[mythtv-users] My scheduler problems are back again

[Mark Perkins]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org [mailto:mythtv-users-
> bounces at mythtv.org] On Behalf Of Michael T. Dean
> Sent: Monday, 13 January 2014 4:01 AM
> To: Discussion about MythTV
> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] My scheduler problems are back again
> MythTV, in absence of instruction to do otherwise, will always schedule
> recordings on the first-available input that can be used for that
recording.  So,
> if it's doing otherwise, you've told it to do otherwise.
> 
> Mike
> _______________________________________________
Mike, it took me a bit of thinking to put all the cogs in place but I
finally got there - you are 100% correct. This is exactly the behaviour that
I am seeing. Unfortunately I believe it is not the desired behaviour in my
circumstance.

Please bear with me below as I step through my thought processes and try and
lay out how I see this working.

For the purpose of an easy example (which I tested for real on my system)
let's say I have two cards (C1 and C2). Each card can handle one multiplex
at a time. Each card can tune two sub-channels (or streams or whatever the
technically correct term is) ie C1.1, C1.2, C2.1, C2.2. We set all four
cards to have the exact same priority (which incidentally is not the default
in mythtv-setup) but based on my reading of your very good post here
http://www.mythtv.org/pipermail/mythtv-users/2012-December/344872.html they
should.

Schedule a recording from 6pm to 7pm from the first multiplex M1. All 4
tuners are available with equal priority and I assume the scheduler gets the
tuner list in order and sticks the recording on the first one, C1.1.

Schedule an overlapping recording from 6pm to 8pm from the second multiplex
M2. Tuner C1.1 is unavailable as it is already scheduled with a recording.
Tuner C1.2 is also unavailable as mythtv correctly identifies that it can't
stick a second multiplex on a single card. So C2.1 and C2.2 are available to
the scheduler and have equal priority. The scheduler gets the list in order
and sticks the recording on the first tuner, C2.1.

Now - we schedule a third recording from 7:30pm to 8pm from the second
multiplex M2. The first recording is finished so C1.1 is available. C1.2 is
also available as it is not occupied itself and the card is not tuned to any
multiplex. C2.1 is occupied with a recording, but C2.2 is available because
C2.1 is tuned to the same multiplex. All three available tuners (C1.1, C1.2
and C2.2) have the same priority and get passed to the scheduler in order
and the scheduler sticks recording 3 on the first available tuner - C1.1.

But there is the undesired behaviour from my perspective - now C1 and C2 are
both tuned to the same multiplex. This means that C1.2 and C2.2 are
restricted to the same multiplex - if for example someone turned on LiveTV
at the same time for some browsing. I believe that the preferred behaviour
(albeit from my limited perspective) would be for the third recording to go
on C2.2 (as C2.1 is already tuned to the same multiplex) leaving a whole
card available for other activities.

What I assumed would happen is that tuners on a card that is already tuned
to a multiplex would actually get a buff above the normal input priority
when subsequent recordings on that same multiplex were to be scheduled.

If I have made errors in my above thought process please do not hesitate to
correct me.

I'm currently thinking that maybe something can be done with the custom
recording priority rules - but at the same time suspect this approach would
be akin to using a screwdriver to drive a nail and liable to end in tears.
However I will think about it some more.

Thanks Mike for your response and for setting me in the right direction.