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[rpalmer68]

10. NEW: New TV recording system with multiple tuner support is working (but still has some rough edges).

Could we get some details on how this is going to work?

For example;
1) If I record two progams at the same time and although on different channels they are both on the same stream, will only one tuner be used? (My current software does this and it can be very handy)
2) Can we tell MC which tuners to use and which to not use, or will it just use any tuners it finds?
3) Will MC automatically try another tuner if it has problms with signal from a tuner it's trying to use?

Thanks
Richard

[Matt]

Could we get some details on how this is going to work?

Go to Drive & Devices > TV
Then load the EPG (use the button at the lower right)
Then double-click programs (or select and use buttons above) to record / subscribe
Pick Options > General > [X] Run Media Server on Windows startup to make sure recording happens, even with Media Center closed

1) If I record two progams at the same time and although on different channels they are both on the same stream, will only one tuner be used? (My current software does this and it can be very handy)

No plans for this currently.  It's a bit of a corner case.

2) Can we tell MC which tuners to use and which to not use, or will it just use any tuners it finds?

You will be able to make a prioritized list.  For now, the order is random.

3) Will MC automatically try another tuner if it has problms with signal from a tuner it's trying to use?

It works through a pecking-order when trying to get a tuner for a task and it will ask the tuner if it's capable of tuning the channel.  There's no fancy system when a tuner says it will work but then doesn't.  You would put your best tuners at the top of the prioritized list to make sure they're used the most.  For example, I have a new tuner that's more sensitive than one that's several years old, so I'd want it at the top of the list.

[Matt]

I think the actual TV recording is still commented out in the release build of 81.

Sorry for the goof.  We'll see what we can do.

Fixed in build 82.

[rpalmer68]

Can we PLEASE get automatic reloading of the XMLTV data, via the scheduler and as an MCC command?

There doesn't seem to be any way in standard view or Theater View now of starting TV playback without programming data being loaded, and the family aren't going to want to do it manually every morning!

Cheers
Richard

[Matt]

Can we PLEASE get automatic reloading of the XMLTV data, via the scheduler and as an MCC command?

There doesn't seem to be any way in standard view or Theater View now of starting TV playback without programming data being loaded, and the family aren't going to want to do it manually every morning!

Cheers
Richard

Yes, in time.

[Matt]

Build 82 should allow recording.

I noticed one weird thing right away:
If I record a channel, then try to watch that channel, it uses an idle tuner before using the tuner already recording that channel.

[JimH]

Thanks for the late build, Matt.

[Matt]

I subscribed to Seinfeld then went out for dinner.  I came back, and there's a Seinfeld waiting for me!

A couple notes:

• I think the naming could be better.  On my hard drive, the episode went to "Time-Shifting 2008-11-17 01" and the name in the library was "Ch 9-1 KMSP-HD 11_26_2008 18_30".  I'd rather be allowed to name the recording / subscription (default to program name) and use that.
• It only recorded 30:00 minutes, and I think the default start-early / end-late time should be one minute. (you can configure this per-program, but if you don't, the subscription should use these defaults)
• The recording timer has a granularity of like 20 seconds, so the episode wasn't exactly 30:00.  It'd be nice to have a one-second granularity, without incurring any performance hit due to processing the list of work to do.

[rpalmer68]

I subscribed to Seinfeld then went out for dinner.  I came back, and there's a Seinfeld waiting for me!

A couple notes:

• I think the naming could be better.  On my hard drive, the episode went to "Time-Shifting 2008-11-17 01" and the name in the library was "Ch 9-1 KMSP-HD 11_26_2008 18_30".  I'd rather be allowed to name the recording / subscription (default to program name) and use that.
• It only recorded 30:00 minutes, and I think the default start-early / end-late time should be one minute. (you can configure this per-program, but if you don't, the subscription should use these defaults)
• The recording timer has a granularity of like 20 seconds, so the episode wasn't exactly 30:00.  It'd be nice to have a one-second granularity, without incurring any performance hit due to processing the list of work to do.

