Can you have more than 1 BTV server on a network?

[DodgeV83]

If I had 2 or even 3 BTV servers for example, and I networked them all together, would they work together? If I made it so that each server was connected to the same folders on the network, would each server recognize which recordings were already recorded on another machine so it doesn't record the same show twice?

If I tried to watch live TV on one machine that was already doing a recording, would it switch to the tuner on another machine and let me watch Live TV with that?

Alot of computers don't have that many PCI slots, so if I could get this to work with more than 2 servers it would be really great!

Thanx

[nanook105]

See my sig - I do all of that

[davefred99]

Originally Posted by nanook105

See my sig - I do all of that

This caught my attention. So If I read your sig right you are running BTV 3.5 +BM on each PC. Does BTV on one PC act like BTV Link from both PC's. Is it built into BTV3.5.1 to share two or more instances of the same program on different pc's and smart enough to recognize all 5 of your tuner cards as independent sources or are you just sharring recorded folders between two pc's,

[DodgeV83]

Can you explain further how everything works?

"If I tried to watch live TV on one machine that was already doing a recording, would it switch to the tuner on another machine and let me watch Live TV with that?" This works well?

If you tell computer #1 to record all episodes of the Simpsons, will it use tuners from all computers to do it?

The big question...as the above poster already asked. Are all 5 of your tuner cards working as independent sources or are you just sharing recorded folders between two pc's?"

[nanook105]

Is it built into BTV3.5.1 to share two or more instances of the same program on different pc's and smart enough to recognize all 5 of your tuner cards as independent sources or are you just sharring recorded folders between two pc's

I don't know if there is anything special built into BTV (you can't "share" tuner cards between the severs), but here is what I do:

PVR#1 (3 tuners) is dedicated to recording regular TV shows and has all of the folders for "kids" videos.

PVR#2 (2 tuners) is dedicated to recording premium/movie channels, and also has all of the "mature" folders. I share the recording folder on PVR#1 with PVR#2, so I can watch recorded TV shows from either. I also share video folders between the servers where appropriate (kids vs mature).

I have BTV Links and Media MVPs connected to the appropriate servers/folders depending on which room it is in, and who the typical users are.

New recodings show up on both PVRs as they are being recording. The only negative is when you delete a show on one PVR the other still lists it until the next restart of BTV. Not a big deal (you just get an error message if you try to play it), but I don't reboot or restart BTV on these servers very often.

[davefred99]

Ok,
Thats what I thought you were doing. Whats the benifit of haveing two servers when you could put all 5 tuners in one and not get error notices like you explained. Only benifit I can see is not putting all the load on one pc or maybe not enough pc slots available. How often do you actualy use all 5 tuners at once.

[DodgeV83]

If he uses satillite or digital cable he wouldn't have to have 5 cable boxes next to each other and 5 IR blasters in the same computer.

[nanook105]

Whats the benifit of haveing two servers when you could put all 5 tuners in one and not get error notices like you explained.

Initially, before multiple tuners was available in 3.5, I bought two servers so that I could record two shows that were on at the same time. I also particapate in beta testing, so it is benificial to to have an extra server.

I guess that I could consolidate the BTV recording processes on a single server, but I don't view that one issue (error messages on deleted shows) as enough of a pain to do it. I also use the two servers to segregate content, so I get a poor man's parental controls. Finally, I have a very good back up in case one of the servers dies

[Brett]

Originally Posted by nanook105

I guess that I could consolidate the BTV recording processes on a single server, but I don't view that one issue (error messages on deleted shows) as enough of a pain to do it. I also use the two servers to segregate content, so I get a poor man's parental controls. Finally, I have a very good back up in case one of the servers dies

Another setup with 2 BTV servers is you can make either one act as BTV Link. That way you don't have to do the hack where you share network folders. Just create a new shortcut and /networkclient:OTHERIPADDRESS

Then one icon would launch the Kids Server and one icon would launch the Mature Server, regardless at which computer your at. Since you have BM on both you could just make a second menu item (instead of a link).

Its more of a module for handling multiple users, then really "parental" control.

Just a thought,
-Brett

[nanook105]

But if I make one of them a network client, then I can't add/see local directories on that server (unless they are added as a network folder on the other server)

[DodgeV83]

Originally Posted by nanook105

New recodings show up on both PVRs as they are being recording. The only negative is when you delete a show on one PVR the other still lists it until the next restart of BTV. Not a big deal (you just get an error message if you try to play it), but I don't reboot or restart BTV on these servers very often.

How are you sharing the networked folders? Did you map the networked folders to a drive letter, or is it set up like "computername:/TV Folder" or something like that?

When I delete shows locally on my computer, BTV recognizes it immediately. Maybe if you mapped the networked folder (or even the whole drive) to a drive letter on your computer it'd work better.

F:/TV Folder should be the same as a local drive as far as BTV is concerned. Much different than

computername:/TV Folder

Try it out.

Edit: To map a network drive, just open up My Computer, click on Tools, and then Map Network Drive. Its pretty easy

[nanook105]

When I delete shows locally on my computer, BTV recognizes it immediately. Maybe if you mapped the networked folder (or even the whole drive) to a drive letter on your computer it'd work better.

Just to be clear, I am using BTV to delete the file. The show was recorded, watched, and deleted using the FSI on BTV1 in the folder "Recordings". BTV2 is set up with a network folder (Recordings) from BTV1. On BTV2, in the FSI, I still see the show after it is deleted on BTV1. I do not see the show on BTV1 after I delete it

I've used both methods to map network drives, and see the same symptom. I currently use \\server\Recordings because XP periodically seems to have issues connecting to mapped drives on reboot.

[DodgeV83]

Damn! I don't understand why it would do that. When I delete shows in Windows Explorer, BTV recognizes it. When you click on Delete from within BTV doesn't it do the same thing?

[nanook105]

OK - I must be going nuts. I just tried to replicate this, and I have to take it back. I deleted a show on BTV1, and it was immediatly removed on BTV2 (both visually in the FSI and in the log). I even had the FSI on BTV2 in Recordings with the show I deleted on the screen (before the delete). It was gone when I went back to BTV2

[DodgeV83]

alriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight

So the only missing functionality of having more than 1 server on the network is not being able to share the tuners. Too bad. If MythTV (opensource) can get this working then hopefully it will be implemented in BTV 4.0!