How to set up back to back timers to use both tuners?

Mr Tony

SatelliteGuys Pro
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Nov 17, 2003
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Mankato, MN
OK I know the whole issue with back to back tuners where it hard cuts instead of overlapping normally (lots of threads on it). But this one I think is weird.

On my dad's 625 I set up Pawn Stars to record at 1:00 & 1:30AM on late Monday night. This is the "west coast new" (as I call it). This is a weekly timer that is set up as such because he records something else at 9:00 (when its first run) and he wants to leave one tuner open for the girlfriend to watch stuff. So I figured do it that way and if its a rerun no biggie.

What I want to do is set it up where the 1-1:30 show records on tuner 2 and 1:30-2:00 records on tuner 1 so it gets the whole show and even an overlap. The problem is no matter how I set up the timers it always sets it for tuner 2. I even tried to set the run late to 5 minutes (off of the default 1) and it still shows in the guide as tuner 2.

The 625 is set for single mode and I checked and that record plus (I think that is what it is) shows record to tuner 2. I've read threads where folks get mad that their 722 hogs both tuners for the 2 or 3 minutes while recording the same channel. I WANT it to do that yet it won't

Is there anyway to fix this? Is that record plus being set to 2 is what is screwing it up?
 
If it is in single mode it will always default to tuner 2 no matter what the record plus is set to. You could try putting it in Dual mode and turning off record plus but you would have to setup each timer on TV1 and TV2.
 
If it is in single mode it will always default to tuner 2 no matter what the record plus is set to.
shoot. I figured if you put the end far enough out it would force the 2nd timer to go on the other tuner...
You could try putting it in Dual mode and turning off record plus but you would have to setup each timer on TV1 and TV2.
Monday's is the only day with the issues. Every other day there are no issues. If there are 2 timers at same time but are shows they both watch so no biggie or a 2 minute overlap when one show gets done at 9:01 on tuner 2 and one starts at 8:59 on tuner 1

Maybe I'll just set the timer to go from 1:00-2:15AM as one giant timer. But then if the 1st episode is not new and 2nd is new you have to FF through the first show.....hmmmm

This is one advantage the Directv DVR's have. If its back to back it still records the overlap. With shows going over the time frame by 30 seconds in a lot of cases the overlap is a necessity.
 
so would this work if we tried this
put receiver back in dual mode
turn off record plus
set up the two Pawn Stars shows which should force one on tuner 2 and one on tuner 1
then turn it back to single mode

would the settings stay?

If I had a dual tuner DVR I'd try it here but the 211k doesnt allow that ;)
 
so would this work if we tried this
put receiver back in dual mode
turn off record plus
set up the two Pawn Stars shows which should force one on tuner 2 and one on tuner 1
then turn it back to single mode

would the settings stay?

If I had a dual tuner DVR I'd try it here but the 211k doesnt allow that ;)

I believe it should. I am going to test it here at the top of the hour and see what happens.
 
If the 625 is anything like my 722, what about leaving the timers at 9:00 and 9:30. Then press the dvr button 3 times to bring up the daily schedule of timers. Highlight the other show that he only wants to record as new, pres Info then Timer then Set Priority and move it to the top and flag for new only. Since it would have priority over Pawn Stars it would record when new and bounce the Pawn Stars recording to the west coast feed time. If the show was flagged as old, Pawn Stars would record at the east coast time.
 
I have always been in dual mode, record plus enabled and set to TV2. 2 minutes early and 2 minutes late on each end of the recordings. When I have back to back recordings, TV2 tuner gets the first one, TV1 tuner picks up the 2nd. Been that way as long as I've had both the 625 and now 722.
 
dwarren
The issue is I dont want it to record at 9:00

Right now on Monday they have a show recording at 9-10 (central time) that only my dad cares about (he works nights)
He doesnt want Pawn Stars to record at the same time because then both tuners are taken up and the g/f can't watch anything then.

