Those items are definitely on my list. But higher than both of them is the ability to do something and come back to at least something there for me. (It doesn't have be forever on.)
The two tuner thing is easily handled if you are already using Tuner Sharing. Basically, the client with two tuners loses its second tuner if someone needs it. Recordings and directly viewed clients always take precedence over background buffers. This is how the TiVo ecosystem works with the Minis. Interestingly, the Mini was limited to one buffer/tuner (directly correlated in TiVo land), but could take over a background buffer used by the main box. (I don't expect this behavoir, but I used to be in the middle of a show on the main box, switch tuners, then tune to that channel on the Mini and capture its buffer to continue watching in my bedroom.)
Tivo 4k is quirky to put it mildly.... I have one but never use it. I am a Tivo DVR refugee (looonnng time user). I set up Channels DVR on an NVidia Shield, connected a hard drive and voila !
I had a Tivo and Minis too. Channels does not work like that. If all the tuners are busy, then you aren't getting one. That is why I have 2 x 4 tuner HDHRs. I don't want to run out. If they occupied 2 tuners for each live streamer, it would blow through tuners a lot faster than with just 1, so that is my guess as to why they don't retain multiple buffers for a single streamer. Channels can have a lot more streaming devices to deal with than most people ever had Minis, when you consider phones, ipads, TVs, etc.
It seems like your wish list is to make Channels exactly like a Tivo. There are a lot of Tivo refugees that are Channels users, including me. I don't think its the developers' goal to replicate everything that Tivo does in Channels, no more than to replicate everything that Plex does for all the Plex fans that have lists of Plex features that should be added. I hate to see someone get unrealistic expectations. There is a lot to like about Channels. It does what it does well better than anyone. I'm sure they'll tweak little things here and there, but I don't see them redoing the whole architecture.
They have said already that their next priority is to get the whole favorites management thing sorted which I will be very happy to see.
Thanks a ton. I loaded the Beta and it all seems to work. It fixed both the toggle within the PiP and the what comes up when first entering live tv. I appreciate it! It makes the PiP so much more usable for me.
Thanks,
Josh
Agreed with all you said. The only thing that I was trying to get at is that Channels doesn't have the concept of a background buffer right now either. If they were to deem it worth adding, then I think they would think through the need to have a release mechanism. They would also need to work out when to stop buffering it at all as well (time based, activity based, etc.). The TiVo absolutely had to do that behavior as all tuners are used all the time. I love that functionality, but wouldn't ask for it on Channels. I think something in between is might be reasonable. Above any of that I would love to be able to save the live buffer. Basically, if I am in the middle of watching something and have to go (but am not caught up), I would love to be able to finish it later.
It isn't my intention, but maybe that is the effect of my ideas. I think there are some definite usage patterns that TiVo solved that aren't solved on Channels. I can give you a few for the TiVo as well.
That isn't how I see it working. I see that the second background buffer isn't guaranteed. Another device could steal it at any time. It means you would be using your tuners more often, but doesn't limit the max number of viewed streams. (I hate to say this, but this is how it works on the TiVo. A tuner continues to buffer the channel it is on until it is needed for viewing or recording. Again, I don't expect Channels to always be recording all its tuners, which doesn't even make sense with TVe. This behavior would have to work a little differently for it.)
I haven't quite figured that out yet. It seemed a little redundant in places and not clear what all choosing favorites impacted. However, it seemed like it would overall do what I needed, so I didn't mess with it much yet. Good to know it may get a bit more straightforward.
