[mythtv-users] Multiple tuner channel idea

[Bruce Markey]

Ian Forde wrote:
> As I understand it, if one has multiple tuners the idea is to assign
> them to the same xmltv file, thus allowing the program guide to show
> only one of each channel.
> 
> But if one tuner is connected to a cable box and the other takes a
> direct feed using its internal tuner (with a subset of the same
> channels) there's a problem... In that situation (which I have) I copied
> one .xmltv file to a new file,

...and run setup to create a second sourceid, yes?

> and editted out the cable-box-only
> channels (buy putting "not" in front of them).  My question is: 
> Wouldn't it be better instead to have the program guide recognize the
> fact that the channel names/numbers/frequencies are the same, collapse

s/names\/numbers\/frequencies/callsign/p

> the listings to only list one set of channels in the guide, and allow
> recordings to proceed based on whether or not the requested tuner can
> access that channel?  (As opposed to each channel having a list of
> tuners, which would be wasteful...)

The problem isn't just cosmetic. The reason you see two listing
for channel 3 is that they are two different entities; chanid 1003
for the coax input and 2003 for the cable box input. If you chose
a show on one line from the EPG, it will only record on that one
input. If you select it on the other line it will only record on
the other input.

It seems like the scheduler should be able to determine that
two entries in the channel table have the same callsign and, if
the record table stored the callsign rather than the chanid, it
should be able to choose to record a show on KVBC from either
input. At first glance it seems this would be the Right Way to
do things even though it may add a lot more complexity to the
scheduler.

However, in practice segregating the digital channels turns out
to be a Good Thing. You don't want to miss recording a show on
a digital channel because the cable box input is occupied recording
an analog channel that it could have recorded on any other input.

--  bjm