HELP: tuner priority problems with divX

[zinkpig]

HI,
I have 2 encoders with my sage tv box a pvr 250 usb2 and plextor convetx. I have set mpg4 timeshift = false so that all the files recorded in divx are avi. The plextor has the highest priority as i like to record in divx when ever possible to save disk space and burn direct to dvd that plays on my philips dvd642. The problem is when i try to watch live tv it tries to use the plextor as it has the highest priority and since divx is the prefered quality it tries to record in it. I set time shift =false so it wont render it. the only way i can wach live tv is if the plextor is recording some thing so live tv capture takes place on usb2 . when both cards are free theres no way for me to watch live tv. Is there any way to setcard priority and quality for watching live tv ? In my case i would like to watch live tv on the pvr usb2 as i dont save these files. It would also be nice to have the plextor to be able to display live tv in mpeg2 when mpeg4 timeshift is set to "false"

[Opus4]

You can set your default recording rate to an mpeg2 setting & then set your selected favorites and manual recordings to use DivX. But, why not allow SageTV to enable mpeg4 timeshifting? After the recording is done, it will remove the mpeg2 wrapper & just leave the AVI file. (You have to have the WinDVD Creator software frmo the Plextor CD installed for htis conversion to work.) You can then use it to watch live tv & still have DivX recordings.

- Andy

[zinkpig]

Originally Posted by Opus4

You can set your default recording rate to an mpeg2 setting & then set your selected favorites and manual recordings to use DivX. But, why not allow SageTV to enable mpeg4 timeshifting? After the recording is done, it will remove the mpeg2 wrapper & just leave the AVI file. (You have to have the WinDVD Creator software frmo the Plextor CD installed for htis conversion to work.) You can then use it to watch live tv & still have DivX recordings.

- Andy

that was fast !

You can set your default recording rate to an mpeg2 setting & then set your selected favorites and manual recordings to use DivX.
Yes, I could do this but its a pain to do it for each and every thing sage records as there are 60-70 favorites. furthermore I like having the idea of a different priority for live tv, as the plextor is connected to the cable box and the pvr usb2 is not. when i am watching live tv on a non digital channel it asks me if i want to chage channel as a recording is coming up. If i were watching it on the pvr usb2 already theres no interruption in watching live tv.
Id like to use the plextor for recording as much as possible and the pvr usb2 for live tv so that it doesnt record programs in mpg2 (and take up more storage) while i am watching tv in divx.


why not allow SageTV to enable mpeg4 timeshifting?
I tried this and i have freeze frames 4 times in about 50 or so recordings. Dunno whether it was from using lots of CPU cycles or not. Plextor support says that theres about 60 % CPU usage while recording with the convertx (in the divx forums) This was on a 1.6 p4. my athlon xp 2000 would have about the same. This makes decoding divx via software difficult (decoding needs around 40% or so)

[zinkpig]

You can set your default recording rate to an mpeg2 setting & then set your selected favorites and manual recordings to use DivX.
theres another problem with doing this, when i set recording quality to divx and a dvix encoder is not available then it just doesnt record that program at all. previously, under "default" it would record in divx when ever the encoder was free and mpeg2 on another encoder when the divx encoder was busy.

[Opus4]

Good point!

How are your default recording qualities set? There is an overall default, then a default for each tuner. Did you mean that DivX is the overall default? If so, try making mpeg2 the default & then set DivX just for that one tuner. I'm just tossing out ideas; don't know what you've already done.

- Andy

[zinkpig]

Originally Posted by Opus4

Good point!

How are your default recording qualities set? There is an overall default, then a default for each tuner. Did you mean that DivX is the overall default? If so, try making mpeg2 the default & then set DivX just for that one tuner. I'm just tossing out ideas; don't know what you've already done.

- Andy

Thanks for all the input Andy really appreciate it. I set the over all quality as divx initially. I just tried using over all as mpeg2 and plextor as divx now . i am able to watch live tv in mpeg2 now. The plextor also has a higher encoder merit so its hadling the bulk of the recording.

I would still like to see a setting separate quality and tuner setting for watching live TV because of all the reasons i mentioned earlier. also it would be great if sage could use mpeg2 on the convertx instead the ugly error message when mpeg4 time shift is set to flase.