4TR setup (1 Viewer)

[Peter2]

Hi guys,

Since showing times are subjective to changes I do not schedule them more the 1 day upfront.
Because of this, it happened more then once that certain programs have been missed in the past.

I have read some 4TR threads, also checked the website and the installation guide but I cannot find certain information or it's not clear.
Am I correct that 4TR is the solution to the problem described above?
To not break my setup and/or install things that I don't need, I have a few question regarding the installation. These options are presented during installation of the latest version (1.6.0.2):
I) Server - (1) Core Services, (2) Web Access, (3) IM-Bot Service: Of course (1) is needed, the rest explains itself
II) Recorder/Tuners - (1) For The Record 'Argus', (2) MediaPortal TV Server: do I need any of this?
III) GUI Clients - (1) Management Console, (2) Recorder/Tuner 'Argus' Management Console, (3) MediaPortal Plugin, (4) Server Status Notifier: is (1) the typical/easiest way to set up rules by using a keyboard/mouse? Is (3) overriding the MP EPG or how do I have to see this?

4TR uses a database, is this completely separated from the MP TV server database? If yes, anything important on setting this up, is MySQL the best way to go?

Thanks a lot in advance!
P.

 

[robbo100]

Hi guys,

Since showing times are subjective to changes I do not schedule them more the 1 day upfront.
Because of this, it happened more then once that certain programs have been missed in the past.

I have read some 4TR threads, also checked the website and the installation guide but I cannot find certain information or it's not clear.
Am I correct that 4TR is the solution to the problem described above?
To not break my setup and/or install things that I don't need, I have a few question regarding the installation. These options are presented during installation of the latest version (1.6.0.2):
I) Server - (1) Core Services, (2) Web Access, (3) IM-Bot Service: Of course (1) is needed, the rest explains itself
II) Recorder/Tuners - (1) For The Record 'Argus', (2) MediaPortal TV Server: do I need any of this?
III) GUI Clients - (1) Management Console, (2) Recorder/Tuner 'Argus' Management Console, (3) MediaPortal Plugin, (4) Server Status Notifier: is (1) the typical/easiest way to set up rules by using a keyboard/mouse? Is (3) overriding the MP EPG or how do I have to see this?

4TR uses a database, is this completely separated from the MP TV server database? If yes, anything important on setting this up, is MySQL the best way to go?

Thanks a lot in advance!
P.

This thread might be useful for you.

https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/other-htpc-applications-no-support-322/record-worth-103578/

Robbo100

 

[Peter2]

Hi robbo100, thank you for replying!
I did read that thread as well but didn't get any wiser...

 

[robbo100]

II) Recorder/Tuners - (1) For The Record 'Argus', (2) MediaPortal TV Server: do I need any of this?

If you have no problems with your current MP TV Server, then I would recommend that you keep the MP TV Server. So install the MP Tuner plugin and don't bother with Argus.

III) GUI Clients - (1) Management Console, (2) Recorder/Tuner 'Argus' Management Console, (3) MediaPortal Plugin, (4) Server Status Notifier: is (1) the typical/easiest way to set up rules by using a keyboard/mouse? Is (3) overriding the MP EPG or how do I have to see this?

What do you mean by "set up rules using a keyboard/mouse"? If you are talking about how do you set up recordings using complex rules, then the best method is to use the web interface (in my opinion).

With regards to the MP EPG, it depends upon how you grab your EPG data and also if you are using the MP TV Server or Argus.

For the MP TV Server, if you use DVB-EPG then the data can be passed through from MP to 4TR. You can also use an internet XML grabber to drop an XML file in the appropriate directory and 4TR will autoprocess it each time. After the first time the file is "dropped-in" you then need to link the grabbed channel data with the approriate channels in the 4TR management console. I found this process VERY difficult and unintuitive.

For the Argus tuner, you configure the EPG DVB grabbing inside the Recorder/Tuner 'Argus' Management Console (I personally found the DVB-EPG grabbing in the Argus tuner much much better than it is in the MP TV Service). You then link any xml grabbed EPG data in the same way as above. The Recorder/Tuner 'Argus' Management Console is badly layed out and takes much longer to set up than the MP TV Service.

4TR uses a database, is this completely separated from the MP TV server database? If yes, anything important on setting this up, is MySQL the best way to go?

Yes, it is seperate. I believe that the installation advice for 4TR states that MySQL is not the preferred database tool and suggests a different one. I would have a quick read of that guide if I were you.

Robbo100

 

[Pandanus]

If you have no problems with your current MP TV Server, then I would recommend that you keep the MP TV Server. So install the MP Tuner plugin and don't bother with Argus.

I would just add that I have found it easier to set up FTR with their Argus tuner than using the MP TV Server.

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

Not for everyone, a big downside is offline channel scanning, meaning you have to do two tunes, one daytime and another at night.

TVServer works well with these off air channels and still picks them up in one go, same as your basic tv.

Must say when I first setup 4TR it took me absolutely ages to get things right, really thought TVServer was easier for a novice.

 

[Pandanus]

Oh, I agree. But IMO setting up FTR to work with the MP TV Server is the worst of both worlds..

I didn't know that the MP TV Server coped so well with offline channels - cool! That is indeed one of my annoyances with the Argus tuner.

 

[hafblade]

A pro for 4tr is grabbing epg on more than one tuner at the same time and that it is more stable in my environment (don't know why).

 

[Caesium]

They're looking at fixing the offline channel scanning issue in the current BETA release with the addition of NIT table scanning, which should be pretty awesome once done.

 

[Vines986889]

For the MP TV Server, if you use DVB-EPG then the data can be passed through from MP to 4TR. You can also use an internet XML grabber to drop an XML file in the appropriate directory and 4TR will autoprocess it each time. After the first time the file is "dropped-in" you then need to link the grabbed channel data with the approriate channels in the 4TR management console. I found this process VERY difficult and unintuitive.