trickle replicated / mirrored system

[expat]

Hi,

Not sure if this should sit under features or wish list.
Here it goes:
Would like to use GBPVR to record my TV programs on a box over here in the UK and convert them to DVX once the recording is done, then push the file over the internet to my GBPVR machine in the US, update the local database of the US machine and allow me to watch the program there.

I could use the webfrontend to schedule recordings. Of course would be even cooler if the EPG data would also be updated and record request made on the US machine would be acted upon/fulfilled by the UK machine. Kind of a master/slave setup. With the UK unit being a remote record station.

How much of this could be done with the current setup?
From what I have read the transcode is done, the data base file could probably periodically be just copied and an FTP client could keep the folder structures on both machines in sync? (the two boxes will be connected via a VPN). BUT, would the US GBPVR instance run correctly with out having any capture hardware locally? Are there limitations with mirroring the database? Should the content be mirrored before the database so there are no broken links or does this not matter?

The reason why streaming is not really an option for me is that my mate's DSL line is not fast enough to push the stream from the UK out. So the content update should run as a slow trickle over night.

Sadly not as much a hack as I would like to be but would be most greatful for any help/suggestions or even implementations.

Am going to study in the US for 2 years and am dreading the incredibly boring TV over there... (Lived there before so know what to expect, and BBC america is no substitute... unless you really love Alan Titchmark). Can't be without my UK telly.... Please help. Thanks.

[Spartan]

Hi,

Not sure if this should sit under features or wish list.
Here it goes:
Would like to use GBPVR to record my TV programs on a box over here in the UK and convert them to DVX once the recording is done, then push the file over the internet to my GBPVR machine in the US, update the local database of the US machine and allow me to watch the program there.

I could use the webfrontend to schedule recordings. Of course would be even cooler if the EPG data would also be updated and record request made on the US machine would be acted upon/fulfilled by the UK machine. Kind of a master/slave setup. With the UK unit being a remote record station.

How much of this could be done with the current setup?
From what I have read the transcode is done, the data base file could probably periodically be just copied and an FTP client could keep the folder structures on both machines in sync? (the two boxes will be connected via a VPN). BUT, would the US GBPVR instance run correctly with out having any capture hardware locally? Are there limitations with mirroring the database? Should the content be mirrored before the database so there are no broken links or does this not matter?

The reason why streaming is not really an option for me is that my mate's DSL line is not fast enough to push the stream from the UK out. So the content update should run as a slow trickle over night.

Sadly not as much a hack as I would like to be but would be most greatful for any help/suggestions or even implementations.

Am going to study in the US for 2 years and am dreading the incredibly boring TV over there... (Lived there before so know what to expect, and BBC america is no substitute... unless you really love Alan Titchmark). Can't be without my UK telly.... Please help. Thanks.

Sounds like you need a slingbox. http://www.slingmedia.com/uk/

[expat]

Hi,
We actually tested the sling box. And yup it does kinda stream even over the 256kbps uplink but at pretty poor picture quality... (mate brought one over from the US 6 months ago before they launched the dvb-t enabled version over here...

Still the whole point of the store and forward setup I am trying to do is to become independant from live tv. Due to the GMT-6 time dif. there is usually nothing decent on to watch anymore by the time I get round to watching TV. It's specific programs I am trying to forward in relatively decent quality and I am happy to wait for them so I can watch them later when I have time rather than getting the realtime live TV.

Sending the files over is something I think is no big issue. I just wonder if you can run gbpvr without any dvb-t capture cards over in the US and get it to have a meaningful database copy from the UK machine so present the files when they become available locally on the US hard disk...

If not even a simple automatic export function that gives the created DVX file a meaningful name like "channel_programname_date_time_(episode).dvx" and places it in some watch folder on the UK box that I could poll could work.

[ricklous]

if you could have the same structure (drive letter/folders) to your recordings folder, you could run 'gbpvr.exe -export' to generate the recording-dump.xml, to be sent with thhe files you are transfering and then 'gbpvr.exe -import' on the US machine to add the recordings to the US machines recording library. Fairly sure that would do the trick, as long as the files are in place before the import.

and yeah, you shouldnt have a problem running GBPVR without tuners installed.

[expat]

Thanks, that's excellent advice... will build the proof of concept over the next month or so and report back.