[mythtv-users] Recordings start & end 10 seconds too soon, on all channels

[Michael T. Dean]

On 03/22/2016 07:34 AM, Tim Draper wrote:
>
> ---- On Tue, 22 Mar 2016 11:25:44 +0000 Michael T. Dean  wrote ----
>> You can set "Time to record before start of show (secs)" and "Time to
>> record past end of show (secs)" to some value (generally greater than
>> the amount of offset you're seeing--like 20s or so), but note that the
>> over-record is not guaranteed. If you have back-to-back recordings on
>> the same input, MythTV will switch at the exact scheduled time and you
>> won't get any over-record (extra time on end of the first show and extra
>> time at beginning of the second show).
> i use those settings in mythtv-setup, along with the 'avoid back-to-back recordings on same tuner'. I cant remember where this setting is or it's exact wording but it's close enough;

Avoid back to back recordings
Selects the situations where the scheduler will avoid assigning shows to 
the same card if their end time and start time match. This will be 
allowed when necessary in order to resolve conflicts.

under Recording Priorities in frontend settings.

>   i think in mythtv-setup. Works well and not seen any issues with recordings since i set it up this way.

That will help to allow more use of the "Time to record before 
start/past end of show (secs)", but only solves the problem if you 
generally don't record multiple shows at the same time. Statistically, 
it can only work if you record fewer shows at a given time than half 
your inputs.  If you have an HDHR Prime with CableCARD that provides 3 
inputs, that means it will only give you the extra time if you record 
less than 1.5 shows at a given time. So, realistically, that means you 
can record 2 shows at a time as long as you'll only record a single show 
after those 2 and then 2 then 1 ...  (So, 2 shows from 8-9 and 1 from 
9-10 and 2 from 10-11 or whatever).

This is not at all how recordings work on my system.  Generally, during 
prime time, my system is recording 5 shows at any given time and they're 
followed by 5 more from the start to the end of prime time, which is 
more than half of my 6 inputs.  (I occasionally have 6 recordings at 
once, but some days--even in prime time--I might have only a couple.)  
This is because I'm using the DVR as a DVR--basically, I record 
everything I might possibly ever choose to watch, and then delete those 
things I later decide not to watch (i.e. after they cancel the show and 
people are saying it's not worth watching or if people say it's not 
worth watching or if I watch some and decide there's no way it will get 
good enough to watch it).  This way, though, I always have something 
already recorded (allowing me to skip commercials and time stretch) and 
am never forced to sit through watching whatever garbage is currently 
airing on someone else's schedule (where that schedule includes 
commercials).

FWIW, most of the time, the "Time to record before start/past end of 
show (secs)" turns out to be a placebo that satisfies most users--and 
really has far less benefit than people believe.  If you can't count on 
it, it's not much offering much at all, but it's amazing how many people 
swear by it (without ever looking to see how infrequently it actually 
benefits them).  The only people for which it generally works are people 
who have twice as many inputs as they need--and those people would 
actually be better served by just using the Start Early/End Late 
settings on the recording rules (because they have plenty of inputs) and 
could even record more shows without problems. If you do want to 
over-record by 1 minute at the start and end of each show, you should 
set Start Early/End Late to 1 in the default Recording Rule Template to 
make it easier to set up new recording rules.

Mike