Disable Time Shift Option - Please!

[m1zar00]

There are many reasons to have the option to disable Time Shift.

1. Not everyone uses it, so it's pointless for some people. (e.g. I've never used it...)
2. SSD HDD Wear, which somone else raised, but is probably minor, due to wear control.
3. USB Key / SD Card Wear, which is very real, as they do not manage wear at all, so will / do quickly fail being used for Time Shifting.
4. USB interface bandwidth, I know that Time Shifting is affecting other recordings to my USB HDD, by doubling the traffic to the drive when recording one channel whilst watching another.
5. Network bandwidth, Next PVR works fine to my NAS, but it's always spun up and consuming network bandwidth the entire time I'm watching, so I don't use my NAS anymore for NextPVR which is silly. Bearing in mind my Tuner (HD Homerun) is also using the network it all adds up to lots of traffic, much of it the same... again can cause laggs and delays on both the nas drive and the network.
6. Extra processing CPU overheads, caching to a drive generates additional processing and management overhead for the CPU, depending on the platform that could make the difference between 'great' and 'crap.
7. It would be useful for diagnosis, i.e. To be able to tell if it helps with any of the above, or any other problems related to network/CPU/disk issues.

As you should be able to see, there's quite a few reasonable reasons to be able to disable the Time Shift function, if it's in the core of NextPVR, then perhaps it's time to review how that is done, to allow for Cache less viewing. If you MUST have a cache why not allow the use of a small (<5min) cache to RAM. So you don't have to re-write too much and we are all happy! :o)

Thank You.
James

[gEd]

Alternatively, if you have sufficient spare RAM, install a free RAMDISK utility to create a virtual hard disk (in memory) and then set your live TV buffer to point to this instead of one of your other drive.

[martint123]

I use lmdisk for my ramdrive - works great for temp storage and my portable apps like firefox. I think you will also find that SD cards, other than cheapo un-named ones, do wear levelling.

[mvallevand]

Most of the problems seem to be related to using the NAS for temporary files, I just use my C drive SSD for the buffer file and record to the NAS. My SSD after many years of use is still close to 100% life.

That being said since I too only use live playback, and since sub has be reluctant to add time shifting via x-newa I would like to see it turned off because of another point

8. Useless and inefficient for http streaming and transcoded client playback (iOS, Android and browser clients).

A few months ago sub did mention he would look at EPG based remote access which would be great since the buffer isn't just for time shifting, it lets you record the entire buffer which is very handy. PreviousPVR (GBPVR and PVR2) allowed this and direct card playback which was a much better model from a client perspective.

Martin

[aderlopas]

C'mon guys, didn't you ever have the need to just pause live TV to go and do a time-sensitive task and wanting to go back and be able to continue whatever you were watching on TV? It happens to me all the time; especially when you don't live alone chances are your TV viewing will be at some point in time disrupted...

Please don't eliminate a functionality (which is by the way now broken in Kodi 18) just because you don't want to use it...The beauty of having a switch is exactly the fact that whoever does not want it can simply not enable it and the rest who want it can use it.

I'm sorry but I don't agree with you, for me it is a key functionality and on top of that, I would like to have the freedom to choose....
And I guess product-wise, it is better to have an additional feature than one less...

[aderlopas]

Most of the problems seem to be related to using the NAS for temporary files, I just use my C drive SSD for the buffer file and record to the NAS. My SSD after many years of use is still close to 100% life.

That being said since I too only use live playback, and since sub has be reluctant to add time shifting via x-newa I would like to see it turned off because of another point

8. Useless and inefficient for http streaming and transcoded client playback (iOS, Android and browser clients).

A few months ago sub did mention he would look at EPG based remote access which would be great since the buffer isn't just for time shifting, it lets you record the entire buffer which is very handy. PreviousPVR (GBPVR and PVR2) allowed this and direct card playback which was a much better model from a client perspective.

Martin

Dear Martin,

If something does not work, you don't just scrap the whole concept, you try to fix it instead...
Think about your government, if it is useless and not working for you don't scrap the whole concept of democracy, you just vote differently and choose another government...

[p37307]

Dear Martin,

If something does not work, you don't just scrap the whole concept, you try to fix it instead...
Think about your government, if it is useless and not working for you don't scrap the whole concept of democracy, you just vote differently and choose another government...

I don't see where anyone wants to scrap it entirely. Just the ability to turn it off. Those that want to pause so they can talk, go pee or get a snack would be free to leave it turned on so they can go do so.

There are many reasons to have the option to disable Time Shift..

...

As you should be able to see, there's quite a few reasonable reasons to be able to disable the Time Shift function, if it's in the core of NextPVR, then perhaps it's time to review how that is done, to allow for Cache less viewing. If you MUST have a cache why not allow the use of a small (<5min) cache to RAM. So you don't have to re-write too much and we are all happy! :o)

[2leftfeet]

I use timeshift all the time for many reasons - I would be horribly disappointed if that function was eliminated. Having an option to enable/disable timeshift seems like it would suit all.

In Kodi, there already is an option switch that allows enabling/disabling of timeshift - I only wish timeshift worked with Kodi 18 - sub, please fix when you get some time.!!!

[sub]

In Kodi, there already is an option switch that allows enabling/disabling of timeshift - I only wish timeshift worked with Kodi 18 - sub, please fix when you get some time.!!!

I was trying to a few days ago - I can't work out how their API works. It looks like the other PVR addon developers are largely confused about it too. I wish they'd just stop changing the damn PVR API.

[aderlopas]

I was trying to a few days ago - I can't work out how their API works. It looks like the other PVR addon developers are largely confused about it too. I wish they'd just stop changing the damn PVR API.

I am sure you will figure this out sub!
But at least I see new features are coming in kodi PVR like PiP....check out the below...

"Yes, those PVR addons are required to implement two extension points: PVR and InputStream. Implementations must support multiple instances of the InputStream ext point. That enables playing multiple channels/recordings at the same time, a requirement for picture-in-picture and thumbnail extraction." (https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=259830)

Damn exciting...