[mythtv-users] maxnewest | maxepisodes | autoexpire

Chris Strom mythtv at eeeCooks.com
Wed Aug 4 14:47:27 EDT 2004


On Wed, Aug 04, 2004 at 12:08:06PM -0600, John Patrick Poet wrote:
> On Wed, 4 Aug 2004, Chris Strom wrote:
> > On Wed, Aug 04, 2004 at 10:15:16AM -0600, John Patrick Poet wrote:
> > > > Is there a reason that autoexpire could not be overloaded to apply to
> > > > both disk space needs and maxepisodes?
> > >
> > >
> > > For this problem, I think a "Preserve Episode" flag should be added.
> > >
> > > I think it would be best to leave the "autoexpire" mechanism alone.
> > > Although, the "autoexpire" would probably have to be updated to look at the
> > > "Preserve Episode" flag.
> >
> > Just to play devil's advocate, why?  Aren't both cases "auto expiring" a
> > recording, but for different reasons?  Perhaps this wouldn't be
> > overloading autoexpire.  Rather it would be broadening its application to
> > apply to all cases of auto-expiration.  In that sense, autoexpire could
> > then be thought of as the inverse of "Preserve Episode".
> 
> 
> Keeping Autoexpire and Maxnewest/Maxepisodes separate allows for more
> flexibility.
> 
> To do what you are asking, "maxepisodes" would have to pay attention to
> "autoexpire".  If "autoexpire" is not set, then "maxepisodes" would be
> disabled.  "maxepisodes" would only be able to do it's job when "autoexpire"
> is set for a show.

autoexpire is set per-recording.  When you specify autoexpire while
scheduling recordings, you're setting the default value for autoexpire
for the subsequent recordings (AFAIK).  The autoexpire value for any
recording can always be changed later.

You are correct in that, if autoexpire is off for all recordings,
maxnewest is `1' and maxepisodes has been reached, then no new
recordings will take place (given my interpretation of autoexpire
behavior).  But isn't that what *should* occur?  If I've explicitly
stated that none of my recordings should autoexpire, then none of my
recordings should autoexpire - regardless of maxnewest/maxepisodes or
disk space.

> If "autoexpire" is enabled for a show, it is possible that it could be deleted
> even if fewer than "maxepisodes" exist.  What if that is not what I want?

If autoexpire is set for a recording, then that recording should be able
to be expired (by disk space limitation or having reached maxepisodes
w/maxnewest set).  If you don't want the episode to be deleted, then
disable autoexpire for that recording.  At least, that's how I'm arguing
that autoexpire should be applied.

I do see the distinction between "Preserve Episode" and "AutoExpire
Episode", I'm just not sure that the distinction is strong enough to
warrant a new field in the database plus new items in the various
clients.  Then again, it's not up to me.

Chris


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