padding and scheduling

[fluffykeith]

Two things:
1.
Ive noticed a few threads with padding issues but they all seem to imply slightly different scenarios.

I can't determine any consistent problem with the padding however I do see that the length of the recording as displayed when viewing the OSD does not exactly match the program length plus the padding, it can vary by a few minutes either way.

Could this be due to the encoding, I am guessing here, but mpeg uses key frames and differences from one frame to the next (very simply put!). The key frames (I-frames) may have to be at the ends of the file and if they are minutes apart then we will see this effect and for some people it wil look like padding is missing.
I believe this does not have to be the case as I never encountered it with my previous PVR.


I have the multi-tuner patch dated 13/11/07 12:44
and the settings in the config
<PreferAlternatingCaptureSources>false</PreferAlternatingCaptureSources>
<TryToHonourPaddingIfPossible>true</TryToHonourPaddingIfPossible>


2.
The scheduling of recordings seems very inflexible when it comes to choosing tuners.
Example, Tuner A can receive programs 1, 2 and Tuner B can receive programs 1, 3.
If I schedule a recording for program 1 it may be scheduled to tuner A.
If I then schedule a recording for program 2 it can't be recorded, even though tuner B is idle.
It would be good if the programs were shuffled to record 1 or tuner B and 2 on tuner A.
I know there are difficult cases, overlapping recordings etc etc but even if it only did this for the simple case it would be a great help.

3.
Is there any indication on pending and ready recodings as to which tuner was used. It would help a great deal in sorting out tuner related problems. Possibly even some was to force a tuner to be used for pending recordings to improve the situation in 2.

Sorry this sounds more like a wish list now.

cheers

Keith

[sub]

1.
Ive noticed a few threads with padding issues but they all seem to imply slightly different scenarios.

I can't determine any consistent problem with the padding however I do see that the length of the recording as displayed when viewing the OSD does not exactly match the program length plus the padding, it can vary by a few minutes either way.

If you post the logs that show the recording occurring, then I'll tell you whether included padding, and if doesnt then why.

3.
Is there any indication on pending and ready recodings as to which tuner was used. It would help a great deal in sorting out tuner related problems.

No there isnt. GB-PVR decides what tuner to use, and can often change its mind at the very last moment.

Possibly even some was to force a tuner to be used for pending recordings to improve the situation in 2

Sorry, I have no plans to add this in future.

[martint123]

Ref your (1), I am now running all my recordings from my nova-t-500 through videoredo and doing a QSF to solve timeline oddities. I'm slowly working through different mux's to see if this helps, but so far all do it. Maybe in a couple of years time when analogue gets switched off here and the transmitter increases DVB power things might get better.
Another was this shows up for me is forward skipping through ads, at around the 45 minute adverts, forward skips often actually goes backwards unless QSF has been run.

Martin

[fluffykeith]

QSF - is that the quick fix in videoredo.
I played with the demo version for converting some dvr-ms files to mpeg and some basic edits - its very quick.

I found the forward skip and pause and play often go back in time, presumably to a key frame or something - I think that functionality is a bit quirky and annoying.

Also I want configurable fast forward steps - even keeping my finger on the remote button it takes ages.

Keith

[fluffykeith]

Sub - are the pending recordings updated with an new EPG?

Keith

[sub]

Sub - are the pending recordings updated with an new EPG?

I'm thingk this is what you mean... new pending recordings are created when the EPG is updated.

[fluffykeith]

Sorry about that it wasn't very clear - I mean if there are existing pending recordings scheduled and then a new EPG is loaded and changes have been made to the EPG are the existing pending recordings adjusted to match the new EPG.

Also when adding a new season recording it can take a long time to add the items.

(BTW - my system has been stable for 3 days!! - I reinstalled Searchwiz plugin and also disabled comskip - might be coincedence though!)

cheers

Keith

[sub]

I mean if there are existing pending recordings scheduled and then a new EPG is loaded and changes have been made to the EPG are the existing pending recordings adjusted to match the new EPG.

When it does the EPG update it deletes all pending episodes of a season recording, then imports the EPG, then reschedules any season recording episodes based on the EPG data that exists, so yes - season recordings episodes should reflect any schedule changes.

The only exception is the very first recording in a season recording, ie the one that was used to create the season recording. This special case is not deleted before the EPG update.

Also when adding a new season recording it can take a long time to add the items.

Its pretty much instant here unless you happen to do a season recording on a show that has a couple of hundred episodes (like "Paid Programming" on home shopping channel), or if the recording service isnt running (in which case there is a communication timeout that happens after recoridng is scheduled).

[martint123]

QSF - is that the quick fix in videoredo.

I found the forward skip and pause and play often go back in time, presumably to a key frame or something - I think that functionality is a bit quirky and annoying.

Also I want configurable fast forward steps - even keeping my finger on the remote button it takes ages.

Keith

QSF - yes the quick stream fix, works a treat

Ref the fast forward - you do realise you can do something like 15 ffwd and it will go forward 15 minutes - likewise backwards.

[fluffykeith]

Ref the fast forward - you do realise you can do something like 15 ffwd and it will go forward 15 minutes - likewise backwards.

Ah - thanks - I did read something about that but not tried, more buttons for the lazy person like me!! I'll give it a try.

cheers

keith