Recordings always start late

[dcwebman]

I know this has been reported before but I'm surprised it's still around. I have two HR20-700's and all my recordings start 10-30 seconds into the show so I'm always missing the beginning. Luckily "most" shows do recaps at the beginning but not all.

Until they finally get this fixed, is there any workaround?

 

[DanG48]

I know this has been reported before but I'm surprised it's still around. I have two HR20-700's and all my recordings start 10-30 seconds into the show so I'm always missing the beginning. Luckily "most" shows do recaps at the beginning but not all.

Until they finally get this fixed, is there any workaround?

First I would check your DVR clock to see if it is set to the right time and if it is.. then you can set up when you choose a program to record there is a box for start and stop times...just choose in start time 2-3-4 minutes earlier and you will probably get some commercials but you can fast forward past them and not miss the beginning of your show you recorded.

 

[Jimbo]

dcwebman,
Also, sometimes it's the network that is late, this may not be your issue, but it does happen, also some programs currently intentionally run late, like IDOL, runs till 2 minutes into the next program time slot every week.

Check to make sure that it is not the show/network as well.

Jimbo

 

[dcwebman]

First I would check your DVR clock to see if it is set to the right time and if it is.. then you can set up when you choose a program to record there is a box for start and stop times...just choose in start time 2-3-4 minutes earlier and you will probably get some commercials but you can fast forward past them and not miss the beginning of your show you recorded.

The clock is correct per DirecTV but not my atomic clock. I don't know of a way to adjust it though. Setting earlier recording times would mess up back to back recordings.

I am familiar with those shows like Idol that run long but that's not really what is happening here. Guess I'm stuck with hoping the beginnings that are cut off are just recaps.

 

[scottie_h]

Have the D* info screen up as a program is about to start so you can see the DVR clock.
1. Is the recording starting 30 seconds after the start time is reached? (e.g. 7:00:30)
2. Or does the program start airing 30 seconds before the supposed start time is reached? (e.g. 6:59:30)

Either I haven't had this happen or it just doesn't bother me enough that I've even noticed.

 

[berck]

I've been watching the clock on my HR21-700 model. It is slow. I checked it last night and found that it was 30 seconds behind the 'atomic' clock. This is a huge issue for DVRs. I have seen this before, so I tried a restart on the machine. That helped bring the clock delay down to 10 seconds from 30 seconds. It would be nice if Directv would send out a time sync over the satellite to keep these clocks from drifting. My cable box didn't have any issues nor did my Dish box either.

I am aware that some networks will start shows a little bit late or early, but this clock drift needs to get fixed.

 

[dcwebman]

Have the D* info screen up as a program is about to start so you can see the DVR clock.
1. Is the recording starting 30 seconds after the start time is reached? (e.g. 7:00:30)
2. Or does the program start airing 30 seconds before the supposed start time is reached? (e.g. 6:59:30)

Either I haven't had this happen or it just doesn't bother me enough that I've even noticed.

I'll try that tonight. Glad to see though I'm not the only one seeing this.

Like last night I recorded Idol and I missed the very beginning when Ryan tried to pull the April Fool's joke. It didn't start recording until he talked about Simon on the memory show. I can only guess that he said Idol wouldn't be on tonight but I never got that part recorded.

 

[dcwebman]

I just tested it. Info showed 6:59 and the show started on ABC. It took 20 seconds until the clock on the DVR went to 7:00 and then the show started recording.

 

[iFIX Solutions]

I have noticed this issue as well. Tonight however, I watched a recorded episode of two and a half men. When I initially hit play it started about 30 seconds into the episode. I walked out of the room for a second so I rewound and the beginning of the recording and the beginning of the show was actually there. I will test this again and post results. This was not a recording that had just finished. This was an episode that was recorded several days ago.

 

[Jimbo]

I've been watching the clock on my HR21-700 model. It is slow. I checked it last night and found that it was 30 seconds behind the 'atomic' clock. This is a huge issue for DVRs. I have seen this before, so I tried a restart on the machine. That helped bring the clock delay down to 10 seconds from 30 seconds. It would be nice if Directv would send out a time sync over the satellite to keep these clocks from drifting. My cable box didn't have any issues nor did my Dish box either.

I am aware that some networks will start shows a little bit late or early, but this clock drift needs to get fixed.

:30 sec's is going to kill you ?
You normally have a commercial or an intro anyways.

 

[Jimbo]

I just tested it. Info showed 6:59 and the show started on ABC. It took 20 seconds until the clock on the DVR went to 7:00 and then the show started recording.

So if the show started BEFORE the top of the hour, you can blame the network on this one.

 

[dcwebman]

So if the show started BEFORE the top of the hour, you can blame the network on this one.

No, I can blame the DVR's clock on not being correct as it happens on more than one network.

And yes, 30 seconds can kill you sometimes. True, most shows have an intro or such but some do not. For example, Medium always starts with her dreaming. So it starts recording in the middle of her dream and you have to guess what she dreamed about at the beginning.

 

[qbucki]

I think it is the DVR clock that is not correct. At first, I was willing to blame it on CBS, but as more networks bring back new shows I am seeing it with others too. I recorded the Ohio State NIT game Tuesday night and it started recording late also.

I have a Replay TV unit that I use to record off of cable channels and it starts the record on time with the beginning of shows.

 

[Plywodstatebum]

IT dosen't matter which channel I record the show stops short, we always miss about 30 sec .

 

[jdspencer]

My HR20-100 loses time. Once it gets to about 30s slow, I reboot it and it syncs within a few seconds of my atomic clock.

It matters to me, because I record the late night talk shows and I'd like to know who the guests are (the guide isn't always right).

 

[dcwebman]

FYI, I reset my receivers and that seems to reset the clock to be more accurate. I guess I'll just have to make it a daily thing to reset the receivers.

 

[vurbano]

It is a problem that needs to be corrected. I have noticed it too. I swear that every single recording I ever made from HBO on the HR10-250 started at the upcoming schedule blurb for the evening followed by the opening HBO feature presentation graphics but those days are gone now with the HR20. Also recently the last couple of weeks I have experienced some strange loss of sound on the unit requiring an occasional reboot. Last time it was cured by going to an OTA channel. very strange. I wonder if it is related to operating near disk capacity? Also sometimes using 30 sec skip will lose sound or lock up the movie.

 

[tds4182]

The clock is correct per DirecTV but not my atomic clock. I don't know of a way to adjust it though. Setting earlier recording times would mess up back to back recordings.

I am familiar with those shows like Idol that run long but that's not really what is happening here. Guess I'm stuck with hoping the beginnings that are cut off are just recaps.

The ends of most shows (last 1 or 1 1/2 minutes) are usually commercials, so if you're worried about messing up back to back recordings you'll just have to choose whether you'd rather miss the last minute of so of the first recording or the first 30 seconds or so of the 2nd one. It just depends which is more important to you. The D* DVRs give you the options of ending and/or starting early.

Sorry for your problem, it can be a bummer!

 

[berck]

:30 sec's is going to kill you ?
You normally have a commercial or an intro anyways.

Well considering some shows have very important intro's where you would miss quite a bit. Yes.

This is an issue with the clock on the unit. It shouldn't be like this, and we shouldn't have to play tricks with the unit to make it work fine. My comcast box time was always correct.

 

[jdspencer]

I just rebooted my HR20-100 to get the clock back in sync with my atomic clock. It was about 40s slow since the last reboot and therefore would lose the beginning of shows. This was really noticable with the late night talk shows where they announce which guests will be on. With the prime time shows, you lose the "previously on" segments.

I don't understand why the HR20 can't sync the clock automatically, the DirecTV TiVos did.