[mythtv-users] feedback for feature request: ability to define input connections as inactive

[ryan patterson]

On 3/8/07, Joe Harvell <jharvell+lists.mythtv-users at dogpad.net> wrote:
>
> I recently filed a bug report (http://svn.mythtv.org/trac/ticket/3093)
> having to do with input connections with no video sources.  The bug is
> that the frontend crashes when you try to access the program guide if
> there are no input connections associated to video sources.  The
> response I got was that the frontend should not crash, but instead, the
> program guide should show nothing.  I argue that as long as you have
> channels defined you should be able to look in the program guide and
> make schedules.
>
> Another problem associated with input connections is that if you have a
> capture card defined, but none of that specific capture card's input
> connections is associated with a video source, the backend complains
> that init of that card failed.  Then later, the backend crashes if you
> look at "Tuner Status" from "System Status" in mythfrontend.  I think
> this is a big problem when you have a capture card whose inputs are all
> temporarily unusable (e.g., disconnected).  You have to delete the
> capture card and restart the backend if you don't want the scheduler to
> try to use it to make recordings.
>
> An easy way to address both above problems is to allow input connections
> to be put in an "inactive" state.  Inactive in this context means that
> they are not eligible for watching LiveTV or making recordings.  This
> inactive state is what you would put the input connections in when
> nothing is connected to them.  This can be implemented by adding a
> boolean column to table cardinput with a default value of TRUE.  It
> should not be allowed to assign active=TRUE and have no video source.
>
> Currently, you can't even define an input connection without assigning a
> video source to it.  Table cardinput does not get populated at all if
> you don't assign a video source.  Similarly, rows are deleted from
> cardinput if you delete the video source from them.  This means the
> system throws away all the configuration data associated with the input
> connection if you want to temporarily delete the association to the
> video source.  This would no longer be necessary if the active/inactive
> flag were there to tell you whether to use the input connection or not.
>
> The reason the program guide doesn't show anything if you have no card
> inputs with video sources is because the program guide needs to know
> which channels have video sources.  But it shouldn't matter whether they
> are currently usable (e.g. physically connected) to be able to look at
> the listings.  If we no longer make input connections existence
> dependent on their associated video sources, the system has all the data
> it needs to be able to build the program guide and make schedules.
>
> It seems like most of the code that would need to change would be
> limited to code specifically involved in selecting input connections for
> Live TV and making recordings.
>
> I would be willing to implement and test this.



I agree that a user should be able to define a capture card with no video
sources on its inputs without the backend crashing.  I had this problem
while I was trouble shooting my irblaster.  I didn't want MythTV to use that
capture card for recordings (yet) but I didn't want to have to redefine the
card every time I wanted to work on getting the irblaster working.

But I have to disagree with your idea that all defined channels should be
shown in the listing even if they are not assigned to a card's input.  That
sounds like a troubleshooting nightmare.  Plus why would I want to see a
listing for something I can't watch/record?

-- 
_____________
Ryan Patterson
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