VIP211k - Unnecessary Timer Conflicts

[Anony55]

Currently, the 211k sees overlapping time-frames as a conflict. This would normally make sense, but it is also applied to back-to-back programs on the same channel, which should not be a conflict.

For example... lets use Tuesday night. Three shows come on back to back to back on CBS that I want to record (NCIS, NCIS-LA, and The Good Wife). I have my DVR setup to start 2 minutes early, and end 3 minutes late. This "overlap" causes an unnecessary timer conflict.

It's widely known that receivers & HTPCs can use a single tuner to record multiple channels on the same TP at the same time. I'm not asking for that. But it would be nice if the 211k could be allowed to record multiple instances of the same channel at the the same time. This would eliminate the conflict in the above example.

Right now, if I don't wanna take a chance of having one show run over into the next shows time-frame, I have to set a manual timer for 3 hours (and of course, the extra 5 minutes). This works, but doesn't allow for good housekeeping. If I only have time to watch one of the shows at the moment, I can't delete it when I'm done... I have to wait until I've watched the other shows in the recording. And if I don't wanna watch the first show first... well... you get the idea.

Plus, if a show does run over, there's always the danger of losing a little bit in the changeover. That's a little bit at the most important time of the show.

So, is there any chance of getting a future firmware update to allow 2 simultaneous recordings on the same channel during this overlap period?

Cheers

 

[osu1991]

Being that those are OTA network shows, you could set one of them to record on the OTA tuner and the others on the Satellite Tuner to avoid the conflict. Of course that wouldn't work if you were wanting to record 3 in a row on a satellite only channel.

 

[Anony55]

LOL, sometimes that's what I do for that set of shows. I knew I should have used the back-to-back Gunsmoke on TV Land or back-to-back shows on Food Network example instead. But still, the function is the same.

BTW, it's nice to see another "Good Guys" fan hanging around here.

Cheers

 

[SaltiDawg]

....
So, is there any chance of getting a future firmware update to allow 2 simultaneous recordings on the same channel during this overlap period?

I don't know about the 211k, but this capability already exists on both my 622 and 722k.

 

[Tampa8]

This is an interesting topic to me. On my VIP 612's, my timers are set 0 min before, 1 min after. And keep in mind tuner 2 is the tuner you are NOT watching, tuner 1 is the tuner you ARE watching.
On my 612 I observe three behaviors. 1. If both sat tuners are set to record, and either one of them is consecutive shows on the same channel, it will simply continue to record 1 min into the second show, and stop. Then it will record the rest of second show, with no conflict warnings when setting up the timers.

If only one tuner is set to record, and there are consecutive shows, it will record the first show on tuner 2, including going 1 minute past, and record the second show on tuner 1. When this happens, if the first show ended on time, the first minute of the second show will of course be at the end of the first show, but that first minute will also record as part of the whole second show on tuner 1.

If both sat tuners are set to record connsecutive programs, I do get a conflict warning, and I have to set one or both (can't remember) of the first shows to end on time instead of 1 minute past.

 

[yaz96]

I complained about this issue awhile back. It is happening on both my 211k and my 622.

Previously if you left the default timer of 1 minute before and 3 after, you would not get a conflict. About 3-4 months ago, this stopped working. I now have to set the first program to end at 0, and the next program to start at 0.

I wonder if this had anything to do with the software changes due to the TIVO lawsuit?

This was never an issue in the past as long as you left the timers on default.

 

[Tony S]

I think that your problem is that you have changed the default starting time. If you set the start and stop times back to their default values, this will not happen. When you set them to something different, the receiver assumes that is what you want and it creates conflicts.

 

[yaz96]

I think that your problem is that you have changed the default starting time. If you set the start and stop times back to their default values, this will not happen. When you set them to something different, the receiver assumes that is what you want and it creates conflicts.

Not true. I have done this(or not ever changed the default), and it no longer works, as it had in the past.

Here is my original thread from February.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-network-forum/243169-timers-not-working-properly-start-early.html

 

[SaltiDawg]

Not true. I have done this(or not ever changed the default), and it no longer works, as it had in the past. ...

