Networked recording Farm

[tipstir]

But you have kids, as I don't... 4 tuners is good enough, still would like to be able to record my Digital Platinum and 15 new Digital Premier Channels from Comcast with GBPVR. I do have it setup for recording, bit it would be manually setup. Hooking up a DVD Recorder to the Comcast Digital Box works and just leave a DVD+RW at EP for 4 hours of recording. It's easier to do that on GBPVR so I can watch it on the MVP. The way it's setup here I can use wireless laptop and remote into all the video production PC, Downloader and GBPVR boxes using Ultra VNC without any problems. So I can be watching MVP, remote wireless into the downloader then transfer the file to Video Production PC, then converted the PAL 352x288 using mainconcepts MPEG2 to 352x480 NTSC. This process only takes 15 mins depending on the size. Then watch it on the MVP when it done!

[reboot]

Why are you converting from PAL 1/4D1 to NTSC 1/2D1?
Can't you record in NTSC, and avoid the conversion?

[deepak]

can u also do this for DVD Rips residing on External networked Harddrives? I have DVD Rips...not MPEG files that I want to be able to pull and watch on demand. I am hitting a wall with XDVD in that it only seems to support 1 mapped drive at a time.

[Koenie]

Well, I think part of the recording farm can be realised by using the recordings-dump.xml - import recordings-dump.xml from the parallelprocessing or postprocessing.bats. this way all systems can have their databases up to date and acess the files from the recordings tab. I found out that in the database there can be paths to different directories without problems.

[agidius]

MythTV claims to have this ability
that is another PVR software

HOWEVER--

it is a Linux only package
before I found GBPVR, I liked the advertized features of MythTV and tried it.
after failure to get it working, I called my friends.
I spent 4 afternoons in a row with a Linux admin and a Linux programmer, and we still couldnt get it to work.

I would like to say how happy I am that GBPVR works (almost) perfect.

ps-
the Linux admin had mentioned to me he may build a windows box just to run GBPVR.
(he only has Linux machines currently)

[jim08127]

Before I worry about a tuner farm, I need a satellite receiver farm.

[bpowell555]

Ok - Recording farm is a slight exageration but a way to have two pc's with recording sources share a single recording destination, a single database and a single guide so from one interface you could schedule recordings and it would queue things to recording sources in multiple pc's.

I have a Shuttle with a PVR500mce that does the job pretty damb well currently, but occaisionally I'd like more tuners - unfortunately I only have 1 pci slot and I don't want a USB Device hanging around messing the place up. I've just scored a second PVR500mce and I'm about to run ethernet under the carport out to my Garage to put in a server (too may 'humming' pc's in the house already - don't want another one!). I could put another pc out there with the PVR500mce in it (already have an aerial on the Garage for watching sport and playing pool) and have four tuners available.

I plan to install GBPVR out there and access it with VNC (or web) to use as a backup recorder but it would be real nice for it to share the Database (SQlite??) and guide etc and to be able to schedule 3 or 4 channels and it sort it out between the two machines would be a dream!

I'll probably just flog off the Shuttle and get a slightly larger SFF pc with two pci slots sooner or later but I haven't seen one thats as quiet as the shuttle yet. With an Athlon 64 (which run cooler than P4's) with heatpipes up to the rare fan and fan speed/noise control this baby purs.

I think you're missing a trick here buddy... sure the twin tuner device is pretty cool but not all USB devices "mess the place up"... especially since you're using a shuttle - like me

The older shuttles have just two usb ports on the back plate and like you said 1 pci slot. There is also the option you could get the shuttle usb extender kit... though I could never get it to work!

If you stuck a usb card in the pci slot you could easily fit between 2 and probably 6 Hauppauge HVR-900s using all the slots mentioned above. These don't mess the place up - they look pretty cool - I've got one, they're tiny!!!

Realise you've probably run the cable under the garage by now and bought the extra PC, but thought I'd mention this. Plus, the new P2 chassis has loads of USB! Shuttle will never run more than 1 pci...

[mobiusnz]

I think you're missing a trick here buddy... sure the twin tuner device is pretty cool but not all USB devices "mess the place up"... especially since you're using a shuttle - like me

The older shuttles have just two usb ports on the back plate and like you said 1 pci slot. There is also the option you could get the shuttle usb extender kit... though I could never get it to work!

If you stuck a usb card in the pci slot you could easily fit between 2 and probably 6 Hauppauge HVR-900s using all the slots mentioned above. These don't mess the place up - they look pretty cool - I've got one, they're tiny!!!

Realise you've probably run the cable under the garage by now and bought the extra PC, but thought I'd mention this. Plus, the new P2 chassis has loads of USB! Shuttle will never run more than 1 pci...

But thats not a Hardware Encoder device so big issues with CPU utilization trying to record 4 channels at once (Analogue - NZ only has Satellite Digital FTA and very few channels) - And it still means a bunch of devices hanging out the back.

I purchased a huge Ahannix HTPC case and built a new pc from the ground up with both my Dualtuner cards in it. I can record 4 channels at once and CPU utilization barely registers - occaisionally hits 5%

[bpowell555]

aah I see. Well you did buy a Pentium D