DigiTV-Multiple recordings-PC startup and shutdown

Hi everyone,

I have a question about the best way to set my Nebula DigiTV to startup and
shutdown the PC on it's own and make multiple recordings. I've researched
this a bit, and have read what other people suggest with using such programs
as DigDab and Digiguide, but I'm not sure what combination of what program
will really do what I want.

Forget the timer bugs in the Nebula software for now because I think they'll
be resolved soon anyway. What I want to do is be able to set the PC to
switch on at a certain time, then have the program recorded, the PC
hibernate, THEN switch on again at another time, record, hibernate, etc..

I know I can set the PC to hibernate, then have something set in Scheduler
to switch the PC on, then DigiTV will record a program then turn the PC off
if the settings are set to do that. I've tried that just as a test and it
works well. However, the Nebula software won't switch the PC off unless all
the timers have been used. I am away most Weekends though so will want to
set it to record more than once with a large gap in-between, where I'd
rather the PC wasn't left on.

I know I could set Scheduler to turn the PC on at multiple times, but how
about hibernating? I have found a program called Slawdog that will put my PC
into hibernate mode at a chosen time, but then I'll have to not only set the
Nebula software's timer but also Slawdog AND Scheduler.

What would be best would be to set ONLY the timer, and have that take care
of everything, which is something I'd love to see Nebula do in future. I've
know some people use the Digiguide and DigDab software, but I'm not sure
what their features are. Could they be used to do what I want at all?

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could achieve this without having
to set too many different bits of software please?

I'm using XP Home Edition with SP1 by the way, in case that helps.

Thanks,
Geoff.

Geoff wrote:
Hi everyone,

I have a question about the best way to set my Nebula DigiTV to startup and
shutdown the PC on it's own and make multiple recordings. I've researched
this a bit, and have read what other people suggest with using such programs
as DigDab and Digiguide, but I'm not sure what combination of what program
will really do what I want.


Can't you just leave the machine on? With the monitor off, it's not
going to use too much power. If you have broadband, the you can set it
remotely too. I would defiantly look at using DigiGuide & DabDig.
Takes all the hassle out of setting up timers.

S.

Just use windows power saving function to put the computer into standby
after the preset time of inactivity.

Start - Control Panel - Power Options

Stew.

"Stuart" wrote in message
...
Geoff wrote:
Hi everyone,

I have a question about the best way to set my Nebula DigiTV to startup
and
shutdown the PC on it's own and make multiple recordings. I've
researched
this a bit, and have read what other people suggest with using such
programs
as DigDab and Digiguide, but I'm not sure what combination of what
program
will really do what I want.


Can't you just leave the machine on? With the monitor off, it's not
going to use too much power. If you have broadband, the you can set it
remotely too. I would defiantly look at using DigiGuide & DabDig.
Takes all the hassle out of setting up timers.

S.

I know I could set Scheduler to turn the PC on at multiple times, but how
about hibernating? I have found a program called Slawdog that will put my PC
into hibernate mode at a chosen time, but then I'll have to not only set the
Nebula software's timer but also Slawdog AND Scheduler.

Use the program "Shutdown" from www.budja.com/shutdown and create a
Schedule for this program to hibernate the PC. Best to rename the
program as there is already a "shutdown.exe" program included with
Windows XP.

DigiTV actually shuts down the PC, there's no choice yet to hibernate.

It is a pain having to setup separate schedules to start and stop but
there's still no alternative yet. Perhaps one day DigiTV and DabDig
will do it.

"KingStew" wrote in message
...
Just use windows power saving function to put the computer into standby
after the preset time of inactivity.

Start - Control Panel - Power Options

Stew.

Hi Stew. Trouble with that is that the PC still stays effectively on. As the
other Stewart said, it doesn't use much power so maybe I'll end up doing
that. I'm thinking also of wear and tear and the fire risk though, not just
electricity. If it's on to record stuff I know that's still a fire risk,
even though it's a tiny one. I'd just prefer it if it was as off as off can
be, which hibernate mode is.

