How many simultaneous recordings with Gateway PVR?

[Kritiker]

I could live with 9, although more would be nice. I am still not clear on what can happen simultaneously, though.

For a maximum configuration, i.e. 6 TVs/Portals:

When watching, say 3, playbacks, could one also watch 3 of the (up to) 6 recordings that could be happening simultaneously. Can one pause and FF/REW on these as one is watching? Or would watching be considered a separate activity from the recording? Is what I am describing 9 activities or 12?

If there are no playbacks or recordings and if someone is watching a different channel on each of the 6 TVs, can all 6 of these viewers use the pause, FF/REW functions?

What about playing the same recorded program back, through two different Portals, at the same time. Can this be done:

• in sync with each other (i.e., watching exactly the same stream, probably controlled by one of the two Portals) or
• controlled separately, i.e., being played at different places in the same program (i.e., each stream controlled by its Portal).

I imagine that in any event it would count as 2 playbacks.

[Jetranger]

Your imagination is correct. There are a total of 9 possible data streams. How you assign them is up to you. Once you have reached the maximum, you will be presented with an option to cancel a recording if you want to watch on another Portal. While it would make seem to sense that two, or more, Portals could share a data stream, it is not currently possible. Without knowing finer details of how the system works, I can't say if it ever will be possible.

One thing is for sure: this system is unlike anything we have seen before and the 'rules of operation' that go with it are going to take some getting used to. I believe we have to change the way we think about how we watch TV and how it can be done 'differently' from before. I know, I don't want to have to 'think' when I watch TV but it seems we are now forced to think about it, like it or not.

[Kritiker]

Sorry, I am still not clear on what is, and is not, possible.

1. Let's look at just one, simpler, case for now - a system with 4 TVs/Portals.
   
   If 3 TVs are watching previously recorded programs and a 4th is watching a live feed, can the 4th TV PAUSE/FF/REW the live feed (only up to the current LIVE point, of course)?
   
   I would almost guess that the answer is no, because that would be like watching a 4th playback, which isn't possible (yet).
   
   
2. Similarly, I would guess on a 6 TV/Portal setup, not all six can be watching live TV and using the PAUSE/FF/REW features. How does one select which TVs/Portals can?
   
   
3. As for the data streams, I wouldn't really expect two TVs/Portals to be able to watch the same data stream but I would expect two TVs/Portals to be able to watch the same recorded program, simultaneously, as 2 separate data streams though.

As you say, Jetranger, it is going to take some getting used to.

[Jetranger]

Sure, that's only 4 streams. The problem would arise if you tried to also have more than 5 recordings being made. Either the 'live' program would have to be stopped or you would just not be able to have the 6th recording.

The keys is you get a maximum of 9 streams total, 6 of which can be recordings. Combinations that add up to 9 will work, as long as there are no more than 6 recordings set or 6 Portals asking to watch either recordings or live TV.

You can have 1 recording going and have 5 Portals watching 'live' TV, a 6th Portal could only watch a recording. This doesn't add up to 9 but it does fill the current maximum number of supported Portals and would also be using all 6 tuners, 5 for 'live' TV and the 6th for the recording.

If you have 6 Portals all watching 'live' TV and you want to make a recording, you will only be able to view that recording on one of the Portals or another previously recorded program as all tuners will be 'engaged'.

You can watch previous recordings on 6 Portals at the same time(they could even all be the same program, 'synchronization' would be more by chance than intention) but then you would only be able to have 3 recordings being made. Sure, that would leave 3 tuners unused but it does max out the 9 simultaneous streams. This is just one of the reasons they are working on increasing the number of streams to 12 so each connected Portal, if you have the maximum of 6, can still view recorded material if there are 6 recordings happening all at the same time.

The main purpose of this Gateway system is to allow you to record programs and then watch them at a later time, at your 'convenience'. This is something we have to wrap our heads around and that is the biggest challenge when we have been used to living our lives around the TV schedule.

Does this help or have I just made it worse? I do hope it's the former.

[Kritiker]

I am not sure. Let me try phrasing my question (and my assumption) differently.

The limit of 3 playbacks and 6 recordings seems to imply that the:

• 3 playback processes are in the foreground, i.e., we can interact with them using PAUSE/PLAY/FF/REW
• 6 recordings processes are in the background, i.e., we cannot interact with them using PAUSE/PLAY/FF/REW, but only watch them live, just like we do now when watching TV without a PVR. I'll call it watching them passively, up to 3 of the 6 recordings.

Aside: Jetranger, you mention 6 playbacks. I thought the limit was 3.

[Jetranger]

I'm pretty sure I have been clear about how this all works.

