[mythtv-users] Custom Schedule Help

[Bruce Markey]

I've read this several times but there is some key info
missing that makes it hard to understand what you are
trying to do and why. Here are my best guesses =).

Drew Tomlinson wrote:
> I have a backend with two tuners.  One is a PVR-250 connected to a 
> DirecTV box.  The other is a pcHDTV 3000 that receives ATSC over the air.
> 
> My goal is to create custom schedules so that either card can be used if 

I'm not sure this is correct. It sounds like your goal ought
to be that want to correctly record shows like "Judge Joe Brown".
Whether or not power search rules are needed remains to be seen.

If you do want to learn to make good use of Custom Record, see:

http://www.mythtv.org/docs/mythtv-HOWTO-12.html#ss12.5

> it's free when recording regular local channels.  One such example is to 
> record Judge Joe Brown which is shown at 12:00 pm and again at 12:30 pm 
> on both channel 31 (KMAX) and channel 31_1 (KMAX_1).  Thus I have 
> created the following power search

A key piece of info here is if these have specific programids
like EP2775792582 or 'generic' like SH2775790000. The SH%0000
form just says that it is an episode of the series but doesn't
say which episode.

> program.title = 'Judge Joe Brown'
> AND channel.callsign IN ('KMAX','KMAX-1')

Here I'm going to infer that there is a DirecTV channel that
carries 'KMAX' and there is an ATSC channel with 'KMAX-1'. I'm
going to guess that these both carry programming from the same
TV station. However, myth doesn't know that. It looks like two
stations such as ESPN and ESPN2.

You may have thought that listing the two station would cause
it to pick one else the other. This is not true. I matches any
showings in any order. [BTW one of the Custom Record examples
is "Match related callsigns". You could have used this to set
"channel.callsign LIKE 'KMAX%'" but I don't think this is going
to matter in the end. ;-]

> This almost accomplishes what I want.  However when the listing 
> information is such that MythTV can not tell they are the same show, it 

I get specific episodes for this title but I'll guess yours are
generic...

> records both.  Is there some way to tell MythTV to record one or the 
> other?  I looked at the "Find and record one showing of this title each 
> day" but that doesn't work for me as I really want two showings.
> 
> Suggestions?

Yes. I think what you really want is to tell myth that both of
these channels carry "KMAX". That will say that these are both
from the same station and only one KMAX show at 12:00 then one
at 12:30 need to be recorded. You can simply set an All rule or
Channel for KMAX and it should just work. Which channel is chosen
first then becomes the question.

My suggestion is to grab a beverage, sit back and read through this:

http://www.mythtv.org/docs/mythtv-HOWTO-12.html#ss12.6

You could tell it if you prefer DirecTV or ATSC for any shows
by changing the number order of the inputs, input priority,
channel priority or per rule preferred input. Each of these
serves a different purpose but in any case, if the KMAX that
you asked for is not available, it will fail over to the other.

Hope this helps,

--  bjm