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Accurate Recording in the UK


renzz

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It's interesting that the Recording Service can use PDC data to start and stop a recording at exactly the right times, but PDC is not used in the UK (not since analogue days) so this currently doesn't work. However, it does seem that broadcasters here change the "EIT Running status" fairly accurately - and RS does pick this up.

 

Take this example from my svcdebug.log. I set a timer to record a program called "8 out of 10 cats" scheduled to start at 22:00. The log shows:

 

13.10.14 21:57:01.636 TRecording ($00D8F8B0) EPG Callback: Channel 4 HD running - 13/10/2014 20:00:00 - 24 Hours in Police Custody - 48682 - PDC: 0x00000
13.10.14 21:57:02.631 TRecording ($00D8F8B0) EPG Callback: Channel 4 HD not running - 13/10/2014 21:00:00 - 8 Out of 10 Cats - 48683 - PDC: 0x00000
13.10.14 22:02:48.612 TRecording ($00D8F8B0) EPG Callback: Channel 4 HD running - 13/10/2014 21:00:00 - 8 Out of 10 Cats - 48683 - PDC: 0x00000
13.10.14 22:02:49.614 TRecording ($00D8F8B0) EPG Callback: Channel 4 HD not running - 13/10/2014 21:45:00 - Up All Night: The Nightclub Toilet - 48684 - PDC: 0x00000
I have the timer start three minutes early (21:57) but as you can see it does recognise the status change at 22:02:48 when the program actually started. However, because there is no PDC data, RS doesn't allow you to accurately start and stop the recording.
It also recognises when the program actually finishes:
13.10.14 22:48:06.580 TRecording ($00D8F8B0) EPG Callback: Channel 4 HD running - 13/10/2014 21:45:00 - Up All Night: The Nightclub Toilet - 48684 - PDC: 0x00000
13.10.14 22:48:07.614 TRecording ($00D8F8B0) EPG Callback: Channel 4 HD not running - 13/10/2014 22:45:00 - NFL: The American Football Show - 48685 - PDC: 0x00000
Is there any chance RS can be changed to allow this to work, so basically to allow EIT Running status to be used even without any PDC data?
Thanks
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Many thanks for that - I must have missed it. I've just installed 1.30, changed the tweak to 2, enabled monitoring and set a timer - and it started exactly when the running status changed :original: . I will test further but this could be really good if it works consistently..

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Generally, this is working very well. For the channels that change the status accurately, it is starting the recording exactly as the program starts, and ends it in the right place as well. However, some channels in the UK do not do this very well - they tend to change status when the program *should* start (ie exactly at the start time) rather than when it actually does. For these channels, I have set my Search Preset NOT to use "Monitor PDC and Eventid" - but this has highlighted a bug.

 

In the RS config, I have "Use PDC and EventID for EPG monitoring" ticked, and "EPG running status" selected:

 

post-56458-0-85008400-1413543156_thumb.jpg

 

In my Search Preset, I have "Monitor PDC and EventID" unticked and "Monitor for recording" set to "Nothing":

 

post-56458-0-15053500-1413543223_thumb.jpg

 

If I then manually run the auto timer task, it correctly sets the timers with those options. However....if I restart the RS service, it resets "Monitor PDC and EventID" on each individual timer back to ticked:

 

post-56458-0-54683100-1413543279_thumb.jpg

 

It only seems to happen when the service is restarted (it may also happen when autotimer is set to run automatically but I'm not sure).

 

So, looks like a bug...

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Confirmed. When timers with "Monitor PDC" switched off are loaded the property is set to the default configured on the Recording Service Options -> Recorder -> Recordings page. The bug already exists in earlier versions. I think we can get it fixed in the upcoming 1.30.1 bugfix release.

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