No default padding on 2nd tuner? 6.3.3

[pseudonym]

All my favorites have 3 minutes early and 3 minutes late padding.

I just noticed several favorites recordings made since I put up the beta (6.3.2 and recently 6.3.3) do not have the padding, while others do.

I don't know how to determine after-the-fact, which tuner recorded a show, but based on my recording schedule I think padding is only being applied to the 1st tuner, the 2nd tuner recordings are not being padded.

Here's why I think this is what's happening:

Looking at my recording schedule for tonight, "Heroes" is on tonight from 9pm-10:01pm, and is scheduled to record on my 1st tuner. The recording detail indicates it will record from 8:57pm-10:04pm, so it will have the padding as I have set in that Favorite.

Also tonight from 9pm-11pm is "Tin Man", that Favorite also has 3min padding before and after, but SageTV shows it will only record from 9pm-11pm, so padding is NOT being added to that recording. "Tin Man" is scheduled to record on my 2nd tuner.

There are no shows recording near either of the above two recordings, these two are the only shows being recorded today and no more are scheduled until tomorrow night. There are no recording conflicts listed. I double-checked, both Favorites do have the 3min pad listed in them.

I don't see any reason why the padding should not be applied to both shows? I would certainly want it unless recordings are back to back on same channel (I do have remove padding on back-to-back favorites selected in setup, but these records are not on the same channel and not on the same tuner).

I'm using SageTV (media center?) for Windows, not client/server, just the proggie running in the systray as sleep mode, on WinXP Pro SP2 + all post hotfixes per windows update.

Thanks for any help,
--pseudonym

[Opus4]

Padding would be applied regardless of which tuner is being used. I'm not sure what the cause might be, but did you change Tin Man to be a Manual Recording? If you select its airing, then choose Record Option s-> Adjust Favorite Options, does that Fav show the padding?

- Andy

[pseudonym]

Hi Andy, thanks for reply.

The two "Tin Man" recordings I have made so far, both show red circle with "F" on them. I did not make any manual scheduling of these shows.

When I select either of the "Tin Man" recordings, choose 'record options' followed by 'adjust favorite options' I do see 3 minutes early and 3 minutes late padding set on the Favorite.

I just discovered I can see which tuner made the recording by choosing 'View Recording Detail' on a recording:

1. The first recording of "Tin Man" was recorded Sun night 12/2, airing is reported as being from 9pm-11pm, the recording is from 11:57-11pm, the early pad was applied but not the late pad. This was recorded on tuner #1 (so squash my theory about it being an issue only with the #2 tuner). Both tuners were available, it was the only recording scheduled for that evening.

2. The second recording I have of "Tin Man", (this is the one that was yet to record when I started this thread), was recorded exactly as SageTV said it would be -- it was only recorded from 9pm-11pm on tuner #2, no padding was applied. (Tuner #1 recorded "Heroes" with padding front and back, just as SageTV said it would.)


So here we are. "Tin Man" is scheduled to be recorded again tonight. SageTV shows the airtime from 9pm-11pm, and is scheduled to record 9pm-11pm, NO PADDING. It is scheduled on tuner #1. It is the only recording scheduled for tonight. Both tuners will be available.

What would be the reason SageTV would still not schedule the padding for this recording?


Here's another padding problem I have just discovered, looking through the recording details made last Friday night 11/30:

On 11/30 a Favorite with 3 min early and 3 min late padding, was recorded on tuner #1. The airtime is shown as being from 9pm-11pm, the recording is from 9:57pm-11pm. No late padding. This was on channel 67.

Also on 11/30 another Favorite with 3 min early and 3 min late padding, was recorded. Airtime was from 11pm-12am, the recording is from 11pm-12:03am. No early padding. This was on channel 55 and was ALSO SCHEDULED ON TUNER #1.

There were no other shows scheduled to record that night and both tuners were available. Why did SageTV schedule both of these to the same tuner, causing the padding to be removed between them? They were on different channels and both tuners were available to be used.

I can't think of anything that would influence SageTV to schedule these shows to one tuner when it could have used both tuners... here's what I checked:

1. I check "resolve recording conflicts" every day but have never seen anyting listed there. There was no conflict listed back on the evening of 11/30.

2. I have the default and the quality on both tuners set all the same -- DVD Standard for everything.

3. Both tuners use the exact same EPG cable lineup.

4. There is no set top box, just regular cable, no HD.


I do have 'remove padding on back-to-back favorites' selected in Setup options. Shouldn't that only apply to back-to-back recordings on the same channel, or when there is only one tuner available to satisfy back-to-back recordings on different channels? It doesn't make sense to me that SageTV scheduled both shows to the same tuner when two tuners were available.


Thanks as always for help and/or info on both of these situations.
--pseudonym

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by pseudonym

What would be the reason SageTV would still not schedule the padding for this recording?

The most technical explanation I can come up with is "I don't know".

Did you try playing the recordings? Is padding on them by some chance?

Do you have Intelligent Recordings enabled, but the schedule is configured not to include IR shows?

Are you using the default STV with no customizations? If so, try filing a bug report about the missing padding.

- Andy

[pseudonym]

Hi again Andy,

The most technical explanation I can come up with is "I don't know".

LOL Fair enough

Did you try playing the recordings? Is padding on them by some chance?

Yes I played the recordings, they are as SageTV says they are -- front or back only or no padding, just as reported.

Do you have Intelligent Recordings enabled, but the schedule is configured not to include IR shows?

I haven't and don't use intelligent recording (I just checked to make sure it is not still not enabled).

Are you using the default STV with no customizations? If so, try filing a bug report about the missing padding.

Yes I am using the default STV, no customizations.

I will file a bug report. Thanks again Andy.

--pseudonym

[pseudonym]

I have filed a bug report, so I'll wait and see what is needed.

In the meantime I deleted the "Tin Man" favorite, confirmed it was gone from the recording schedule, then exited SageTV (not sleep). Re-launched SageTV and added "Tin Man" as a new Favorite and put the 3 minute before and after padding on it.

I then went to the recording schedule and it is still scheduled to record without any padding. It is the ONLY recording scheduled for tonight, so nothing should be interfering with putting the padding on the show as far as I can tell.

--pseudonym

[Tiki]

Did you change the Encoder Merit settings in the Sage Properties file to give one tuner priority. I have noticed some strange inconsistent behavior similar to this if the encoder merit is set to something other than 0.

[pseudonym]

Hi Tiki,

My sage.properties file is unmodified with the exception of scheduling_lookahead value, which is set for 7 days out. I wouldn't think that would cause any of the problems I'm experiencing? But I could always set it back to the default and see if that makes a difference.

Thanks very much for your reply. This is very puzzling. I haven't heard back on my bug report submission yet, not sure how long it takes to get a response... hoping for one soon, I hate missing the first or last 30 seconds of my favorite shows!

--pseudonym