[mythtv-users] Feature Request: allowable overlap for recordings?

Blammo blammo.doh at gmail.com
Thu Jun 16 15:22:49 UTC 2005


On 6/15/05, Robert Tsai <rtsai1111 at comcast.net> wrote:
> On Wed, Jun 15, 2005 at 09:14:55PM -0700, Blammo wrote:
> > Ran into a problem tonight where the clock on one of the backends
> > was off 8 seconds from the master backend. As a result, the first
> > program recorded, but the program after it was deemed "tuner busy"
> > and didn't record.
> 
> In this case, the solution is to run NTP on both machines to keep
> their clocks in sync with each other.

NTP was set up on both machines, but had stopped on the backend in
question. That issue has been solved. However, given clock drift, it's
a little disturbing that a single second of clock offset could
actually cause a program to cancel recording.
 
> > Another example is several of the big networks making a program run
> > til, for example, 9:05pm This bumps a 9pm scheduled recording, when
> > in fact, I wouldn't mind missing the first 5 minutes to get the
> > other 55.
> 
> This scenario is quite normal, and easy to spot: in the listings data,
> the show will run 8:05-9:05pm. In the USA, for example, ABC does this
> on Wednesday evenings, running everything 2 minutes after the hour.
> 
> When setting up your Wednesday evening recording schedules (say)
> simply set everything up to begin/end 2 minutes early (e.g., mentally
> note that you want all your schedules to begin/end on the hour, unless
> you know you don't have any conflicts).

Agreed. It's normal, easy to spot, and increases the "hands on" factor
of something that is supposed to make my life, and those who watch TV
in my household, easier. While the overlap not recording may make
sense in programming terms, it makes ZERO sense from a "human" factor.


> > Would would be nifty would be a configurable "fudge" factor, that
> > you could set, allowing the scheduler to pick up XXX minutes into
> > the program, as soon as the tuner became free. Or maybe, no fudge
> > factor at all. Maybe it checks every minute, and if a tuner suddenly
> > became free, it would start recording.
> 
> You essentially have a conflict between a show that runs "late" and
> another one that starts "on time" (or early), so you should fix your
> schedules accordingly.

No, I essentially have a problem with a very literal program doing
exactly what the scheduler is telling it to do, NOT what I told it to
do, which was to record both programs. Some sort of configurable fudge
factor would allow the backends to make more efficient use of the
tuners.


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