Remove items in mass from database without deleting

Channels DVR Server Troubleshooting
#1

I made a mistake and added a LOT of media to the local database (imported local movies) and, because it did not turn out like I wanted, I just want to remove them from CH-DVR without deleting them from the drive.

I tried just one movie and removed it from ch-dvr and it was deleted from my drive as soon as trash was emptied.

I just want my CH-DVR database to have only things recorded by CH-DVR but I have thousands of movies that got accidentally inported in the database and I cannot seem to just remove them from CH-dvr.

I am almost to the point where I am willing to remove CH-DVR completely if needed and then reinstall it. But I would rather just cleaning up my database or even empty it completely.

Any ideas or suggestions or directions are gratefully accepted.

#2

Screenshot 2023-05-28 at 11-54-29 Channels Settings
Screenshot 2023-05-28 at 11-54-29 Channels Settings1588×458 20.2 KB

The Learn More button leads to this article that tells you how

HINT: Use the trash icon to the right of the source directory you added

#3

Thanks for the tip but I have done most of that and any "delete" I do that removes the files from CH-DVR also removes them from my file system. I did not say but I have completely cleared all directories from the import. That is after the screwed up import I completely cleared out all import entries.
But I still have thousands of entries from imported movies. Also the all are still playable from CH-DVR.
This is what my import section now looks like in settings:

Local Content Import your existing media library into the DVR
Status
Idle
Movie Sources
TV Sources
Video Sources
Pre-Optimize Videos
Maintenance

At this point I am about to do a full wipe and reinstall. I just want my CH-DVR to look and act like I have never done the import.

BTW: At least now I know I do not want to use CH-DVR for my local media. It is too unnecessarily complex and too prone to putting my local content at risk.

#4

You need to attach a screenshot instead of copy/paste text.

Sounds like you need to follow the Maintenance section of the article to clear the database.

"You can force content that you may have deleted outside of Channels to be removed from your Channels library by using the Prune Deleted option in the Local Content section of Settings."
Screenshot 2023-05-28 at 12-14-20 Channels Settings

#5

Thanks everyone for trying but it just would not work at all. I cannot clear my database at all without deleting content.
Therefore I totally removed CH-DVR and installed again. I wanted to move the install to a different computer anyway and I installed on the new computer after I completely removed it from the original install location.

It now works just fine.

I guess I no longer need help.

#6

That would be a bug if it happened.
If you move the content out of the import directory and run prune deleted, it will remove the entries from the database.
If you remove the import directory from the Local Content setting, it will remove the entries from the database.

#7

Then there is a bug that needs fixing. But I have solved the problem for me, as I said earlier, by simply removing CH-DVR from the computer it was running on and making a new install of CH-DVR onto a different computer.

It was an action that I have been thinking about for some time and, probably, should have done it months ago.

I am running into something that I have not seen before (When setting up a season pass all the end padding options say "before") but I will make another post about that if I do not find a thread already existing.

#8

Next time remove the pointers to the content rather than the content.

#9

OP claims they did that, though.

#10

I'd love to see a video of what he is doing

#11

Too late. I did exactly what I said I did but, even though I removed all video sources from "local media" the library, even after two days, was sill available for play from CH-DVR.

But, as i said earlier, I used this bug as a trigger for me to move the service to a different computer. It is now working correctly and there is nothing in the library concerning local media and, that part of CH-DVR is too buggy for me to try again. CH-DVR works well for me as TV tuner and is pretty good at recording content but the extra of local content is just not worth the effort because of this bug. But that is OK, Emby plays my local media just fine. But I do not like their live TV much at all so I am content to let those two work together for my media.

BTW: I believe CH-DVR would be better for me if they had a Roku app. I do not buy that the Roku is not powerful enough as apps like the one for Spectrum TV and Peacock and Paramount Plus and ESPN and Fox sports and even the CONCACAF app work mostly perfectly. I guess the CH-DVR folks just do not feel it is needed. But, for me, it is.

#12

I wonder if this is an old issue (from a couple of years ago) that somehow resurfaced:

...but resurfaced for you, and only you? Because otherwise I'm thinking this forum would be overrun by other people experiencing this same "bug." I think perhaps you did things out of order or weren't fully understanding the relationship between CDVR and your files. That's OK, I didn't either, at first.

Glad you got your issue resolved, though!

BTW: It's not based merely on whether or not Roku is hardware "powerful enough," though. That's a gross oversimplification of the actual factors that led to what I'd consider a reasonable business decision. This has been discussed ad nauseum, should be easy to search and learn more: