haertig said:
Sometimes the events will come back the next day (i.e., they show up in Daily Schedule like expected). But sometimes they do not.
The TIMERS are always there, just not the EVENTS in the Daily Schedule.
It appears that the problem occurs intermittently with the nightly guide download.
The problem may correct itself the next day with the next guide download. Or maybe not.
AFAIK, this problem did NOT surface when NBR was first introduced...either a post-initial-NBR software update caused it, or it just took a while to present itself.
Anyone have a better workaround or explanation? I'd love to hear it.
Get ready, long answer ahead!
haertig and partymonkey I too am very, very familiar with this bug. This problem really has nothing to do with the guide download, but with the way 522 creates or builds its schedule after the guide has already been downloaded.
You see, I watch my Daily Schedule get built everyday so I am very used to this bug. I will give you an example if you want to see for yourself. What you have to do is to be present when there is a guide download (this part is easy) and also at a time where there has not been a guide download for a while and there are new timers to be made in the Daily Schedule (this part is sometimes not so easy).
You can go right now and do a check switch test from the menu and after it is over there will automatically be guide download. BUT, if this guide download does not have any new days since the last guide download or no new matching timers to be made, then you won't be able to see (because there will be no new timers to be created in the schedule).
You see, the way I use my 522 is I have the "daily update" (the 3am reboot) turned off and I do a daily manual reboot/guide update at a time that is more convenient for me. So for example, maybe at the end of my day (say for example 1am) before I go to bed I say okay I will do my schedule now. With TV and 522 on I hold down the power button until reboot and since it has been since yesterday when the last guide update was, the update starts after the reboot is over. Once the update is over (the green bar goes to the end) if I double press the DVR button, I see that (for example) there is 100 timers in daily schedule (this is the existing timers). If I go to "view TV" and wait 20 seconds and then do double tap on DVR button again, there is now 115 timers (and it will keep going on this way until all of your timers have been searched for and daily schedule timers created or skipped). If you mute the TV you can even hear the Daily Schedule getting created. You will hear the hard drive getting thrashed because the 522 basically is searching all of the new guide for you and working out the timers (what to skip, what to record, etc). It should go this way until all of your timers have been searched for.
BUT, BUT, BUT, once in a blue moon...I hear no thrashing. I double tap DVR and see (for example) 60 timers in Daily Schedule (like almost one third of my usual timer amount). I go back to "view TV" for a couple of minutes and then back to Daily Schedule and STILL only 60 timers. When this bug happens, something prevent the Daily Schedule from doing its job and searching for you. The guide downloaded FINE. You can press "guide" and look eight days into future and even see all of the programs you have timers set up for but they have no green or blue ball on them to show they will be recorded.
When this happen, very easy solution...REBOOT. Sometimes after one reboot, the 522's brain kicks in and it starts to build the Daily Schedule properly for you. Sometimes you might have to manual reboot a few times before it wakes up and builds for you (by the way, this is a bug in itself, because the 522 sometimes doesn't clear memory upon reboot). But eventually, it will always "wake up" and do what it's supposed to do for you. I have NEVER lost programs or recordings because of this bug since I use my system. I HAVE lost a few recordings, but NEVER because of this issue, only because of even OTHER bugs on the 522.
So my solution for all of you is to turn OFF the "daily update" and manual reboot when it is convenient for you and that way you can be right there and make sure the Daily Schedule gets built properly. You might not like to babysit the 522 so much, but really it only takes a few minutes and makes sure everything will work right for you.
Some other tips for you? After the reboot when the Daily Schedule is getting built, try not to do too much with the 522. Basically just leave it alone for 10 minutes or so and let it do its things (you will know it's over when the hard drive stops making a lot of noise). And finally, after reboot when the Schedule is getting built, be patient and let it go for a few minutes. Don't double tap DVR and say "oh, it's on 60 timers, I will reboot again now." Just give it a few minutes without doing anything because sometimes, especially if you have a lot of timers like me, it takes a while to get everything worked out. Remember, not only does it have to search the guide for every timer you made, it has to resolve conflicts and figure out timer priority and try to get everything covered for you. And remember, the SAME THING happen to all of you who are using the 3am "daily update". The only difference is that you are not there to witness it happening and to fix it like I am.
Also, this problem DID start with the NBR software. Before NBR/Dish Pass, there really was no "searching" the 522 had to do for you. There was no "daily schedule" because everything was time based. And since I have had this bug for a couple of months at least, I can say for sure that it came with the NBR/Dish pass.
Good luck!
