[mythtv-users] HDTV & NTSC same backend, 1 source

[Brian Foddy]

On Thursday 05 August 2004 10:49 pm, David George wrote:
> Brian Foddy wrote:
> >Can someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong?
> >I have a single backend with 4 cards,
> >cardid's 1-3 are PVR250s,
> >cardid 4 is a pcHDTV.
>
> Sounds like my setup, except that cardid 1 is pcHDTV and 2-4 are PVR-250.
>
> >I've defined 1 broadcast source grabbing from datadirect.
> >The source includes both ntsc and atsc channels.
>
> Do you actually care to receive NTSC over the air?  I have done the same
> thing but reception on the NTSC channels is poor here, so I only care
> about the ATSC channels.  I actually use cable to receive the local
> non-digital broadcast channels and Directv to receive the "cable" channels.

Yes, they are both broadcast over-the-air.  In my case,
its the HD (UHF) signals that are difficult to tune in, the VHF channels
2-13 are perfect.

>
> >I've gone through the database and renumbered the hd channels
> >to 100+ the base number, and changed the corresponding
> >frequency to the proper hd value, and the tvformat of these
> >records is all ATSC; the normal channels are default, being
> >NTSC.
> >
> >Whenever I select a program to record from the hd channels,
> >it doesn't use cardid 4, but one of the lower ones.
>
> Have you tried to increase the priority for the ATSC channels on the
> HDTV card?  Of course you should have at least two lineups, because the
> PVR-250 isn't capable of HDTV so they shouldn't have those channels in
> the database as being available to record from.

I want control which shows to select HDTV for.  Therefor,
I want both channels on the program guide.  Since the HD signal
is somewhat finicky, in most cases I will double select a key show
to record, one on HD, on on the 250s for backup.  Now in the
past even this approach has lead to problems because mythtv
may hang on a poor HD signal.  If that's still the case, I guess
I'll have to be careful and see what I can do antenna-wise to
improve the hd signal.

>
> >The only way I've historically been able to get the HD card
> >to be used, is if I define a second source and duplicate
> >all the channels all over.  But this is very cluttering on the
> >program guide.  I've been all over the docs and forum lists,
> >but can't find what I'm missing...
>
> The program guide shouldn't be cluttering as it joins the channels based
> on callsign(?).  I actually have 3 lineups on DataDirect.  One for
> broadcast, one for cable, and one for Directv.
>
No can do, I need 2 lineups for broadcast.

Brian