[mythtv-users] My scheduler problems are back again

Sun Jan 12 05:02:59 UTC 2014

> -----Original Message-----
> From: mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org [mailto:mythtv-users-
> bounces at mythtv.org] On Behalf Of Mark Perkins
> Sent: Sunday, 12 January 2014 11:23 AM
> To: 'Discussion about MythTV'
> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] My scheduler problems are back again
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org [mailto:mythtv-users-
> > bounces at mythtv.org] On Behalf Of Stephen Worthington
> > Sent: Thursday, 5 December 2013 3:51 PM
> > To: mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> > Subject: [mythtv-users] My scheduler problems are back again
> >
> > Mythbuntu 12.04.3
> > MythTV Version : v0.27-112-gba15be9
> > MythTV Branch : fixes/0.27
> > Network Protocol : 77
> > Library API : 0.27.20131107-1
> > QT Version : 4.8.1
> >
> > I was having scheduler problems in 0.26 when recording from all three
> > of the
> > New Zealand DVB-T multiplexes at once, and from multiple channels on
> > at least two of the multiplexes.  I was getting recordings done from
> > the SD plus
> > 1 hour channels instead of the real-time HD channels, and also
> > occasional conflicts.
> >
> > A workaround was suggested for this which was to put graduated
> > priorities on the DVB-T channels giving each a different priority,
> > with all the channels
> > from one multiplex having higher priority than those on the next
> > multiplex.
> > The real-time HD versions of the channels on a multiplex had higher
> > priority
> > than the SD plus 1 hour versions of the channels.  That worked nicely
> > in 0.26,
> > but it looks like the changes to the way the scheduler works in 0.27
> > have broken it.  And now my lineup is causing the same problem to happen
> > again.
> > So I am hoping that someone will be able to suggest a workaround that
> > will work with the 0.27 scheduler.
> >
> > Here is the problem - I have three DVB-T tuners, each with five
> > multirec tuners.  I also have a PVR-500 dual analog tuner, two DVB-S
> > tuners and two DVBLOOPBACK virtual tuners attached to the DVB-S
> > tuners, but they are for my satellite pay TV channels and do not seem
> > to have any influence on the problem.  Since New Zealand only
> > currently has three DVB-T multiplexes broadcasting, in theory there
> > should be sufficient tuners that there will never
> > be any clashes for their use, let alone any conflicts.  But the
> > scheduler does
> > not seem to be able to assign the multirec tuners so that it will use
> > another
> > multirec tuner on the DVB-T tuner that is already tuned to the same
> > multiplex.  Instead, it often tunes another DVB-T tuner to the same
> > multiplex
> > as an existing tuner that is already recording a channel, and then
> > runs out of
> > DVB-T tuners.  When I am only recording from channels on two of the
> > multiplexes, that is not a problem, but the lineup currently has
> > several times
> > a week where I need to record from all three multiplexes at once.
> >
> > I have tried using standard recpriority values for the channels (10
> > for all DVB-
> > T channels except the plus one hour ones, which are set to 5), and
> > also using
> > the graduated priorities.  In 0.27, both priority schemes produce the
> > same results, so for now I am now using the standard priority scheme.
> >
> > At the moment, I am showing two DVB-T recordings that are going to
> > record a "later showing" because of this problem.  Both of those are
> > on the Choice
> > TV channel which plays most episodes of its programs at least two or
> > three times in a week, so having it record a later showing of those is
> > only annoying
> > and not a real problem.  It is when it records from the SD plus one
> > hour channel instead of a the HD channel that it becomes a problem,
> > but that is not happening this week.  And I have had a conflict a couple
of
> > weeks ago. I
> > can normally resolve the scheduling by manually assigning the tuners,
> > so that
> > all programs using channels on the same multiplex are assigned to the
> > same DVB-T tuner.  I have found that if I just assign the tuners
> > manually for one
> > DVB-T tuner, or even two DVB-T tuners, the scheduler will still have
> > problems and I need to actually manually assign all the channels for
> > all three
> > DVB-T tuners.
> >
> > I have put all the data I collected from today's problem here:
> >
> >   http://www.jsw.gen.nz/mythtv/scheduling_problem_2013-12-5.zip
> >   (1,532,973 bytes)
> >
> > The files in the zip file are:
> >
> >   Screen grabs:
> >     after_overrides.jpg
> >     before_overrides.jpg
> >   Dumps of relevant bits of the database and notes on the channels:
> >     database.txt
> >   As the filename says:
> >     printsched_after_overrides_for_Kordia.txt
> >     printsched_after_overrides_for_Mediaworks.txt
> >     printsched_after_overrides_for_TVNZ.txt
> >     printsched_before_overrides.txt
> >     testsched_after_overrides_for_Kordia.txt
> >     testsched_after_overrides_for_Mediaworks.txt
> >     testsched_after_overrides_for_TVNZ.txt
> >     testsched_before_overrides.txt
> >
> > In collecting this data, I first took the "before_overrides.jpg"
> > screen grab and saved the "before_overrides" printsched and testsched
> > listings.  Then I added override rules to "Prefer input" for the TVNZ
channels,
> > and saved the "after_overrides_for_TVNZ" listings.  Then I did the
> > same for
> > the Mediaworks channels.  And finally I added an override rule for
> > only the
> > "Yard Crashers" program on "Choice TV"
> > (Kordia multiplex) and saved the "after_overrides_for_Kordia"
> > listings.  The "Restoration Home" recording from PRIME (Kordia
> > multiplex) at 19:30 did not need an override as the scheduler gave it
> > a good
> > tuner assignment without one.  The "after_overrides.jpg" is after all
> > the overrides have been applied.
> >
> > With all the overrides, today's problem programs are now recording,
> > but the
> > printsched and testsched listings show another situation like today's
> > one is
> > happening from 18:00 to 19:30 tomorrow.
> >
> > So, does anyone have any suggestions about how I might tweak the
> > settings to get the scheduler to assign the tuners better?
> > _______________________________________________
> > mythtv-users mailing list
> > mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> > http://www.mythtv.org/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
> 
> Stephen did you make any progress on this issue?
> 
> I have bumped my DVB-T tuners to the max allowed of 5 channels per tuner
> and am now recording a lot more. I am now seeing the same issue you have
> reported. I am not recording enough (yet) to have caused conflicts however
> it definitely results in more tuners being used than would otherwise be
> required and if someone had tried Live-TV they would have been restricted
> due to two separate tuners being tuned into the same multiplex. I have 4
> tuners being cardid 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20. Quick example below (and
> attached in case it makes the formatting better) which used all four
tuners
> for around 2hrs in the 6hr window when everything could have easily been
> accommodated on three tuners. I'm obviously not really sure but I suspect
> that the scheduler has a coded priority set to put new recordings on an
> empty tuner first and to only use the sub-channels of an in-use multiplex
> when there are no spare tuners available? Maybe?:
> 

Out of curiosity I scheduled what would have been a conflicted recording in
the first schedule. The scheduler then correctly moves the 2nd SBS recording
to the multiplex that is already tuned to SBS which permits the new
recording (correctly) without conflict. However once the additional
recording is removed the 2nd SBS recording is returned to the empty tuner in
preference to the already SBS-tuned tuner.

I think this (more or less) confirms that the scheduler prioritises a
recording to a vacant tuner over a vacant sub-channel on an already tuned
multiplex - at the expense of what might otherwise be wanted for potential
LiveTV viewing. I would infer into this that the scheduler also then
prioritises a recording to a +1 channel on a vacant tuner rather than an
already-tuned tuner which would partially explain some of your observations
Stephen.
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