If you have multiple dvb tuner card in your computer, LM DVB Smart Recorder can take advantage of it.
Within a recorder LM DVB Smart Recorder will use one tuner card for recording. Once the recorder is recording SageTV will not reuse it for another recording, instead it will try to use another recorder.
Even though LM DVB Smart Recoder use only one card per recorder, it can select the card it will use among multiple cards available (of the same type : DVB-T / S or C). This allows LM DVB Smart Recorder to correctly load balance your tuner cards.
LM DVB Smart Recorder also supports recording more than one channel at the same time on the same tuner card, provided the channels to be recorder are located on the same transponder (frequency) and that they are all free to air channels (with encrypted channels your hardware can limit the number of channels decrypted, for now LM DVB Smart Recorder assume that only one channel can be decoded at a time on a tuner card)
These features : load balancing the tuner card and the ability to record more than one channel on a tuner card, allows you to create more recorders than physical tuner cards if your network topology and usage patterns are appropriate.
For instance, you have two DVB-T tuner cards. In the most safe and simple setup you'll create two recorders:
- DVB-T Recorder 1 : Use DVB-T Tuner 1
- DVB-T Recorder 2 : Use DVB-T Tuner 2
That's straightforward, the Recorder 1 will only use the Tuner 1, and Recorder 2 the Tuner 2. SageTV does have two recorders at disposal and will be able to record two channels at once.
Though if the channels you watch or record the most often are located on the same frequency, you can easily add another recorder and take advantage of load balancing :
- DVB-T Recorder 1 : Use DVB-T Tuner 1 or Tuner 2
- DVB-T Recorder 2 : Use DVB-T Tuner 1 or Tuner 2
- DVB-T Recorder 3 : Use DVB-T Tuner 1 or Tuner 2
Now let's start a recording in SageTV on Channel A (Frequency X). SageTV will use Recorder 1, Recorder 1 will select Tuner 1 for doing the recording.
Let's start another recording on Channel B (Frequency Y). SageTV will use Recorder 2, Recorder 2 cannot use Tuner 1 (it is already busy on Frequency X), so Recorder 2 will use Tuner 2
And Let's make another recording on Channel C (Frequency X). SageTV will use Recorder 3, Recorder 3 notice that Tuner 1 is busy on Frequency X, which is the frequency it needs to tune Channel C, so it can use Tuner 1 to record.
If instead of recording Channel C (Frequency X) you recorder Channel D (Frequency Z), Recorder 3 would have failed to record : Tuner 1 is busy on Frequency X, Tuner 2 is busy on Frequency Y. There is no more tuner available. However SageTV would have tried to restart the recording as long as the show is aired. So if any tuner was released at that time : the recording would have started.
You can create complex setup if you want. For instance you can create mulitple recorders for only one frequency if this is a frequency you use a lot.
- DVB-T Recorder 1 : Use Tuner 1 or Tuner 2; Channel Lineup only for Frequency X
- DVB-T Recorder 2 : Use Tuner 1 or Tuner 2; Channel Lineup only for Frequency X
- DVB-T Recorder 3 : Use Tuner 1 or Tuner 2; Channel Lineup for all other Frequencies
- DVB-T Recorder 4 : Use Tuner 1 or Tuner 2; Channel Lineup for all other Frequencies