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
No way to split those from the other directories Channels DVR creates in its DVR directory.
Like I said earlier, you would have to customize your setup using mounts or symlinks.
If your server is running on Windows you can see if a link works for you by using the mklink /D windows command
Looks like the Symbolic Directory Links worked for you.
I used those years ago on Win-7 to link multiple external hard drive directories to my internal D: to create one view for all my archived videos (which are now on my NAS).
Mostly working okay, but one snag is that the recordings I already had from before using ChannelsDVR were made available to ChannelsDVR by using the import. Now that the drive links are pointing to the same place (the link vs. the export), I'm getting double listings of recordings. I don't know how to fix this issue, because I can't point imports to the same path... it's a conundrum.
Can you screenshot your settings because I don't completely follow.
Ideally your imports (ie non-Channels recordings) would be stored separately in the Imports folder or a separate imported path.
Makes sense if you're telling Channels to import what it records.
You shouldn't import the path you record to.
Yes, that's exactly the point I want to make... I want the recordings stored on my Windows Server NAS. I don't have the space or desire to have them on the NUC-like device that is running ChannelsDVR. Since So TV shows that DO get recorded by CDVR get put into the C:\DVR\TV directory, which is a SYMLINK to the \ZULU\TV share (Yay!) so the files end up on the NAS without any work... but then when Import rescans the \ZULU\TV share (to discover new content) it sees the EXACT same file (once as C:\DVR\TV\foo.mpg and once as \ZULU\TV\foo.mpg) and adds it in again.
This results in rescanned/imported recordings (that WERE originally done by ChannelsDVR) looking like this:
Even more fun when the discovered/imported gets tagged with a ?slightly? different Show Info (like happens with Dark Shadows)
Here's my setup. Server is ZULU (Windows Home Server 2011 with DrivePool for storage NAS). ChannelsDVR running is BEEHIVE (Windows 11 Pro on Bee-Link SER3 ).
BEEHIVE C:\DVR directory
Directory of C:\DVR
10/26/2022 03:29 AM <DIR> .
10/27/2022 04:09 PM <DIR> Database
10/27/2022 04:29 PM <DIR> Images
10/24/2022 07:41 PM <DIR> Imports
10/24/2022 07:41 PM <DIR> Logs
10/24/2022 11:18 PM <SYMLINKD> Movies [\\ZULU\Movies]
10/24/2022 11:18 PM <DIR> PlayOn
10/27/2022 12:00 PM <DIR> Streaming
10/24/2022 11:18 PM <SYMLINKD> TV [\\ZULU\TV]
0 File(s) 0 bytes
9 Dir(s) 284,210,782,208 bytes free
The SYMLINKs are /D (directory type) and uses cached credentials even after reboot, because the WHS has a user called ChannelsDVR with matching password (so It Just Workstm).
USERDOMAIN=BeeHive
USERDOMAIN_ROAMINGPROFILE=BeeHive
USERNAME=ChannelsDVR
USERPROFILE=C:\Users\ChannelsDVR
The Channels Settings:
On the ZULU server, the shares point to a DrivePool virtual drive G: with each directory shared out as desired for the SMB & Kodi exposed stuff.
I understand that ChannelsDVR treats imports as distinct from recordings... ideally what I think needs to happen is that I need to be able to (one time?) import ALL the contents of the TV and Movies directories into Channels "as if" they were recorded... because going forward I do NOT intend to record any other way. I don't think (but could be wrong) that the I could just add the shares to the Additional Storage section of the DVR settings, as most of these things were never recorded by Channels.
One other odd thing is that the PlayOn plugin insists on putting the files their own directory (C:\DVR\PlayOn\TV or C:\DVR\PlayOn\Movies) when it syncs them down... so those two directories are ALSO SYMLINKd to the respective ZULU shares.
You local content import directories MUST point to a different path than Channels DVR recording directory.
The only way to get content not recorded by Channels into the Channels database is using the local content import feature.
That would not work (and would be quite time consuming doing fix match) because you need to keep those local content import directories set in Channels or it will remove everything it imported from its database. And if it records to the same directory it imports from you end up with those duplicates.
I get that this is how things are now, I'm just not happy with the decisions it forces on me. I do NOT want files stored on the BeeLink (it doesn't have the space, the raid protection, etc.)
I could do a separate share on the server and point the C:\DVR\TV at \\ZULU\RecordedTV (so the files end up in a different place on the server), but then I have to update everything ELSE in my entire world to know there are two different directories with TV content (tolerable on Kodi, less so on JellyFin).
If I do that, and then at some point move the files to the normal TV directory, that won't work either because then they'll be duped again. If I add \\ZULU\TV to the additional storage option, then I can't add the same folder to the Import TV section... it's a puzzle 
I know this is an old post/question, but I'm trying to understand it as well. I want to have the Channels DVR metadata (images/cache/etc.) stored on one drive on my Linux server (SSD drive), but want the recordings stored on a separate USB drive. Obviously my SSD is quite a bit smaller so don't want to fill that with recordings and also don't want to move the recordings over from time to time.
Is this not possible to do?
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Set mount points or symlinks for the TV and Movies folder to your USB drive, and point Channels at the parent folder.
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