Re: [Openpvr-devel] On-going development; ideas, etc.

[Brian J. M. <cc9...@in...>]

On Wed, Mar 13, 2002 at 11:13:07PM -0600, Dave Caplinger wrote:
> Greetings,  I'm a lurker on this list but since some discussion has=20
> popped up I thought I'd chime in as well.  While I agree with a lot of=20
> the long-term vision stuff, I'm just trying to get basic functionality=20
> first :-)

I hear ya dude.  Usable first, pretty second.

> Capture hardware: Pinnacle Studio Pro PCI (bttv driver)

Why that one?  Cheap?

> Capture software: NuppleVideo (not the best compression, but the a/v=20
> sync is good, unlike others I've messed with so far)

CVS versions of mp1e are good.  NVrec has great a/v sync for divx,
div4, ffmpeg codecs.

> Show selection & record scheduling: XMLTV's tv_grep, bash, and cron=20
> today, but I have hopes that cheematv's code will be available for this
                               ^^^^^^^^
What is this?

Have you looked at my scheduler?  It still needs some glue around it
in terms of XMLTV data fed into it, etc.  but the benefit is that it
works with repeated programming and preferece settings to resolve
conflicts.

> Playback selection via TV interface: unknown at this point; maybe a=20
> browser-based thing using really big fonts on top of X (with no real=20
> window management to speak of, just one app that takes over the whole X=
=20
> "dekstop")

Why X?  You don't need it.  Framebuffer works great, and DirectFB will
probably be even nicer for OSD etc.

> Remote control: LIRC with the remote that came with my Pinnacle card.

I have been fighting with a Zoltrix capture card that has a remote on
it but no luck.

> I have a feeling that disk space management is going to have to play a=20
> major role in the ultimate user interface to this project; not just so a=
=20
> user can always know whether there is enough room on the hard drive to=20
> store the show they just asked to record, but especially once the system=
=20
> starts recording shows on it's own.

Disk space management is an issue yes.

> Exlicitly user-specified recordings=20
> are going to have to be of a higher priority (in terms of getting access=
=20
> to the remaining disk space) than speculative recording that the system=
=20
> does on it's own (you sure don't want to miss your "regular" shows=20
> because FX decided to run a two-day marathon of X-Files and filled your=
=20
> hard drive).

But if your scheduler knows which programs are repeats, or more
accurately which ones you have seen it won't record them again.  My
scheduler has a database of "seen" programs.  It does not update it
yet when it records a program however.  I do that manually.

> In any case, I'd be happy at this point if I could just get a system to=
=20
> regularly download listings and always record my short list of specific=
=20
> shows in specific timeslots

No.  Specific timeslots is ugly.  I don't want to have to reprogram
everytime they shift the program.  Like last night, they decided to
move Survivor to Wednesday from Thursday.  If I am not paying
attention and I program by timeslot rather just when something is on
that I have not seen before, I would have missed it.

> PS - I really like the idea of having a distributed farm of PVR=20
> devices... if my PVR is busy recording at a specific time and I need to=
=20
> record two shows at the same time, It would be fantastic to borrow time=
=20
> on my neighbor's PVR to record my show if his is free during that=20
> timeslot.  (Naturally, I'd be happy to share mine with him as well under=
=20
> the same circumstances.)  Would that technically be illegal, though?=20

Well, that is what Sonic Blue is being sued over so I guess we will
know soon enough.  :-)

> While I know it happens all the time, is loaning your VHS recording of a=
=20
> TV show to a friend because he forgot to record it himself (probably=20
> because HIS kids watched a tape and forgot to set the VCR back up to=20
> record) actually technically illegal?

The TV networks say yes.

b.

--=20
Brian J. Murrell