[mythtv-users] is mythtv smart enough to do this (overlap/back-to-back) with recordings?

[Peter Schachte]

On Fri, Jul 28, 2006 at 12:16:28AM -0400, Michael T. Dean wrote:
> On 07/27/06 23:39, Brad Templeton wrote:
> >On Thu, Jul 27, 2006 at 09:44:17PM -0500, Kevin Kuphal wrote:
> >>>Yes, Myth is doing what you asked it to do, but by a very roundabout
> >>>route.  The users are correct to be surprised by their inability
> >>>to record the adjacent shows just because they asked for padding.
> >>>
> >>Actually, it is doing quite literally what you asked.  Record this show 
> >>+ padding.  That precludes other shows given the existing requirement 

That's right.  It's the existing limitation that a single tuner cannot
feed more than one recording at a time that is under discussion.

> >Again, the users asked for this, but they don't understand why.
> >If users are not understanding why, it eventually becomes not the
> >user's fault, but the program's fault, even if the program is doing
> >just what it was designed to do.

> You're right, Bill.  Since the stupid users don't know enough to use our 
> wonderful program, we should make it ignore the user's desires.

Uh, isn't it Brad you're replying to?

Anyway, users don't (and shouldn't) have to understand Myth's
scheduling algorithm to use it.  They understand that they have a
limited number of tuners so they can't record everything at once.  So
they schedule programs with priorities, and Myth does the best it can
to record their highest priority choices.  But the more flexible Myth
is in using the limited number of tuners (such as by handling
overlaping recordings on the same channel, or the same DVB transport),
the better.
  
I believe Brad's just suggesting that it is the responsibility of a
program's user interface to ensure that the user understands it so she
can make well informed decisions.

> Oh, we'll probably want to make a UI character to pop up and 
> tell the users they're not doing what they want to do.  Perhaps we could 
> call him Filmy or Mythy or something.

I like it!  A little tellytubby-looking character that pops up saying
"Uh-oh!" whever the user does something wrong.  What fun theme writers
could have with that!

-- 
Peter Schachte              I have no doubt that it is a part of the destiny
schachte at cs.mu.OZ.AU        of the human race, in its gradual improvement,
www.cs.mu.oz.au/~schachte/  to leave off eating animals.
Phone: +61 3 8344 1338          -- Henry David Thoreau