Soon to have Hopper - PTAT Question

[HotRod19579]

I am having two Hoppers installed on Thursday and I have a question related to PTAT.

It is my understanding that when PTAT is enabled that the four major channels are recorded during prime time and that the recordings remain on the disk for a limited amount of time. How can I insure that some of the recordings are made available until I delete them? Do I set specific timers for those programs? If I set timers for programs that are being recorded by PTAT will my timers use one of the tuners or will it be recorded as part of the PTAT service and then copied to the manual recording area of the disk?

 

[oldengineer]

It's hard to see what's actually happening if you set a timer for a PTAT show, but it doesn't take an extra tuner as far as I can see. The show size in the My Recordings folder stays at 0 bytes until the PTAT period expires (you can set it from 1-8 days now) so it looks like the "real" file is in the PTAT folder. The shows saved by timer have a blue "S" marking. It appears that saving a PTAT show doesn't take any tuners but they will use timer resources.

I have a few shows saved using timers but I usually just go into the PTAT folder and selectively save or delete shows the day after they are recorded.

 

[MikeD-C05]

You can save a series in the PTAT folder and it will create a timer for that series and it will end up on your portion of the hard drive ,as well as the PTAT folder. Although creating a timer is kind of a duplicate of what PTAT is already supposed to do. Not to mention it limits you in the amount of timers you can create.

 

[ltownsend]

I am thinking of upgrading to the Hopper. I would need two hoppers with several joeys (5 hd tvs total). There are instances that I need to record 4 shows at once (especially on Sunday's). These are not all the major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS) but many cable shows. How many recordings can I do concurrently while watching other shows?

I currently have an 722K with OAT installed so I can do multiple recordings.

 

[sparc]

I am thinking of upgrading to the Hopper. I would need two hoppers with several joeys (5 hd tvs total). There are instances that I need to record 4 shows at once (especially on Sunday's). These are not all the major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS) but many cable shows. How many recordings can I do concurrently while watching other shows?

I currently have an 722K with OAT installed so I can do multiple recordings.

each hopper has 3 tuners. two hoppers give you 6 tuners. So 6 channels to view/record total.

Since you need to record 4 at one time, you'll still have two more tuners available for use.

If you can make use of PTAT, it's possible to conserve a little more tuner usage since it only uses 1 of the available tuners for ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX. Really depends on the household viewing habits as to whether that's useful though.

 

[ltownsend]

each hopper has 3 tuners. two hoppers give you 6 tuners. So 6 channels to view/record total.

Since you need to record 4 at one time, you'll still have two more tuners available for use.

If you can make use of PTAT, it's possible to conserve a little more tuner usage since it only uses 1 of the available tuners for ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX. Really depends on the household viewing habits as to whether that's useful though.

Thanks. That helps.

Is there any savings from going with additional $34/mo for three DVRs to a Hopper set up?

 

[JM42]

Monthly fees:
$ 0 1st Hopper
$ 7 2nd Hopper
$21 3 Joeys
$ 4 Whole Home Fee
=================
$32 Total

+ $6 base DVR fee you are already paying.

Bottom line Hopper saves $2 a month.

 

[glowrdr]

It is my understanding that when PTAT is enabled that the four major channels are recorded during prime time and that the recordings remain on the disk for a limited amount of time. How can I insure that some of the recordings are made available until I delete them? Do I set specific timers for those programs? If I set timers for programs that are being recorded by PTAT will my timers use one of the tuners or will it be recorded as part of the PTAT service and then copied to the manual recording area of the disk?

You have things correct. I really just let PTAT do it's own thing. If you have shows that you want, then set a timer. PTAT will record it for you, and it will show up under your DVR menu.

The good: PTAT will record anything during its time frame, and it will not use any timers that you have set up (i.e. it will not use 1 tuner for PTAT, and an additional tuner because you wanted to record Hells Kitchen)

The bad: When you set timers, and check the daily guide (for recordings) - it will not show your individual shows, it will show PTAT. I'm used to it now, but it throws me off when it shows that I have 2 shows recording for the night + PTAT. I kind of want it to show me the 5 shows it's actually recording rather than "PTAT". Doesn't change anything functionally, it's just nice to check ahead a couple days in advance and see whats coming up

 

[thechaz05]

I am getting my hoppa installed tomorrow and this is my main concern. Being as though I cannot transfer my timers from my 922 (lame btw) to the hopper I have to manually do them again. I have about 70 timers, so my question is do I need to setup the timers for prime time network shows? Or will that be a waste of my time?

