Back to Back Recordings of Same Channel

[hasso]

I've noticed that Mediaportal has the ability to record back to back shows on the same channel on one tuner card with the pre/post padding intact. Example, SVU 8:25 to 9:35 (includes 5 minute pre and post padding), Law & Order 9:25 to 10:35 on Channel 3. The one tuner would handle the reception of both programs but the application knows to start saving Law & Order at 9:25 to a new second file while still saving SVU to the first file until 9:35.
Right now with GBPVR I need to have a second tuner card to ensure that I keep the pre/post padding.

Can/will GBPVR be cappable of doing this?

[sub]

Sorry, its unlikely I'll add this. As you mentioned, you can add an additional tuner - which also has the advantage of not needing the back to back recordings to be on the same channel.

[fhmanas]

I believe there was a plugin that would do exactly this, attach the post pad of the first recording to the second recording and the pre pad of the second recording to the first recording. It was under development a couple of months ago but i've lost track of it since then. Maybe it has been completed.

EDIT:
Just checked wiki, the utility was under ZTools, here's the link http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Utility/ZBack2Back

[zehd]

I believe there was a plugin that would do exactly this, attach the post pad of the first recording to the second recording and the pre pad of the second recording to the first recording. It was under development a couple of months ago but i've lost track of it since then. Maybe it has been completed.

EDIT:
Just checked wiki, the utility was under ZTools, here's the link http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Utility/ZBack2Back

It was one of the programs that I lost the source code for. It's an idea I always liked, and wanted to rebuild it.

The version on the wiki does do it's job. I will be looking at making it just a tad more efficient.

[fluffykeith]

Hi
Apart from using the plugin what are the options in the config that control the way channel sepection and padding relate / are used?

I came across the situation yesterday of recording 3 "family Guys" back to back on the same channel.

I think there was an error in the TV guide as when I view it I get overlapping shows all on the same channel.
Another show 23:25 - 23:55
Family Guy 1 23:45 - 00:10
Family Guy 2 23:55 - 00:20
Family Guy 3 00:20 - 00:40

And looking at the XML source the first family guy is not in the listing.

As a consequence of this my 3 tuners where recording 3 Family guy shows (due to the padding). One of which was not supposed to be there. And I was thrown of the TV for watching another channel as I'd run out of tuners Unfortunately the options when I returned were watch nothing (and miss the end of they film I was watching) or watch family guy (again miss the film end). How about an option to cancel recording?

So three things:
What are the config settings to control padding/scheduling?
What went wrong with the TV guide to give the phantom show?
Can the options when there are no more tuners include - cancel the recording?

Also a config option to use the same tuner with same channel back to back recordings, either by just removing the padding or expanding the multiple recordings to one long recording, would be extremely useful - and aid complex scheduling a great deal.

Cheers

Keith

[stustunz]

you can go to the tv guide or recording>pending and cancel the recording from there while its still recording

[zehd]

Hi
Apart from using the plugin what are the options in the config that control the way channel sepection and padding relate / are used?

I came across the situation yesterday of recording 3 "family Guys" back to back on the same channel.

I think there was an error in the TV guide as when I view it I get overlapping shows all on the same channel.
Another show 23:25 - 23:55
Family Guy 1 23:45 - 00:10
Family Guy 2 23:55 - 00:20
Family Guy 3 00:20 - 00:40

And looking at the XML source the first family guy is not in the listing.

As a consequence of this my 3 tuners where recording 3 Family guy shows (due to the padding). One of which was not supposed to be there. And I was thrown of the TV for watching another channel as I'd run out of tuners Unfortunately the options when I returned were watch nothing (and miss the end of they film I was watching) or watch family guy (again miss the film end). How about an option to cancel recording?

So three things:
What are the config settings to control padding/scheduling?
What went wrong with the TV guide to give the phantom show?
Can the options when there are no more tuners include - cancel the recording?

Also a config option to use the same tuner with same channel back to back recordings, either by just removing the padding or expanding the multiple recordings to one long recording, would be extremely useful - and aid complex scheduling a great deal.

Cheers

Keith

As far as the TV Guide, there are two things I can think of. The Actual data is messed up. You might want to check your original xmltv file if you still have it. The other might be that the EPG has phantom listings. Sometimes this happens because the EPG is updated one night, then the xmltv listings change (the listings actually change - Famliy Guy is rescheduled, and then when you import the EPG it lays the new schedule over the old. THis shouldb't be happening of course, but I have seen it.

