[mythtv-users] Show matching two searches not recorded

[Michael T. Dean]

On 05/06/2014 11:15 AM, Hika van den Hoven wrote:
> Hoi Gary,
>
> Tuesday, May 6, 2014, 5:02:10 PM, you wrote:
>
>> On Tue, May 6, 2014 at 11:45 AM, Nathan Wray wrote:
>> ......
>>> I would expect that if a show matches multiple searches, it would apply max(priority) - is there something I'm overlooking here? I had to leave the HD Documentary search disabled to get Cosmos to record.
>> Actually, I think that if the "most specific match" should be applied.
>> But I am not sure anyone has determined which matches are
>> considered most specific (and while *I* would say title is more
>> specific than category, I suspect some might disagree; I guess
>> for ultimate flexibility, you need a table to order the specificity
>> criteria).
>> My solution is just try to have enough tuners so that only the
>> really occasional condition results in having to choose what not
>> to record, although I understand that that is not always a viable
>> alternative.
> I agree specific should always override generic.

We do something like this with "normal" rules (such that a single 
episode rule will override all episode rules and similar).  However, 
when it comes to Custom/Power Recording Rules, it's hard to say whether 
it is or is not more specific than a title-based rule.  For example, if 
the rule used the SQL:

program.title = 'Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey'

it would be identical to a "normal" title-based rule.  If the rule used 
the SQL:

program.seriesid = 'EP01446110'

it's actually more specific than a title match (as it will only match 
the current series, even if another, future series is ever created with 
the same title--think "Battlestar Galactica").  And, similarly, if it 
used the SQL:

program.title = 'Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey' AND
program.subtitle LIKE '%Earth%'

it's once again more specific.  And there are many more examples of 
very-specific custom rule SQL that exist in the real world.

>   It's implied in the
> meaning of the words. And it should be logical that the highest
> priority rules would be applied first in any match search not a random
> order of creation!

First, order of creation is not random--it's user controllable by 
deleting and re-creating rules.

Second, did you read the posts with the argument against using the rule 
whose priority is highest (which I posted shortly before your post, so 
you may not have seen it)?  The argument does make a lot of sense.  A 
user who changes the priority of a recording rule and sees no effect on 
the schedule will likely be /very/ confused versus a user who sees, "Oh, 
this really cool show isn't going to record, so I need to force a record 
with a single-record override rule," and is able to work around the 
issue without any specific knowledge of the internals of the scheduler.  
And this doesn't even mention the fact that changing the priority of 
rule affects not only that show, but also the results of scheduling of 
other shows that air around the same time as that show (so forcing a 
user to change the priority of a rule to make it win over another rule 
that also matches the same show may cause a cascading effect that 
requires changing priorities of other shows that air at the same time, 
which may affect rules for shows that air at the same time as those 
other rules whose priorities needed to be changed--remember that some 
shows air at irregular or multiple different time slots throughout the 
week and/or time slots are adjusted throughout the season).

And, since--as always--a single-record override rule will always tell 
MythTV exactly what you want, it comes down to, "If your existing rules 
don't tell MythTV to do what you want, you can always force it to do The 
Right Thing."  (And can continue to do manual conflict resolution until 
you find a way to improve your recording rules, such as by asking a 
question on the mailing list or forum.)

Mike