Can you record to another WMC PC on the LAN?

[sdowney717]

how to prevent robocopy from copying open files.
use the /r /w switch
http://forums.mydigitallife.info/thread ... open-files

Use switches /R:2 /W:2 this means retry twice wait 2 secs to retry - any open files will be skipped after 2 attempts.

I assume a wtv file WMC is writing onto is considered an open file.

I think I tried that and a bunch of other switches and I couldn't get it to skip recordings in progress. Hmm...

Hi, when you mean could not get it to skip, did robocopy get stuck? Or did robocopy copy incomplete files?

[smcmillan2]

Honestly, if you are trying to share recordings between systems (and they are not protected), why not just record on one HTPC and share that drive/path with the other, then add the mapped drive to the other HTPC's Recorded TV locations as explained here?

No I read the whole link, some one claimed changing the reg entry works. So I had to prove to myself it does not, unless I don't know what I am doing.

No, you obviously did not read that page I linked to as it makes no mention of changing registry entries.

Let me spell this out a bit clearer. Read this (or the link in big red letters above): http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ... dia-center and open the "To change the folders that Media Center monitors for recorded TV shows" option.

In a nutshell:
Record everything on system A
Share out Recordings directory on system A
Map drive on system B to system A's Recordings share
Add mapped drive to "folders that Media Center monitors for recorded TV shows" (the link above) on system B

The above will allow you to watch recordings from system A on system B (assuming they are not protected). This setup works, I use a similar setup to watch recordings from my MythTV system on my WMC system.

[RyC]

how to prevent robocopy from copying open files.
use the /r /w switch
http://forums.mydigitallife.info/thread ... open-files
I assume a wtv file WMC is writing onto is considered an open file.

I think I tried that and a bunch of other switches and I couldn't get it to skip recordings in progress. Hmm...

Hi, when you mean could not get it to skip, did robocopy get stuck? Or did robocopy copy incomplete files?

It would copy the incomplete files. I might have been doing something wrong. You would think that if move would automatically skip in progress recordings, robocopy could too with the right switches. I might just not have found the right ones before giving up.

[sdowney717]

Honestly, if you are trying to share recordings between systems (and they are not protected), why not just record on one HTPC and share that drive/path with the other, then add the mapped drive to the other HTPC's Recorded TV locations as explained here?

No I read the whole link, some one claimed changing the reg entry works. So I had to prove to myself it does not, unless I don't know what I am doing.

No, you obviously did not read that page I linked to as it makes no mention of changing registry entries.

Let me spell this out a bit clearer. Read this (or the link in big red letters above): http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ... dia-center and open the "To change the folders that Media Center monitors for recorded TV shows" option.

In a nutshell:
Record everything on system A
Share out Recordings directory on system A
Map drive on system B to system A's Recordings share
Add mapped drive to "folders that Media Center monitors for recorded TV shows" (the link above) on system B

The above will allow you to watch recordings from system A on system B (assuming they are not protected). This setup works, I use a similar setup to watch recordings from my MythTV system on my WMC system.

Yes, that will work cause I do that already. watch the recorded TV from the other WMC.

What I wanted to do was record onto the other PC which is impossible except for using iscsi nas type storage. Idea being the other WMC has a big drive and this WMC has a very small drive.
Since I cant do that, I will think about using a file move command function and Task Scheduler.

[Crash2009]

Would Recorded TV Manager 3 or 4 work for you? Haven't tried it. I ran into it while looking for something to move my movies with.

Hack7 has some info on it http://www.hack7mc.com/2009/08/recorded ... ed-tv.html

Apparently the software was written by Drasch http://www.fjdrasch.com/v3/default.htm

[adam1991]

This entire conversation sounds like a group of people trying to make the Pike's Peak record with a homebuilt steam converted Model T.

[Crash2009]

Thanks for your "Words of Wisdom" Adam. Come to think of it though, I think you're correct. Wouldn't it make more sense to just simply add a bigger drive and tell WMC to record on it?

[smcmillan2]

Thanks for your "Words of Wisdom" Adam. Come to think of it though, I think you're correct. Wouldn't it make more sense to just simply add a bigger drive and tell WMC to record on it?

Seems more logical to me, especially now that we know what the OP has/is trying to work around.

Idea being the other WMC has a big drive and this WMC has a very small drive.

Then why not simply swap the drives around? Or the machines? Or as Crash said, replace the small drive or add an additional drive? Given that your content is apparently not copy protected, it seems to me you are making this much more involved than it needs to be. But to each their own...

[adam1991]

Thanks for your "Words of Wisdom" Adam. Come to think of it though, I think you're correct. Wouldn't it make more sense to just simply add a bigger drive and tell WMC to record on it?

see, there you go. Logic.

Actually, the whole thing started off the rails from the first moment: why is the focus "recording to another WMC PC"? Why not just a remote hard drive?

And why "record live TV"? That implies putting your live buffer somewhere else. "Record TV" is something different.

[Crash2009]

Smcmillian2, sorry to jump in like that. I was in the process of giving Adam some razz, and the solution that you uncovered, just popped out of the previous post.

[sdowney717]

2 reasons for not adding a second drive.
$Cost for a new large drive, although I could reinstall OS to the new SATA drive, then more time and effort.
More system Noise. Extra drive will add some more noise. I have it pretty quiet, I spent time changing cooling fans even in the PS.

I dont see why simply moving the recorded live tv wtv file to a system which can hold it is not a good option for me. I have a gigabit LAN using a 5 port gigabit switch..

[Bryan]

Maybe you said so earlier, but are your recordings all copy freely? It'd be simple to let the HTPC with the small drive play recordings from the other, and let the one with the big drive do all the recording. Otherwise, it looked like the command you need has already been discussed. Worst case there's no reason a nightly script wouldn't work.

[sdowney717]

Maybe you said so earlier, but are your recordings all copy freely? It'd be simple to let the HTPC with the small drive play recordings from the other, and let the one with the big drive do all the recording. Otherwise, it looked like the command you need has already been discussed. Worst case there's no reason a nightly script wouldn't work.

I have yet to have recorded something I noticed was not copy freely or watch as many times as you want.
I have a tuner in the PC as I do in the other PC. I wanted to watch live TV, so of course need a tuner and also be able to record with another tuner when there might be scheduling conflicts in the other PC.
I have since also bought another tuner for the other PC. So I will have access to 3 tuners on 2 PC.

[Bryan]

I have since also bought another tuner for the other PC. So I will have access to 3 tuners on 2 PC.

On that note, my earlier point was a single network tuner, such as the InfiniTV, would have been simpler. One card in one device, but one or more of the tuners can be dedicated to a separate system.

However, I don't see any reason why what you want wouldn't work. Just come up with a batch script using some of the commands in this thread, run it manually to see that it works, and then schedule it based on the event. It shouldn't be hard, and will work without any sort of registry changes, iSCSI setup, or otherwise unnecessary complexity.

[sdowney717]

This windows storage pooler says will work even onto a networked drive.
http://exdeus.home.comcast.net/~exdeus/ ... agePooler/