GBPVR to NEXTPVR migration - benefits?

[johnsonx42]

PIP - that's one of those "wow, that's neat!" features that most people never use after playing with it. I was pleased when sub added it, and imagined I'd use it when multiple sports events were on, but so far I've not used it at all. I think there might still be some bugs with it too, not sure any more.

[Jaggy]

Live TV is never used for real TV viewing, that's what the TV is for.

I fully agree... if I want to watch something I just record it no matter if I am going to watch it "almost" live or watch it later.... almost=after it has been recording for long enough so I can jump the adds.


I'm surprised no one has mentioned the much better navigation options in NextPVR... like being able to jump to the first letter of the title in the list or ##% down the list. (but then again I do wonder how many users have actually had a look at the Keyboard/Remote reference on the wiki to find these keys & other available options).

Also not mentioned is that all the NextPVR plugins are a "HUGE amount better" than the equivalent GB-PVR plugins (OK so there are still not enough actual plugins available currently but....)

Then there is being able to select at setting up a recording the location where the physical file gets put on disk, also the built in Archive feature.

& there are other features available with NextPVR that just aren't there with GB-PVR.....


OK so I'm still using GB-PVR for our production server "but" that is not because I don't want to change over (I'm really itching to get changed over actually) it's because when I did have time a few months ago to do the physical work needed to setup my new server I got talked into doing some work on a couple of NextPVR plugins updates instead & now I again have not enough free time to do the physical stuff needed

[sub]

[Moved thread. It didn't belong support.]

My take - you can keep using GBPVR if you're happy with it. It's long since dead and no longer supported though. GBPVR was an analog tv app which had digital support tacked on. It was an old app that had become very brittle and was hard to support and easy to break.

NextPVR on the other hand is still supported, and updated. Its not perfect, but I think it's a lot better than GBPVR.

The feature set of NextPVR and GBPVR isn't exactly the same, so sure you'll always manage to find some features that GBPVR did better, but at the same times there is heaps of things that NextPVR does better than GBPVR. Some of the things that NextPVR does better than GBPVR does.
- nicer code which is easier to support and maintain (and a lot less prone to breaking).
- much better support for multi-recording, like being able to watch live tv and record at the same time with a single tuner
- better dynamic support for digital devices
- auto detection of available decoders. Small things like this make a big difference. How often was I answering GBPVR questions from users about why x decoder wasn't listed.
- support for newer HD analog tuners like Colossus, HDPVR2 etc.
- support for copy-freely tuners like DCR-2650, HDHR Prime.
- much easier to understand approach to scanning and channel setup
- picture-in-picture
- better handling of timezones and daylight savings
- built in multidec, including multi-record+multidec.
- built in support for XBMC clients
- not prone to breaking everytime broadcasters changed audio/video PIDs
- integrated, more logical settings screens.
- having the integrated settings in same exe brings advangates for being able to configure decoders and having them auto applied when video is played (wasnt the case with config.exe).
- multiple recording directories
- archiving
- more data attributes stored in EPG for use by plugins
- out of process digital recordings for improved robustness
- built in support for streaming live tv and recordings to other apps like vlc, or devices.
- ... and a zillion other small things.

[johnsonx42]

absolutely sub, no argument at all that NextPVR is vastly superior to GB-PVR in so many ways. Hope you weren't disappointed with the often non-committal answers to the original question. But the OP's question was predicated on the basis that he's been happily using GB-PVR for a long time, has no problems with it, and doesn't seem to be interested in any new functionality. For that user, I think there's little benefit to switching just for the sake of switching. He'll eventually have to change of course, when he wants new features or to support new hardware.

Then again, he did ask the question, indicating he's looking for *something*.

[imilne]

Not to be quarrel minded, but what practical use do you really have for video inset?

There were (and are in NPVR too) plenty of uses for it, such as nipping out of Live TV to check something in any of the other modules/plugins (eg the weather, to search the epg, to see the recordings list, etc). Activating the video inset means the video/audio can continue in the background or in its little window which - to me anyway - is a much nicer way of "interrupting" anyone else that might also be watching the TV at the same time.

Iain

[Reddwarf]

There were (and are in NPVR too) plenty of uses for it, such as nipping out of Live TV to check something in any of the other modules/plugins (eg the weather, to search the epg, to see the recordings list, etc). Activating the video inset means the video/audio can continue in the background or in its little window which - to me anyway - is a much nicer way of "interrupting" anyone else that might also be watching the TV at the same time.

Iain

Your argument beats itself to dead because if you go into another plugin while watching live tv the video inset window disappear anyway. Much better to have a second monitor for those things

[imilne]

Your argument beats itself to dead because if you go into another plugin while watching live tv the video inset window disappear anyway. Much better to have a second monitor for those things

There's no point in arguing with you then. Each to their own as always, but I like the functionality - you still keep audio, and there's nothing stopping the plugins (or their skins) being tweaked to support the video too. As for the second monitor, I'm sure that's fine too if you don't mind your living room looking like something out of the Matrix.

Iain