recorded tv programme title is preceding programme title or manual (2 Viewers)

[high]

Hi, uploaded images get moved to another server shortly after upload. This failed today due to some updates but it should be working again.

 

[CyberSimian]

uploaded images get moved to another server shortly after upload.

While you are here, is there a maximum size for uploaded images or uploaded zip files? I have never seen a limit mentioned anywhere, but I think that I would expect there to be some limit.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[high]

While you are here, is there a maximum size for uploaded images or uploaded zip files? I have never seen a limit mentioned anywhere, but I think that I would expect there to be some limit.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

limit is 307.2MB atm

 

[CyberSimian]

@fredzebu :
All of the images now appear (I have deleted duplicates). Looking at the images:

IMG-7800a
This has two entries where the date and time are blank. This happens to me too when I schedule a one-time recording (typically a movie), but the start time and/or end time change after I have scheduled it. You need to delete these bad entries in the recording schedule, and then reschedule them from the EPG. I think (but don't know for certain) that it is these bad entries that end up with the recording having the title "Manual".

The only work-around that I can think of for the broadcaster changing start/end times is to use a recording type that does not fix the start/end times. The recording type "weekly on this day of the week" does not fix the start or end time, but of course you would need to remember to delete the entry in the "Series Recording Schedule" after the movie has been recorded. There is no problem with scheduling a one-time programme as a series. (The "Series Recording Schedule" might be called something different in the MP skin that you are using.)

Windows Media Center (WMC) had a time window for the start time within which the programme would still be recorded. For Vista, I think that this Window was 2 hours, but this was reduced to 15 minutes in Windows 7. Unfortunately, MP does not support this concept of a window for the start time, and (sadly) I don't think that this capability will be added anytime soon.

IMG-7801a
This shows that you have enabled Always try to fill holes. This is a rather strange setting. My understanding is that if the EPG contains a gap, TV Server will extend the EPG entry for the programme preceding the gap so as to fill the gap. I don't know why this might be wanted, or what effect it might have.

If you have always used this setting, you could try disabling it for a few days, and seeing what effect that has. We don't usually have gaps in the UK EPG (except when daylight-saving time starts), so I have no experience of gaps in the EPG.

If you enabled this setting in response to my first post, leave it enabled for a few days to see what effect it has. With the setting enabled, I would not expect to see the gaps in the EPG that IMG-7799a shows.

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[fredzebu]

@CyberSimian Early morning here. I am up and rested, brain functioning again. The TV channel that we are examining in particular is "SBS World Movies" although the two problems (title incorrectly recorded as preceding program in EPG schedule, or Manual) also occurs from time to time on other channels.

I assume that the small gaps in the EPG between programs are station id and promos and ads, and I assume that if the small gap is there in the EPG then that is when the title will be "Manual".

EXAMPLE OF PRECEDING PROGRAM TITLE:
Img 7805a: shows movie "Malena" scheduled to start at 1147pm Sun 10/09 (not yet occurred at time of writing this post), preceded by "The Wolf of Wall St". Although it hasn't been recorded yet it seems that this one will be titled "The Wolf of Wall St".

Img 7803a: shows the Scheduled recordings list. Note that "Malena" already has date and time missing in the list and has "The Wolf of Wall St" as the detailed description yet has start day/time as Sun 10/09 1145pm.

So, it appears to me that an MP1 software mod could overcome this problem, because we can anticipate that it will occur from the data available at recording start time The mod as follows:

Option1: Just before starting recording at the original programmed start time of 1145pm, check the program name in the current EPG data at 1145pm. If it does not match the selected program name then look ahead in the EPG and grab the next program name and data.

Option 2: Unconditionally use a forward time offset in the EPG for program name and data. My suggestion would be to use the thumbnail image offset time from Tv Server settings, or say 10% or 20% of recording time length as the EPG forward offset.

I will report back what the result of recording "Malena" is.

Always try to fill holes: I will try your suggestion which I predict will result in "preceding program title" problem where blanks have been filled.

I don't think that the other workarounds that you have suggested would work for me in practise unfortunately.

One last note: I have also posted a query in the MP2 forum. I am hearing impaired and rely heavily on subtitles. If I can get confirmation that live TV subtitles work well in Australia for MP2, then I will try MP2 and see if it solves my problems, and doesn't introduce new ones!

 

[CyberSimian]

So, it appears to me that an MP1 software mod could overcome this problem

I agree that MP1 is somewhat lacking with regard to the start time of recordings . The problem is that the MP1 Development team is now a shadow of its former self, with no one who knows anything about the internals of TV Server. This is why I think it unlikely that any improvement will be made to this area in the foreseeable future.

If you want to remain with MP1, it is a question of identifying a work-around that will work for you:

(1) Review the recording schedule daily to determine if there are any entries that have a blank date and time. For these entries, delete the entry and then reschedule the recording from the EPG.

(2) Consider using a recording type that does not fix the start/end times. There are three recording types that do not fix the time:

• Every time on this channel
• Every time on every channel
• Weekly on this day of the week

Since you are recording one-time programmes (such as movies), you want to select a recording type that will reduce the probability of recording a later repeat of the movie. So the best choice is weekly on this day of the week. Yes, you will start to accumulate entries in the series recording schedule that apply to one-time recordings, but this won't adversely affect MP. You simply need to delete them periodically (e.g. weekly, or perhaps even monthly).

MP2 is certainly worth considering, and has the advantage that recent releases support three different TV Servers:

• TVE 3.0. This is the same as MP1, and so will suffer from the same limitations as MP1.
• TVE 3.5. This is a significantly different revision of TVE3 that may offer more capability, but also has some limitations (e.g. you cannot use a DVB-T2 tuner to scan for channels; only a DVB-T tuner will work).
• TV Mosaic. This is the latest addition to MP2, but the implementation may not yet be complete.

In general my view is that every media-center program in existence will have some aspects that you don't like, and the challenge is to find the one that is "least worst".

-- from CyberSimian in the UK

 

[fredzebu]

@CyberSimian As I have just posted in the MP2 subforum I will stay with MP1 for the time being. Many thanks for all your very informative and detailed responses. I will take your advice and monitor the Scheduled recordings list for the discrepancies you have described.
Cheers.