Agree, name should be the Program name by default with a -1, -2 etc appended if there are duplicate names, and probably the day/month as well so you know which episiode it is.

Some other requets;
1) I'd  like to request the default start-early/end-late times be configurable, for me I need like 1 minute before but 10 minutes after as often live programming over here runs late and I lose the end of my program that  follows a live broadcast.

2) Subscriptions should be able to have multiple match lists set and wildcards, for example, "House"  over here can be "House", "House MD" or "House M.D." depending in the data source (I merge several sources together to get a complete source as Australia doesn't provide a free one!).  So for me to record "House"  I have "House" and "House M*" set in my "subscription" definition so I know it will be picked up. 

3) Subscriptions need to have time and day options, so I can say only record the subscription if it falls within certain times or on certain days, otherwise you end up getting repeats that screen during the day in a different time slot or on a different day.

Well there's a few more ideas... no doubt we will have more....

Cheers
Richard

[glynor]

A few thoughts on somewhat-related things that would be useful, since you're working hard on the system...

1) The ability to customize channel-lists on a per-tuner basis, and the ability to specify a "preferred tuner" would be very useful.  Perhaps this is already possible?  If not... That way, if you have a particular tuner that handles HD, you can specify HD channels are ONLY available for that Tuner (even if the other tuner can technically use the HD channels, perhaps in the case of an external tuning set-top box).  You would generally set MC up to "prefer" a secondary SD-only tuner (so that it is generally used for less important jobs).  However, any programs that you specify to record only on an HD channel, would automatically use the HD tuner (because it is where the HD channels are available).  The ability to set this effect manually, can come in handy as well.

2) Customizing start/end time "padding" on a per-schedule basis is very useful.

3) Along the lines with the "padding", it is equally important to have the padding be able to work smartly for scheduled recordings that occur in sequence.  So, say you want to record the following shows on HBO in sequence: Entourage (30 min, 8pm), Summer Heights High (30min, 8:30pm), True Blood (60min, 9pm), and then The Life and Times of Tim (30min, 10pm).  You want the padding for Entourage to be Start 5 minutes early (so you don't ever miss anything), and the end time for the Life and Times of Tim to be 5 minutes late (same reason).  However, you don't want to have to worry about going in and setting each other show to start/stop exactly on time (away from the defaults).  It is useful if the application recognizes that they are sequential recordings all on the same channel, and automatically adjusts the start/stop padding times to "encourage" them to all be recorded with the same tuner.  This will prevent the system from "toggling" back and forth between two available tuners, or worse skipping recordings, only because they "seem" to overlap by a few minutes due to the automatic padding when they obviously cannot because they are sequential.  This is a major failing of most of the software DVR applications I've used (some do better than others, but none are quite perfect).

[rpalmer68]

  However, you don't want to have to worry about going in and setting each other show to start/stop exactly on time (away from the defaults).  It is useful if the application recognizes that they are sequential recordings all on the same channel, and automatically adjusts the start/stop padding times to "encourage" them to all be recorded with the same tuner.  This will prevent the system from "toggling" back and forth between two available tuners, or worse skipping recordings, only because they "seem" to overlap by a few minutes due to the automatic padding when they obviously cannot because they are sequential.  This is a major failing of most of the software DVR applications I've used (some do better than others, but none are quite perfect).

My DVR software records all the shows using the same tuner as they are all the same stream, hence you still have the buffer for each show to ensure you get the full show in it's own recording.  So it would have two recordings running off the same tuner at the same time while there is an overlap.

Richard

[Matt]

When I schedule two recordings at once, it pops up and asks me ATSC or DVB-T like it's never seen the second card before.  This causes a hang.  I think the options need to be retooled a bit since it's no longer zone specific (except for the audio selection).

Also, if I do get it recording two shows at once, trying to watch the one on the second tuner uses the first tuner and asks "do you want to stop recording?" -- so there's no way to watch the second recording as it works now.