Recording DVB-S2 transponders

[Cian]

Hi Again,

 

As some of you may already know, Channel 4HD has started to broadcast on a DVB-S2 transponder (Astra/Eurobird 28.8 12607V, 27500 QPSK). As far as I know, this is the first DVB-S2 FTA transponder in the UK/Ireland.

 

My system has one DVB-S2 card and one DVB-S card. Can I configure the system in such a way that when an S2 recording is due, the S2 card is reserved, but under normal circumstances both cards are useable for S recordings?

 

Tks,

 

C.

[uglyned]

I thought RS would manage s2 but it didn't for me tonight.

 

I have 2xdvb-s and 2xdvb-s2 and 2 recordings were starting at the same time, with two already underway. There one of the recordings due to start was on 4hd, the other on an sd channel.

 

The sd recording started moments before the dvb-s2 recording, but took the only dvb-s2 tuner.

 

The dvb-s2 recording therefore could not start, but did not notify me in any way that it could not and did not start - no red highlight in recording service.

 

I guess this is complex logic but is there anything that can be done? I missed a recording tonight.

[Derrick]

..if you need that many devices the best would be to replace the S-devices by S2. You could also work with 2 different groups for S and S2 and assigning your cards to the corresponding groups.

[Griga]

I would set the DVB-S card(s) to "Preferred" and the DVB-S2 card to "Normal" (see options -> hardware), so the DVB-S card is used preferably and the DVB-S2 card only when a DVB-S2 transponder has to be tuned or all other cards are occupied.

 

This setting applies to device allocation (not to channel switching!) and will keep the DVB-S2 card unoccupied resp. reserved for DVB-S2 recording as long as only DVB-S channels are tuned and all tune request can be satisfied by a DVB-S card. However, it won't help in cases like the following:

 

1) Switch to a DVB-S2 channel (DVBViewer must use the DVB-S2 card)

 

2) Switch over to a DVB-S channel (DVBViewer will still use the DVB-S2 card, because device changes are avoided if possible)

 

3) Start a recording manually (DVB-S2 card is occupied by a DVB-S recording -> no DVB-S2 recording can start).

 

In order to free the DVB-S2 card you would have to perform View -> Close Graph after step 2 and then tune the DVB-S channel.

[uglyned]

Thanks Griga. I'm starting to understand.

 

So, some things I'd really like to know...

 

1. If the DVBViewer has an s2 tuner watching an s channel, and an s2 tuner is required by the service, will an automatic redirect be sent to DVBViewer, to move to the channel required by the recording? The most important thing is that I don't miss recordings when there are ways around it.

 

2. If DVB-S2 recordings automatically had a higher priority than DVB-S, then presumably the recording of a DVB-S channel which was using up a DVB-S2 tuner would automatically stop when the DVB-S2 recording was about to start, when no other DVB-S2 tuners were available. Would the recording service then be clever enough to restart the DVB-S recording because there was a DVB-S tuner available for it? If so would it be possible for you to put a setting in Recording service to give preference to S2 recordings? I don't want to have to manually update every recording I add, and sometimes autotimers cover DVB-S and DVB-S2 channels.

 

I also have DVB-T tuners so a quick way of releasing a DVB-S2 tuner is to tune to a DVB-T channel, forcing a tuner change.