[mythtv-users] Blank Recordings - please confirm

[David Watkins]

On 30/11/05, CHRIS KOTTING <ckotting at wideopenwest.com> wrote:
> I'm having an issue with blank recordings, and I wanted to confirm what I'm
> finding by searching the archive (because I'm hoping that there is a
> different answer available).
>
> I have two inputs to a PVR-150 card connected, Tuner0 goes to my cable (no
> cable box) and the S-Video input comes from our VCR.  Both are configured in
> mythtvsetup, each with its own channel line-up.  The connection to the VCR
> is primarily for pulling our home videos into Myth, but I was hoping to be
> able to use the VCR as a second tuner, and be able to switch between two
> channels by using "C" to change inputs.  (Yes, I know this would play hob
> with the ringbuffer, so maybe it's a silly idea.)
>
> Anyway, since I set up the S-video input, scheduled recordings have all been
> blank.  The files are there, and I didn't see any problems in the logfiles
> when I looked at them.  (Can't append them right now, as I'm nowhere near
> the machine, and have no way of ssh-ing to it.)
>
> Is it (still) true that you cannot have two different inputs configured in
> mythtvsetup and record reliably?  I was wondering if this could be gotten
> around by raising the priority of Tuner0.

I think your problem might be having the guide data on the SVideo
input.  Myth is going to think that it can use that channel for
recording (maybe the blank recordings are from the VCR while it was
turned off?).

If you only want to capture from VCR then you're better off with no
guide data and using manual recording.

If you want to use your VCR as a tuner then I think you'll need a
channel change script.  Even if you intend to set the VCR channel
manually I believe that a 'dummy' script that does nothing, but
returns successfully, is needed to convince myth that it has selected
the correct VCR channel.

As you say, you'll also need a way to disable recording on the SVideo
input when you haven't got the VCR turned on and tuned, and I don't
know how to do that, but increasing the priority of the tuner over the
S-Video should help.