PC Client & Multiple Recordings Directories

[VeryLazyTurtle]

I have two 500MB drives in my main GBPVR machine. I usually alternate back and forth using them as the recordings directory. I use one drive until it's almost full, then switch to the other. Once it's almost full, I switch back to the first drive, which usually has a bunch of room cleared on it while I've been recording on the other drive. The database keeps track of what's recorded where. I've been going back and forth for over a year now and while it's not the most elegant solution, it's worked pretty well.

Then today I tried to setup a client PC so the kids can watch their shows downstairs while we're making dinner. I have to use file sharing because we're recording ATSC in DVR-MS and streaming doesn't seem to work. I start to get it all setup and I realize I have a problem because the setup for the client only lets me pick one directory for my recordings share, even though my recordings are spread out pretty equally over two directories. I pick one of the two directories to enter as the recordings share and sure enough the recordings that are in that directory play fine, but the ones that are in the other directory won't play at all.

I can pull files up using the video library, but then it becomes a guessing game of what files is in which directory.

Any ideas? After three years of using GBPVR and being able to figure out most of my problems, I'm stuck. It seems like there should be an easy solution for this.

[pBS]

i bet it's a permissions thing...try this..http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=43067

[JonnyCam]

I don't really know too much about it, but people around here have been using dymanic discs in windows to show 2 discs as one,

or using NTFS links so all of the files in 2 recordings folders appear as one on the server, and consequently, the client.

[martint123]

or using NTFS links so all of the files in 2 recordings folders appear as one on the server, and consequently, the client.

Thanks for that, I didn't even know they existed - right, I'm off to break my main machine with this new found (lack of) knowledge.

Hmmm - can you link to an external networked device????? Hmmmm - danger ahead.

[VeryLazyTurtle]

i bet it's a permissions thing...try this..http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=43067

I don't think this is the problem. Initially I had problems with the permissions on the GBPVR directory on the server, but eventually sorted it out. The problem seems to be that my recordings are split between two different directories and I can only select one of those directories in the config settings on the client machine.

[VeryLazyTurtle]

I don't really know too much about it, but people around here have been using dymanic discs in windows to show 2 discs as one, or using NTFS links so all of the files in 2 recordings folders appear as one on the server, and consequently, the client.

Ok, this is promising. I read the appropriate thread and it was a bit over my head. Does anyone know if I go the dynamic disc route and span the two drives, will I be able to do it without affecting the data presently on both drives? Or will I have to essentially format them to span them?

And I googled NTFS links as suggested in the thread but I couldn't really understand what do do so that the files in 2 recording folders appear as one on the server. Has anyone tried this successfully? Any hints?

[Graham]

I have just found this. I did a quick download and experiment and it might do what you want ...

http://elsdoerfer.name/=ntfslink

After installation ...

Assume that you have C:\Recordings and D:\Recordings
Use Explorer to navigate to c:\Recordings and right click on white space in the right pane.
Use NTFS Link to create a link to D:\Recordings
Share c:\Recordings and access this from the client.

You might want to create a couple of temporary recordings folders and manual record a couple of snippets into each and use these temp folders before you unleash this on your lifetime collection of (insert show here).

Good Luck

[genuckols]

I can pull files up using the video library, but then it becomes a guessing game of what files is in which directory.

What problems did you have when trying to use the video library? I have been using it for years as my primary way of accessing all of my recorded programs and have had great success.

I don't really care about all of the data descriptions that are kept under Recordings. That is lost to me when I rename my recordings to keep track of the season and episode number of each episode. I then copy the files from the drive they are recorded on to the drive I have designated for that program. Then I use Video Library instead of Recordings from the main menu to select what to view.

When setting up in Config you just tell it which drive your programs are on and give it a name. I have over 20 hard drives listed where I have recorded programs, some are internal and many are connected by USB. I can even list seperate directories on each hard drive if I want. My listing in Video Library looks something like this: