Setup Problems

[skycyclepilot]

I installed GBPVR, and entered my HVR-1800 as the source on the "Capture Sources" tab. I selected "Analog Recording Plugin" with no EPG for now. The HVR 1800 I have isn't on the list, but there is a listing for HVR 1800MCE, so I used that. I have analog cable TV service.

Now, how to get channels set up??? No mention of the Tuning Assistant is made during setup. That's what I mean by "not intuitive". I happened across it, and I assume I needed to run it. I did, and it found several channels.

There are no instructions of what to do next, but I guessed that I needed to go back to the configuration. I did, but there are no channels listed on the Channels tab.

I'm stuck... I don't know what to do next, and there are no onscreen prompts or instructions.

[stustunz]

you need a epg source or you are pretty much wasting your time

[zehd]

The 1800 has two sides, an analog and digital. You will need to set up both sides (in essence two separate capture sources)

The analog side is the better documented of the two sides. You're on the right track choosing analog, however you won't be able to avoid it, you need to setup an epg DURING capture source creation..

[INDENT]http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Quick...Start#toc5
http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Config/CaptureSource

(Indeed, these pages need to be rewritten badly - alas, no one wants to touch it but me...)[/INDENT]

Basically, you decide on how you will get your listings (get a subscription from Schedules Direct etc) and configure your method for grabbing your listings.

GB-PVR has native support for SD meaning it might be more to your liking. One thing though, by using the native support, you are limiting your ability to enhance or process your listings.

So you create a capture source entry and during the creation, select how you will get your EPG,...

[INDENT]
http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Config/ImportTvGuide
(Not my page, but certainly the very culprit in your difficulty finding answers... )
http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Manual/EPG
[/INDENT]

...and then update the EPG for the first time. Along with getting listings, this action specifically downloads the list of channels (that you have chosen with your EPG provider)

You should end up with a screen simiular to the second graphic
http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Config/ImportTvGuide

In theory, one card, analog only, you would be finished at this point. You should see your channels in the TV Guide, be able schedule programmes, and leave alone to auto record.

One point to look out for, is if you are using one of several other ways of getting your listings, make sure that GB-PVR is told how and when to retrieve them...

If you use the native SD method, GB-PVR will download listings using its default time ( http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Config/CaptureSource)

[sub]

You need to setup the EPG. The 'none' EPG Source option is really a special case, and not intended for use for those that want to view channels. Its really only intended to be used by people that are hooking up a DVD player or video camera etc to the composite or svideo input of the their cards to dub off some footage.

In the US the most common EPG sources are Schedules Direct ($20 per year) or mc2xml ($0 free). For info on getting your mc2xml listings working in GB-PVR see: http://mc2xml.110mb.com/#gbpvr. Basically you run download mc2xml and run it, and it'll create an xml file containing a list of your channels and the listings for those channels. You then set you capture source to the 'xmltv' EPG Source option, and point it at the file mc2xml generated, then hit the 'update epg' button and it'll pull in all the listings.

This is the biggest differentce between GB-PVR and the commercial apps like SageTV and BeyondTV. They pay thousands per month to be able to supply listings for their north american users so can make this step quite easy for their users. I obviously cant do that so users have to supply their own listings. It may seem daunting at first but its actually really straight forward - its a five minute job.

No mention of the Tuning Assistant is made during setup. That's what I mean by "not intuitive". I happened across it, and I assume I needed to run it. I did, and it found several channels.

You dont need the Tuning Assistant. Its just a entirely separate utility that can be used to help users understand what channels their broadcaster is transmitting on, which can be useful in some European countries. In the north amercia, channel 2 (CBS) is always transmitted on rf channel 2. In europe, channel 2 might be transmitted on rf channel 56 in one town and channel 34 in another town etc.

[skycyclepilot]

Thanks, I'll keep working on it. Not setting up the Channels on the Channels tab threw me. It makes sense that you would set the channels up for each source, on the Capture Sources tab. It just takes a little poking around to figure it out.

[skycyclepilot]

I think all my problems occurred because I didn't know the EPG had to be set up first. Just knowing the order that should be taken when setting GBPVR up would have saved me a lot of time and frustration.

Thanks for putting up with me.

[bvn]

Hi, back again. Read ahead in the GBPVR manual. Which just confuses me even more.
---
How are the recordings stored? How are they named? How do I migrate recordings between hosts? How do I perform data management with the recordings? How do I request a recording without an EPG data service? Is it even possible? Does GBPVR even support multiple recording hosts, multiple repository hosts, multiple control hosts, and multiple playback hosts, all operating at the same time?
---
With all due respect, I am NOT looking for a 10' UI - unlike everybody else on the planet. I have 1,862 MPEG-2 TV recordings (each an hour or more), 1,726 MP3 recordings, and 4,601 JPEG recordings. Consequently, I use a 2' UI selector such as Nautilus or Windows Explorer. The HTPC is dual headed so that the 96" screen is for video and the 20" LCD attached to an articulated arm (bolted into the wall) next to my recliner is for Windows Explorer. My office machine has 2 @ 24" LCD displays - each one a separate X11 client. I can see the screens of my house server and all three DVRs simultaneously (with VNC) with minimal overlap.
---
"Things are the way they are because they got that way" - systems engineering wisdom from Winnie The Pooh.
---
Please let me know if I'm completely screwed up. If so, I will attempt to document the target deployment configuration and post it for correction. I thank you all for your feedback. With any luck, most people will look at it and remark "that's obvious, why anybody take the time to write that down".

[sub]

GB-PVR is designed around a 10' UI and the EPG. If you dont want to use either of these, then its probably the wrong app for you. (not meaning to sound harsh, just saying it doesnt sound like a good match for your requirements)

[dennit]

With all due respect, I am NOT looking for a 10' UI - unlike everybody else on the planet. I have 1,862 MPEG-2 TV recordings (each an hour or more), 1,726 MP3 recordings, and 4,601 JPEG recordings. Consequently, I use a 2' UI selector such as Nautilus or Windows Explorer. The HTPC is dual headed so that the 96" screen is for video and the 20" LCD attached to an articulated arm (bolted into the wall) next to my recliner is for Windows Explorer. My office machine has 2 @ 24" LCD displays - each one a separate X11 client. I can see the screens of my house server and all three DVRs simultaneously (with VNC) with minimal overlap.

I agree with sub - you're looking for a video management program like Nero, not a DVR program like GBPVR, but I'll take a shot at your Q's.

How are the recordings stored?

On the HD, any way you want. GBPVR has two basic ways of handling videos - recordings it made and videos it did not make. Videos actually recorded by GBPVR from a source are stored in the recording directory and in the main database. Videos not recorded by GBPVR are viewed in the Video library. You can move them from one to the other (anything recorded can be played directly as a video and anything available as a video can be inserted into the db if you want.

How are they named?

Any way you want.

How do I migrate recordings between hosts?

Copy, but there's no need to move them.

How do I perform data management with the recordings?

Via 10' UI or directly in the db or with various tools

How do I request a recording without an EPG data service?

Why would you want to? Manual recordings are possible, as are direct video input feeds, but I've never done either, except for brief tests.

Is it even possible?

Yes

Does GBPVR even support multiple recording hosts

Multiple sources on a single host - yes, Multiple computers running independent copies of GBPVR - yes, but the db's would be separate, although you could watch everything via video library and automate db coordination if you wanted to do some work.

multiple repository hosts

Yes, I keep 3 or four computers running with videos on all integrated into a single GBPVR server db.

multiple control hosts

Yes - see the server client wiki info

multiple playback hosts, all operating at the same time?

Yes, see above.

Please let me know if I'm completely screwed up. If so, I will attempt to document the target deployment configuration and post it for correction. I thank you all for your feedback. With any luck, most people will look at it and remark "that's obvious, why anybody take the time to write that down".

It's not clear to me what you are looking for. Most people start from wanting to record from sources. I use analog cable, digital cable and satellite sources, but all on a single master server. I use two displays - a 10' UI and a 2' monitor, and occasionally use client/server for bedroom control and playback. I don't see any need for multiple sources on multiple servers, and GBPVR isn't designed to do that, although it would work if you wanted to use the video library to play recordings on other servers with other sources.