[mythtv] Padding of recordings

[Michael T. Dean]

On 03/07/2007 10:45 PM, Peter Schachte wrote:
> Michael T. Dean wrote:
>   
>> Or the user could tell Myth what she wants using start early/end late 
>> (either positive or negative) on the recording rules (including 
>> recording overrides when appropriate)...
>>     
> Start early/end late, as they are now, don't specify the padding info as a
> function of the right factors.  How early and late I want to record does not
> really depend on what program it is.  It's more likely to depend on what
> channel it's on, since some channels are more likely to run early or late than
> others.
>
> I agree Myth, as it is now, has all the necessary functionality for scheduling
> whatever you want.  But it's not as convenient as it could be, because you
> can't specify any policy for handling conflicts that involves dropping padding.
>  You have to explicitly set up overrides for them.
>
> I'm not complaining.  Since I bought a third tuner, I only get 2 or 3 conflicts
> per week, and it's not usually hard to resolve them with overrides.  I
> appreciate Myth's scheduling approach that lets me specify what programs I want
> to record and decides for me how best to record them.  I'm only pointing out
> that start early and end late should really be specified per channel, rather
> than per program.

Channel record for a specific program times how ever many channels may 
air that program.  No one says you can only have one rule to record, 
"The Simpsons."  Each rule can have different start early/end late times.

>   And also that padding on a higher priority show should not
> be dropped to make room for a lower priority show, but that, as the OP said, it
> would be useful for Myth to be able to automatically drop a program's padding
> if that's the only way to schedule that program.
>   

Where do we draw the line?  I still think the only way Myth can read 
your mind is if you write the contents of your mind into the 
database--i.e. tell Myth what you want and it will do it...

Now if you're just talking about a one-click (or possibly two because of 
the Amazon patent) "create an override that records this episode without 
start early/end late times," that might be somewhat useful.  
Unfortunately, though, since it's likely the user would only want to 
drop one of the two or might want to just modify the values, the one 
click, couple of keystrokes, and another click approach is probably just 
as easy.

As far as adding new functionality for allowing but not requiring 
padding, show me a use case where scheduling becomes easier than start 
early/end late and recording overrides--as opposed to some magical 
formula _plus_ start early/end late and recording overrides--and I might 
see it as an improvement.  The only way that's likely to happen is if 
the magical formula is truly magical--if it always does the right thing 
for everyone.  Otherwise, overrides will still be necessary.  True, it 
may be possible to make the overrides less common, but doing so would 
add significant complexity (from a user perspective) to the system, 
making it much harder for the user to tell Myth what he wants--if the 
user doesn't understand the /interaction/ between all these settings, 
he's likely to program the Myth box incorrectly.  Think flashing, "12:00"...

If only the users would realize they don't want the features they think 
they want.  ;)

Mike