[mythtv-users] PVR Hardware

Paul Fielding paul at fielding.ca
Thu May 5 23:23:07 UTC 2005


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joe Votour" <joevph at yahoo.com>
> MythTV itself imposes a three (or so) second delay
> from live TV.  This is not necessarily caused by the
> capture card itself, more than to have video in the
> ringbuffer when you activate the PVR functions (i.e.
> rewind, pause, etc.).

Actually, for me the delay is a big issue, because while I'm happy to use 
the guide, two other people in the house don't like the guide and prefer to 
surf.  This means that the PVR is extremely annoying to them and they prefer 
to go back to regular TV.

What I'd like to see in MythTV is an option to keep the TV recording 
happening *all*the*time*.  Make it selectable if you like, so that people 
can turn it off if it doesn't meet their needs, but two things could happen:

1. Keep the recording loop happening all the time, even when you go back to 
surf menus.  Hey, it works when you've started officially 'recording' a 
channel, so why not in the buffer loop?  As long as Myth is turned on, the 
loop is running.  This would allow you to not only instantly return to the 
channel you were watching, but you also haven't lost the ability to rewind 
back to see the stuff that went on while you were surfing menus.   If 
something else is currently using the tuner, then fine, let it take the 
tuner and you lose out, but if it's available, then it should be looping.

2. Don't restart the loop when you change channels.   This means 2 things, 
as well: first, it means that the channels could be flipped *quickly* - 
channel surfing would be viable again.   Secondly, why shouldn't we be able 
to rewind back to see what we already watched on the previous channel?  what 
the heck, if I hit rewind and it rewinds past the channel flip, that's OK 
with me - maybe I want to go back and see something again that I already 
saw.   I certainly don't see a disadvantage to it being there.  And the 
ability to quickly channel flip would make points for the people who want 
it.

Just my thoughts.  The way I see it, how hard could it be to implement these 
two things? (Not being a programmer, myself, of course.... *grin*)

later,

Paul




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