2007-01-25, 12:45 AM
Hi, all, I've been a (very) happy GB-PVR user for about a month now. Sub's and everyone's achievements with this PVR app are simply incredible. I'm hesitant even to ask for enhancements, given how busy Sub must be working on his to-do list already, but not so hesitant as to fail to ask, just in case they're being worked on already, or trigger grand designs in Sub's brain.
I'm moving from my collection of two TiVos to a dual-tuner GB-PVR box--TiVo's rate hikes, DRM and general inflexibility finally got me moving.
I've already deactivated one TiVo box (the lesser-used one), but before I can really get rid of my old-primary box, I would really like to get a few features rocking that TiVo offers, in order of preference:
1. Recording prioritization. I know that XRecord / CDKScheduler offer this, but I haven't been able to get them working properly, despite patching to Wiki specifications, with the few hours I've put in. Plus, the XRecord interface can be a little cryptic/dated-looking, and can go out of compatibility whenever GB-PVR itself is updated. I know that recording prioritization is on Sub's list of coming features--put this as an additional request!
2. "Keep until I delete" functionality within Recordings. It looks like the Video Archive plugin offers this, sort-of (saved recordings get moved to Videos, right?), but I'd really like some sort of inbuilt delete-protection flag within the default Recordings interface, and selectable when setting up a recording.
3. "Future" keyword searches, i.e., TiVo Wishlists. The ability to put in a title/description/actor/director string that will trigger recordings in guide data that hasn't been downloaded yet. Does XRecord offer this? I haven't been able to tell.
4. Timed re-record protection. If a TiVo records an episode of a show because of a Season Pass (recurring recording), it will, by default, decline to record that episode again for 28 days, to the extent guide data quality makes it possible, unless overridden by a specific request for that episode. I know GB-PVR will do its best not to record dupes of shows in Recordings (and do so better when using Zap2It), but if I delete Episode A of Show 123, and episode A re-airs the day after I delete it, then based on my experience A will be recorded again.
5. "Channel-less" recurring recordings. Basically the ability to record a show no matter which channel it's being shown on. XRecord again?
6. Expanded definition of "conflicts." It seems that GB-PVR is conservative in flagging conflicts: with 10 or more recurring recordings defined, I've only got two or three conflicts to resolve, and I know there must be more overlapping timeslots than that among the shows I've got set up. I'd expect several dozen conflicts. The expanded "to-do list" below would list all shows not being recorded because of timeslot collisions.
7. "To-Do List" view of upcoming recordings. Including reasons for recent-past and near-future shows not being recorded, like "higher priority show in same timeslot," "canceled by user," "DVR not powered on" or what have you. The "Pending" portion of Recordings comes close, but more info would be lovely.
GB-PVR does the vast majority of what I'd like it to do right now; if both my TiVos were to vanish tomorrow, I'd get by with my GB-PVR box just dandily.
These features, though, would ease life considerably for me and for other TiVo expats.
-Rich
I'm moving from my collection of two TiVos to a dual-tuner GB-PVR box--TiVo's rate hikes, DRM and general inflexibility finally got me moving.
I've already deactivated one TiVo box (the lesser-used one), but before I can really get rid of my old-primary box, I would really like to get a few features rocking that TiVo offers, in order of preference:1. Recording prioritization. I know that XRecord / CDKScheduler offer this, but I haven't been able to get them working properly, despite patching to Wiki specifications, with the few hours I've put in. Plus, the XRecord interface can be a little cryptic/dated-looking, and can go out of compatibility whenever GB-PVR itself is updated. I know that recording prioritization is on Sub's list of coming features--put this as an additional request!
2. "Keep until I delete" functionality within Recordings. It looks like the Video Archive plugin offers this, sort-of (saved recordings get moved to Videos, right?), but I'd really like some sort of inbuilt delete-protection flag within the default Recordings interface, and selectable when setting up a recording.
3. "Future" keyword searches, i.e., TiVo Wishlists. The ability to put in a title/description/actor/director string that will trigger recordings in guide data that hasn't been downloaded yet. Does XRecord offer this? I haven't been able to tell.
4. Timed re-record protection. If a TiVo records an episode of a show because of a Season Pass (recurring recording), it will, by default, decline to record that episode again for 28 days, to the extent guide data quality makes it possible, unless overridden by a specific request for that episode. I know GB-PVR will do its best not to record dupes of shows in Recordings (and do so better when using Zap2It), but if I delete Episode A of Show 123, and episode A re-airs the day after I delete it, then based on my experience A will be recorded again.
5. "Channel-less" recurring recordings. Basically the ability to record a show no matter which channel it's being shown on. XRecord again?
6. Expanded definition of "conflicts." It seems that GB-PVR is conservative in flagging conflicts: with 10 or more recurring recordings defined, I've only got two or three conflicts to resolve, and I know there must be more overlapping timeslots than that among the shows I've got set up. I'd expect several dozen conflicts. The expanded "to-do list" below would list all shows not being recorded because of timeslot collisions.
7. "To-Do List" view of upcoming recordings. Including reasons for recent-past and near-future shows not being recorded, like "higher priority show in same timeslot," "canceled by user," "DVR not powered on" or what have you. The "Pending" portion of Recordings comes close, but more info would be lovely.
GB-PVR does the vast majority of what I'd like it to do right now; if both my TiVos were to vanish tomorrow, I'd get by with my GB-PVR box just dandily.
These features, though, would ease life considerably for me and for other TiVo expats.-Rich