Geoff.

"Bluesky" wrote in message
...
I know I could set Scheduler to turn the PC on at multiple times, but how
about hibernating? I have found a program called Slawdog that will put my
PC
into hibernate mode at a chosen time, but then I'll have to not only set
the
Nebula software's timer but also Slawdog AND Scheduler.

Use the program "Shutdown" from www.budja.com/shutdown and create a
Schedule for this program to hibernate the PC. Best to rename the
program as there is already a "shutdown.exe" program included with
Windows XP.

DigiTV actually shuts down the PC, there's no choice yet to hibernate.

It is a pain having to setup separate schedules to start and stop but
there's still no alternative yet. Perhaps one day DigiTV and DabDig
will do it.


Thanks for your reply, I'll look into that program and see what it's like
compared to 2 others I've come across. I need to be able to switch it on
again after hibernating, and be able to set it with more than one time. I'll
research the program anyway and see if it will do what I need.

In fact can't I set a schedule to hibernate it rather than using a seperate
program? I know there are command line options I can use for such things, so
maybe I could set Scheduler to run a command written in a batch file or
something? Hmmm....My head is spinning with possibilities now!

Thanks mate,
Geoff.

On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 18:32:37 GMT, Geoff wrote:
"KingStew" wrote in message
...
Just use windows power saving function to put the computer into standby
after the preset time of inactivity.

Start - Control Panel - Power Options

Stew.

Hi Stew. Trouble with that is that the PC still stays effectively on. As the
other Stewart said, it doesn't use much power so maybe I'll end up doing
that. I'm thinking also of wear and tear and the fire risk though, not just
electricity. If it's on to record stuff I know that's still a fire risk,
even though it's a tiny one. I'd just prefer it if it was as off as off can
be, which hibernate mode is.

It's a well known fact that you are more likely to damage the components
of your PC by constand switching off and on than by leaving them
switched on. At work we have a policy that PCs are never switched off.

For example, the machine that I'm writing this on has been up for 58
days and that's only because there was a power cut. Before that it had
been on for almost a year.

--
Dave

"Dave MacRae" wrote in message
...
It's a well known fact that you are more likely to damage the components
of your PC by constand switching off and on than by leaving them
switched on. At work we have a policy that PCs are never switched off.

For example, the machine that I'm writing this on has been up for 58
days and that's only because there was a power cut. Before that it had
been on for almost a year.


Hi Dave. It's a well known fact to me too, but there are limits. Surely it's
better to have the PC come on, for example, once on a Saturday and once on a
Sunday for, say, one hour each, rather than leaving it on for 3 days and 2
nights non-stop? I'm just using my common sense.

Geoff.

Hi Stew. Trouble with that is that the PC still stays effectively on. As the
other Stewart said, it doesn't use much power so maybe I'll end up doing
that. I'm thinking also of wear and tear and the fire risk though, not just
electricity. If it's on to record stuff I know that's still a fire risk,
even though it's a tiny one. I'd just prefer it if it was as off as off can
be, which hibernate mode is.

Geoff.



Most BIOSs have an option to set the PC to power on at a certain time
driven by the Real Time Clock. The trouble is I have never seen a way to
programmatically set this time through software.
It's probably theorectically possible to do it, perhap requiring a
driver to talk directly to the hardware, but I suspect Bioses are not
sufficiently standardised for someone to create a system to do it
reliable accross a range of motherboard models.
You could set it to come on once at the right time by going into the
bios options, but you wouldn't be able to have more than one scheduled
recording.
Its good enough if you just want it to wake you up at a cetain time in
the morning.

Otherwise you can't make a pc awake from power off at a certain time,
unless you use Wake On Lan and have another system set up to fire off a
wake packet.

"Dave MacRae" wrote
| For example, the machine that I'm writing this on has been up for
| 58 days and that's only because there was a power cut. Before
| that it had been on for almost a year.

User-Agent: slrn/0.9.7.4 (Linux)

Ah, that explains it!

Owain