Sometimes, to get the EPG completely cleaned up, it's easier to 'Fix' the Channels (and the epg)

Try this Automatic Batch file. aside the function that is described, it also fixes your EPG...

Next, I would look in the config.xml.

Check out <TryToHonourPaddingIfPossible>true</TryToHonourPaddingIfPossible>
I believe if this is set to false then GB-PVR will 'try' to use the same tuners for the three back to back shows...

also
<PreferAlternatingCaptureSources>false</PreferAlternatingCaptureSources>

should be set to false if you prefer GB-PVR to decide to use the same tuner for all back to back shows...

I say 'try' because the logic for selecting tuners is deep inside GB-PVR, and sub has had that logic from the beginning. It was always designed that when a new show is to be recorded, GB-PVR searches for a free tuner. And so the other logic is kinda retro fit to 'try' and keep the recordings on the same tuner...

The actual choice happens during EPG Update. That means even if you jump into your database and force the shows to use the same tuner, your settings may be lost on the next update.

I had a script that I used a long time ago, that ran after EPG Update, and then forced tuner assignment for some shows.

I have to say, that that was not a very good way to go. Some shows were scheduled properly, others were not.

At one point I started working on a utility that was a 'Back to Back' inspector. It would go through your schedule and display all of your Back to Back shows. You could then decide what tuners to use. I was still working on the logic that would sort out the schedule once you've made your modification when I lost my source code.

I'll be looking into something like that soon...

[fluffykeith]

Sometimes this happens because the EPG is updated one night, then the xmltv listings change (the listings actually change - Famliy Guy is rescheduled, and then when you import the EPG it lays the new schedule over the old. THis shouldb't be happening of course, but I have seen it.

I think your right - this shouldn't happen. I noticed that the channel had a time shift of 5 minutes and there were many phantom items.
I thought, when the xml is updated all the previous data was trashed and the new pending list and tv guide created from the new xml. I checked the xml file and it is correct so PVRx2 is retaining some old info where it shouldn't.

Sometimes, to get the EPG completely cleaned up, it's easier to 'Fix' the Channels (and the epg)

Try this Automatic Batch file. aside the function that is described, it also fixes your EPG...

Where is that?

Your plugin to change channels could be useful. I guess it overrides the scheduling that pvrx2 does.

I must get started with writing plugins - there are so many things that I'd like but are to specific to be added to the core code.

Thanks for the info - hopefully this bugette will be sorted in the next version.

cheers

Keith

[zehd]

I think your right - this shouldn't happen. I noticed that the channel had a time shift of 5 minutes and there were many phantom items.
I thought, when the xml is updated all the previous data was trashed and the new pending list and tv guide created from the new xml. I checked the xml file and it is correct so PVRx2 is retaining some old info where it shouldn't.



Where is that?

Your plugin to change channels could be useful. I guess it overrides the scheduling that pvrx2 does.

I must get started with writing plugins - there are so many things that I'd like but are to specific to be added to the core code.

Thanks for the info - hopefully this bugette will be sorted in the next version.

cheers

Keith

Probably it won't. It's been around for a long time. You might want to be sure that the config|playback has 'Complete EPG Reload' checked. But even with this checked, it probably won't help

I've noticed that the problem comes when there is a programme that is scheduled for recording. If there are ever any updates to the program (description, episode title, start time) the changes aren't made or updated because the programme seems to be locked. while it is in the Recording Schedule.

That's why you could also do this. Export the recording schedule, empty the recording schedule, update the EPG and then import the recording schedule. That skips only a couple of steps from that batch file that is on the EPG page...

The batch file, imports the EPG once to get all the shows in, then it imports the recording schedule. The second update of the EPG, tells GB-PVR to take the recording schedule and setup the next couple weeks of recordings...

[fluffykeith]

That's the ChangeEPGSources batch file?

I have to install sqllite3 and sleep exe's

but I presume I don't actually need all these ->

sqlite3 gbpvr.db3 "Delete FROM PROGRAMME;"
sqlite3 gbpvr.db3 "Delete FROM RECORDING_SCHEDULE;"
sqlite3 gbpvr.db3 "Delete FROM CHANNEL;"
sqlite3 gbpvr.db3 "Delete FROM SOURCE_CHANNEL_MAPPING;"
sqlite3 gbpvr.db3 "Delete FROM REOCCURING_EXTRAS;"
sqlite3 gbpvr.db3 "VACUUM;"

what are they each doing?


Are the -import and -export command line parameters the same as the import and export recordings buttons in the config?
Or is one exporting the recordings schedule, ie, recurring and pendings list and the other is the ready recordings.


Keith