starting and ending time of programs

[DishInstallAdam]

Is there a way to calibrate the start and end times of tv shows, I know there is the early and late setting of shows on the dvr but it seems that dvr misses the last 30 seconds to a show

 

[lucky86]

Is there a way to calibrate the start and end times of tv shows, I know there is the early and late setting of shows on the dvr but it seems that dvr misses the last 30 seconds to a show

Calibrate? Some people appear to know about how late some networks/shows run but I would just extend the timer an extra minute if the event is being cut off 30 seconds early.

 

[Hall]

Dish already runs 3 minutes past the top of the hour to compensate for the networks "games" they play with DVR users. Adjust it to 5 minutes then...

 

[Jim5506]

Some networks deliberately mis-time their programming so as to make we recorders of their product miss either the beginning or the ending.

It is not a Dish problem it is a problem with the networks - they, deep down, don't want you to have the right to record and time-shift anything, so the y throw little monkey wrenched in here and there just to be devilish.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I notice the discovery channels are doing this a lot lately.

 

[3HaloODST]

They also do it in an attempt to keep you from changing the channel. You watch the end of a show that ran over and then you missed the beginning of a show on another channel. Their thinking is that since you already missed the beginning of the show on the other channel then you might be more inclined to stick on the channel you're already on.

Sent from my iPhone 4S using Forum Runner

 

[jerryez]

First, the preset 3 minute late timer on the Dish receivers is not correct to begin with and if you change it to 5 minutes( which is the next setting) the receiver will not record the next program on a different channel, if you have one set to follow that program. The networks do not run 3 minutes late. I had a TiVo for years and it never had a problem cutting off the end of a program. Dish needs to adjust their recorder timer to be more accurate like TiVo or let the receiver record the next program on a different channel anyway.

 

[Hall]

The networks most certainly do run their programs late and/or longer than the :30 or :60 minute mark. It's of little consequence to them though because the actual shows are so short and they have plenty of commercial time to adjust things. I don't know if they still do it, but set a timer for Grey's Anatomy from 9pm to 10pm and see how much you miss. In the past, they absolutely ran that show to 10:05pm. Don't believe me ? Ask my wife !!

 

[dare2be]

the receiver will not record the next program on a different channel, if you have one set to follow that program.

Oh yes it does, if another tuner is available to record the overlap.

If you are saying that the Hopper doesn't now?

 

[dwarren2]

I think part of the problem is the up link/down link and processing delay delay causing the few second differential. Also, with 3 sat tuers on the Hopper, it doesn't seem to be a problem. The few times that the same tuner has been used, the Hopper seems to be better at ending just as the show ends and starting the next right away.

 

[DishSubLA]

I think the OP is referring to the consistent 15 second "delay" in real time because the stream is so LONG. This becomes a problem for certain networks such as History or Discovery, and many others, who run a show right up to the very last second of allotted time, say 8:59:59 PM with the next show beginning IMMEDIATELY to keep you from changing the channel. The problem is time taken by Dish to re-encode all the large amounts of data, then send it up and back down in a HUMONGOUS stream that will further delay what you see on your TV as LIVE programming. All this seems to take up about 15 seconds, meaning we area watching LIVE TV that is delayed 15 seconds due mostly the the size of the stream. This results in the DVR ending recording according to the clock (which has been adjusted to be VERY accurate on our end) which results in final 15 seconds of a show being cut off and not recorded. I KNOW THE PAIN OF THAT! Several "Mash Ups" with the final joke of the day (the fat dude in mid evil costume giving his thoughts) all because of the STUPID stream causing a 15 second delay and the clock being on the nose real time at our homes and DVR.

I would not necessarily have Dish mess with the clock (setting such that it, too, is behind by 15 seconds and most would be synched well) because then my local OTA recordings would start 15 seconds LATE, missing part of the show, and METV is punctual. Hoppers only have ONE OTA tuner, so in my case when I have back to back recordings on OTA, but different channels, I can't start the next recording early. Also, delaying the clock would cause a recording to run over by 15 seconds, although that would be less objectionable.

Of course, for many other channels such as LIL big networks who sometimes end programming with a full minute early to allow local ad inserts, this 15 second delay is not a problem. However, more and more channels, even the big broadcast nets, are implementing this practice of programming right up to the second with the next show starting the next second.

I haven't given it a lot of thought, but maybe some engineer at Dish has a solution, but it may prove to complex. I suppose the question should be asked of subscribers: would you prefer the clock to also be delayed by the same time as the delay caused by the stream to synch up SATELLITE channels, or would you prefer things be left as they are with users, such as myself, adding 1 minute to the end of the DVR timer? Keep in mind that if the DVR is set to record the very next show on the same channel, the DVR will STILL cut off 15 seconds of the ending with the last 10 seconds (takes a few seconds end recording and then start the recording on the same channel) of that ending being at start of your next recording. This can be a pain if you have already viewed the LATER recording first because you will have lost that last 10 seconds of the earlier recording.

