[mythtv-users] question involving multiple frontends

[Michael T. Dean]

On 02/09/2009 04:50 PM, Adam Stylinski wrote:
> Michael T. Dean wrote:
>   
>>> Adam Stylinski wrote:
>>>> What might be great, although likely impossible, is for the frontend to
>>>> look for livetv sessions already in progress and stream from them. 
>> Basically, the problem is that with this approach, we can't guarantee
>> the user a capture card, so a LiveTV user may get stuck.  The /only/
>> way to guarantee that people can watch what they want is to either a)
>> schedule the use of the capture cards--i.e. don't use LiveTV or b)
>> have enough capture cards for LiveTV /plus/ all scheduled recordings.
>>     
> I definitely see what you mean, the hopping to another tuner wouldn't
> exactly work if there were no more tuners available.  I do watch OTA,
> where there isn't as much selection,

Meaning fewer capture cards are required to record all the 
worth-watching channels (as there are many fewer channels worth watching).

>  but I can see where this might
> apply to somebody tuning into ClearQAM or analog cable.  I don't mind
> spending an extra 120$ on another PCHDTV card, however, I'm out of PCI
> slots on the main backend, and slave backends would have to be hooked up
> to secondary antennas (splitting the outdoor antenna more than the three
> tuners I'm about to do it among may become quite a hassle, even with a
> powered splitter).  It could mean buying one of those smaller
> omni-directional outdoor antennas, or it could mean biting the bullet
> with the poor reception of the standard rabbit ears.  Hmm, more to come.

I have had 4 HD-3000's connected to my one (installed in the attic--not 
even outside, like it should be) antenna since I started doing OTA.  
With proper splitting/amps/filters, you shouldn't have problems even if 
you go to more.  (But, yeah, I realize this may not be as easy as it 
sounds.)

Oh, and--as you see, I have HD-3000's, so I realize there may be other 
reasons involved--the HD-5500 is a /very/ expensive ATSC capture card, 
anymore.  There are many others for much less (like the $50 Avermedia 
A180 MCE and I'm sure many others).

But, if you reduce the number of LiveTV users, you also reduce the 
number of required capture cards.  So, the key to both saving 
money/reducing the number of required capture cards (and, therefore, 
backend systems and antenna connections) is user education coupled with 
an aggressive recording schedule that uses up capture cards to record 
everything that anyone might possibly want to watch so that pretty soon 
people realize that instead of watching whatever garbage is currently 
on, they can /choose/ to watch a show they like from the huge list of 
interesting shows on the Watch Recordings screen.

Mike