[mythtv-users] Custom channel surfing

[Brad Templeton]

On Mon, Jan 24, 2005 at 02:49:30PM -0500, Jeff Simpson wrote:
> I like the idea - I already went through and physically removed all
> the channels I didn't watch (QVC, HSN, GOLF, all the religious
> networks, CMT, etc). I still have to wade through the less popular
> ones that I don't want to delete because they might have a movie on
> that I'd want to watch or something.
> 
> My cable box has a "favorite" button, works like the channel up
> button, but only goes to the next "favorite" channel. Unfortunately,
> it didn't have a channel-down equivalent.

Beyond that, a new need is emerging when you have multiple tuners
that get different versions of the same channel, not just for favourites
in surfing (which you should not do on a pvr anyway :-) but in browing
the guide and listings.

For example, with an HDTV card, and cable, you can get 3 different
instances of the same channel.    One will be the one on cable.  Next
will be the HD version of the channel, even when the program is SD.
(Right now they upconvert the SD programs to HD rather than change
the resolution of the channel, which is stupid for those of us 
doing recording.)   Then in some cases there is a digital SD version
of the same channel on a subchannel of the main one.

(To get picky, the HD card can also tune analog OTA stations but now
that everybody is digital you would not want to do that.  Connected
to cable once QAM becomes available that will change.)

You generally don't want to surf all 3 though they do have some
differences.  If you record the upconverted HD channel version of an
SD program you will get a top quality recording -- which is giant in
size.   When the program is SD you would probably prefer to record
the SD-subchannel if it exists, just to save disk space and CPU to
decode.   On the other hand if the program is HD you want the HD
recording in most cases.

On the third hand, you also would rather get a program in SD than miss
it entirely, so if there are more HD shows on than you have HD tuners
you would want it to fall back to an SD recording, even off the cable.

There, does that make it messy enough?