Frankly, I doubt Dish will do anything about addressing the delay caused by the massive stream, and we can count on streams getting even LARGER in the future, not smaller. Unfortunately, I've learned to accept it and live with it. However, if Dish engineers really can fix this delay so that the stream is synched to the clock, I'm all for it.

 

[KKlare]

The answer is clear. Have the channels place at least one commercial between the programs overlapping both time slots. Not going to happen, I guess. I see this a lot on SCI where the credits roll has not finished (5 to 25 seconds to go) and it is immediately followed by the next program.
-Ken

 

[DishSubLA]

I should add that there are some channels, most notably those owned by Viacom such as MTV, Comedy Central, LOGO, etc., who habitually have soft start and end times that are IRREGULAR. One week the show starts a minute early. The next week the show starts 2 minutes late and ends 2 minutes late. On MTV and Comedy Central I have to set 2 Min early and 3 late. I've had some sad missing material experiences on Mashup because Viacom is NEVER consistent. I also feel Dish's response to all this massive digital stream causing 15 second delay is that we all should just adjust our minutes early and late fields. Too, often, this does NOT solve the problem.

 

[The Fat Man]

It kind of makes me wish for just the PTAT feature for cable channels you do watch, I am not referring to auto hop. But, PTAT would record an entire channel's lineup and automatically compensate for run over.

 

[Barry Erick]

It is not called mis-timing. It is called seamless into the next show. No commercial at the end of the show leading into the next show to keep people from changing the channel during the break. I remember that being brought up at one convention of NBC attended. Now, when a sporting event runs over causing havock in show start/end times, that is called sliding the start times of all shows that follow by nn minutes. The networks send a message to the stations about the slide when they know it and also to the public that subscribes to the sliding. Would be nice if DISH received this and broadcast it to all DVR's out there. so we do not miss recordings. I used to extend the last recording on CBS Sunday nights by an hour to compensate but can't seem to do this for one PTAT on the hopper.

 

[jerryez]

It is not called mis-timing. It is called seamless into the next show. No commercial at the end of the show leading into the next show to keep people from changing the channel during the break. I remember that being brought up at one convention of NBC attended. Now, when a sporting event runs over causing havock in show start/end times, that is called sliding the start times of all shows that follow by nn minutes. The networks send a message to the stations about the slide when they know it and also to the public that subscribes to the sliding. Would be nice if DISH received this and broadcast it to all DVR's out there. so we do not miss recordings. I used to extend the last recording on CBS Sunday nights by an hour to compensate but can't seem to do this for one PTAT on the hopper.

But can't you set an individual recording on the other tuner to record the CBS show on Sunday nite, assuming that you are not recording something else on another channel.

 

[patmurphey]

But can't you set an individual recording on the other tuner to record the CBS show on Sunday nite, assuming that you are not recording something else on another channel.

Yes, that works, but you have to unskip the edited timer in the daily schedule or PTAT times will prevail.

 

[Ltrain23]

The networks most certainly do run their programs late and/or longer than the :30 or :60 minute mark. It's of little consequence to them though because the actual shows are so short and they have plenty of commercial time to adjust things. I don't know if they still do it, but set a timer for Grey's Anatomy from 9pm to 10pm and see how much you miss. In the past, they absolutely ran that show to 10:05pm. Don't believe me ? Ask my wife !!

This is most certainly true, although it's not the 5 minute extreme. It is, almost always, 1:40 long for the show. Set your timer for a minute late, you'll miss something. Set it for 2 minutes, and it will cut off in the middle of next week's preview (which would most certainly send me to the same fate as the wives of Henry the VIII). Set it for any longer, you get the beginning of Scandal, which then gets me the question "Why don't we watch that?" How many times do I have to say "We tried, and it wasn't good" before the whip stops cracking?

 

[Hall]

No, a few years ago, I'm 99.9% confident, it would ALWAYS run over by 4-5 minutes. Maybe they don't do it anymore...

 

[DishSubLA]

The "Seamless" end of previous program and start of next program would not be a problem if the stream from Dish didn't result in a delay that can be as much as nearly 15 seconds for the pay-TV services. Now, major broadcasters may start the next show at 1 minute past the hour or half-hour, but that should be on Dish's EPG just as it is on TiVo. The OP problem is about the stream being so large that it causes the programming being down-linked to our homes about 15 seconds behind real-time and the DVR clocks are set to real-time accuracy.