jumpit TAP

Introduction

This is a Topfield TMS PVR TAP program that applies a simple binary search to manually search and jump to new position in a recorded or time-slipped program. Jumpit can also be configured to action ordinary one-off "fixed jumps" only, if you prefer a very simple user interface. Refer to the configuration options below.

Read the latest documentation or download the latest built TAP.

Basic Operation

Press the RIGHT, LEFT, UP, or DOWN buttons to start. Pressing RIGHT or UP jumps forwards, LEFT or DOWN jumps backwards. A small position window will pop up and display your current jump position, last jump size, and next jump size. If you are past or ahead of your desired new position, then press LEFT or RIGHT again. The program will halve each step so that it "narrows down" to your desired position. If you make a mistake or get lost you can press RECALL (or GUIDE if more convenient on your remote) to return to your previous position. The RECALL key is used to Undo. Each press of the RECALL key will unstack the previous position, all the way back to the starting position if press the RECALL key repeatedly. Pressing UP or DOWN will jump full (coarse) steps until you get to a new position to start a new half (fine) search. Press OK to close the jump window at any position. You can also press OK initially to bring up the position window before you start jumping.

Configuration and Advanced Operation

The default (and initial) jump size is 3 mins. Rather than the navigation keys described above, you can also load and jump using different initial jump sizes by pressing one of the 4 colour/function buttons as described below in Key Assignments. The 4 colour/func buttons are fixed "hot" jump keys but, in the default configuration, are only active if the jumpit window is displayed so you can still use the regular TMS colour/func key skip assignments.

You can change any of the default jump sizes and configure options by pressing the MENU key while the jumpit window is displayed. A configuration screen will display. Press UP/DOWN to select a jump value or option; and then press the RIGHT/LEFT keys to increment/decrement that jump value or option. The new value is saved permanently. Press MENU or OK or EXIT to close the configuration window and return to the normal jumpit window.

The following configuration options are available:

• Remote/model type: Default value = 71XX.

  • 71XX: Set to this type for models 7100+, 7160, 7170, etc.

  • 24XX: Set to this type for models 2400, 2460, 2470, etc.

• Skipping mode: Default value = Binary.

  • Binary: Use binary search algorithm with window navigation and position history.

  • Fixed: Use simple fixed step jumps without window navigation or position history, etc.

• Left/Right keys jump: Default value = 3:00 mins. The default starting jump size in +ve seconds for the LEFT and RIGHT keys.

• Up key jump: Default value = 3:00 mins. The starting jump size when the Up key is pressed. It can be -ve or +ve although you would normally set this +ve. If set to 0 then the Up key is always ignored by jumpit.

• Down key jump: Default value = -3:00 mins. The starting jump size when the Down key is pressed. It can be -ve or +ve although you would normally set this -ve. If set to 0 then the Down key is always ignored by jumpit.

• Red/F1 key jump: Default value = -1:00 min. The starting jump size when the Red/F1 key is pressed. It can be -ve or +ve. If set to 0 then the Red/F1 key is always ignored by jumpit.

• Green/F2 key jump: Default value = -0:20 secs. The starting jump size when the Green/F2 key is pressed. It can be -ve or +ve. If set to 0 then the Green/F2 key is always ignored by jumpit.

• Yellow/F3 key jump: Default value = +0:20 secs. The starting jump size when the Yellow/F3 key is pressed. It can be -ve or +ve. If set to 0 then the Yellow/F3 key is always ignored by jumpit.

• Blue/F4 key jump: Default value = +1:00 min. The starting jump size when the Blue/F4 key is pressed. It can be -ve or +ve. If set to 0 then the Blue/F4 key is always ignored by jumpit.

• Window timeout: Default value = 0:30 secs. The number of seconds after the last key-press after which the jumpit window is automatically closed. NOTE: This value is not appropriate to Fixed mode skipping and so is disabled in that mode.

