Feature Suggestion for overlapping Start/End Times

[bcdayton]

In order to have a reasonable chance of recording all of a show, it is necessary for me to adjust my start and end recording times +5 minutes.

I realize that normally, it will be impossible to record two shows back to back in this configuration. However, many times, the two shows are back to back on the same channel. In this case, it should be possible for SAGE TV to record both shows both with their 5 minute lead-in and lead-outs using a single tuner.

I am surprised by the number of times this optimization would be useful in actual practice so I think the time spent would be well worth the effort.

Thanks.

PS: Let me vote for a fixes for the -15,-16 250 and the 250/350 Hauppauge problems as well.

[fidget]

Originally posted by bcdayton
PS: Let me vote for a fixes for the -15,-16 250 and the 250/350 Hauppauge problems as well.

You will need to talk to Hauppauge about these problems since they are related to thier device drivers.

[mlbdude]

So you want sage to make two copies (or splice one from the other) of the same 5 minutes and add it to the end of one and the beginning of the other? Sounds like it would not be worth it to me with all the problems that could arise from going around how the Hauppauge driver works.

Latest word from Calgar, he says he got a response from Fret claiming they are testing a driver that will work with both 15 and 16 cards. We will have to wait and see it it pans out.

http://forums.sage.tv/forums/showthr...7508#post27508

[fidget]

I think what bcdayton wants is to have the MPEG data written to both files during the 5 minutes of overlap. I, too, would find this useful, but it isn't a high priority for me since I run a multi-tuner system.

[JasonJoel]

I would LOVE this feature... And there isn't really any technical reason it couldn't be done.

I'll file a bug/submission for this.

Jason

[falchulk]

This would be very dificul due to the way h pvr writes the data to the hd. It would absoutely require sage to splice it into the data file for the 2nd show. That means this would have to be done after the second show is done recording. I should not say this, but Iwill be shocked f Frey does this.

[mlbdude]

Not only is what falchulk says true but imagine the cost of SageTV if it needed to include licensing for some kind of MPEG2 editing library - unless there is a free one we can point Jeff toward.

This would be cool but not worth the problems and complexity it would create.

[carlgar]

Originally posted by mlbdude

Latest word from Calgar, he says he got a response from Hauppauge claiming they are testing a driver that will work with both 15 and 16 cards. We will have to wait and see it it pans out.

I think you misread my post, the response I got was from Frey support. I would expect that they got the information from Hauppauge, but I don't know for sure.

[fidget]

Originally posted by falchulk
This would be very dificul due to the way h pvr writes the data to the hd. It would absoutely require sage to splice it into the data file for the 2nd show. That means this would have to be done after the second show is done recording. I should not say this, but Iwill be shocked f Frey does this.

If there is some nice way to locate an I-frame, it shouldn't be very difficult ('very' is a relative term here). The first I-frame in the overlap would be written to both files along with each subsequent frame, until the overlap is over. Of course, this is from someone who has never had to look at the format of an MPEG file.

[Opus4]

I guess it comes down to the path that the mpeg data takes from the encoder card to the file. A) If it goes straight from the card's driver to a file, then I guess that could make it a bit difficult to manage to get the data written to 2 files at once, unless the driver can do that on its own already. B) If it goes from the card -> SageTV -> file, then SageTV may be able to write it to 2 files more easily.

Here's a suggestion that gets around writing it to both files.... SageTV is currently capable of breaking up a recording into multiple files, if needed, & playing them back fairly seemlessly, isn't it? It has to be able to do something like that due to the 4GB file limit on FAT32 systems. So... how about writing multiple files & internally tracking the parts.

File1: show1's file up to the point that start padding begins for show2. Belongs to show1 only.

File 2: Start padding for show2. Belongs to end of show1 & start of show2.

File 3: End padding for show1. Belongs to end of show1 and start of show2. (Combine files 2 & 3 if the shows have both start & end padding.)

File 4: The remainder of show2. Belongs only to show2.

Files 2 and/or 3 could even be copied so that each show has its own copies of this file, in case SageTV isn't capable of tracking bits of a show for more than 1 recording.

Possible problem: Depending on the process of stopping & starting recording to a file, there could be a playback glitch between sections of the recording. (?)

Another possible problem: Frey may not want to mess with this sort of thing.

Am I so far off base that this is laughable?

- Andy

[falchulk]

Opus4, good thinking. That would be possible.

[theMixxMaster]

That would be great! I would like to see some sort of automatic buffer(pre & post) for recordings of a minute or two, as networks are constantly moving the show start & end times, mainly because of PVR's, so they can still cram more ads in...
Of course, if I had two tuners, this would be less of a problem, but I digress...

[BigGator]

are you having this problem because the various networks/stations are all starting/ending shows a few minutes off?

That's the annoying problem I have.. I haven't messed with padding (because I often record shows back to back) but the different channels don't line up... some start/end early - others late..

I have SEVERAL shows missing either the first or last minute or two..
"-)

[Opus4]

Are you asking if that is why we are using padding on some shows? If so, then: yes, the start/end padding allows the recording to contain those parts that play before or after the "official" hour/half-hour mark. This can cause problems, especially on a single tuner system, where the padding causes a show to conflict with another show you want to record on a different channel. If the back to back shows are on the same channel, the padding goes away since SageTV records them both on the same tuner, except for the option to record on separate tuners in v2. Thus, you can end up with the start or end of one show tucked away in the recording of another show. You still have those padded parts... you just have to remember where to go look for them... which leads to the discussion of this topic here & in other threads.

- Andy

[nielm]

Is there any way to set a default padding for all types of recordings (Manual, Favourites, Intelligent?). I find myself always setting paddings of at least -5mins +10mins (Some of the Belgian channels play really fast and loose with their schedules)

[Opus4]

Originally posted by nielm
Is there any way to set a default padding for all types of recordings

Not currently.

- Andy