I'm new to Channels DVR, but love it so far. I'm a bit confused on the locations of the database/metadata. It is placing all the metadata and the database in the same folder as all my recordings. I tried to change the Storage Paths for the DVR database, but the first entry can't be edited and is the same as the DVR recordings path. I can add another DVR database storage path, but can't change the first.
Is this by design?
The database directory in your recording path only contains backups of Channels databases.
That way if you want to move Channels DVR to another computer or another location on the same computer you just move the whole directory structure with your recording and database backups, then restore everything from your latest backup.
You have to uncheck the DVR checkbox under Basic Setup to stop the DVR, then you can change that first path under it where it records to.
Before moving anything, checkout the support articles here (links to others on the left)
I know how to move recordings, but what about all the other metadata folders? I think having them all in the Recordings folder is ugly (Images, Imports, Streaming, Database, TV, etc.):
That doesn't look right.
You should have
That's the way Channels DVR works.
That's what I figured. I had to map a drive (T:) to my NAS in order for Channels DVR to use my 'Recorded TV' share folder. When I setup Channels DVR, it asked where to put the recordings...which is to the T: drive ('Recorded TV' on the NAS). But when I see the DVR database using the same T: drive, I wanted to change it. So I created D:\Channels_DVR, but now how to get rid of the T:\ Storage path?
Anything in that one yet?
Where is drive D: (are you running on Windows)?
What directory is this and how did those show folders get there?
You basically want to keep everything looking the way it is, except...
Make a database backup in Channels.
Stop the DVR by unchecking the DVR checkbox.
Move the directory structure Channels DVR was recording to on T: to D:\Channels_DVR
Change the primary path under the DVR checkbox to D:\Channels_DVR
Check the DVR checkbox to restart the DVR.
That should work, but now you have that backup you made so if things don't work you can restore.
Did you copy or move those from T: ?
How did those get there and what's in them?
You need to do this
This directory is on the 'Recorded TV' share (T: mapped drive) on the NAS. The show folders got there from Plex. I wanted to use the same folder for my recordings. I just didn't want the Channels DVR metadata folders in the 'Recorded TV' folder on the NAS.
All those (what you call metadata) folders are placed there by Channels DVR and cannot be changed.
They will exist in whatever directory you tell Channels DVR to record to.
OK, so the recordings and all the additional folders (Images, Streaming, TV, Database, Imports, etc.) MUST be in the same folder as all the recordings it does no matter where I move them to (local server folder, NAS, etc.).
Correct. We try to make this clear during setup, but the DVR should get its own dedicated folder where it will create its own directories.
What I want is for the Channels DVR METADATA (it's database, cache , backup, etc...) to be written to a dedicated folder on my Channels server's local drive, and have the recordings written somewhere else (my NAS shared folder for Recorded stuff). What I DON'T want is to have a single folder conflating those two very different things.
Recording to a network drive is unreliable so you won't see the change you're requesting.
If you wish to do it, it's possible using mounts or symlinks which you can research on your own, but when you have problems remember it's not a supported configuration.
Some users record to their local server drive and then move the recordings to a secondary location visible to Channels DVR.
Understood, but even on the same drive the config doesn't seem to let me do what I want. I don't want recordings on G:\DVR, just on G:\Recorded TV so how do I get the G:\DVR not to be listed under Storage Paths?
If you want to change the path under DVR, uncheck DVR and change the path.
It will then record to that new path.
I really don't think you're grasping what I'm asking (or the UI is not meshing with my understanding).
I want the stuff that Channels needs to do it's DVR thing (e.g. database, logs, etc) on a local drive
I want the _recordings that Channels makes using the DVR (e.g. Movies and TV) on a different drive.
In the image in the previous post, the Storage Paths includes BOTH directories, but I want to ensure that the recordings only get written to G:\Recorded TV
Does THAT make it clearer?
The Database folder only contains backups. The other folders are also only used for files directly related to the recordings, such as large images and logs associated with those recordings. The currently used databases and guide data are stored in C:\ProgramData\ChannelsDVR\data along with other runtime data.
If you want recordings to go to G:\Recorded TV then you need to uncheck the DVR checkbox, and change the path underneath from G:\DVR to G:\Recorded TV
