[mythtv-users] Mixing dvb-t2 and dvb-t tuners.

[Mike Holden]

Keith Edmunds wrote:
> I'd like to reopen this discussion as I'm struggling to find an
> optimal
> configuration as well.
>
> The full hardware/software specification of the backend is at the
> end of
> this post, but the tuners are 2 x Hauppauge Nova-T Stick (USB) and 1
> x
> PCTV Nanostick 290e (also USB). Also relevant is that I'm in the UK.
>
> It is my wish to use the 290e only for HD recordings, because in the
> UK
> one DVB-T2 tuner can receive all of the HD stations simultaneously
> as they
> are on the same mux. By reserving it for HD recordings only, I can
> guarantee that it will be available any time I wish to record an HD
> broadcast.
>
> So, I have set up two video sources, "EIT" and "EITHD". The two
> Nova-T
> tuners are linked to the first, and the 290e to the second.
>
> If I enable active EIT scanning on one Nova-T (for the non-HD
> channels)
> and on the 290e (for the HD channels), I get the infamous i2c
> errors. So I
> have disabled EIT scanning on all tuners, which in turn means the
> programme guide only gets updated when recordings are made.
>
> That's not a problem for the non-HD channels as there are some
> children's
> programmes recorded each morning in SD. However, the HD programme
> guide
> can get a few days behind as recording HD programmes is rarer.
>
> I don't want to use the Radio Times guide as, ironically, it doesn't
> support radio, and I record a fair bit of radio.
>
> Questions:
>
>  - is there a better way of keeping the programme guide up to date,
>    particularly for HD?
>
>  - is there a better way of configuring a mixture of HD and SD
> tuners?

UK, Granada, Winter Hill.

I have a similar setup, with the same T2 tuner and 2xNova T500
tuners, giving me 5 physical Freeview tuners in all. I also have an
old PVR350 to record analogue via s-video from a Virgin cable box. I
use the T2 tuner for mainly HD only.

Several people have answered already, so just pulling some points
together here, and adding my own 2p.

When I added my tuners, I defined the HD tuner first, then some of
the SD ones, then cable, then a few more SD tuners. This allows
occasional use of Live TV to use a freeview tuner in preference to
the cable, and HD in preference to SD. I use 3 virtual tuners per
physical tuner, which gives me more than enough.

I enable active EIT scanning only on the last SD card, and on none
of the others. So long as you enable the option to share EIT
information between cards (can't remember the exact name) then all
sources get the data.

I use EIT for some channels (e.g. radio, red button), but xmltv
Radio Times for any channel which is carried by them. You can mix
these on the same source, but never for the same channel. Basically,
if you define an xmltv id for a channel, then don't enable the
on-air guide option, and vice versa.

The various options available in the recording preferences by
default gives HD programs a +1 score, so that is taken care of out
of the box, and the HD version will always record in preference to
the SD simulcast. Just make sure you set the callsign & channum the
same for duplicate channels (e.g. BBC1 and BBC1 HD), and this will
all work nicely, apart from when BBC HD and BBC2 simulcast (because
they aren't the same channel, they get different callsign/channum),
when you may get 2 copies of the program! You can easily delete one
of the recordings afterwards though!

I think that covers most points.
-- 
Mike Holden

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