[mythtv] conflict resolution vs priorities

Ben Bucksch linux.news at bucksch.org
Fri May 30 04:29:51 EDT 2003


Bruce Markey wrote:

> Ben Bucksch wrote:
>
>>    * Today, there are Anaconda and Johnny Mnemonic running at the same
>>      time. I had a hard time to choose, took me maybe a minute, and I
>>      am still not sure about my choice. If I had to assign a priority
>>      when I select a recording,
>
> This doesn't reflect the difference I see between declared
> priority based and algorithm guess systems. It is myth's
> conflict resolution pages where you need to make a choice
> for every single recording.

No, only for those where there is an actual conflict. With "every single 
recording", I mean when I choose a programme to be recorded. I.e. I 
select a movie in the EPG, say "Record this showing" and will have to 
set a priority. Or in which dialog would I assign the priority? (see below)

> In a priority based system, you
> would have an ordered list of the titles you've chosen. You
> stack them in the order of your preference. This is fairly
> simple because most things are a no brainer, You know which
> shows you prefer. Once you've set the list, the default choices
> are based on your preference rather than the scheduler's guess
> and will continue to do so indefinitely.

As you've seen, I am talking about movies, not repeating shows (for me, 
TV is mostly Star Trek plus a cheap feed of movies ;-) ). I agree that 
such a system might work for series or TV shows, but it doesn't for 
movies. I often don't know them in advance, and there are hundreds or 
thousands of them. It's hard to rate them all correctly, in advance 
(heh, even in hindsight) and all in correct relation to every other so 
that not the wrong one gets recorded in case there is actually a conflict.

> In either case you would have the occasionally tough choice you
> describe and would manually choose.

But the point of the Original Poster was that he doesn't ever want to 
check the "todo list", so no manual choices. Unless the concrete 
conflict resolution choice comes up immediately when I select the 
recording and if there is an actual conflict, based on currently known 
TV listings.

>>          o I have to make the choice not between 2 concrete choices,
>>            but against some abstract value system I made up in my mind
>
> Visit a friend who has a Tivo ;-).

If I knew one :-). I've never even seen them being sold here in Germany.

> A simple list of your choices. 1 always gets recorded, 2 is
> recorded unless it overlaps 1. 3 is recorded unless 1 or 2 are
> on.

I assume 1 and 2 are actually conflicting programmes, based on the known 
TV listing? How is this different from the MythTV's conflict resolution 
together with "remember this choice" ('record show B, whenever I have 
the choice between A and B')?

With "priorities", I thought of an integer that I assign to a recording 
entry, and if there is a conflict between 2 shows, the one with the 
higher integer gets recorded.

>>    * If I have the choice between Star Trek and the average action
>>      movie, I choose ST, but if I have 2 cards with different quality,
>>      and I can record both, I'd want the action movie to be recorded
>>      with the better card, so the priority can't really say anything
>>      about the choice of cards.
>
> Even currently, the show that  come out on top by algorithm goes to 
> card 1 and the next to card 2

I am not talking about the current system at all in this last point, 
only about 2 alternative proposals. Well possible that the current 
system is totally unsuited, I don't know, I have only one card atm 
(still waiting for the sat dish access...).

> With a priority list, you could move the show you
> want on your best card above the other and know that it will
> do what you want.

So, I'd rate the action movie higher than ST? What, if there happens to 
be a conflict later (I watch LiveTV or make another record or whatever)? 
Then the action movie would get recorded instead of ST, which I don't want.



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