Recording TV to Capture at some Future Time via Batch

After the initial setup and channel scan completion, with the Recording application down (so that the /dev/dvb/adapter0 hardware is not in use) you can scan the DVB channel program data by pressing Ctrl-Alt-s from the main window. It can take a minute or two to scan the channels. The resulting display is a large array of program buttons, with tooltips which are the TV program info text.

Figure 13.7 shows Channel Info window after the Ctrl-Alt-s completes scanning TV program data.

Figure 13.7: Channels Info window with many TV channels buttons

Now if you mouse over a program button, you see the TV program's info. Each of the programs is represented by a button. If you press a button, it preloads the program recording information into the batch record box below. In the bottom right corner box, you should set the Directory path of where to write the recording before pressing a button, so that the files will be written to an area of sufficient size to handle the recording (9.5Gb/hr). The two little spinboxes on the Duration line in the right bottom corner are leadin/leadout times to start recording a few minutes early, and end a few minutes late to prevent losing program endpoints. Instead of setting it to the original default of 0, you might want to start 3 minutes (-3.00) before and stop 3 minutes after (+3.00). Also, be sure your computer has the correct time or it will miss. Check to make sure the Start Cron option is checked (default). The batch job will start monitoring the channel to be ready for capture once you chk-OK and you will see the Recording window and the Video In window come up. The computer will power off after completion if the Poweroff checkbox is selected (not default). The job line of the active capture in the batch bay will flash continuously once the recording is started.

In the Channel Info window, lower left hand corner above, there is a Find button which brings up a textbox so you can type in a TV program. When you double click on that program name, the cursor moves to the center of that program name in the list of programs in the window, highlights that program, and the characters that were white on black, turn yellow.