Timer concept of the DVBViewer Recording Service
The DVB Recording Service now uses its own svctimers.xml file (Configuration folder\config). The Timers.xml of the DVBViewer is not used any more, this means the service does not get any timers programmed in the DVBViewer via the timers.xml.
Exception: No svctimers.xml is present but a timers.xml is found, in this case the DVBViewer Timers are imported.
Most of the functions of the timers were kept. But there are several new timer types now.
Recording Timer[edit]
Under the timer type Recoding Timer are all timer grouped, which need a DVB-device. This type is like the "old" timer.
It has three subtypes:
- Recording A normal recording timer.
- Tune channel This subtype only tunes a channel, no file is written. It is like the "No File Write" option of the "old" timers. You can use it for EPG updates of one transponder, MHW, SFI or FreeSat EPG updates.
- Transcoding This subtype is not implemented for now and is handled like "Recording".
The Recording subtype has several additional properties
The Recording Sub type[edit]
Recording folder[edit]
The recording folder is saved with the timer. Changes in the options only affect timer with recording folder = Auto. There is a new selection "Auto".
Depending on the setting in the options "Auto" does one of the following:
- Option 1 (default): check the list from top to bottom and take the first folder with more free space than the predefined trigger value (default 25 GB can be changed in 1 GB steps)
if this fails try option 2.
- Option 2: Take the folder with the most free space.
Recording format[edit]
For each recording the format can be selected separately. The default is defined in the options. All known limitations apply (H264 only as TS also a Transponder Dump etc.).
Priority[edit]
Timers can now have a priority. If two timers with different priorities start at the same time the one with the higher priority is preferred, if there are not enough DVB-devices. A higher priority timer can also stop a lower priority timer to get a device. Note: 0=Lowest priority, 100=Highest priority.
Recording file name[edit]
The following place holders can be used for the recording file name:
- %year = year
- %date = sortable month and day
- %time = time
- %station = the channel
- %event = the title of the broadcast
- %title = the (Sub)Title (if any)
- %tshort = the (Sub)Title (if any) shortened to 80 chars.
- %m = Month
- %d = day of the month
- %h = time hour
- %M = time minute
- %g = the Genre (if any)
- %D = Day of the week (Mo, Tue etc)
Additionally you can define sub folders. Example:
%station\%date_%time_%station_%event does:
[..]kabel eins\01-13_20-10-06_kabel eins_first strike - jackie chans erstschlag.ts
You can use more than one sub folder. The sub folders are generated automatically. You can also use a predefined folder name...
Audio/Teletext/DVB-Subtitle and PAT/PMT Adjust[edit]
For each timer these settings can be set separately. See also here for an explanation of these settings.
Whole Transponder[edit]
Records all data of a transponder into a TS file.
After recording task[edit]
These are normal Process timers, which will be generated on the fly by the recording timer. But only if the recording timer was not cancelled (means prematurely ended or deleted).
The newly created Process timer can not be saved, it expires if it gets cancelled or finishes. It inherits the Shut-down action of the recording timer. This way the Standby or Hibernate action of the original timer is processed after the Process timer finishes.
For this to work properly you have to give some data about the recording to the Process timer. Therefore you can use keywords in the parameters of the Process timer. The Recording Service will replace them with the actual values.
Example (simplified) Parameters for FFMpeg:
-i "{SOURCE_FILE}" -vcodec libx264 -maxrate 1500k -acodec libfaac -ab 112k -ar 48000 -ac 2 -title "{TITLE}" -y "{PATH_FILENAME}.mp4"
Example parameters for VLC to extract the mp2 audio from a .ts capture of a radio broadcast. The --no-sub-autodetect-file parameter is required for versions of VLC after ~0.8.6, in order to prevent VLC from reading a .txt file that has the same name as the .ts file, from being interpreted as a subtitles file (in which case, VLC will fail to produce output):
--no-sub-autodetect-file --sout "file/raw:{PATH_FILENAME}.mp2" "{SOURCE_FILE}" vlc://quit
Following place holders do exist (CAPITALS MANDATORY):
{FILENAME_EXT} 04-11_20-10-04_RTL 2_Stargate.ts {SOURCE_FILE} c:\capture\4-11_20-10-04_RTL 2_Stargate.ts {PATH_FILENAME} c:\capture\4-11_20-10-04_RTL 2_Stargate {FILENAME} 04-11_20-10-04_RTL 2_Stargate {PATH} c:\capture\ {EXT} .ts {CHANNEL} RTL 2 {TITLE} Stargate {SUBTITLE} Episode 2
The usual rules for parameters apply: Paths and file name should be put into ", also all other text which could contain spaces.
All user input or message boxes must be suppressed at all costs. There is no user interaction.
In case of doubt: Please read the manual of the according program.
The new timer types[edit]
These timers behave a little bit different.
- The End time is ignored. If a task is finished, the timers ends itself. All after recording actions can be used.
- If a timer was missed because the PC was powered off, the timer gets executed the next time the PC starts, no matter if the time fits or not.
- These timers do not have a channel property. Therefore the timer type is displayed in the timer list instead of the channel name.
Search Timer[edit]
executes a single Autorecording EPG search entry.
Autosearch timer[edit]
executes all Autorecording EPG search entries.
Process Timer[edit]
Allows the executing of external programs like TVInfo, tvxml import etc. The timer uses the existing Process Tasks.
Important: if you use a program make sure it closes itself after executing and it is not allowed to show any message boxes at all. The programs are running in the user context of the Recording Service and there is no user interaction at all.
