It seems the DVR doesn’t optimise tuner usage if sequential recordings (with buffers) are scheduled on the same channel/multiplex. Instead of just allocating one tuner and grabbing the data to two recording files during the buffer overlap it allocates a second tuner on the same channel/multiplex to initiate the second recording. This mean that the second tuner isn’t available for a recording to start on a different channel during that overlap, leading to unnecessary scheduling conflicts because too many tuners are in use.
Never saw this sort of problem with previous systems with onboard tuner cards, is this a Plex optimisation issue or does HDHomeRun Connect have some limitation that leads to this?
I have also noticed the same behaviour and had similar thoughts surrounding the usage of the multiplex/channels like this.
There have also been issues around recording that seem to fail when another tuner is in use by a 3rd party client. So if I am watching TV on my laptop using EyeTV or HDHomerun HD then a plea recording will fail. Even though at that point there should be at least three other tuners available.
This is a Plex issue. Basically programmers or function requirements team didn’t think of it or get it implemented.
This should be a core feature of the software. Any software should always try to make the best use of the hardware and network. Even if you have back to back shows being recorded on the same channel Plex should use the same tuner and not allocate a second since this would take additional network bandwidth that isn’t needed. Just smart programming.
Plex DVR should also be a bit smarter on conflict resolution. If you have 4 shows to record but only have three total tuners and 2 shows are back to back with overlapping buffers while another show is on a different channel Plex should choose the show on the same channel since it would be able to use the buffer from the previous recording.
and to go step further Plex should support multiplex recording, i.e. not sure about US, but in UK / Europe each transponder has several channels on them, so it should be possible to record ALL theses channels using only one tuner.
@lennier76 said:
Anyone from Plex able to offer insight on when this will work properly?
Don’t hold your breath. You’d think for a beta release where they want the community engaged to provide them working feedback they would at least engage a bit more in the forums compared to the usual abysmal forum participation but sadly that is not he case…99% of the time there is zero input from Plex devs here…users are left to their own devices and praying that someone magically read the bugs/issues, passed it on the chain and maybe one day they might be fixed.
Contrast that with the forums for the Channels DVR app where the developers participate and frequently help out in the vast majority of the forum threads! If there is something hey want fixed, they ask for further feedback/logs and literally days later they have a fix out in the wild!
@DaveBinM I just noticed that with 1.8.1 it appears that programs on the same multiplex now correctly use a single tuner, can you confirm that this is the case so I can close this issue? Previously in this situation I’d see a recording conflict as Plex thought it needed an extra tuner to record another program on an already-tuned and active multiplex. Thanks.
Thanks @DaveBinM, it may well have been fixed ages ago, but as you know I’ve been unable to run a version beyond 1.5.x until now. I’ll mark this as answered then.
