[mythtv-users] How to specify a channel number for a programmed recording search

Michael T. Dean mtdean at thirdcontact.com
Tue Jan 5 01:10:50 UTC 2010


On 01/03/2010 03:52 PM, Rod Smith wrote:
> On Sunday 03 January 2010 09:22:43 am Patrick Doyle wrote:
>> 2) How can I pin a search to a particular channel?  (In particular,
>> the local PBS station frequently broadcasts the same program on its HD
>> and SD multiplexes -- I think I would prefer to record the SD
>> multiplex).
>>     
> The main recording options screen starts with an entry that has several 
> possible settings -- "do not record this program," "record only this 
> showing," etc. If you select a showing on the channel you want to record 
> from, picking the "record at any time on this channel" option will probably 
> do what you want.

Note that "this channel" means "any channel with the same callsign as
this channel."  If you want to treat your SDTV and HDTV versions of a
particular PBS channel differently, you'll need 2 different callsigns
for them (i.e. WMFE and WMFE-DT or WMFE-HD or whatever).

The callsign is user-editable channel data.  Change it using
mythtv-setup's, MythWeb's, or mythfrontend's channel editor.

> ... If it is, a custom search rule will give you extra flexibility to prefer 
> a specific channel but still record on another one if the preferred channel 
> produces a conflict.

I think you'd need 2 rules to do that...

>  Another possibility might be to use the "record at any 
> time on any channel" recording rule but give your preferred channel a 
> preference boost of +3 in its settings. This will have the effect of favoring 
> that channel even over HD programs (which by default have their own priority 
> boost of +2) for this and any other recordings -- but of course if you record 
> other shows on the HD equivalent of this channel, this would be a poor 
> solution.
>   

Exactly, which means the above-mentioned 2-rule approach is better... 
Do a "this channel" rule for the HDTV version of the show (ensuring
different callsigns for the HDTV and the SDTV version of the channel)
and give that rule some priority value as appropriate.  Then, find an
episode of the show on the SDTV version of the channel and select it,
and (since it won't match the existing recording rule, you can) create a
new recording rule for it and make it lower priority than the HDTV rule
for that show.  Dup matching will still know when you've recorded the
episode--regardless of whether it was HDTV or SDTV--so you won't get dups.

> In sum, there are lots of ways to do it. Which way is best depends on many 
> factors, including personal preferences.
>   

Yeah, and probably more ways, too, but I think you've given him a good
start.  :)

Mike


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