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EMJB
28-10-16, 15:27
Further to discussion elsewhere, I am trying to understand the capabilities and limitations of the AutoTimer facility, particularly in the context of Freeview and using the Webif to set up autotimers (so I never see clash warnings). Restriction to a single channel seems to be a key tool in avoiding duplicate/unwanted recordings and forcing SD/HD selection, but limits the potential for avoiding clashes by using SD/HD and "+1" versions of the channels I mainly use. I have therefore been investigating the use of "alternatives" using a test scenario of 3 Freeview tuners and 4 overlapping auto-timers each restricted to a single channel on different muxes as follows:

* BBC1 SD (on PSB1)
* ITV SD (on PSB2)
* ITV3 (on COM4)
* Pick (on COM5)

and as expected timers are generated for the first 3 only. I then made BBC 1 HD an alternative to BBC 1 SD, and ITV HD an alternative to ITV and unchecked the " Override found with alternative service: " option on the autotimers. As the two HD channels are on the same mux, it should be possible to record all 4 programmes on:

* BBC1 HD
* ITV HD
* ITV3
* Pick

but this did not happen. Limiting the first autotimer to BBC1 SD or HD rather than just SD, and the second to ITV SD or HD rather than just SD, (using the Webif) still leaves the last being missed.

Looking at the log, it would appear that once a timer has been set it is not reviewed in the event of any subsequent clash being found. Is this correct?
If so, would I be right in assuming it does not try to remove the padding to avoid clashes?

Also the log contains multiple consecutive "[Config] getResolvedKey config.usage.remote_fallback empty variable." entries? Is this a related setting I have overlooked?

EMJB

birdman
28-10-16, 18:46
Looking at the log, it would appear that once a timer has been set it is not reviewed in the event of any subsequent clash being found. Is this correct?
If so, would I be right in assuming it does not try to remove the padding to avoid clashes?Correct on both.
If you have Freeview HD then you are always(?) better of recoding on the HD channels, as it will use fewer muxes.


Also the log contains multiple consecutive "[Config] getResolvedKey config.usage.remote_fallback empty variable." entries? Is this a related setting I have overlooked? No. It just does that a lot. It's a not-very-helpful message, as it doesn't tell you what it was looking for and seems to occur in many situations, none of which seems to be doing any harm. i.e. it appears to be the expected state - but for some reason is being reported as a warning.