There is a maximum of 9 possible streams, currently.

There are 6 tuners in the system.

There is a maximum of 6 Portals that can be connected to one Gateway.

So:
If you want to watch TV on all 6 Portals, you can do so, live or recorded shows, no problem.

If you have any recordings happening, say 3 recordings taking place, that uses up 3 of the 6 tuners, leaving the other 3 tuners for 'live' TV. Only three Portals will be able to watch 'live' TV but the other 3 Portals can watch recordings, either previously made ones or any of the 3 that are currently recording. ie: 3 recordings happening + 3 live programs being watched + 3 recorded programs being watched = 9 streams.

The 6 recordings and 3 viewing you keep referring to is just a 'maximum' from the recording standpoint and the current limitation of 9 total streams that the Gateway box can handle.

The key is: '9' is the maximum number of simultaneous actions at this time. ie:
6 recording + 3 Portals viewing (all 3 recorded only)= 9 or;
5 recording + 4 Portals viewing (1 live + 3 recorded or all 4 recorded)= 9 or;
4 recording + 5 Portals viewing (2 live + 3 recorded or all 5 recorded)= 9 or;
3 recording + 6 Portals viewing (3 live + 3 recorded or all 6 recorded)= 9 or;
2 recording + 6 Portals viewing (4 live + 2 recorded or all 6 recorded)= 8 or;
1 recording + 6 Portals viewing (5 live + 1 recorded or all 6 recorded)= 7 or;
0 recording + 6 Portals viewing (live or recorded, it doesn't matter) = 6.

Note: The examples in the brackets above are just some of the combinations. For instance, the second to last one could be any combination of live and recorded programs as long as there was no more than 5 'live' requested. You could be watching 2 live and 4 recorded with a maximum of 3 recordings going.

The system is supposed to be able to handle 'trick view' functions, such as skip, fwd, rewind, etc, while all of this is going on but you will notice a decrease in performance and speed of operation of these functions when you are doing more things all at once.

Unless you are trying to get my goat, I think the best thing for you to do is go down to your local retailer and ask them to show you how it all works. I can't make it any more clear than this, sorry.

Edit: One thing for certain is: if you are trying to use more than 9 streams, the system will tell you and give you a choice of how to proceed.

[Kritiker]

Sorry, Jetranger, I am definitely not trying to get your goat. In fact, I appreciate your patience, both with my questions and with those of others, past & present.

I do have this penchant for trying to understand things and what I call my detail-orientation sometimes gets out of hand. My wife has a less charitable word for it.

I had all these questions because Shaw Gateway Experience, and other places, refer to "Record 6 HD titles and playback 3 previously recorded at the same time".

I had been assuming, or perhaps fearing, that the each channel for which 'trick view' functions were being used counted as one of the 3 allowable playback streams. That would have been a far better way of formulating my question. I wish I had thought of it.

You provided the answer I was looking for when you said The system is supposed to be able to handle 'trick view' functions, such as skip, fwd, rewind, etc, while all of this is going on.

So thanks again for your patience and your answers.

[Jetranger]

As long as you understand it now, I have done my job. You sounded sincere with your questions and one thing I did learn from my time as a tech school instructor was not everyone will always understand every concept. I know this first hand too as I have felt 'left out' more than once as a student myself. As an instructor, I realized it was up to me to try and find another way of describing a process or other topic being covered in order to 'help the light come on', so to speak.

I do appreciate how easy it is to misunderstand this new system as the info from Shaw is far from complete. I think they were going for a 'less is more' concept and, in this case, less is just that; less.

[Jetranger]

I was just browsing the older Gateway threads and noticed this one could use an update. This has been mentioned in another thread previously but I thought I would post it in this thread since the title is quite clear.

The Gateway has been able to do 6 recordings and 6 playbacks all at the same time(for a total of 12 actions) for several months now. I don't know if it is something that works every time or without issues as I have only done it for 'testing' purposes but it does work. This is a big change from the previous '9' streams mentioned earlier in this thread but likely isn't something many people will ever need or even use. Future equipment may do even more, if you can believe that.

[Kritiker]

FWIW, I noticed the following

Record 6 HD titles and playback 5 previously recorded at the same time

on one Shaw web page,

Record up to six HD shows while watching another five recorded programs

on another and

Record six HD shows while you're watching up to five more recorded programs at the same time.

on yet another.

Looks like they need some updating too.

[Jetranger]

I believe that's what they can 'reliably' support so that's what they advertise. The ability to do all 12 actions at the same time has been there since the update that enabled it, I can't remember exactly which one. Like I said, there may be some slow response to commands but it can still be done.

[Kritiker]

That makes sense.