[Feature request] Predictive tuning

[ppizzo]

Hi, I'm running a paid TvhClient app on AppleTV, I've replaced the tvheadend plugin for Kodi I was using on my AndroidTV projector.

What I really miss about Kodi plugin is the "Predicive tuning" capability: I've a Hauppage WinTV dual tuner and the predictive tuning allows me to change channel almost instantly. When you switch from channel 4 to channel 5, for example, the client tunes to channel 6 as well, so if you immediatly switch to channel 6 the change is almost immediate, and so on (switching to channel 6 also triggers tuning to channel 7 in advance). It's like a double buffering method.

Below a screenshot of the related settings on Kodi: you can set the number of lookahead channels and the timeout before releasing the tuner:

If you have 2 tuners the client automatically detects the "zapping" direction, if up or down, and take the required action: i.e.: 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 3 → 2 in this case predictive tuning works up to channel 4, then if you switch to channel 3 you experience the usual delay but if you immediately switch to channel 2 the tuning is immediate.

But if you have 3 tuners, the client tunes in the channel before and after.

Many thanks for your support, the app is wonderful, the paid full version worth for money, with this feature I won't miss Kodi anymore. Perhaps the way the remote works for sequential channel changing must be adapted, maybe with a timeout setting: if set to 0 change immediately so you can benefit of the predictive tuning.