• Close window at last secs: Default value = 0:00 secs (i.e. disabled). The number of seconds at which your last step causes the window to be automatically closed. Set to zero to disable this function. Enabling this means jumpit will automatically close the window for you when you have narrowed your binary search down to a small time area. NOTE: This value is not appropriate to Fixed mode skipping and so is disabled in that mode.

• Left/Right keys: Default value = On Always.

  • Ignore: Always ignore the LEFT and RIGHT keys (and thus leave them for standard or other TAP use etc).

  • On Window: Only action the LEFT and RIGHT keys when the jumpit window is already displayed, else ignore them (and thus leave them for standard or other TAP use etc).

  • On Always: Action the LEFT and RIGHT keys whenever they are pressed and automatically display the jumpit window if not already displayed.

NOTE: If you have configured global Fixed mode skipping then above On Window is effectively the same as Ignore.

• Up/Down keys: Default value = On Always.

  • Ignore: Always ignore the UP and DOWN keys (and thus leave them for standard or other TAP use etc).

  • On Window: Only action the UP and DOWN keys when the jumpit window is already displayed, else ignore them (and thus leave them for standard or other TAP use etc).

  • On Always: Action the UP and DOWN keys whenever they are pressed and automatically display the jumpit window if not already displayed.

  • Fixed: Use the Up/Down keys as simple fixed step jumps without initiating window navigation or position history, etc. The other keys can be configured to use binary skipping mode in conjunction with fixed mode Up/Down keys.

You can also disable an Up or Down key individually by setting its jump value to zero as described above. NOTE: If you have configured global Fixed mode skipping then above On Window is effectively the same as Ignore.

• Colour/Func keys: Default value = On Window.

  • Ignore: Always ignore the Colour/Func keys (and thus leave them for standard or other TAP use etc).

  • On Window: Only action the Colour/Func keys when the jumpit window is already displayed, else ignore them (and thus leave them for standard or other TAP use etc).

  • On Always: Action the Colour/Func keys whenever they are pressed and automatically display the jumpit window if not already displayed.

  • Fixed: Use the colour/func keys as simple fixed step jumps without initiating window navigation or position history, etc. The other keys can be configured to use binary skipping mode in conjunction with fixed mode colour/func keys.

You can also disable a colour/func key individually by setting its jump value to zero as described above. NOTE: If you have configured global Fixed mode skipping then above On Window is effectively the same as Ignore.

Other Notes

Skipping using a binary/half search technique initially seems cumbersome to most users compared to regular fixed time skips. After a little practice however, you should find that you can skip much faster and also much more accurately to a specific place. This TAP happily coexists with the regular TMS skip buttons so, for example, you could use this TAP but others in your household can continue to use the regular TMS skip buttons or another TAP. You may need to configure the LEFT/RIGHT/UP/DOWN and/or Colour keys On Window/Always/Ignore as appropriate to accommodate this. See above description of these options.

The jumpit window times out and dismisses itself after 30 secs (default) of no key presses. This timeout is user configurable via the MENU configuration screen.

Jumpit is only active in playback or timeslip modes, not in normal (realtime) tv mode. However, if you are watching normal tv and want to search backwards using jumpit, just press the standard blue button once (i.e. 10 secs backwards) which will put you in timeslip mode, and from there you can navigate using jumpit.

This TAP is compatible with TMS Commander.

I developed this on my Australian TF7100HDPlus model PVR but it should work on at least the other Australian TMS models, e.g. TRF-2400, TRF-2460, TRF-2470, TRF7170, and TRF7160. Make sure you set the appropriate remote/model type in Menu/Settings. Note that jumpit will only work in timeslip mode on firmwares with "quad-recording" capability (atm).

A special thanks to Toni Salomaki for the skipit TAP which I used for years on my TF5000 and from where I got the inspiration for this TAP.

Key Assignments

Keys are only assigned by jumpit when you are viewing a recorded or time-slipped program. Most keys are only assigned when the jumpit window is displayed.

