Linux ffmpeg - Mediaportal backend - will only use one tuner ?

I'm using openelec as the client, and if i schedule a recording - that gets set up ok, but then i can't watch another channel - i get an all cards in use message -

I have 3 identical cards, so thats not the case - i can manually record something in media portal, so it's aware it can use the other cards...

and it's not always happening ? (i can sometimes get another client to record, so it seams as though its the client side ?)

odd.

any ideas? Will

update- have installed 4therecord, and that also only wants to use a single (at a time) tuner - so i guess something is wrong in mediaportal ?

Yes, you have a back-end issue somewhere - I have two tuners using Mediaportal/FTR/XBMC and I am able to watch and record at the same time no problem.

Have you tried it with MediaPortal and the FTR client for it?