[mythtv-users] BBC Timing issues

[Jon Bishop]

On Dec 29, 2008, at 2:47 AM, Paul Gardiner wrote:

> Mike Holden wrote:
>> Paul Gardiner wrote:
>>> Mike Holden wrote:
>>>> Soft padding is set in TV Settings -> General, 4th screen, in the  
>>>> "Time
>>>> to
>>>> record before start of show" and "Time to record past end of show"
>>>> prompts. These values are in seconds, and will only be used when  
>>>> the
>>>> same
>>>> tuner isn't recording another program immediately before or after.
>>> Is it not used even if the tuner's subsequent use is from the same  
>>> MUX?
>>
>> I didn't want to over-complicate the description by getting into  
>> the whole
>> area of cards, inputs, tuners, channels, virtual tuners etc. It's  
>> not easy
>> to give a simple yes or no answer without giving paragraphs of  
>> supporting
>> information, all of which is available if you look for it!
>
> Ok, but it's fairly clear what is and isn't possible. Does it add the
> soft padding in all cases where it is possible, as far as you know?

Define where it is possible.

I think the simple answer is NO, the soft padding will not always  
work. If you want padding 100% of the time, you need to add hard  
padding, which is set up on a per recording schedule basis. If the  
tuner is going to record 2 shows back to back, regardless of channel,  
the padding won't work. The backend won't reschedule the second show  
to another tuner, even if available, and it won't record to 2 files  
when the shows are both on the same channel (to allow both shows to  
get padded without one being only on the beginning/end of the other).

There are plenty of people that would like the soft padding to work  
differently. Maybe we need a rubber padding request, that will  
reschedule programs to free tuners when available to get padding more  
often. Also, if when two shows record back to back, the padding should  
be able to start outputting the video to two files so recording "B"  
will get a minute of preroll without cutting recording "A" short, and  
recording "A" can get a minute of postroll without recording "B"  
starting late.

Again, that would be a feature request. Call it rubber padding (not  
quite hard, but not quite so soft either)

~Jon