autohop - why does it work only with Prime time

[marklyn]

I have no idea how it is happening as we tried prime time but the wife hated it and we turned it off, but some shows autohop. America's Funniest Home Videos for one.

So the shows that show autohop, are they shows that were recorded when you turned on PT or new shows since you turned PT off? Also, if the latter, do you see a pattern (ie: all autohop shows on one channel, etc.)?

 

[dweber]

I owned a Replay TV but the service was discontinued in 2011 and the unit became useless.
My ReplayTV unit allowed automatic commercial skipping with no user intervention. It scanned for the black frames local television stations used to insert commercials.
When Dish first introduced the Autohop the commercial skip worked the next day on the 4 major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX) for shows during PTAT (Prime Time Anytime) 7 PM to 11 PM. Unfortunately during subsequent network negotiations Autohop was not allowed until 10 days later on selected networks. In my case Autohop works the next day for NBC and ABC programs but CBS and FOX are delayed by 10 days.
When Dish first introduced Autohop they claimed that it required a dish employee to watch the programming and manually insert the commercial breaks. When Autohop occurs you see the end of a commercial where my old Replay unit completely skipped the commercials. Networks send a signal indicating where commercial breaks occur so that the local broadcasters can insert local commercials. But it doesn’t appear that Dish is using that method.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[EatMyVolts]

So the shows that show autohop, are they shows that were recorded when you turned on PT or new shows since you turned PT off? Also, if the latter, do you see a pattern (ie: all autohop shows on one channel, etc.)

These shows were recorded months and months after turning PT off.

 

[tjboston5676]

These shows were recorded months and months after turning PT off.

Are you sure pt is off? Sometimes it gets automatically enabled after a software update. And actually a couple software updates ago it was confirmed that for whatever reason they had to on purpose enable pt in the uodate. If it is enabled and you record a show to your main dvr section, from one of the pt channels it will still autohop.

 

[Jim5506]

I'm not sure Autohop is at all associated with PTAT.
Persons who do not subscribe to locals but have them OTA report that autohop works on their system.

 

[marklyn]

I'm not sure Autohop is at all associated with PTAT.
Persons who do not subscribe to locals but have them OTA report that autohop works on their system.

I don't subscribe to the locals, I get them OTA via an antenna and my Hopper. But I'm definitely not getting autohop on any of the local channels that I have recorded.

 

[charlesrshell]

I don't subscribe to the locals, I get them OTA via an antenna and my Hopper. But I'm definitely not getting autohop on any of the local channels that I have recorded.

Do you have PTAT enabled in your Hopper?

 

[marklyn]

Do you have PTAT enabled in your Hopper?

No, I didn't think it worked if I didn't subscribe to locals and got them ota. Even so, I didn't think I'd want 90% extra recordings that I'm not interested in watching taking up space on the DVR for the 10% I'd watch.

 

[charlesrshell]

No, I didn't think it worked if I didn't subscribe to locals and got them ota. Even so, I didn't think I'd want 90% extra recordings that I'm not interested in watching taking up space on the DVR for the 10% I'd watch.

I don't think PTAT will record any locals since you don't subscribe to them. Enable it anyway. I think it will provide AutoHop for your OTA recordings. Let us know how goes it.

 

[TheKrell]

I don't think PTAT will record any locals since you don't subscribe to them. Enable it anyway. I think it will provide AutoHop for your OTA recordings. Let us know how goes it.

Right you are; that's how I operate. I haven't recorded anything off any of the big four recently. But the last time I did, autohop was working fine. No satellite locals were recorded because I don't sub to them, so there is no space wasted.

 

[marklyn]

I don't think PTAT will record any locals since you don't subscribe to them. Enable it anyway. I think it will provide AutoHop for your OTA recordings. Let us know how goes it.

Well I enabled it a couple of days ago and it seems to work even though I don't subscribe to locals (I get OTA)! The thing is that since I turned it on, only a couple of programs recorded since then, 2 datelines, both during PT. One included AutoHop, the other didn't so I'm not sure about that.

That was a great suggestion charleshell.

 

[charlesrshell]

Well I enabled it a couple of days ago and it seems to work even though I don't subscribe to locals (I get OTA)! The thing is that since I turned it on, only a couple of programs recorded since then, 2 datelines, both during PT. One included AutoHop, the other didn't so I'm not sure about that.

That was a great suggestion charleshell.

Welcome. Thanks for getting back with us. Sometimes the AutoHop isn't available for some reason. Usually for a sports recording.