How to wake MacPro to record TV - (EyeTV)

I tried to record a tv show using EyeTV on a MacPro (Mac OS X 10.4.9). I programmed EyeTV for the correct time, and set the Mac to automatically wake in Energy Saver System Preference. I also set it to go to sleep after 3 hours only.

Unfortunately I only got a 42 second recording.
Watching it with a test I found that it wakes up, starts to record, and the screen saver waits for the user to unlock the screen with the password. If no one is at home, it will go to sleep again after 42 seconds.

How do I record the other 2 hours? ;-)

TIA

Marc

Marc, the screen saver password is incredibly difficult to bypass - as it should be. Consider fast user switching to the Login Window before a recording.

I know some of our Power Manager users automate this Login Window switch just because of the screen saver password. When the Login Window is active, the screen saver does not block the wake up.

Hope this helps,

Graham Miln

Turn off the screen saver?

I have this happen as well, you have to make sure the Mac does not sleep while EyeTV is recording, otherwise it loses part, or all, of the recording. I've even had some that have got locked into recording, and won't stop.

Yeah. The problem is the criteria the system uses to determine if there is user activity does not include recording. So the system wakes up for a bit, sees there is no user activity, then falls back asleep. Mac OS X is a heavy sleeper. : D

You're going to have to do one of two things:

a) Don't let the computer sleep at all (you can still let the *display* sleep though).

-or-

b) Figure out how to schedule one of the utilities that prevents sleep while it's running to run at the same time as the machine wakes up.

Turn off the setting to lock the screen on sleep or screen saver. Report the situation to the EyeTV people; it's likely a bug in either their software (which should be preventing the Mac from sleeping during a recording) or the OS.

Isn't using a Mac Pro to record TV a case of using an elephant gun to swat a fly?

I will.

Isn't using a Mac Pro to record TV a case of using an elephant gun to swat a fly?

It is not the only use of the Mac - why should I get another display (30" displays do not come cheap ...) and another recorder :-) Plus it happens about once a month.

Let's be clear - it's *not* the screen saver that is the problem. It's the fact that the computer is going to sleep. Go into Energy Saver and turn off sleep for the *computer* (the *display* can still sleep without issue) and the problem will go away, like I said in another post in this thread.

Previously, Jolly Roger wrote:

Let's be clear - it's *not* the screen saver that is the problem.

Jolly Roger, I have assumed Marc wanted to retain the sleep ability of his Mac. Running your Mac 24/7 is expensive just record a 2 hour programme. :-)

Kind regards,

Graham Miln

Isn't using a Mac Pro to record TV a case of using an elephant gun to swat a fly?

Spoken like someone who has never used a DVR

Yes, and I am saying the screen saver is not the same thing as sleep. You can have your computer go to sleep and not use the screen saver at all.