522 Timer Conflicts with idle tuner

[mrschwarz]

I am getting frustrated with the fact the conflict resolution of name-based timers is limited to the tuner that was idle when the timer was created. There are programs that are skipped on TV2 becasue of a conflict while the tuner for TV1 sits idle.

The 522 is is dual mode.

I have a couple of timers for the same program (all). One is on TV1 and the other is on TV2. I would imagine that the program will record on the timer that has higher priority and skip the other because of a duplicate.

I am not sure how these timers got set up, but this seems the ideal solution to my frustration. Does anyone know how I can duplicate my non-single timers so they are on both tuners?

This is a serious design defect that no one else seems to be commenting on.

 

[maximum]

The best way to prevent conflicts is to remove the 1 min before and 3 min after buffers on your timers. I've had to do this a lot in order to prevent events from being skipped when recording two shows during the same time period.
Note: You can't change the buffers by selecting the event from the schedule list. You have to go to the Timers list, select the timer, select Options and then set the buffers to 0.

 

[GunnerJoe]

Don't know if it's very convenient for you, but put your 522 in Single Mode and it will record to whatever tuner is available - just like you'd expect.

 

[Pepper]

I agree with GunnerJoe, dual mode is more like "two DVRs in one box" but with the added problems that arise if you tell it to prefer TV2 for recording.

 

[griz_fan]

I'll have to double-check, but I think that, while in dual mode, it does make a difference what tuner you are on when you schedule a recording. Basically, if you use remote two to schedule, and a conflict arrises (due to padding, etc..), the 522 won't kick a recording over to TV1. But, if you set up your recordings using remote one, if a conflict happens on tuner 2, it will kick over to tuner 1. At least I *think* that is what happens.
Or, as someone else suggested, set the 522 into single mode, except for when you think someone will be using TV1.

 

[mrschwarz]

I'll have to double-check, but I think that, while in dual mode, it does make a difference what tuner you are on when you schedule a recording. TV1.

This only matters for 'record plus'. Record plus is only used to determine the tuner the first instance of the time will record on. In dual mode it still doesn't resolve conflicts by recording on the other tuner.

I'll try to switch the 522 to single mode to see what happens. As long as we are forced to press a button to swicth modes, it's a little inconvenient to have to go into the other room and press a button.

 

[typerk]

The suggestion to take off the 1 minute before and 3 minute buffers is a good one. I was not even looking at those buffers and one day noticed that sometimes it actually adds 60 minutes to the ending. I have no clue why some timers come up 3 minutes and some 60 but I was getting a lot of conflicts because of that and I wasn't noticing it.

 

[GunnerJoe]

I believe it defaults to 60 minutes padding for events that have unpredictable time lengths, such as live sports programs.

 

[johnarose]

I could swear that this worked perfectly before, and now with the latest software, it's been "changed" and giving me conflicts.

I'm in dual-mode. I already have a timer on Tuner 2 for 3pm-3:30pm for SHOW1. There's another show I want to record 3pm-4pm, SHOW2. I use either the TV1 remote OR the TV2 remote (tried it both ways), and it says conflict. There are no shows scheduled for 2-3 or 2:30-3, etc... and no shows that start at 3:30 or 4. This happened yesterday, Router Workshop was on at 3, DVR event through DishPass was setup already. Saw that Western Tech was on from 3-4, but I needed to get back to work.

I already have 0 for the padding, both sides.

Anybody else seeing this with the latest software?

 

[mrschwarz]

Padding is not the issue. Once you create a timer for all of a show, it will only record it on the tuner that originally did not have a conflict. If there is a conflict on that tuner at a future date, it just skips one of the programs, even if the other timer is not doing anything.

 

[David_Levin]

I don't understand why the 522 needs to have two "modes" (single/dual). I guess they want to make sure the 2nd TV can always get a tuner.

I'd prefer a mode where all timers fire if a tuner is available (timers not assigned to a TV), but the 2nd TV can still watch a different event or grab a tuner if it's not in use.

(but then, I almost never watch live tv)

Will the 522 NBR look for alternate showings to resolve conflicts?

 

[maximum]

Will the 522 NBR look for alternate showings to resolve conflicts?

Yes. I set up a timer to record New episodes of Modern Marvels. It had the lowest priority so it skipped an episode that conflicted with another timer and automagically set to record a re-run of the skipped episode that came on later that night.

 

[GunnerJoe]

I could swear that this worked perfectly before, and now with the latest software, it's been "changed" and giving me conflicts

Yes, I know for a fact it worked before version 2.xx, before a 'Single Mode' existed. I used to do it all the time!