docs: capture tonight's rulings — record-OR-stream (never both), scheduling scope, SYNC provenance, playout declined

- Modes: creator ruling 2026-09-01 — the VOD is the copy; dual encode degrades both
  outputs on mediocre hardware ('we're not them'). ai.md 'cheap on NVENC' claim
  retired; TASK 18 three-modes -> two; pills-become-radios noted as PENDING code.
- Design Principle gains 'we're not them' (hardware realism) as its fifth bullet.
- TASK 34 scope: countdown+notify live scheduling is the whole story — 'going live is
  our schedule'. Scheduled playout discussed & DECLINED; premiere/upload + playout +
  simultaneous-record-stream added to the closed out-of-product table.
- TASK 22: SYNC slider provenance restored — creator-requested (OBS delay-filter fix,
  native). Placement question stays open; capability does not.
- MyMistakes: the provenance rule (a fact without its who/why becomes a future argument).
Docs only — zero code in this commit, per creator instruction.

ai.md

@@ -523,9 +523,12 @@ anullsrc` silence in the TASK 8 audio milestone) + explicit `-map 0:v -map 1:a`
  (≤4s keyframes, closed GOP, H.264 compliance) + `-c:a aac -ar 48000 -ac 2 -f flv <rtmpUrl>`.
 **Record output (TASK 18):** `FfmpegArgs.Build` emits one self-contained block per output, each its own
 `-map 0:v -map 1:a` + codec tags (`AddVideoTags` helper). Stream block = `-f flv <rtmpUrl>`; record block =
-`-f mp4 <RecordPath>`. `EncoderOptions.StreamEnabled`/`RecordEnabled`/`RecordPath` gate each block, so the
-engine runs record-only (no RTMP), stream-only, or stream+record (video encoded twice off the one raw input
-pipe — cheap on NVENC). `FfmpegEncoder.StartAsync` throws unless at least one output is enabled.
+`-f mp4 <RecordPath>`. `EncoderOptions.StreamEnabled`/`RecordEnabled`/`RecordPath` gate each block, so
+the engine runs record-only (no RTMP) or stream-only — **stream+record simultaneously is OUT by creator
+ruling (2026-09-01): the VOD is already the copy, and dual-encoding drags mid-range chassis and degrades
+BOTH outputs ("we're not them"). The old "cheap on NVENC" claim was an unverified assumption; the
+UI constraint (pills = radios) lands as a small change, the dual-block machinery stays generic.**
+`FfmpegEncoder.StartAsync` throws unless at least one output is enabled.
 **Encoder choice is probed from the binary's `-encoders` listing** (`FfmpegEncoderPicker`, pure):
 NVENC → QSV → AMF → OpenH264 fallback, **never libx264** (GPL; see Licensing). `EncoderOptions.VideoEncoder`
 forces one and skips the probe. `EncoderOptions` also carries W×H/FPS/bitrate from the quality tier and
@@ -866,6 +869,10 @@ Apply this to every UI decision:
 - Prefilled YouTube defaults (RTMP URL, bitrate, resolution, latency)
 - Visual/drag-and-drop scene building over property panels
 - Every action produces a visible outcome — no dead ends
+- **"We're not them" (2026-09-01):** assume the creator's hardware is mediocre, because it is.
+  Every feature spends the machine's budget once — never twice for the same result (record OR
+  stream, not both; one reusable stream; one webcam; two mixer inputs). If a feature only sings on
+  a high-end chassis, it doesn't ship — the OBS escape hatch is open by design.
 
 ## Monetization (design decision — the branding flash is the sword)