InfiniTV 4USB--Can some HD recordings block others?

[SolarWindSurfer]

I'm using an InfiniTV 4 USB with Windows 7 SP1. Operation has been flawless, but I've run into an odd scheduling issue where it seems MC does not think enough tuners exist to do two particular recordings in HD, and it defaults one of the recordings to SD. I sometimes have 3 and very occasionally 4 recordings simultaneously without any conflicts arising.

So, I get the following channels on my cable system (Charter):
Fox on 5 (SD) and 705 (HD).
ABC on 2 (SD) and 702 (HD).
CNN on 44 (SD) and 788 (HD).

Two particular programs are scheduled to start at 8:00 PM, setting is HD preferred.
One program is scheduled on ABC at 8:00 PM in HD.
Other program is scheduled on FOX, but it goes to the SD channel. (Earlier showings of the program at 7:00 and 7:30 go to the HD channel as expected).

If I try to set the HD showing instead, I get the conflict resolution screen. It will allow me to select the HD version of the ABC program and only the SD version of the second, or both versions of the Fox program at that time. At no time in this sequence should I have more than three tuners active at a time, even allowing for overlap. It almost appears that the HD recording on one station is blocking others at the same time in HD.

The full schedule is (* shows recordings that will not go to HD without conflict)
7:00P Fox (705) - Simpsons
7:30P Fox (705) - Simpsons
8:00P ABC (702) - Once Upon A Time
8:00P Fox (005) - Simpsons *
8:30P Fox (005) - Bobs Burgers *
9:00P CNN (742) - Anthony Bourdain *this one originally went to SD as well, but let me change it without conflict
9:00P Fox (705) - Family Guy
9:00P AMC (742) - Low Winter Sun

Hope this is enough. I tried working through Ceton and they had me install some updated Firmware and patches, but no change.

[JohnW248]

Try this:

1. Change your preference to HD Only
2. Go to the Guide and uncheck your SD versions so MC won't be tempted to try them. (Settings/TV/Guide/Edit Channels) By just unchecking them you can restore them without running tv set-up again or any other time consuming operation.

3. Make sure you have a recording drive and are not using the system (C) drive for Recorded TV so there isn't a traffic issue. (remember that each live tv channel and recording has it's own buffer or recording going on. If its live tv it is a constant write/read routine).

I assume you're using just the USB InfiniTV tuner and don't have some other clearQAM tuners in the system?

[SolarWindSurfer]

I tried your suggestions as follows:
1. Removed the series from the scheduler.
2. Unchecked the SD channels in question from the guide.
3. Added the series back in one-by-one (setting all of the Fox 705 shows to only record on 705).

Unfortunately, WMC still insists there is a conflict. For some reason a show on 702 will not record when one is scheduled on 705.

The 3rd item cannot be done in my particular case. The machine is a VAIO all-in-one PC and only has a single drive and no eSATA port. It does have USB 3.0 and I do have a drive connected to that, but I use it for overflow storage only, not primary storage. I have never encountered a conflict in WMC however with 3 or 4 simultaneous streams in use before however. Also, although the machine has a built-in ClearQAM tuner, it is not setup in WMC since Charter has gone mostly digital and implemented Tuning Adapters in my area.

So, does this imply that WMC maintains some metric with the bitrates for the channels and the throughput of the recording drive, and triggers a scheduling conflict if the data transfer exceeds the throughput?

[SolarWindSurfer]

As a quick experiment, I tried the following:

Start with all tuners stopped (confirmed with the device webpage)
Tune to 702, start recording whatever is playing.
Attempt to tune to 705. WMC signals that all tuners are in use.
Attempt to tune to 703, tuning is successful.

Repeat with 705.
Tuning to 702 while recording on 705 causes WMC to complain that all tuners are in use.

[The Mac]

As a quick experiment, I tried the following:

Start with all tuners stopped (confirmed with the device webpage)
Tune to 702, start recording whatever is playing.
Attempt to tune to 705. WMC signals that all tuners are in use.
Attempt to tune to 703, tuning is successful.

Repeat with 705.
Tuning to 702 while recording on 705 causes WMC to complain that all tuners are in use.

check sources in the guide on 702/705 and make sure all the tuners are checked

[SolarWindSurfer]

Hi The Mac, thanks!! That appears to be what the problem was. Both 702 and 705 only had one tuner checked (tuner 3 in this case). I had never even known that setup option was in the guide UI at all. It now at least allows the scheduling, I'll still need to verify it works when I get home.

Is there any reason why only one tuner would have been checked for these stations on setup? Is there a way to "fix" it to make sure all tuners are available for all stations?

[JohnW248]

Hi The Mac, thanks!! That appears to be what the problem was. Both 702 and 705 only had one tuner checked (tuner 3 in this case). I had never even known that setup option was in the guide UI at all. It now at least allows the scheduling, I'll still need to verify it works when I get home.

Is there any reason why only one tuner would have been checked for these stations on setup? Is there a way to "fix" it to make sure all tuners are available for all stations?

I've never seen this happen when you do a complete tv set-up where MC will assign all tuners that can tune a specific channel. That includes assigning both clear QAM and cableCARD to un-encrypted channels like your local ABC, CBS, NBC stations. You can check to see if this is just these couple of channels by going into the guide and right clicking the channel and choose EDIT Chanel and then EDIT Sources and see if you have tuners unchecked. Maybe there was some trouble shooting done at some point where tuners were unchecked?

If you did a re-install of your tuner all channels available should be assigned. If you decide to do that, go to the diagnostic tool and click on remove tuner information (data) with MC closed. Then click on discover tuners. Now open media center (and you might be greeted with "new tuner found do you want to set-up a cableCARD tuner) if you don't get the greeting just go to tasks, tv, and run tv set-up. You will NOT have to pair the cableCARD again, just run tv set-up. I had tuner 1 disappear from MC but was still listed as a source just got no tuner available and had to re-run tv set-up once.

But this is a rather obscure problem, maybe a corrupted data base in ehome or who knows, but if you don't want to do it manually, re-run tv set-up.