TV Card Priority for Recording is Illogical | CVS 12-08-2005--23-04

[Taipan]

Windows Version: XP Professional, SP2
CPU Type: AMD 2400+
Memory: 512 MB
Motherboard: Gigabyte 7VM400M-RZ
Motherboard Chipset: VIA KM400
Motherboard Bios:
Video Card: ATI Radeon 9550
Video Card Driver: 5.9
Sound Card: VIA VT1617
Sound Card AC3: no AC3
Sound Card Driver: 6.14.1.4100
1. TV Card: Dvico Fusion HDTV DVB-T
1. TV Card Type: DVB-T
1. TV Card Driver: 3.11
2. TV Card: DNTVLive! LP
2. TV Card Type: DVB-T
2. TV Card Driver: 2.61.03
Video Render Type: VMR9
Video Codec: NVIDIA Pure video v1.02.150
Audio Codec: Dscaler
Satelite/CableTV Provider: n/a
HTPC Case: n/a, modified
Power Supply: n/a, 200W, modified
Remote: MCE 2005 (EU version)
TV: BENQ DLP Projector
TV - HTPC Connection: Sub-D

I am not sure if this is a bug, or just my misunderstanding of the logic...

I have just added a second DVB-T card to my MCPC to enable me to record a program while I am viewing another, or to record 2 programs at the same time.

In MP Configuration\Television\Capture Cards it is possible to set the following properties for each DVB card:-

Purpose

Use this card for viewing TV
Use this card for recording TV

Priority (1=low, 10=high)

I set Card 1 to be used for both viewing and recording TV, with a priority of 1 (assuming that his means that this card would only be used for recording if all other cards were not available)

I set card 2 to be used just for recording TV, with a priority of 10 (assuming that this would then be the first card selected for a recording)

Here is the relevant section of my MediaPortal.log file:-

10/12/2005 7:27:45 AM Recorder: Loading capture cards from capturecards.xml
10/12/2005 7:27:45 AM Recorder: card:1 video device:FusionHDTV, Transport Stream Capture TV:True record:True priority:1
10/12/2005 7:27:45 AM Recorder: card:2 video device: DNTV Live! LP TS Capture TV:False record:True priority:10


However, when I go to MY TV to watch TV, MediaPortal uses Card 2 for viewing TV, instead of Card 1:-

10/12/2005 7:27:53 AM tv home init:ABC
10/12/2005 7:27:53 AM GUITVHome.ViewChannel(): View channel=ABC ts:False
10/12/2005 7:27:53 AM RecordertartViewing on:ABC True False
10/12/2005 7:27:53 AM Recorder:HandleView ABC True False
10/12/2005 7:27:53 AM RecordertartViewing() channel:ABC tvon:True timeshift:False vmr9:False
10/12/2005 7:27:53 AM Recorder: Card:1 viewing:False recording:False timeshifting:False channel:
10/12/2005 7:27:53 AM Recorder: Card:2 viewing:False recording:False timeshifting:False channel:
10/12/2005 7:27:53 AM Recorder: Turn tv on channel:ABC
10/12/2005 7:27:53 AM Recorder: find free card
10/12/2005 7:27:53 AM Recorder: found free card 2 prio:10 name: DNTV Live! LP Tuner Card
10/12/2005 7:27:53 AM Recorder: start watching on card:2 channel:ABC

It appears to be using the Priority setting to determine which card to use for viewing, and ignoring the other settings?


So, I changed (swaped) just the Priority setting of the two cards:

10/12/2005 7:22:27 AM Recorder: Loading capture cards from capturecards.xml
10/12/2005 7:22:27 AM Recorder: card:1 video device:FusionHDTV, Transport Stream Capture TV:True record:True priority:10
10/12/2005 7:22:27 AM Recorder: card:2 video device: DNTV Live! LP TS Capture TV:False record:True priority:1


And this time when I view TV, Card 1 is used:-

10/12/2005 7:22:40 AM tv home init:ABC
10/12/2005 7:22:40 AM GUITVHome.ViewChannel(): View channel=ABC ts:False
10/12/2005 7:22:40 AM RecordertartViewing on:ABC True False
10/12/2005 7:22:41 AM Recorder:HandleView ABC True False
10/12/2005 7:22:41 AM RecordertartViewing() channel:ABC tvon:True timeshift:False vmr9:False
10/12/2005 7:22:41 AM Recorder: Card:1 viewing:False recording:False timeshifting:False channel:
10/12/2005 7:22:41 AM Recorder: Card:2 viewing:False recording:False timeshifting:False channel:
10/12/2005 7:22:41 AM Recorder: Turn tv on channel:ABC
10/12/2005 7:22:41 AM Recorder: find free card
10/12/2005 7:22:41 AM Recorder: found free card 1 prio:10 name: Dvico FusionHDTV DVB-T
10/12/2005 7:22:41 AM Recorder: start watching on card:1 channel:ABC


Then, while watching ABC on Card 1, I scheduled a recording on SBS.
MediaPortal then used Card 2 to record the scheduled program, even though Card 2 is at Priority 1.....:confused:

10/12/2005 9:15:00 AM Recorder: time to record 'Le Journal' on channelBS from 9:20:00 AM-9:55:00 AM id:2 priority:2147483646 quality:NotSet Once
10/12/2005 9:15:00 AM Recorder: program:9:20:00 AM-9:55:00 AM
10/12/2005 9:15:00 AM Recorder: Card:1 viewing:True recording:False timeshifting:False channel:ABC
10/12/2005 9:15:00 AM Recorder: Card:2 viewing:False recording:False timeshifting:False channel:
10/12/2005 9:15:00 AM Recorder: using card:2 prio:1


So, my question is - is the Priority setting meant to apply to which card is used for viewing, or which card is first used for recording?

I assume that if I only have one card selected for viewing TV, then that card should always be used for viewing.
And if I have 2 cards selected for recording, then the order in which they are used for recording should be determined by their priority?

But MediaPortal seesm to be doing exactly the opposite....

[FlipGer]

Hi,

thats something i also recognized with my two cards. I did also want to solve it like you. One card with high prio, but only recording and one with low for watching and recording, but MP seems to ignore the recording / watching checkboxes?

I also made an feature request for mulittuner, but dunno if it was heard.

The feature request was:
Have prio settings for both recording and watching from 0 - 10. 0 meaning to not use this card for recording and/or watching. Then you could kick the checkboxes and set something like this:

card1:
watching prio 1
recording prio 2

card2:
watching prio 2
recording prio 1

Flip

[Taipan]

Originally Posted by FlipGer

card1:
watching prio 1
recording prio 2

card2:
watching prio 2
recording prio 1

Flip

Yes, this feature request would be nice, but I would be happy if the current configuration options worked correctly...

[Taipan]

I have done some more testing with 2 DVB-T cards and it looks like the settings under the heading of "Purpose" (Use this card for viewing TV, Use this card for recording TV) are ignored and only the setting under "Priority" is actually used to determine which card to use for viewing TV or recording TV.

For example, if Card 1 is set to priority 10 and card 2 is set to priority 1, then Card 1 will always be the first card used for viewing or recording, irrespective of its "Purpose" settings.

Similarly, Card 2 will always be used second, irrespective of its "Purpose" settings - for example, if Card 1 is already in use for recording, then Card 2 will be used for viewing, even though it has not been selected for viewing under "Purpose"....

I hope that explanation makes sense.....:confused: