#define TV_MIN_FREQ     55250000L
 #define TV_MAX_FREQ    850000000L
 
+/* This defines a minimum interval that the decoder must remain quiet
+   before we are allowed to start it running. */
+#define TIME_MSEC_DECODER_WAIT 50
+
+/* This defines a minimum interval that the encoder must remain quiet
+   before we are allowed to configure it. */
+#define TIME_MSEC_ENCODER_WAIT 50
+
+/* This defines the minimum interval that the encoder must successfully run
+   before we consider that the encoder has run at least once since its
+   firmware has been loaded.  This measurement is in important for cases
+   where we can't do something until we know that the encoder has been run
+   at least once. */
+#define TIME_MSEC_ENCODER_OK 250
+
 static struct pvr2_hdw *unit_pointers[PVR_NUM] = {[ 0 ... PVR_NUM-1 ] = NULL};
 static DEFINE_MUTEX(pvr2_unit_mtx);
 
                                   the encoder. */
                                if (!hdw->state_encoder_waitok) {
                                        hdw->encoder_wait_timer.expires =
-                                               jiffies + (HZ*50/1000);
+                                               jiffies +
+                                               (HZ * TIME_MSEC_ENCODER_WAIT
+                                                / 1000);
                                        add_timer(&hdw->encoder_wait_timer);
                                }
                        }
                hdw->state_encoder_run = !0;
                if (!hdw->state_encoder_runok) {
                        hdw->encoder_run_timer.expires =
-                               jiffies + (HZ*250/1000);
+                               jiffies + (HZ * TIME_MSEC_ENCODER_OK / 1000);
                        add_timer(&hdw->encoder_run_timer);
                }
        }
                                   but before we did the pending check. */
                                if (!hdw->state_decoder_quiescent) {
                                        hdw->quiescent_timer.expires =
-                                               jiffies + (HZ*50/1000);
+                                               jiffies +
+                                               (HZ * TIME_MSEC_DECODER_WAIT
+                                                / 1000);
                                        add_timer(&hdw->quiescent_timer);
                                }
                        }