Recording at 1 & 1:30AM when nobody is watching TV works better. We did that on a couple other series he watches (set them up for overnight). That frees up a tuner on the DVR.
 
I have always been in dual mode, record plus enabled and set to TV2. 2 minutes early and 2 minutes late on each end of the recordings. When I have back to back recordings, TV2 tuner gets the first one, TV1 tuner picks up the 2nd. Been that way as long as I've had both the 625 and now 722.

in dual mode that works properly. But he has it in single mode now that its colder (during the summer the other tuner goes to the "party garage")...when fall comes it goes back to single mode so they can flip between the two shows recording at the same time. Dual mode you cant do that
 
in dual mode that works properly. But he has it in single mode now that its colder (during the summer the other tuner goes to the "party garage")...when fall comes it goes back to single mode so they can flip between the two shows recording at the same time. Dual mode you cant do that
I'm not following you. In dual mode, if I have 2 shows recording at the same time, I can just go to the DVR menu from TV1 (while TV1 program is recording), select the program that is currently recording on TV2, and "chase play" it, or fast forward to the "pseudo-live" part of the recording. If I hit stop, I got back to the DVR menu and exit that, and I am back to watching the live recording that is occurring on TV1. I can do similar from TV2 to watch a TV1 recording.

EDIT: so what is he gaining by having it in single mode? Even if no TV2 is connected, you could still watch tuner2 recordings while they are occurring from TV1.
 
Try recording one on the original channel and one on the mapdown. For the History Channel that would be 120 and 9461. The receiver will then treat it as separate channel and usually record using both tuners.
 
In single mode you can flip between the two shows by hitting the previous button or just pressing the channel number.
So if a recording is on 120 (History) and say local CBS (4) hitting the previous button flips between the two...you still have full DVR on those programs too. No need to go through the DVR tree to play the other program.

but we're getting off the subject at hand which is FORCING the receiver to utilize both tuners for back to back shows so it records the overlap
 
Try recording one on the original channel and one on the mapdown. For the History Channel that would be 120 and 9461. The receiver will then treat it as separate channel and usually record using both tuners.

625 is a SD DVR...yes my dad is still in the stone age of the 20th century ;)
That wont work
 
Here's another thought. If this is only on Mondays, you could go into the daily schedule and skip the early feeds for the 2 episodes and the late episodes would then record.
 
wont work. That I know ;)
The only time it grabs a later episode is due to priority. I'm dealing with that issue right now (for at least one more day...maybe 2)on the 211k

TMZ (yeah...I know) is on in Minneapolis at 6:00PM (new), 10:35, 3:30AM and 1PM the next day. I have it set for "new"
6:00 wont record (other show has priority on the OTA) so it skips
10:35 it records

But the WS runs long so they usually dont show the 10:35 episode (apparently they HAVE to show 95 minutes of news then directly to that stupid "office" show that is normally on after TMZ) but it shows in the guide. If I say "skip" it wont record any other times. I've manually gone in and said one time record for the 1:00PM replay and it says "duplicate event" and shows skipped. I have to restore it manually.
 
In single mode you can flip between the two shows by hitting the previous button or just pressing the channel number.
So if a recording is on 120 (History) and say local CBS (4) hitting the previous button flips between the two...you still have full DVR on those programs too. No need to go through the DVR tree to play the other program.

but we're getting off the subject at hand which is FORCING the receiver to utilize both tuners for back to back shows so it records the overlap
Not really off subject. My proposed solution to your problem is to keep it in dual mode. It makes the act of switching between the shows a little less convenient, but it will get you what you want.
 
I have my 722 in single mode and just deleted my normal timer for Pawn Stars and set it up for the 1:00 and 1:30 am weekly recording like you are attempting with a 5 min over run on the 1st episode and it shows what you want with the 1st episode recording on tuner 2 and the second episode recording on tuner 1.

Have you tried a manual timer
 
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