Overview

This section will allow you to customize the way that you view and use television in MediaPortal. Each client that connects to the TV-Server needs to be configured separately.

Introduction

See the TV Setup guide for details how to setup TV in MediaPortal.

We recommend that you set up your TV-Server before you try to change any of these Client settings.

General Settings

Group Options

Hide "All Channels" Group

The TV-Server has a channel group that contains all TV channels. This group (known as the "All Channels" group) cannot be deleted. If you don't want to see the group in MediaPortal then you can turn this option on.

Guide

Show channel state icons in Mini Guide (on supported skins)

Default: On

The mini guide can show icons that indicate the state of each channel:

This option controls whether the icons are shown or not. Note that some skins don't support channel state icons.

Loop guide seamlessly (top and bottom)

Default: Off

This option allows you to scroll through the channels in the TV guide without hitting the top or bottom of the channel list.

Show episode info

Default: None

You can use this option to show episode information with the programme title in the mini guide. Note that information can only be shown if it is present in your EPG data source.

Options:

• [None]
• Number
• Title
• Number + Title

Channel numbers

Select channel by index (non-US)

Default: On

When you change channels using the number buttons on your remote (or the number keys on your keyboard), MediaPortal's default behaviour is to select channels by their index in the current channel group. In other words, if you press the 9 button on your remote, MediaPortal will change to the 9th channel in the channel group that you're currently viewing. If you prefer to select your channels by their logical channel number (the channel number assigned by the broadcaster or provider) then you should turn this option off.

Show channel numbers

Default: Off

Turn this option on to show the channel number in the TV guide and mini guide. The number that is shown depends on the Select channel by index" setting.

Channel number max. length

Default: 3

The maximum number of digits allowed in the channel number. This setting might be useful when the show channel numbers option is turned on.

When entering the TV screen

Turn on TV

Default: Off

Turn on this option to have TV automatically start when you enter the TV section in MediaPortal.

Directly show fullscreen TV

  Default: Off

Turn on this option to automatically switch to full screen mode when TV is turned on.

TsReader Options

Don't drop discontinued packets in TsReader (can reduce stuttering)

Default: Off

TsReader is responsible for reading and splitting the timeshifting and recording transport stream files created by the TV-Server. Sometimes marginal weather conditions or weak signal can lead to stream corruption. In those conditions tuner drivers will mark parts of the stream as discontinuous to indicate possible corruption. TsReader's default behaviour is to drop any packets that are marked as discontinued to avoid the corruption in the stream. Dropping those packets may result in stuttering. Use this option to force TsReader not to drop discontinued packets. Note that some codecs may respond poorly to corrupt stream data.

Additional Settings

Fallback de-interlace mode

  Default: None

This is the de-interlacing mode that is used when your codecs doesn't perform de-interlacing. In most cases you should leave this set to None.

Options:

• None
• Bob
• Weave
• Best

More TV Configuration

• TV Configuration

Tips

• After configuration, you may want to display channel logos in MediaPortal. See:  TV Channel Logos to see how that works.
• To get program data to display in the TV guide see: Using MediaPortal > TV > TV Guide > EPG > Getting EPG Data

Audio Settings

Some channels contain multiple audio streams with different encodings (MPEG, AC-3 etc.) and/or languages. You can use these settings to prioritise the streams so that MediaPortal automatically chooses streams with particular characteristics.

• Preferred audio languages

You can specify and prioritise your preferred audio stream languages. Wherever possible, MediaPortal will choose audio streams with those languages.

Audio Stream Settings

• Prefer AC-3 sound - default: off

Use this option to force MediaPortal to prefer AC-3 audio streams over MPEG and AAC streams.

• Prefer audiotype over language - default: off

In some situations your preferences for language and encoding might conflict. This option allows you to specify whether language is more important than encoding. When enabled, MediaPortal will choose a stream encoded in AC-3 over a stream with your preferred language. When disabled, MediaPortal will choose a stream with a preferred language over a stream encoded in AC-3.

• Enable AudioDualMono mode switching - default: off

Sometimes multi-channel streams may contain different languages in each channel. For example, a dual channel (stereo) stream might contain English in the left channel and German in the right channel. Enable this option to allow MediaPortal to handle those streams correctly.

Subtitle Settings

MediaPortal supports DVB, teletext and Closed Captions (CC) subtitles in live TV. Use this section to specify your preferred subtitle type, language and whether subtitles should be shown when they are available.

Preferred subtitle languages

You can specify and prioritize your preferred subtitle languages. If subtitles are available and enabled, MediaPortal will show the subtitle track with your preferred language. Enable or disable your preferred subtitle languages by clicking the right and left arrows.

Subtitle Settings

Enable DVB subtitles Show DVB subtitles if they are available. This option is +un+checked by default. Autoshow subtitles when TV starts Some users might not want subtitles to be displayed by default but instead manually enable them when desired. In this case you should uncheck this option. This option is checked by default.

Enable teletext subtitles

Show teletext subtitles if they are available. This option is +un+checked by default. Enable CC subtitles Check this option to display CC (Closed Captions) subtitles in MediaPortal. The TV channel must be broadcast in an analog or digital MPEG-2 and Core CC Parser must be installed and configured. Information on how to set up Core CC Parser can be found in How to get CC in ATSC/QAM streams. This option is +un+checked by default.

Notifications

MediaPortal is able to remind you when your favorite programs are about to start. You can set reminders in the TV guide. This section allows you to specify when and how you are reminded.

TV Notifications

Notify before (sec)

Default: 300
This setting allows you to specify when you will be reminded. The reminder will be shown X seconds before the start of the program.

Hide notification after (sec)

Default: 15
Notifications auto-hide after X seconds.

Play "notify.wav"

Default: On
An audible notification will be played in addition to the visual notification when this setting is enabled. Ask for confirmation when stopping timeshift Default: On
If this option is checked and you hit Stop while playing live TV, you'll get a Yes/No dialog which asks you if you really want to stop live TV and delete the timeshift buffer. With this option unchecked you are able to skip this dialog and stop live TV immediately.

Recording notifications

Enabled (shows notification when a recording starts and stops)

Default: O_n_
When enabled, you will receive a notification when recordings start and stop.