Is the time on the Dish Network receivers correct

BostonMA

SatelliteGuys Guru
Original poster
May 20, 2008
143
68
Boston, Massachusetts
This is a new spin on the gripe I have seen in a number of threads about losing the beginning or end of programs. It appears to me that most of the time I am missing a minute or so off the end of some programs. This causes me to wonder if it could be an issue with the time on the receiver. Just wondering if there any merit to this idea and if Dish can do something to fix it.
 
I've always found the time on the receivers to be nearly exact. What the real issue is is that networks tend to run their shows over anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes or so. Dish's receivers can be set to record early/end late in the timer settings.
 
my 2 cents from info you have stated is if you have another timer for a show directly after the one you tape it may have changed to the other show there by cutting off the one it was on. I beleive the default setting is 1 min ahead and 3 mins after for a timer unless you have another timer following. some networks do not start or end right at given time . If you have mutliple tuners you could spread out timers to help.
 
I do not believe that adding time to the beginning and end of programs is the default. I do set the options on programs I find to consistently run over. I do have a number of timers that run back to back which can prevent me from doing that.
 
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Most of the problem lies in the fact that DISH rounds the start times of their guide to the nearest 10 minutes or so. The unprocessed guide data is accurate to the minute (and the receiver clocks much moreso) but after DISH gets done with it, it is all shoehorned into regular columns that could start as much as five minutes early or finish five minutes into the next program.

Check the online Prime Time listings for Comedy Central (107) and Lifetime (108) and compare those with the DISH guide and you'll see what I'm talking about.
 
Does Direct TV or Cable get those shows that start at 11:26 or 2:58 recorded correctly? Seems like this a problem with starting shows at such irregular times rather than a DISH problem, unless other carriers are getting it recorded at those times. (Even then - that could screw up shows that start at the hour or 1/2 hour...)
 
I'll say it again: change the default. Back to back recordings will never get cut off prematurely if you set 2min before and 2min after. The overlaps will always be honored, and the program will never be hard cut at the end of the first program to start the 2nd. For example, if the first program is scheduled to start at 10:00 and end at 10:30, and you have it set to start at 9:58 and end at 10:32, it will record all 34 minutes. The 2nd program from 10:30-11:00 will record on another tuner starting at 10:28 and end at 11:02. Almost never have I experienced a show go more than 2 minutes past the scheduled time.

(this applies to my experience with 625 and 722 ViP receivers. I have no idea if it applies to the Hopper as well.)
 
TV5Monde has an unusual schedule, for exampe, 2:24, 3:02, 3:22, so on.
but the DISH's EPG round in the next 5 or 0 minutes, sometime, group movie in the same time slot.
 
Unless they are back to back on the same channel.
You mean like when I record the marathon of Forensic Files on HLN? Nope, the overlaps are honored. If there is no free tuner, then one of them gets skipped.
 
You mean like when I record the marathon of Forensic Files on HLN? Nope, the overlaps are honored. If there is no free tuner, then one of them gets skipped.

Isn't there some magic number, such as 1min before and 3 mins after, that causes a hard cutover on the same channel?
 
Yes, precisely...and that is the default setting as well.

Thanks Dare2be. I wonder if your trick would still work with 0 minutes before and 1 minute after? (I am only missing a few seconds worth of programming at the end.)
 
I don't know. I'm guessing, but I think the trigger for allowing hard cuts at the beginning or end of an event is having either start or stop extensions being less than 2 minutes.
 
Does Direct TV or Cable get those shows that start at 11:26 or 2:58 recorded correctly? Seems like this a problem with starting shows at such irregular times rather than a DISH problem, unless other carriers are getting it recorded at those times. (Even then - that could screw up shows that start at the hour or 1/2 hour...)
Case in point, after the playoff game Sunday, Fox rescheduled the The Following for 10:30, but it actually started at 10:26, missing the first four minutes. Talked to a friend with Comcast, same thing there.
 
90% of the time the lost programming is the last 15-30 seconds of the program, just enough to miss the cliff-hanger ending. I have a 612 DVR which only has two tuners, so when programs are on different channels I will miss entire programs due to conflicts if I change the default to add time to all timers. I was hoping that the problem might be something Dish could fix by adjusting their clock to compensate for any error and the delay caused by DVR buffering.


Upgrading to a 2 Hoppers and 2 Joeys would probably solve this issues but would cost a lot more and create issues with one technically challenged family member and another who always pushes the envelope.
 
Hoppers have additional capabilities

90% of the time the lost programming is the last 15-30 seconds of the program, just enough to miss the cliff-hanger ending. I have a 612 DVR which only has two tuners, so when programs are on different channels I will miss entire programs due to conflicts if I change the default to add time to all timers. I was hoping that the problem might be something Dish could fix by adjusting their clock to compensate for any error and the delay caused by DVR buffering.


Upgrading to a 2 Hoppers and 2 Joeys would probably solve this issues but would cost a lot more and create issues with one technically challenged family member and another who always pushes the envelope.

Hoppers can do overlapping for programming that is on a channel that is a Prime Time Any Time local. This includes ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC satellite locals. Not only can a Hopper record all 4 channels at the same time using just 1 tuner during prime time, but it can do so 24 hours a day. I have set up timers to record new late night shows from all 4 locals. I forced the Hopper to create overlap for any program that immediately follows another program on the same channel by starting the 2nd program 2 minutes early (method noted by dare2be). It still only uses 1 tuner to record all of the programming from all 4 channels even with the overlapping. The Hopper can't do this on other satellite channels--forcing an overlap requires 2 tuners during the overlap period. Since Dish can do overlapping with 1 tuner for locals, I wonder why they don't do it for all satellite channels.
 
Since Dish can do overlapping with 1 tuner for locals, I wonder why they don't do it for all satellite channels.
That's good to know, but the reason they can do it with locals is because the big 4 local channels are all on one transponder. For them to do it on other satellite channels, the channels being recorded would have to be on the same transponder.
 
Dish can record overlaps on PTAT because it is recording the entire stream and only playing back the selected portion. You can start watching the first show on a PTAT channel and if you do not stop the playback it will play until prime time ends after 3 hours weekdays. Buy the way, PTAT is NOT OTA it is through the satellite.

In order to do the same with satellite channels the receiver would have to record the channel 24/7, or at least during a specified time period, and playback the shows you want to watch - not possible now, but maybe someday
 
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