Sent from my phone using SatelliteGuys sweet app

 

[satjay]

I am getting my hoppa installed tomorrow and this is my main concern. Being as though I cannot transfer my timers from my 922 (lame btw) to the hopper I have to manually do them again. I have about 70 timers, so my question is do I need to setup the timers for prime time network shows? Or will that be a waste of my time?

Sent from my phone using SatelliteGuys sweet app

With Prime Time Anytime, shows are available for about eight days, you can set a timer if you want, but if you remember to watch the show within eight days you should be ok. With PTAT, I have set no timers now for the network shows, works out well

 

[thechaz05]

With Prime Time Anytime, shows are available for about eight days, you can set a timer if you want, but if you remember to watch the show within eight days you should be ok. With PTAT, I have set no timers now for the network shows, works out well

Ok, but if I want to keep the shows on my dvr (i usually keep all, just in case the network pulls it so I can always watch my favorites), do I have to set a timer?

Sent from my phone using SatelliteGuys sweet app

 

[MikeD-C05]

That is my understanding, you either set a timer or hit save series or hit save and the show will go to your portion of the hard drive. I will find out tomorrow night if making timers will work for putting the shows on my hard drive. Sunday night starts the new season.

 

[thechaz05]

That is my understanding, you either set a timer or hit save series or hit save and the show will go to your portion of the hard drive. I will find out tomorrow night if making timers will work for putting the shows on my hard drive. Sunday night starts the new season.

Sounds good. You mentioned save series, if you select that will then all future episodes also go to my portion? Sorry for the questions, not usually this needy but this is crazy new technology and I need to know what to do so I can keep the wife happy lol. She hates when I change equipment, she just wants to be able to watch her shows when she wants.

Sent from my phone using SatelliteGuys sweet app

 

[MikeD-C05]

I believe that is the way it works. If you save series it will go to the no folder of your hard drive. This is like setting a timer without having to create one the hard way. Of course it will save both new and old when you hit save series. I think you can go back and edit the timers that save series sets up. It has been a while since I did this a few weeks back.

 

[thechaz05]

I believe that is the way it works. If you save series it will go to the no folder of your hard drive. This is like setting a timer without having to create one the hard way. Of course it will save both new and old when you hit save series. I think you can go back and edit the timers that save series sets up. It has been a while since I did this a few weeks back.

Thanks, I am counting down the hours till my hopper arrives.

Sent from my phone using SatelliteGuys sweet app

 

[dontpanic]

When you select save series it simply creates a timer for you. In my experience it creates it as new and reruns, so you'll have to change it if you want new only.

If you create the series timers ahead of time, it will save the shows to My Recordings.

I've experienced one glitch where for a new-only series timer if a new episode is recorded by PTAT and saves it to My Recordings, and then the same episode is repeated later in the week, it also saves the repeat to My Recordings. This has happened for Grimm, Revolution, and Bones. In each case I had watched and deleted the new episode before the repeat aired, and the first showing was marked as new in the guide while the repeat showing was not. I started noticing this on S221 when Grimm started on 8/13. It is still happening on S222.

Another problem is that if PTAT records a show and I select to save it (one-time save), if I don't watch it within 9 days it will delete it from My Recordings. This happened with several "episodes" of the Olympics (the primetime events). I did not have a series timer for the Olympics. Also, I have a new-only series timer for Hawaii Five-O, and there was an episode I missed last season. When they repeated it recently, I selected to save it from PTAT. I didn't get a chance to watch it until 9 days later, but it was gone.

I've just recently reported these issues to DIRT.

 

[malt]

How does PTAT handle episodes that run over by a minute, for example the Thursday night comedies on NBC? Right now, with my 722, I record them in a two hour block because I got tired of a few seconds of the ending getting cut off when it picked up at the start of the next show. Do the endings still get cut off with PTAT, or does the entire episode get recorded?

 

[glowrdr]

Kind of weird, but neat at the same time. It records the 4 hour block at once, so there is no "end" (unless your show ended at 10pm, when PTAT ends). Even though it created an "event", once you watch your show, it does not bring you back to the menu like your DVR recordings would (where it would ask you if you want to delete or not). It just moves onto the next show. So if the comedy runs late, then it really wouldn't matter.

Hopefully that made sense?

 

[malt]

Thanks, glowrdr. I get it, but that leads me to another question. If I want to watch a show that's somewhere in the middle of the block for that evening, would I still select it by title of the show, or do I just go to the block of shows for that evening and FF till I get to my show?

 

[glowrdr]

You can still just goto the title of the show. It's just once the show it done, you physically need to hit the stop button - otherwise it just plays the next title like you were actually watching the channel live