Overview: Live TV and recording

Live television joins a continuing source with reception, programme information and time-sensitive playback or recording.

Live TV has a moving deadline: data continue arriving whether the viewer or recorder is ready for them or not. A successful recording depends on more than a timer entry; the source, reception, guide information and storage path must cooperate during the intended interval.

The fundamentals and standards describe the broadcast signal. Tuner and channel topics explain how it reaches the server, programme guides identify what should be recorded, and recording topics explain concurrency, padding and time shifting. In Emby, those stages provide useful checkpoints for a missing channel, a late start or an incomplete recording.

• Live television fundamentals
  Live-TV fundamentals distinguish continuing programme delivery from the physical or network source supplying it.

• Broadcast standards
  Digital television standards define signal, service and delivery conventions for particular broadcast systems.

• Tuners and television sources
  Live-TV sources connect a tuner, backend or channel resource to the server's available programme streams.

• Channels and reception
  Channel identity and reception describe which programme service is selected and whether its delivered data are usable.

• Electronic programme guides
  Electronic programme guides connect channel identity with scheduled events, source data and time conventions.

• Recording and time shifting
  Live-TV recording connects scheduled intent with source allocation, stored output and a completed recording lifecycle.