wasn’t aware emby did this. I use Plex myself, which from what I can see is all or nothing.

#34

I am not sure my comments should mean I consider it a "big deal". I am a very early user of Channels before there even was a DVR. I am a huge fan and my wife would not use anything else causing us to actually spend more money on content to make it happen (then TVE came and it is great). However, I am also a fan of PLEX and all the features and sharing and user profiles is also a great product. Would I like Channels to have all of the features of PLEX with a single user interface that we enjoy? Of course. But we have some issues with Channels not having all of the features of PLEX at this point to make it not a replacement for us. And not being able to protect the important content from accidental deletion is a concern. So, sounded like more people were saying if they had a choice of delete anything or delete nothing I felt I should give my reasons for having more choices. We still love and enjoy using Channels and will continue to use it. But until we have more protections we will not replace PLEX and may not use it in parallel with PLEX.

#35

I have both PLEX and EMBY. I got EMBY shortly before the PLEX UI upgrade (which I like). I liked EMBY better before the PLEX UI upgrade. I still have EMBY sharing the same folders as PLEX but I like PLEX better. Not sure I can remember why. But I never use the PLEX UI to delete content that I add which I consider permanent. I do not use the PLEX DVR because I have Channels which I have always considered FAR superior.

#36

I'd say there really needs to be the ability turn delete content on or off, and it needs to be a separate setting for both recorded shows and imported content. I'd suggest putting the setting under the import content menu.

Like others have said, I would never use Channels DVR to delete the imported content, as that is where all content I want to keep perpetually is stored. I would actually prefer the imported content to be under a different menu item, instead of being poured in with all the recordings. I view those two items as completely different things, so it only confuses things to pour them into the same bucket. Separating them would further help prevent errant deletion, because it enforces the fact they are two completely different sources.

It's because of previous errant deletions that I removed all imported content from Channels DVR, and am not likely bring it back in until this deletion is fully resolved with the ability to turn the setting off separately for both imported and recorded items.

The option to put the entire imported library as read-only is not really an option as it would require quite a bit extra work for automated naming/moving/tagging processes. Besides, it would seem like a drastic step when the real solution appears to be a fairly simple one. Unless you are targeting superusers as your primary user base, it wouldn't be a good idea to require people use advanced file management techniques to remedy issues such as this.

I really do see Channels DVR as my go-to app for entertainment, and it's getting better all the time. I appreciate all the work you've done and continue to do in development. I've been with you from the start and you all have exceeded my wildest dreams - and you are still hard at work. I'm sure this issue will be handled in a way that helps us all protect our content, and then this really will be the one stop app for entertainment!

Thanks!

Chief

3 Likes
#37

I have been using the local content since it was first added and I have just stopped using it and removed my imported sources for a couple reasons. First I really like that channels is doing this. The is an awesome direction and the playback experience is fast and fluid. Buttery goodness. But the following are causing me grief:

  1. DVR Content is different than ripped content.

DVR Content needs to be deleted and managed as I run out of space or as I watch content and no longer want to keep it around. Much of it is ephemeral. When the DVR content is mixed with ripped/saved content it becomes difficult to cleanup the DVR as I run out of space. Where are some things I can delete to make more room?

  1. Protect my rips

When me or someone in my house is trying to make room to record more content on the DVR, it is easy to mistake something that is ripped content for DVR content and accidentally delete something that shouldn’t be deleted. Back when I first added local content it couldn’t be deleted so this wasn’t a concern but now it can be deleted and it doesn’t look any different. Ripped content / local content must be able to be protected from removal.

  1. Bad matches

I’ve run into some really bad matches that plex gets no problem. I think the problems on matching are twofold. First, the matching algorithm and number of sources used. It feels like some attention is needed here. Maybe multiple sources could be used at once and some logic can try to determine the best match. Second, when no good match is found right now it picks something and runs with it even if it is a terrible match (i.e. year and name aren’t even close). But this causes the bad match to disappear into the sea of the content library. It seems better to not match and either show as generic artwork and use the file name OR (maybe better) leave the item out of the library and provide some way to correct and to tell which ones are not matched.

  1. Extra content

This is probably lower priority but I rip all of the extras and having a way to view this content and keep it organized with the movies/shows is needed so I don’t have to jump between apps. In addition, at least previously, extras content was also adding to the bad matches problem above.

4 Likes
#38

I've gone back to Plex and removed my imported content from Channels also.

For me, I like to keep recorded content and imported content separate - they are consumed differently in our family. I was hoping this would change, but Channels devs have indicated this is how they envision the library.

I'm also not going to take the risk that one of the kids deletes any of the imported content and don't want to start messing with setting files as read only.

I realise that imported content is still in its early days, so may revisit down the line if it improves.

Channels as a DVR on the other hand, is second to none!

1 Like
#39

I also made the move from Channels DVR for my imported content in my case went back to EMBY for a lot of the reasons @syplex posted.

#40

I'm sticking with Channels for my Imports since I made them read-only remote SMB mounts.

#41

Running the server on Linux, I created symbolic links in the import folder that points back to the file on the SMB mount (one symlink for each movie/show I want in Channels). When I delete a movie or tv show, it only trashes the symlink and not the file on the SMB mount. Best workaround for me.