[mythtv] RFC on proposed scheduler patch re: hdtv dups

[David Shay]

On 7/28/07, Bruce Markey <bjm at lvcm.com> wrote:
> David Shay wrote:
> > On 7/28/07, Bruce Markey <bjm at lvcm.com> wrote:
> >> David Shay wrote:
> >>> I would like some quick comments on acceptability and/or direction
> >>> before I go much further with some code work.
> >>>
> >>> I would like to add an additional check into the scheduler so that it
> >>> would consider the hdtv flag.  Basically, I would like to be able to
> >>> record both the standard-def and high-def versions of a program and
> >>> not have them considered dups.  Yes, I know you can transcode them
> >>> down, but if you have enough tuners, why not record both, and the
> >>> networks have already done the appropriate pan/scan and format
> >>> conversion for you...
> >>>
> >>> Anyway, here were the basic thoughts:
> >>>
> >>> * Add an additional flag to the scheduled recording class for duphdtv,
> >>> add options on recording screen for ignore hdtv/quality or consider
> >>> hdtv/quality.
> >>> * Add hdtv flag to oldrecorded table.  Set existing entries to null in
> >>> dbcheck.cpp
> >>> * Add logic in scheduler.cpp to do additional checks based on duphdtv setting
> >> The idea of allowing the user to choose to record an alternate
> >> backup version of the same episode is a good idea but enforcing
> >> HDTV as the exclusive criteria for this is limiting. The desire
> >> to have an alternate recording is not exclusive to HDTV and what
> >> you describe sounds as if it would enforce duplicate recording
> >> for ever HDTV show.
> >
> > What other duplicate desires are out there? I'm not sure I understand
> > the desire for duplicates by sourceid.  I'm sure there's a good
> > reason, but I can't remember coming across it on the lists.  If there
> > is some way to make it more general, I could do that.
>
> In Europe the same issue would exist but with DVB and terrestrial.
> Real world for me is that I receive my local CBS affiliate on ch 8
> and digital cable 128. I record "Big Brother 8" from the set top
> box on 128 but I've also added manual rules to record the same
> time slots for ch 8 on a coax input on a different host. Here my
> interest in more in having a backup in case the STB freezes or the
> host or mythbackend fails.
>
> The point is that I understand that you are thinking of wanting to
> do this for your hdtv shows but the program.hdtv flag is not filled
> in for the rest of the world, may not always be correct (known) may
> or may not be available or have the same meaning in the future and
> may not be the true distinction that someone else needs. Therefore,
> I think a more generic solution would better in the long run.
>
> Without getting too hung up on implementation details, if you were
> going to make a distinction on whether or not the hdtv flag is set,
> instead make the distinction whether or not the sourceid is the same.
> The HD version should 'win' on input order, input preference, HDTV
> preference, etc then allow one other showing from another sourceid
> to record.
>

I still would like a response to my other case around duplicates not
on at the same time, because at least for me, that is an important
case.  As for this case, though, I'm still having a little trouble
understanding how it would work.  Let's take a specific example.  I've
got 4 tuners, 2 from an HD-HomeRun and 2 from a PVR-500.  On the 2
HD-HomeRun, I've got the same channel in both HDTV and SDTV versions.
So in the case of a duplicate show on at the same time, I've got that
show on basicaly every tuner, and in some cases twice on the same
tuner.  Without the HDTV flag, how do I make sure that I get exactly
one SDTV and one HDTV version.  How do you use priorities to know
exactly where to make the break-point between "winning"?  I'm sure I'm
missing something.

I know that the hdtv data for some could be unreliable.  For my
sources, however, it's pretty much dead-on-accurate.  My understanding
with schedulesdirect is that it remains accurate.  I know that this
may not be a more genericized version that would solve other issues,
but at least to me, it seems that that problem isn't exactly the same.
 If I were to go ahead and do the hdtv patch specifically as hdtv,
would it not be accepted?