Our 622 and also our 722k both have the default start early 1 minute and end late 3 minutes and have absolutely no issue such as you describe!

 

[yaz96]

Our 622 and also our 722k both have the default start early 1 minute and end late 3 minutes and have absolutely no issue such as you describe!

Are your timers alternating 1-2-1 when recording back to back??? If so, there is no problem. It's when you are recording multiple programs at the same time back to back to back. It used to work.

 

[Anony55]

The point is, all these conflicts are artificially created by the firmware. These are not genuine hardware conflicts! HTPCs and some sat receivers have dealt with using a single tuner for multiple simultaneous recordings for quite a while now.

They could allow for multiple channels on the same TP to be recorded simultaneously if they wanted to. My HTPC will do this. And not just for channels on the same TP, but also multiple ATSC channels in the same broadcasts stream. For example, you can record ATSC channels 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3 all at the same time with a single tuner.

I was very careful to not ask for that as it would be too confusing for the non-geek type users. But there should be no artificial conflicts imposed on multiple recordings that overlap on the same channel. There's just no hardware reason to do it.

This is not a "single tuner" versus "dual tuner" issue. A single tuner receiver is completely capable of doing what I suggest... with the proper programming.

Cheers

 

[SaltiDawg]

The point is, all these conflicts are artificially created by the firmware. [ ...

This is not a "single tuner" versus "dual tuner" issue. A single tuner receiver is completely capable of doing what I suggest... with the proper programming.

Actually, the point is your 622 is not behaving the same way that other people's 622s are.

 

[Anony55]

Actually, the point is your 622 is not behaving the same way that other people's 622s are.

Huh? I don't have a 622, I have a 211k. And as far as I know, it acts just like everyone else's that has EHD activated.

Cheers

 

[Tony S]

Anony55, I agree with what you are saying...there should not be a reason for the conflict, but what I am telling you about the default starting/stopping times is true. I am telling you how the software operates, not how it should operate. Try using the default times, 1 min early, 3 min late, and see if that fixes the conflict problem.

 

[dwarren2]

You can change the timers to 0 min before and after by pressing the DVR button 3 times. Highlite the timer, press info then options. Then you can change to 0/0. You can change for all timers, timers for this program for this program only every time otr just once.. No more conflicts. Works on my 211 and 722.

 

[Tony S]

Yes, you can do what dwarren2 wrote, and that will also work. Or, you can set the start/stop times back to the defaults.

 

[SaltiDawg]

Huh? I don't have a 622, I have a 211k. And as far as I know, it acts just like everyone else's that has EHD activated.

Cheers

I mis-typed 622 - are not enough people telling you that your (211k) receiver is not operating the way is does for them? lol

Cheers

 

[Anony55]

...what I am telling you about the default starting/stopping times is true. I am telling you how the software operates, not how it should operate...

Thanks Tony. I knew that setting to 0/0 would eliminate the conflicts. And I kinda remembered that the 1/3 default didn't have the conflicts like you say. But I'm pretty sure that it didn't give me the extra 3 minutes at the end if another show was scheduled right behind it.

I mis-typed 622 - are not enough people telling you that your (211k) receiver is not operating the way is does for them? lol

Cheers

LOL, no problem SaltiDawg, I thought that you had just mistaken me for someone else in the thread. As far as other 211Ks acting differently than mine, that's just because they have them set differently than mine.

In the end, I'd still like to be able to set 2 minutes early & 3 minutes late for back-to-back timers... and have it actually record 1hr & 5 mins for each program. I've just seen too much fluctuation between what different channels consider 7:00 to be.

So hopefully, the programmers will eliminate the artificial "same channel" conflicts. But I do appreciate everyone giving me tips on how to work around the limitation.

Cheers

 

[Tony S]

...I kinda remembered that the 1/3 default didn't have the conflicts like you say. But I'm pretty sure that it didn't give me the extra 3 minutes at the end if another show was scheduled right behind it.

You are right, if you have it set for 1/3 you will not get the extra 3 minutes if another show is scheduled right after it AND it is recording on the same tuner. If the receiver is able to use 1 tuner for the first show and the other tuner for the second show, then you will get the extra three minutes.