With PVR's that can control what you're allowed to record and what you can't, it's no wonder some of us old dinosaurs are still using VCR's, lol. No copyright controls on them. Picture quality isn't as good, true, but if you get the channel, you're good to go.
Your situation is probably a flukie chip, but I have heard (I don't have one so don't know from personal experience) of PVR's not recording programs because of copyrighting and data in the stream preventing recording. Doesn't seem to matter than you have a life that prevents you from watching each and every program you want to see as it airs.....
And that you're actually paying for it....
When the powers that be have so much control over you, it's time for them to fade away....
Ok, rant over...