Prioritize source per channel

[Ndejong5]

Is there anyway to prioritize a source for a certain channel? On TVE ABC the recordings are all pretty choppy. I have a HDHOMERUN as well and would like to make that source the priority for ABC.

[chDVRuser]

Which channel is used for recording depends on
source priority set in the DVR web admin (not clients, see NOTE)
channel favorites set in the DVR web admin (not clients, see NOTE)
whether a channel is SD or HD
channel number

When Channels DVR is going to record a program, the channels are searched in reverse numerical order (higher numbered channels come first) on each source as follows until it finds one airing the program

1) Favorite        channel on source#1, then source#2, source#3...
2) Non-favorite HD channel on source#1, then source#2, source#3...
3) Non-favorite SD channel on source#1, then source#2, source#3...

NOTE: The DVR scheduler and recorder use the source priority and channel favorites as defined in the DVR web admin, not the clients.

[maddox]

If the channels are choppy and not reliable, hide them, and they won't be used for recording or live TV.

[chDVRuser]

Or if you don't want to hide the TVE ABC channel, make sure it's not marked as a favorite and mark your HDHR ABC channels as a favorite.

[Fofer]

I'm experiencing a similar issue and wondering what I'm doing wrong.

I get NBC via OTA (an HDHR Homerun Flex 4K) as well as TVE. I prefer the OTA source in nearly all cases, but very rarely, I think due to weather, the signal isn't great, and I look to the TVE signal (6000) for a backup. The HDHR is prioritized as a source on the DVR, as well as client. And the OTA channel (4.1) is the only one marked as a "favorite." Channel 6000 isn't marked as a favorite anywhere.

I set up a one-time recording of an upcoming airing of Nightline, via the AppleTV client of Channels.

But for some reason it's scheduling to record from the TVE channel.

I'm aware I can manually change this on the DVR, but is there a way for these types of recordings to automatically always default to the OTA source?

@chDVRuser

When Channels DVR is going to record a program, the channels are searched in reverse numerical order (higher numbered channels come first) on each source as follows until it finds one airing the program

Is this the issue, then? If so, at least with my setup, it seems to be prioritizing a non-favorite over a favorite, from a secondary source, simply because its channel number is higher.

[babsonnexus]

@Fofer

The HDHR is prioritized as a source on the DVR, as well as client. And the OTA channel (4.1) is the only one marked as a "favorite." Channel 6000 isn't marked as a favorite anywhere.

I ran into something like this with a m3u source saying a station was HD and the HDHR station that was favorite'd saying the station was SD. By the logic HD > SD > favorite, even if the SD is the favorite. Is there some weird way that 4.1 could be saying it is SD?

[chDVRuser]

You appear to be confused.
You talk about your NBC channels and the ABC show Nightline
But display NBC in your first two screenshots.

@Fofer

I set up a one-time recording of an upcoming airing of Nightline, via the AppleTV client of Channels.

Where did you select it from on the client?
If you selected a single episode (and not using a pass) it records the episode on the channels you selected it from.

Here's what I have in my notes

When Channels DVR is going to record a program from a pass, the channels are searched
in reverse numerical order (higher numbered channels come first)
on each source as follows until it finds one airing the program

1. Favorite channel on source#1, then source#2, source#3...
2. Non-favorite HD channel on source#1, then source#2, source#3...
3. Non-favorite SD channel on source#1, then source#2, source#3...
   NOTE: The DVR scheduler and recorder use the source priority and channel favorites as defined in the DVR web admin, not the clients.

[Fofer]

@babsonnexus

I ran into something like this with a m3u source saying a station was HD and the HDHR station that was favorite'd saying the station was SD. By the logic HD > SD > favorite, even if the SD is the favorite. Is there some weird way that 4.1 could be saying it is SD?

Hmm, interesting idea, I'll look into that-

@chDVRuser

You appear to be confused.
You talk about your NBC channels and the ABC show Nightline
But display NBC in your first two screenshots.

Ooops, sorry, I included the wrong screenshot, I was meaning to reference NBC only, for Dateline NBC (on channels 4.1 and 6000.). I've since removed the screenshot referencing Nightline.

@chDVRuser

Where did you select it from on the client?

I did a SEARCH in the tvOS client for "Dateline" (there are 8 different shows with this in their title) and I chose Dateline NBC and set up the one-time recording from there.

Thanks for your detailed notes about source priority, that's helpful.
I'll keep playing around to see if I can make rhyme or reason of this.

[chDVRuser]

@Fofer

I did a SEARCH in the tvOS client for "Dateline" (there are 8 different shows with this in their title) and I chose Dateline NBC and set up the one-time recording from there.

My guess is that client has the TVE source as higher priority than the HDHR source.

Could also have something to do with this setting.

BETA: Stack Duplicates setting (Android/Apple)

In the latest beta versions of Channels app on all platforms, we have added a new setting under Manage Sources > Manage Lineup > Stack Duplicates This now defaults to "By Channel Number", which will combine the same channel across multiple HDHR or TVE tuners, but not across channel number. The previous behavior is available with the "By Guide Data" option. With the new default, if you have NBC through a PRIME, OTA/Locast, and TVE, you can see all the entries in the guide separately.

Since I don't use their client apps, I don't understand the difference between the two settings. And I haven't seen any clear explanation, so I guess you would have to switch between the two to see what it actually does.

[Flt505]

I have a similar problem.
I have two NBC channels from HDHR, 15.2 and 33.1
I set up a pass from the 15.2 for the US OPEN.
In the GUIDE It shows that it will record from both 15.2 and 33.1 channels, the program is highlighted for both
When I look under SCHEDULE it shows 33.1 only, as discussed it does in reverse numerical order,
and so picks 33.1 I understand.
But, when I look in the GUIDE both the 15.2 and 33.1 channel US OPEN program is highlighted as Recording !!
A little confusing.
If I hide 33.1 in the Web admin the Schedule now shows my preferred NBC channel 15.2