On 18.07.2011 13:53, Dave wrote:
For some time (at least since 2008) Mandriva Linux have been including the attached patch in the version of vdr shipped with their distribution. It allows timers to be triggered directly by the Now/Next data in the EIT provided that a new parameter is set in the config file.
Looking back in the mailing list archives I see the question of including this feature in vdr is an old one; see for example:
http://www.linuxtv.org/pipermail/vdr/2005-August/003975.html
However I wonder if the time is now right to reconsider? In the UK an accurate Now& Next EIT is provided on DVB-T as part of the Freeview Plus (aka TV- Anytime) service, with the data being directly derived from the broadcasters' playout systems. I have been running vdr with this patch for two years and have never missed a recording due to incorrect information. It was really useful during the recent Wimbledon tournament when many programmes ran late due to live coverage of the tennis.
VDR interprets the PDC (Programme Delivery Control) descriptor in order to correctly record broadcasts that run longer or are shifted. If a channel doesn't provide a PDC descriptor, it's usually not reliable to use the "running status" as an indicator for the beginning/end of a broadcast.
So, if a station actually wants to provide correct information on when a broadcast begins/ends, the PDC descriptor is the way to go.
Klaus