Dual recordings and preview window

[snoopy]

Is there an easier way to work with the preview windows?

I notice Sage (unlike TiVo) doesn't seem to record on both tuners very well. I am using an antenna and I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

Ideally, I would like to choose to put a show in the preview window while looking through the guide. I see something I "might like" for instance, I could choose to put it up in the preview window and browse for more. It would be great if whatever show was currently recorded could then be either canceled or keep recording.

I don't understand how the dual-tuner would come in to play there. Please advise.

Everyone in these forums has been SO helpfull. Once I get it tweaked, I have a feeling my wife and I are going to love this thing.

[Opus4]

I'm not sure if this answers your question, but... unscheduled live TV has no priority for SageTV. If you are watching some show live & decide you want to watch something else live in the same instance of SageTV (same program on teh same PC), the first show will stop recording & the channel will be changed to the 2nd show. In a dual tuner situation, if you want to keep one show recording & begin using the 2nd tuner to watch something else live, your best bet is to use the Record command on the first show to turn it into a Manual Recording.

If you are watching something in the preview window, you don't have to go find it in the grid again, just use the TV command to toggle the view to the playback screen, use the Record command, then use the TV command to toggle back to your previous menu.

Then, if both are marked as Manual Recordings (or Favorites), you can use the Previous Channel command to toggle between the shows.

Many people around here seem to seldom watch live TV, preferring to record everything for later viewing. I'm not saying that you _have_ to do that, but I sure find watching TV that way quite convenient...

- Andy

[mdmint]

I very rarely browse TV Guide or use preview window so no help there. I can say unequivobly Sage can record to 6 tuners simultaneously no problem and at the same time playback something else already recorded. (I use DVD Standard Q except for sports then Max Mpeq Q.) But I use primarily Favorites to record and some manual. I believe others are running more than 6 tuners.

So the issue is more likely Cayars STV and it's implmentation of Live TV preview, not Sage itself.

[nielm]

Originally Posted by snoopy

Ideally, I would like to choose to put a show in the preview window while looking through the guide. I see something I "might like" for instance

If you want to record and watch it, set it as a manual record (ress record remote button/CTRL-Y), and hit Select/Enter to start playback

and browse for more.

when you find something else that you want to record/watch, set *it* as a manual record and Select/Enter to start playback.

I don't understand how the dual-tuner would come in to play there.

With a single tuner, you would get a conflict popup to allow you to choose which you want to record. With a dual tuner, if you selected Record, the first will continue recording on one tuner, and the second will record+playback on the second.

But I hardly ever watch liveTV now -- always have enough recorded favorites!

[snoopy]

Thanks mdmint. I appreciate that. It's good to know others are doing so well with so many tuners. I'm not sure what Q and Max Mpeq Q are but I'm not sure it applies.

Thanks Opus for so darn many answers. Your a great help on this board! You have helped a vast number of people it looks like. How do I get it to do dual-tuner. I just tried to record two shows and it won't do that.

I guess I have to first figure that out before trying to figure out how to navigate the guide using the preview window more effectively. First things first right?

Also, when verifying my setup to make sure I had two tuners installed, I noticed the fonts are different than what I remember. But now I am using it on the TV which could be part of the problem. I did make a change though and would like to revert back to default fonts. Do you know what they are? What is the OSD info font text called in terms of it's style (main menu, sub menu, etc so that I can change that value later)? Thanks again for all your help.

[mdmint]

Originally Posted by snoopy

Thanks mdmint. I appreciate that. It's good to know others are doing so well with so many tuners. I'm not sure what Q and Max Mpeq Q are but I'm not sure it applies.

Sorry about that. Q = Quality. ie DVD Standard Quality and Max Mpeq Qualtiy record rates.

How do I get it to do dual-tuner. I just tried to record two shows and it won't do that.

How many tuners do you see under setup>setup menu>setup wizard? Should see two with a single PVR500. Under setup wizard select each tuner to verify it's channel lineup.

[snoopy]

Originally Posted by mdmint

Sorry about that. Q = Quality. ie DVD Standard Quality and Max Mpeq Qualtiy record rates.


How many tuners do you see under setup>setup menu>setup wizard? Should see two with a single PVR500. Under setup wizard select each tuner to verify it's channel lineup.

I did that and the fonts are a little wierd so it's hard to tell from there. However, if I go to system information it does show both one and two. When I try to record two things simultaniously though, it won't do it.

[snoopy]

mdmint do you know what the "default" font options are?

[mdmint]

Originally Posted by snoopy

mdmint do you know what the "default" font options are?

Sorry, 'fraid I don't. I never changed or played with the fonts in Sage.

Tuner wise did you go through selecting source and channel setup for both tuners? Even if using the same lineup you have to do it for each tuner.

[snoopy]

Can I pull up just 2005 shows of a particular type?

[Opus4]

If you've changed a property and want to restore its original value, exit SageTV, simply delete that property, then restart SageTV. The missing property will then use its default value.

See p. 112 in the v2.2 manual regarding completing the Setup Wizard twice in order to set up 2 tuners. (Since you have a 500, you have to configure both 'devices' listed in Step 1 of the source setup process.)

- Andy

[snoopy]

Yep... I have done that. I'm not sure why it won't play with it.
I'm going to delete them both, restart sage, redo it and see what happens. Do you know what the "default" fonts are?

[snoopy]

It now seems to just switch from one recording to the other
Dual-Tuners act as a single tuner. It simply won't record two at a time?

Maybe time for a complete re-install of Sage software?