Multiple BTV Servers?

[dbroder]

Hi! I'm looking for some advice re: the best way to go add a second BTV server to my network.

I currently have one BTV4.6 server running; it has 3 tuners (1 Hauppauge 500 + a PVR-USB2). It's in my family room and all is well.

I've got a system in a second room (upstairs) that has 2 tuners and I'd like to start using those tuners to record shows (and playback shows as well.)

I plan to record shows from both systems to a server share so I can playback from either system.

I have a couple questions...

1. To use those two tuners on the new system, do I need to use/purchase a 2nd copy of the BTV server software? If so, any idea if there's a discount for the 2nd copy?

2. My current copy of BTV server is registered to my current e-mail address. That e-mail address is used for snapstream.net and is used for me to login to ss.net to select/download remote recordings. How is the 2nd copy of BTV differentiated? Do I need to use a different e-mail address?


If anyone has other tips/tricks that they've fought through, please let me know!

Thanks
Darren.

[nanook105]

Originally Posted by dbroder

1. To use those two tuners on the new system, do I need to use/purchase a 2nd copy of the BTV server software? If so, any idea if there's a discount for the 2nd copy? .

Yes you need a second license. No - there is not discount (that I've ever seen)

Originally Posted by dbroder

2. My current copy of BTV server is registered to my current e-mail address. That e-mail address is used for snapstream.net and is used for me to login to ss.net to select/download remote recordings. How is the 2nd copy of BTV differentiated? Do I need to use a different e-mail address?

If anyone has other tips/tricks that they've fought through, please let me know!

Thanks
Darren.

You need to use a second/different email address for the second server. I currently use three servers (two primarily for recording and one for serving live TV to my links). I would not recommend setting up both servers to record to a single directory. Instead, record locally, and then add folders on each server to each other so that they can "see" the other servers recordings.

[dbroder]

Originally Posted by nanook105

You need to use a second/different email address for the second server. I currently use three servers (two primarily for recording and one for serving live TV to my links). I would not recommend setting up both servers to record to a single directory. Instead, record locally, and then add folders on each server to each other so that they can "see" the other servers recordings.

Bummer re: the 2nd e-mail address... I was hoping there was some sort of selection process once you logged into ss.net. Oh well.

And yes, re: the recording folders - I currently record into a local folder and then move the files (via a timed FTP) to a network share. I found the Showsqueeze '-Move-' function was unreliable. Has it improved?

Thanks!

[Jazzman]

I know in the past you had to use the Server version for network awareness. I also use a set up as described by nanook. I have 3 Server systems each with their own capture and store locally. They are all connected via GigE and I just add the remote directories to each local system. I also have 1 Link version. With this setup and the GigE you can access any content off of any system and have them all cross playing at the same time. You don't really need a separate storage server unless you want to just have small HD's in each unit. However if you do it this way and wanted to play back to all systems you would be putting more network bottleneck on the one server system.

I guess a central storage server would be a good way to go if you wanted to keep your content for long periods. However I roll over my content very quickly. Once I watch things I delete them and just record them again in the future if I want to see them again.

[subachad]

How much TV do you need to record? Why not put a HDHR box somewhere else on your network and have just one central BTV server with a couple of link machines.

[dbroder]

Originally Posted by Jazzman

I guess a central storage server would be a good way to go if you wanted to keep your content for long periods. However I roll over my content very quickly. Once I watch things I delete them and just record them again in the future if I want to see them again.

I keep a bunch of stuff for the kidlets; that stuff stays pretty long-term. I also have SFF cases and have spent $ making my computers quiet - have high-heat, high-GB HDs in them would be bad for the WAF. As it is now, they have 80gb HDs and that's plenty of space for 24 hours of recording.

[dbroder]

Originally Posted by subachad

How much TV do you need to record? Why not put a HDHR box somewhere else on your network and have just one central BTV server with a couple of link machines.

I'm not familiar with the HDHR solution... I'll investigate that. Do you have a good link with specs?

