[mythtv-users] How does the FE read recordings from storage groups?

[Raymond Wagner]

On Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:33:48 -0600, greg at nodecam.com wrote:
>> I had an issue occur the other day where a FE couldn't find a
>> recording on it's own local disk.
> 
> My understanding of how it works is that the recording has to be
available
> to the /backend/ that recorded it.  The frontend doesn't do any
searching
> for recordings, it asks the backend to stream the recording.  The
backend
> then says "Who recorded this?  Ok, you there, backend that recorded it -
> stream it to a frontend with this address"
> 
> If that backend isn't available, the recording is unavailable.

The frontend is supposed to first search through its local paths before
trying to stream, meaning even if the backend tied to the recording weren't
running, it would still have direct file access to play the content. 
However, there is an (not default) option to bypass this and always stream
content.  If that setting is enabled, it would result in the behavior you
are suggesting.