How to make NPVR record from two different multiplexes using the correct decoders

[martinu]

My PC has two decoders, one which is capable of both DVB-T and DVB-T2, and the other which is capable of DVB-T only. I've made the dual-mode decoder the default.

I want to set two recurring programmes which overlap. The first one that I added is available on DVB-T (so either decoder can be used), the one that I added later is available on DVB-T2 only (so the dual-mode decoder must be used). However I get the beginning of the DVB-T programme and the end of the DVB-T2 programme: it looks as if NPVR is using the dual-mode decoder for both recordings.

What change should I make to get both recordings? Should I change the default device to the DVB-T decoder? Does order of adding timed events matter: should I delete the one the I added first and add it again so it is added after the DVB-T2-only programme? Should NPVR be able to work out which decoder to use for optimal recording - to say "I've got a later recording that must use the dual-mode device because it's on a DVB-T2 mux, so I need to use the DVB-T device for the earlier recording even though it's not the default device"?

[Graham]

I want to set two recurring programmes which overlap.

NextPVR is clever enough to get this right. It's not clear why it's getting it wrong for you. . Please create two test recordings that demonstrate the problem then zip and attach the logs to a post that tells us the time that you told NextPVR to make the recordings and also the name and time of the shows that were recorded so that we know where to look in the logs. Thanks.

Simply stated and all else being equal, NextPVR uses tuners for recordings from the top down in the list at NextPVR Settings --> Devices. You can move tuners up and down in the list. You might get a better result if the DVB-T device is above the DVB-T2.

[martinu]

It will probably happen on Monday with one recording that is timed from 0800 to 0900 but has 5 mins padding before and 10 mins after (on a DVB-T mux) and another recording (on a DVB-T2 mux) that is timed from 0900 to 1000 with the same padding. With today's recordings, one finished at 0900 and the other started at 0900 - I only noticed because the broadcast of the 0900 prog had started early so I missed a minute or so.

Do I need to do anything to enable logging, or does it just happen.


I wonder if the algorithm for deciding whether to use one tuner for two consecutive recordings or to use two only takes into account the published start/stop times and not any user-configured padding, and so treats 0800-0900 and 0900-1000 as back-to-back rather than (because of the padding) overlapping.

[mvallevand]

It will probably happen on Monday with one recording that is timed from 0800 to 0900 but has 5 mins padding before and 10 mins after (on a DVB-T mux) and another recording (on a DVB-T2 mux) that is timed from 0900 to 1000 with the same padding. With today's recordings, one finished at 0900 and the other started at 0900 - I only noticed because the broadcast of the 0900 prog had started early so I missed a minute or so.

If you zip up your current logs and you haven't restarted the recording service often then the information might still be there.

Martin

[martinu]

Here are the log files. The programmes were:

London's Burning, 0800-0900, channel="Drama", LCN=20 on a DVB-T multiplex

Shine on Harvey Moon, 0900-1000, channel="Forces TV", LCN=96 on a DVB-T2 multiplex

Both had default padding of 5 mins before and 10 mins after.

They were recorded today, 19/01/2018.

The DVB-T/T2 decoder is a PCTV 292e and the DVB-T only decoder is a Hauppauge WinTV Nova - if those names show up in the logs.


I've not restarted the NPVR service since the last boot time of 12/01/2018 12:33:44

[johnsonx42]

You'd be better off making your DVB-T device the default. That way any DVB-T recording will be scheduled there first, leaving the DVB-T/T2 device free for another recording of either type. No, NPVR won't be able to retro-actively re-shuffle recordings based on some analysis of what would be best, it just follows your tuner priority. It will attempt to move a recording at recording time in order to accommodate pre-padding, but if your dual-mode tuner is always in use because it's the default, then only DVB-T recordings can be moved (EDIT: it occurs to me that's true either way - since you have two tuners only for DVB-T recordings, then DVB-T recordings are the only ones that can be moved regardless of tuner priority; still, having the DVB-T tuner set at the top of the list will more often result in the tuner allocation you wish for)

As to your logs, please always post the entire logs folder, don't try to figure out which logs are relevant. In trying to see what all was going on I wanted to look at a log you didn't post, so I had to waste time trying to fill in the blanks using the available logs. There is a bit of a crash recorded in the logs at the end of the Shine on Harvey Moon recording, but sub's crash recovery code appears to have sorted everything out. Aside from that, it all looks fine.... NPVR did what you told it to do, neverminding what you wished for it to do (computers are funny that way)

[martinu]

You'd be better off making your DVB-T device the default. That way any DVB-T recording will be scheduled there first, leaving the DVB-T/T2 device free for another recording of either type

Thanks to Johnson and Graham who suggested reversing the priorities of the two tuners - that worked perfectly this morning, without any changes to the recurring recording events. I hadn't thought things through carefully enough when I made the dual-mode DVB-T/T2 tuner higher priority than the DVB-T-only tuner.