[nanook105]

Originally Posted by dbroder

I'm not familiar with the HDHR solution... I'll investigate that. Do you have a good link with specs?

http://store.snapstream.com/hdhr.html

[Jazzman]

Originally Posted by subachad

How much TV do you need to record? Why not put a HDHR box somewhere else on your network and have just one central BTV server with a couple of link machines.

The HDHR box doesn't have an analog tuner does it? Isn't it a dual input digital tuner? If so, you probably wouldn't be able to record number of channels due to only having access to unencrypted channels.

[Jazzman]

Originally Posted by dbroder

I keep a bunch of stuff for the kidlets; that stuff stays pretty long-term. I also have SFF cases and have spent $ making my computers quiet - have high-heat, high-GB HDs in them would be bad for the WAF. As it is now, they have 80gb HDs and that's plenty of space for 24 hours of recording.

I understand completely and I'm probably not a typical user. But my kid is grown and long out of the house. My wife wouldn't watch what I recorded if her life depended on it. That's why I made her her own BeyondTV system. So I just record what I want to watch in the next day or so.

[dbroder]

Originally Posted by Jazzman

I understand completely and I'm probably not a typical user. But my kid is grown and long out of the house. My wife wouldn't watch what I recorded if her life depended on it. That's why I made her her own BeyondTV system. So I just record what I want to watch in the next day or so.

It's nice to be able to tweak our systems based on what we're looking to get out of them!

I try to make my 'client' machines as 'thin' as possible (therefore quiet and nice-looking) and dump the heavy lifting on the server.

Seems like I'm looking at a 2nd server license and 2nd e-mail address to manage the recordings on the upstairs computer. That 2nd computer upstairs also sits near a satellite STB that I can record from - another reason why the recording has to happen there (or very nearby!).

Darren.

[Jazzman]

Originally Posted by dbroder

It's nice to be able to tweak our systems based on what we're looking to get out of them!

I try to make my 'client' machines as 'thin' as possible (therefore quiet and nice-looking) and dump the heavy lifting on the server.

Seems like I'm looking at a 2nd server license and 2nd e-mail address to manage the recordings on the upstairs computer. That 2nd computer upstairs also sits near a satellite STB that I can record from - another reason why the recording has to happen there (or very nearby!).

Darren.

For the record, I manage all 4 of my system licenses under one email address -- no problem. There is no issue on upgrading as Snapstream tracks all 4 licenses as well. You can even do the instant license verification web thing with Snapstream and give the one email address and all 4 of my licenses come back on record. The only issue is I haven't found anywhere in the running software to show what license is on which machine, so you have to keep track of that yourself if you use one email address. Other than that, no problem.

Jazz

[dbroder]

Originally Posted by Jazzman

For the record, I manage all 4 of my system licenses under one email address -- no problem. There is no issue on upgrading as Snapstream tracks all 4 licenses as well. You can even do the instant license verification web thing with Snapstream and give the one email address and all 4 of my licenses come back on record. The only issue is I haven't found anywhere in the running software to show what license is on which machine, so you have to keep track of that yourself if you use one email address. Other than that, no problem.

That sounds better. How do you choose the 'server' you'll send your remote recordings to when creating jobs via ss.net?

[Nick Burns]

Originally Posted by dbroder

That sounds better. How do you choose the 'server' you'll send your remote recordings to when creating jobs via ss.net?

I'm glad this (thread title) question has been asked, as I've been planning to run two servers all along. Just wanted to get one up and running before the Fall Season starts up. My main concern was the licensing-to-email aspect and if ss.net allows you to pick between multiple servers.

[tscales]

I use separate email addresses, but since I have my own domain, I don't care.

As for implementing multiple servers, personally I would make one my 'master' server. Record locally to both machines. Setup a CustomPostProcessing script to move the second server's recordings to the first server.

To play TV on the second server, run BTV in Link mode to the first server. That machine can be both a recording server and a Link machine to Server 1 at the same time.

That's how I do it, except I have a third server that actually is the 'content server'. It doesn't record, it just services BTV Link machines. I have 6, so can have as many as 6 concurrent HD streams, which chews up bandwidth.

Tom