Calling all MP New Zealanders (Both of you!!) (4 Viewers)
- Thread starter TVKiwi
- Start date
Works fine in UK, now you just need someone from DOWN "here" to confirm
- September 1, 2008
- 21,577
- 8,224
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New Zealand
Funny you should say that - last time I tried FTR (1.5) I couldn't stand their TV plugin. Some of the convenience "behaviours" that I took for granted with MP's TV plugin were missing. I couldn't do without them. It would be interesting to know what you noticed that you liked in FTR...
- Moderator
- #3,357
Works fine in UK, now you just need someone from DOWN "here" to confirm
Cheers guys, guess it's about time I tried 1.2b on the live setup then...
The two main reasons I use FTR:
- You NEVER get any recordings with "unknown" as the title (or whatever the MP Plugin says, it's so long since I've seen it I've forgotten what it looks like
). Has this been fixed in the MP plugin? If not then I wouldn't even consider looking at it. Before changing to FTR I had a stack of "unknown" recordings which to me were about as much use as a pile of Videos with no names written on them (and I built my first HTPC to get away from that!)- Real "set and forget" recording - set FTR to record "Survivor, Californication etc" and it will, whenever the show(s) air or whenever you tell it to (there are various options). This is great for me because I use Comskip and very rarely know when a new series is coming up - often the first I know of it is when I see it listed in Recorded TV
Bleazle
- September 1, 2008
- 21,577
- 8,224
- Home Country
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New Zealand
I don't know why that would *ever* happen unless you don't have guide data at the time the recording is started or your file naming pattern didn't have data for certain fields. Recordings have more to do with the TV Server (since it is obviously the TV Server that records them), so unless you're using Argus I don't know how things would be any different than with a standard MP install...- You NEVER get any recordings with "unknown" as the title (or whatever the MP Plugin says, it's so long since I've seen it I've forgotten what it looks like
...and that would be where our use of MP is different. I watch a fair amount of "live" (timeshifted) TV and only tend to record movies. I set schedules manually when I see a movie advertised that I want to watch. FTR is necessary for what you want to do, but I don't need it so much...- Real "set and forget" recording - set FTR to record "Survivor, Californication etc" and it will, whenever the show(s) air or whenever you tell it to (there are various options). This is great for me because I use Comskip and very rarely know when a new series is coming up - often the first I know of it is when I see it listed in Recorded TV
For my 2 cents, and I absolutely love 4TR, is I would be lost without primarily for:
* PC Management Console and web interface
I mainly record Movies and Series and its just such an easier proposition to use the Mgt Console than the MP interface and a remote. As an example, for the current "Dancing on Ice" (the kids want it ) where it has a short gap on the same night 4TR is so easy to set to record both on the same evening with a single recording entry.
To set up Alerts etc is also brilliant.
Managing Recordings, even viewing TV live using VLC by creating a Stream is very very handy (eg Im sitting at my Laptop, hear of an earthquake, go to the Mgt Console and start a live stream from MP Server).
The rule based recording options are far far superior to that in MP ... but I must admit I only use them through the Mgt Console not the MP TV interface.
* PC Management Console and web interface
I mainly record Movies and Series and its just such an easier proposition to use the Mgt Console than the MP interface and a remote. As an example, for the current "Dancing on Ice" (the kids want it
) where it has a short gap on the same night 4TR is so easy to set to record both on the same evening with a single recording entry.To set up Alerts etc is also brilliant.
Managing Recordings, even viewing TV live using VLC by creating a Stream is very very handy (eg Im sitting at my Laptop, hear of an earthquake, go to the Mgt Console and start a live stream from MP Server).
The rule based recording options are far far superior to that in MP ... but I must admit I only use them through the Mgt Console not the MP TV interface.
- Moderator
- #3,360
Like I said I've been using FTR for a long time so this might not be an issue in MP now, it was a HUGE problem for me when I was using Analogue tuners (using DVB-S now - I don't use Argus BTW) - the "unknown" recordings used to happen when a programme started or finished earlier than it was scheduled to but maybe DVB-S has fixed that? having said that johns11 had a number of unknown programmes on his MP setup when I saw it a while back so if he jumps in here maybe he can explain why...
If I happen to get stuck watching Live TV (very rare for me but sometimes the kids do) I will pause it for a while then come back and timeshift too
but yeah, the vast majority of TV I watch is recorded, I hate ads.I use the Mangement console too when scheduling a Series that I know I will want to record again later - i.e. the next series (so if the MP TV Plugin still can't provide this I wouldn't change back to it) but "record every week at this time" in MP is handy too - you only need to use the Management Console for advanced recording options (Note: @ thekiwi - I know you know this, just pointing it out for anyone that hasn't used FTR!
). I've never been able to access the Web Interface outside of my Home network which is a real bummer - I've tried setting up static I.P's, bridging my modem and router and port forwarding etc but no luck (remembering that I'm no IT guru and everything I kow about anything to do with computers is all thanks to Google so I could just be getting it wrong!). I would like to be able to access FTR remotely through the Web Interface but having said that I can access it from my phone etc via Windows Messenger and set recordings, cancel recordings etc etc but it's nowhere near as user friendly. Realistically do I need to be able to access FTR remotely? Only very rarely, I could live without it, but it's cool
Bleazle