Hi All, We all know that channel changing in LiveTV is SLOW, because of a number of core features (tuning time, ring buffers, etc etc), so here's a suggestion for improving SLOW channel changing in LiveTV....
CONCEPT: Pre-emptively tuning non-active tuner/s to a channel either side of the current one.... and changing channels by switching liveTV to the pre-tuned tuner instead of re-tuning the active tuner. (then re-tuning it automatically once it's non-active if required). (non-active = not currently being used for recordings or liveTV, etc) TECHNOLOGY: 1) Obviously this requires multiple tuners.... But it falls-back gracefully to the current "SLOW" situation for single-tuner installs, or when the other tuners are busy. 2) requires multiple ring-buffers (one for each tuner) - but I suspect that because of PiP, mythTV already has that? Anyone? 3) requires quick-switch between ring-buffers, but again, PiP already does this when swapping between pictures. Can anyone with a more indepth knowledge of the code comment on the possible difficulty of implementing this? Suggestions anyone? Buzz. EXAMPLE 1: Total number of tuners: 3, total system channels: 1,2,3,4,5 LiveTV current channel: 3 Automatically tunes other 2 tuners to adjacent channels 2,4 (kinda like PiP tuning, I suspect?) On channel change (eg "up"), swap LiveTV to the tuner which is already tuned to channel 4, and just start displaying it. Also re-tunes tuner that was previously on 2 to be on new "adjacent" channel 5, and leaves tuner that was on '3' where it was for pre-emptive "down" change, if requested. Option: If user consistently(eg more than 5 times?) only changes channels one-direction, then pre-emptively tune BOTH/all non-active tuners to channels "above", in a queue/list of next available. EXAMPLE 2: Total number of tuners: 2, total system channels: 1,2,3,4,5 LiveTV current channel: 3 Prior LiveTV channel: 2 Automatically tune other 1 tuner to either the "up" or "down" channel (ie 2 or 4) depending on which direction channels where LAST changed. Ie, If User last pressed the "up" channel changer on remote/keyboard, then pre-emptively tune the non-active remote to the channel "above" the current LiveTV channel (in this example, non-active tuner is on channel 4). EXAMPLE3: more than 2 or 3 tuners? Lucky you! Same concept applies, however tuners are auto-tuned to "nearest" channel to the LiveTV one that's not already tuned to, or queue'd up on one side, if always changing one direction. Anyway, you get the idea, I hope.
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