[mythtv-users] UK: managing Freeview and Freesat

[Richard Morton]

Hi

I have a mythtv setup with both freeview and freesat tuners.

If you are not familiar with this; Freeview is DVB-T and Freesat is
DVB-S. For some reason Freesat doesnt get the appropriate channum when
scanning. Also in the UK there are regional variations on channel
broadcasts, which on freeview only your local version is available
where as on Freesat all variations are available.

I understand from some on this list that different broadcast
variations on freesat are also at different bitrates; and possibly
quality.

On freesat there also variations broadcasting HD versions of shows,
there are only three HD channels so far; BBC HD, BBC 1HD (a HD
simulcast/mirror of BBC1) & ITV1 HD (simulcast of ITV1 HD).

There are some channels on Freeview not broadcast on Freesat and
similarly some (lots of) channels on Freesat not broadcast on
Freeview. In addition there are lots of channels on Freesat that are
encrypted or simply not of interest.

There are special channels that are used for broadcasting so-called
interactive TV. Like channel 301 on Freeview, I dont know what the
equivalents are on FreeSat. Channel 301 for instance is one of the
redbutton channels for BBC, and it provides listing information so I
regularly get to watch the F1 forum after the main event which is
simply picked up by my custom rule. I havent found similar EPG (EIT)
information on the FreeSat side.

Finally; the designated channel numbering & callsigns of channels on
Freeview and Freesat are not the same but of course many channels
carry exactly the same programs at almost exactly the same time (being
pedantic here as there is going to be a short satellite transmission
latency).

I would like to put all the channels I am interested at the top of the
channel listing (possibly by hiding those channels that are of no use)
and give them all numbers in the <1000 channel number range

I want to avoid multiple copies of the same channel appearing in the
listing (although regional variations may have to stay), and if we
remove duplicate channels from appearing I still want to see that a
program is being recorded in MythWeb. I want to be able to see when a
program is recording in the listings view - even if it is being
recorded off one of the duplicate channels...

So my questions:

 - how do other people arrange the numbering in a mixed
Freeview/Freesat system to get a concise tv guide and yet keep it easy
to maintain. The database update scripts on the wiki are only for
either freeview or freesat not combined systems.
 - if I make a channel not visible; is it still used for scheduling?
 - If i make the callsigns the same between different broadcasts of
the same channel, how do you set a preference for it to use the HD
version if a suitable tuner is available?
 - If I make two or more channels have the same callsign and number
does this achieve everything I have stated above or does that cause
other problems. For instance set ITV1 on freeview, ITV1meridian on
freesat and itv1hd all called itv1 and channum 3... how do I set a
preference for it to use the HD channel for some shows and will
mythweb report correctly that one of the channels is recording a show
even though for most of the channels it is a duplicate?

 - as an aside, how can i get mythtv to prefer to record the first
possible showing of a programme (with a preference for HD if
available) even if that causes conflicts?

thanks for reading and your help in advance

R