Can encoder card selection be controlled?

[David Lawrance]

I have two PVR250s that use different sources, different inputs, different channel information, and different channel selection methods. The channels that the two cards use do not overlap. Sometimes, when I select a show for recording, the incorrect card is scheduled and used to record from.

I'd imagine that when a program is scheduled to be recorded that there is a hunt for a compatible and available encoder. That this is not happening correctly all the time, then either Sage must not be doing selecting correctly, or it is using corrupted information about the sources. Judging by the lack of notes on the subject, I'm guessing it must be something corrupted, like an incorrect entry in a property file.

On a lark, I rebuilt my channel guide as I wanted some XMLTV listing experience. One encoder is supposed to select from the XMLTV file and the other are Sage-provided local antenna channel selections. Nevertheless, I'm experiencing the same problem that I did when I was using Dish-based program listings. (I can hardly wait until November when hopefully I can just use a Sage listing for my local cable system.)

On a related note, it sure would be nice to be able to name the encoders something arbitrary besides what Sage names them ("PVR-250 II" and "PVR-250 II #2") For instance, "Cable" and "Cablebox"). I don't know how many times during setup that I selected the wrong listing/input/selection-method combination to go with a card. Even though I deleted incorrect setups, I suspect that this may be where I introduced an error into a property file or a database.

[Narflex]

Mixing XMLTV with the SageTV EPG data isn't recommended, and it will likely cause problems like you're experiencing. We each use different systems for identifying channels and you're probably running into conflicts between the two systems. Not much advice I can give aside from not to mix the two.

[David Lawrance]

It also happened when I was only using the SageTV EPG data, one list for Dish, and the other one for local broadcast channels. That's why I decided to try XMLTV.

What, then, is the recommended way to record both analog and digital cable channels from cable at the same time without having to rent two cable boxes?

[dkardatzke]

I have one tuner card connected via Composite to my Digital cable box with one lineup and then another tuner card connected via RF to get the Analog cable channels. I just split the source before it goes into the cable box. I probably have about 45 overlapping channels in each lineup, but each channel only appears once in the guide.

Does that answer your question?

[Narflex]

Upgrade to the latest release, 1.4.10. If you're still having problems with it selecting the wrong tuner, check to make sure that any channels a tuner doesn't carry are disabled for that tuner.

[David Lawrance]

I've done all of that. What used to work well just doesn't.

I'll just start over from scratch and see if that helps.

[jptaz]

I experienced the same problem and all the EPG is from sagetv.

It is smart enough to do it right when I watch, but when I schedule a
recording on Digital Cable which is the 3rd PVR in the recording list it is
scheduling to the 1st or 2nd tuner for some reason. I will blow away
sage.prolerties and sagerecorder.properties and reconfigure everything.
As previously the remote encoder was in the back computer and had
a different source setup.

I hope scratch loading will fix the problem.

John

[jptaz]

Ok.

I deleted the Sagerecorder.properties and autobackup file as well as the
sage.properties file and completely resetup the 3 Cards on my SageTV Setup.
Then I exited. I setup SageRecorder...Note For now I am not configuring an
IR Transmitters even though I am only going to be recording using the
Composite in, I will be receiving an ACTISYS Ffrom Frey soon...just got the
USPS Delivery info man these guys are quick. I then configured the remote
encoder per the documentation.

When I setup the source on the main SageTV system I configured it as a
Digital Cable Box and configured a seperate Source for it and I only enabled
Channesl 301, 303, 480 - 492 so there is no overlap on channels.

When I go to the Guide and Select one of these channels to watch it goes
and uses the correct Tuner for using Digital Cable and shows the current
channel the cable box is tuned to. In my setup the remote encoder always
seems to show up as SAGE3. Nothing is recording or scheduled to record on
SAGE1, SAGE2, SAGE4 which are all coonfigured as analog Cable on a seperate
source. If I go back to the guide and select record for the station I am
watching it shows that it is recording on SAGE3. Now if I go and attempt to
watch another Digital Cable Channel it asks me if I want to cancel the
recording and start watching the new channel. I click No. So it clearly
knows that when I want to watch a live show that SAGE3 is the Digital tunner.

Now if select a show in the Future to record on the Digital Channels it assigns
the recording to be done on SAGE1 which is only Analog capable. Just to
see if the Record logic is some how confused and thinks that all the tuners
can record Digital Cable I select another Digtal Channel to record and the
Conflict message asks if I want to record that channel instead of the currently
scheduled. So it defintely knows that there is only one Tuner capable of Digital
Channels it just does not know or care which one it is. I can force it to record
on the Right tuner by scheduling 2 analog Channels to record first and then
select the Digital Channel as it appears that the Logic is going through the
List of Tuners Sequentially SAGE1, SAGE2. etc. This makes sense since
Watching Goes in the reverse direction SAGE4 is usuallly used when I am
Watchng TV.

All my Software is at 1.4.10 ( SageTV, SageRecoder, SageTVClient ).

I am going to e-mail this to support too, but just thought I should share
my experience.

John

[Narflex]

Awww crap. You're right. There's a bug in the multi tuner scheduling algorithms which causes it to potentially pick the incorrect lineup during its planning. It'll be fixed for the next release.

[jptaz]

cool thanks.

I will live with scheduling two dummies to force the right channel.

John

[rotaryracer]

Would this bug also apply to multituner configurations NOT using a cable box (i.e. analog cable)?

[David Lawrance]

Thanks!

[Narflex]

It has no effect on multituner configurations where each tuner has the same lineup.

[JJarmoc]

I'm glad to hear this is a bug. I put a second tuner in my PC right about the time I installed 1.4.10 and have been experiencing similar strangeness. I'm glad to see it's not something I did wrong installing the second tuner, though I hope it's fixed soon. I seem to be getting less recordings now than I did with one tuner!