Multi-Unit Setup?

[hollow5555]

Ok, so I just bought a house and I'm preparing to move and planning out the important things... like a PVR setup! I currently have a single GBPVR setup but I'm planning on starting from scratch and I figured I'd use NPVR. What I'd like to do is have one machine that is the "main" PVR with the really large hard drive and processor and what not, and then a smaller system on the other tv(s) in the house and have them all record to the same drive/database on the main system. I know you can set an NPVR as a client system to another NPVR system via shares and NPVR configuration, but my question is this:

If the recordings and database entries are going to the main machine, can I still schedule each machine for it's own recordings?

I guess another way to ask it is if this is possible:

Main PVR is machine A. Lightweight 2nd PVR is machine B. Machine B is a client to A. If I record something on A, I want to be able to view it on A or B. If I record something on B I want to be able to view it on A or B. I'll be able to schedule recordings on A, but can I still schedule recordings on B? If they all go to the same database how will NPVR know that one recurring recording should be recorded from A and another recurring recording should be recorded from B? Is that possible?

Am I making sense? I know what I want to ask I'm just not sure I'm explaining it right.

[sub]

In a multi-unit setup with NPVR, you have one server with all the tuners, and multiple clients. All recordings take place on the server, but can be watched on any of the clients.

[BrettB]

In a multi-unit setup with NPVR, you have one server with all the tuners, and multiple clients. All recordings take place on the server, but can be watched on any of the clients.

Or you can just have a single server and then use NMTs running mvpmcx2 to playback on the tvs. Probably easier, nicer, and less expensive that way.

[johnsonx42]

Yes, you appear to understand how it works, for the most part. In any NPVR client/server scenario, Machine A gets all the tuners - Machine B is just a client, no tuners. NPVR does not support a hybrid client+tuner configuration (nor does GB-PVR). When you schedule recordings from anywhere, they all get scheduled on the server. Likewise when you watch Live TV from any machine, client or server, it will take up a tuner on the server.

Keep in mind also that a client is not necessarily "lightweight". Playback of HD content does require some horsepower, though most modern video cards help with that a good bit. The server needs very little CPU to record (unless you're soft-encoding analog TV), but if you'll be doing transcoding or comskip you'll use CPU there. Neither side needs any exotic quad-core CPU, but you can't use a single-core Atom either.

edit: oh look, I took 500 words and 5 minutes to explain what sub did in 15 words and 30 seconds.

[hollow5555]

Ok, now the questions in my head have sane answers... they aren't the answers I wanted, darn it!

Seriously though, that makes sense, and if I want to have multiple recording devices I'll need multiple individual PVRs then, huh? Is there a way to sync recordings automatically between multiple PVRs?

[johnsonx42]

you mean you want to have multiple NPVR servers? why? no, there's no built-in way to sync anything between multiple NPVR servers. if you're clever with batch programming and SQLite you could probably come up with something - take a new show just recorded on server A and insert it into the database of server B, etc.

[BrettB]

Ok, now the questions in my head have sane answers... they aren't the answers I wanted, darn it!

Seriously though, that makes sense, and if I want to have multiple recording devices I'll need multiple individual PVRs then, huh? Is there a way to sync recordings automatically between multiple PVRs?

Can you explain exactly why you want/need to have recording devices in multiple locations throughout the house? I think that I'm missing something. You do understand that the one NPVR server can have several tuners to record multiple shows at the same time, right? My server has 4 tuners and with multi-record of local broadcast stations via QAM, I regularly record 6 or so channels at the same time.

[hollow5555]

you mean you want to have multiple NPVR servers? why? no, there's no built-in way to sync anything between multiple NPVR servers. if you're clever with batch programming and SQLite you could probably come up with something - take a new show just recorded on server A and insert it into the database of server B, etc.

Because the inputs to the PVR would be outputs from STBs from the cable company and they'd be far enough apart in the house that a single machine couldn't manage both with blasters and inputs and what not... Just not physically feasible.

[johnsonx42]

oh, I see, you're running STB's. Still, nothing says you can't have the STB's all sitting together in a stack with a chain of blasters going to them. It's somewhat more complicated, but hardly infeasible.

How many STB's do you want to hook to the PVR?

You might also want to look into which channels your cable company provides in ClearQAM or Analog - you could tune those channels directly, and use the STB's only for the encrypted channels.

What capture card(s) do you have already? Or are you buying new for this? If so, consider a Hauppauge HVR-2250.

[BrettB]

What capture card(s) do you have already? Or are you buying new for this? If so, consider a Hauppauge HVR-2250.

You might also want to wait a month or so and see if the new SiliconDust HDHR Prime networked, cable card triple tuner or the Hauppauge DCR 2650 cable card dual tuner could work for you with NPVR. Then you wouldn't need to mess with blasters, STBs, and all that. And, here at least, unlike STBs there is no monthly fee for the cable cards.