[mythtv-users] POLL *** How many people on the list are running UK combined Freeview and Freesat setups?

[Mark Parsons]

On 6 Sep 2009, at 14:06, Another Sillyname wrote:

> I think there's only about a dozen of us but I'd be interested to see
> if it's more and what set-ups people are running.
>
<SNIP>
>
> The family now couldn't imagine going back to 'normal' TV, they watch
> what they want, when they want it without adverts and schedule all
> their recordings through mythweb. My eldest now regularly has 8-10
> mates come round for 'movies' nights as they can't believe the library
> of stuff that's available.
>
> Between us I suspect we probably have a good pool of experience about
> best methodology and problem solving.
>
> Anyone else?


Yes - I have a combined FE/BE with a Hauppauge Nova-S connected to a  
standard Sky dish, and have recently added a Nova-T twin tuner  
connected to a basic loft-mounted aerial. Don't get many Freeview  
channels (about 15 from memory) as we've only just changed over a  
month or two back, but it still gives a lot of flexibility over what  
can be recorded simultaneously - particularly using virtual tuners  
(I've set up two on each tuner, so 6 in total).
As you say, we struggle to go back to normal TV (had to for a while  
after a combined botched update of Mythbuntu 9.04 and installation of  
the Nova-T card; it was a nightmare!) and even find Sky limiting when  
visiting friends/family.

Everything is up and running OK, but I suspect that this is more  
through luck than judgement - albeit with a massive dose of help from  
various messages here, websites and wikis, etc. unfortunately none of  
which I had the foresight to note down... I just hope I don't have to  
rebuild from scratch!

I'm not sure how the system chooses to schedule recordings across the  
two devices, and it is frustrating when you're e.g. viewing a program  
on Freeview and you bring up the program guide, you seem to only be  
able to scroll through the channels available on that tuner device;  
you have to exit to the main menu and look at the full guide there, or  
alternatively use the "change source" key (defaults to Y I believe?).

I haven't set up XMLTV yet - I've left it using the OTA details, which  
works well enough for the time being - as I have lingering mental  
scars from the pain of setting up the XMLTV feeds last time (getting  
the channels, finding the right XMLTV source ids, making sure that I  
didn't create ghost duplicate channels, etc. *shudder* ) but I may get  
around to it eventually.

Happy to help wherever I can - although I suspect that this will just  
be copying out my config files so that others can figure out what I've  
done to make it work :)

KR

Mark P.