Key	Description
OK	Open or close jumpit display.
UP	Perform full jump (normally configured forwards), default = +3:00 mins.
DOWN	Perform full jump (normally configured backwards), default = -3:00 mins.
RIGHT	Perform binary forward half jump.
LEFT	Perform binary backward half jump.
RECALL/GUIDE/LIST	Reverse last jump (LIST key on 7100+/7170/7160).
MENU	Open configuration display (then use UP/DOWN to navigate and then RIGHT/LEFT to change value).
RED/F1	Perform configured jump fwd or back, default = -1:00 min.
GREEN/F2	Perform configured jump fwd or back, default = -0:20 secs.
YELLOW/F3	Perform configured jump fwd or back, default = +0:20 secs.
BLUE/F3	Perform configured jump fwd or back, default = +1:00 min.
SLEEP	Shutdown and stop jumpit TAP.
EXIT	Close jumpit display.

In typical binary ad-skipping use, you will only press the RIGHT and LEFT buttons to skip; and then OK to close. Sometimes you will use the UP and DOWN buttons to coarse skip through a program.

Installation

Unzip the jumpit.zip file and then use an FTP client to copy jumpit.tap to ProgramFiles/AutoStart/ directory (or copy it via a USB flash stick). Start it explicitly or restart your PVR. There are no other files required. The TAP will automatically create and maintain an INI file if you change any of the default configuration values.

Procedure to reset all configuration settings to defaults

Press the Sleep button while the jumpit window is displayed to shutdown the jumpit TAP. Then point your web browser at your Topfield PVR and log in with your user/pass. Select File Management/TAP Files/Settings/jumpit.ini to delete that file. Then restart the TAP on your Topfield (or just restart your PVR if you don't know how to do this). Jumpit will create an empty INI file on startup but will only ever save configuration options which you change from the default.

Author

• User bulletmark on the oztoppy Australia Forum.
• User bulletmark on github.

License

Copyright (C) 2012 Mark Blakeney.

This program is free software. and is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Change History

v1:

Initial public release.

v1.1:

You can now press the RIGHT or LEFT buttons and immediately action jumpit without pressing OK first.

v1.2:

The screen timeout (default 30 secs) is now configurable. Also added a configuration option to require first OK button or not (default is off) so that other skipping TAPs may intercept the LEFT and RIGHT keys before OK.

v1.3:

Added another configuration option to require first OK button for colour/function buttons. Default 1st Left/Right needs OK setting is off, default 1st Colour/Func needs OK setting is on. Most people would want instant left/right skipping, but preserve ordinary TMS instant skipping and bookmark functions using the colour/func keys until OK is pressed.

v1.4:

Also enabled UP and DOWN with LEFT and RIGHT if configured for immediate initial use. Changed name of those configuration options and updated README description throughout to favour immediate skipping operation.

v1.5:

Cleaned up and improved options yet again.

• Added option to auto-close window if last jump secs is within a configured value.
• Added ability to ignored selected or all colour/func keys.
• Added ability to enable/disable RIGHT/LEFT and UP/DOWN keys independently.
• Added ability to configure jumpit as a standard skipper with no window.
• Updated README file throughout and added full description of each configuration item.

v1.6:

Added configuration option for easy setup between Binary or Fixed mode skipping.

v1.7:

Added separate jump size configuration for UP and DOWN keys. Jump values can now be configured in steps of 5 secs rather than 10 secs.

v1.8:

Added option to configure colour/func keys, and/or Up/Down keys, as fixed skip mode only, but with the ability to use them in conjunction with binary skip Left/Right keys. Basically, this gives the ability to use some keys for fixed skipping, while maintaining primary binary skipping mode.

v1.9:

Added option to configure Up and Down keys with different jump sizes.

v1.10:

Changed key Off configuration name to Ignore to better indicate the meaning. I.e. if a key set to Ignore, or it's jump value is set to 0, then jumpit does not intercept that key at all and lets it through to be acted on by another tap, or the standard system.

v1.11:

Jumpit fixed to not intercept any keys when % window is displayed.

v1.12 2012-Oct-06:

Added option to set remote/model type = 71XX or 24XX to handle key differences.

v1.13 2013-02-18:

Added TAPID function to appear in TMSCommander tap list.