721 Buffer Problem ???

[l.i.t.e.]

Hello all,

OK WTF !!! im only getting 115 min of video buffered to the hard drive on live tv (I used to get MUCH more than that with my DP), i often leave the TV for hours and like to come back and rewind the channel, my 721 is only allowing me to rewind 115 min and the rest is gone !!! any one else having this problem ??? PLEASE dont tell me this is by design !!!!


Thanks guys

[Filip1]

lite, It is the way it is designed. The 721 has a 2 hour buffer. The 50x's have a 1 hour buffer. I think the tivo has a half hour buffer. I'm not sure of the Tivo buffer.

[Scott Greczkowski]

The Dishplayer will buffer the entire hard drive, while the 721 only has a 2 hour buffer. (I believe the 501/508 has a one hour buffer)

It keeps defragmentation low by having a smaller buffer.

[l.i.t.e.]

Hello,

Thanks for the response guys, that is the worst news you could have given me :-( , 1 step forward 2 steps back ??? LOL

Thanks again

[Bill R]

Originally posted by Filip1
I'm not sure of the Tivo buffer.
The TiVo (Hughes HDVR2) has a 30 minute buffer on EACH tuner and both tuners are buffered as long as the receiver is not receiving the service data download (that occurs for 30 minutes at 2 AM) or doing "other" system maintance. The 721 only buffers on the active tuner but it will buffer on both tuners if PIP is active or the second tuner is recording.

[mgavin]

When the 721 buffers a live program its writes one huge file to the harddrive - much more then 2 hours.(I've seen the single file there from 6+ hours of sitting on the same channel) The software in the receiver though only allows you to go back 2 hours. I don't know why since the file is already sitting there...

[l.i.t.e.]

damn, maybe they will fix that, i sure hope so, im getting ready to go back to my old DP

Thanks guys

[Kagato]

Although you can hack the Tivo and change the buffer size. (It's actually just a setting in a config file). But the default is 30 minutes. I actually find the 721 to get a little flacky if you leave it paused in places for a long time.

[Chuck]

I don't understand why you want to goback that far in time...
And just what do think your missing?
If it's CNN they update all the time.
If it's a few programs why not set a timer.
Or before you hit the bricks just hit the record button.
If im missing something can you please fill me in : )
Good Luck Chuck Wallace

[l.i.t.e.]

Chuck,

I like to leave the channel on and come back and watch the programs that come on throughout the day, like on S&S when we go shopping or whatever i just like to comeback and be able to rewind the channel, and id rather not record it cause its really nothing i want recorded, and as far as i know thats what having a friggin hard drive in the player is all about right !


Thanks all

[Bill D]

Originally posted by l.i.t.e.
Chuck,

I like to leave the channel on and come back and watch the programs that come on throughout the day, like on S&S when we go shopping or whatever i just like to comeback and be able to rewind the channel, and id rather not record it cause its really nothing i want recorded, and as far as i know thats what having a friggin hard drive in the player is all about right !


Thanks all

If it's nothing you want to record then why do you need to record. I'm glad there is a limit on the buffer if someone leaves it on it wouldn't kill the entire drive with some buffered channel. Why not hit record extend 24 hours and walk away. I would think this would work..
I'm sure the buffer would be easy to change by Dish but quite frankly I can't imagine there are many that would want to be able to wipe out there drive with a buffered channel..

[l.i.t.e.]

Bill D,

well i dont see why it would wipe out the hard drive with the buffered channel, the DP never had a problem with this, it just recorded as much as would fit on the space that was left on the drive, i dont see why that would cause any probs with the 721 and it never cause any probs with my DP

Thanks

[Jacob S]

I think its 2 hours on the main screen and 2 hours on the PIP view so 2 hours on each, a total of 4 hours but only 2 hours on each show. I also agree in that there should be an extension of the buffer time.

[Bill D]

Originally posted by l.i.t.e.
Bill D,

well i dont see why it would wipe out the hard drive with the buffered channel, the DP never had a problem with this, it just recorded as much as would fit on the space that was left on the drive, i dont see why that would cause any probs with the 721 and it never cause any probs with my DP

Thanks

I kind of was meaning that by buffering your hardrive full. Any new timers would start to kill shows off the hardrive. I'm all for new features, if Dish wants to put the buffer time into a menu so you can pick the time, that's fine with me. The only problem I would have is if it interfers with all the other features and bug fixes that really need to be accomplished first.

[mgavin]

As I said before the 721 buffers much more then just 2 hours worth of program on the harddrive - so even though you can only go back 2 hours its using many more hours worth of harddrive space right now - I don't know what the largest size file it will buffer before it starts erasing it from the beginning but right now I'm sure its atleast 12 hours worth. Since its already using the harddrive space why not give the user the option to go back and view it?

[dbronstein]

Originally posted by Bill D
I kind of was meaning that by buffering your hardrive full. Any new timers would start to kill shows off the hardrive. I'm all for new features, if Dish wants to put the buffer time into a menu so you can pick the time, that's fine with me. The only problem I would have is if it interfers with all the other features and bug fixes that really need to be accomplished first.

If they do it right it wouldn't work that way. My old Replay buffered for the full empty drive space. Then if it recorded something, it would overwrite the buffer, not other recorded shows.

I agree there are a lot more pressing issues that need to be resolved, and extending the buffer is way down the list of improvements, IMO.

Dennis

[Chuck]

Originally posted by l.i.t.e.
Chuck,

I like to leave the channel on and come back and watch the programs that come on throughout the day, like on S&S when we go shopping or whatever i just like to comeback and be able to rewind the channel, and id rather not record it cause its really nothing i want recorded, and as far as i know thats what having a friggin hard drive in the player is all about right !


Thanks all

l.i.t.e.:)
Now I understand what you are doing...
I hope you didn't think I was trying too be a BUTT HEAD I'm kinda new at this sat/pvr stuff.
Although I most likely would seldom use this feature I'm sure allot of users would if they could...
Hopefully they will enable this in a future upgrade :)
Later Chuck W.

[Jacob S]

They could make it buffer for the rest of the space on the hard drive and then record over the beginning buffer of the show, so there is a way to have this done, in the way that I had just mentioned.

Is there a way for someone to go into the 721 to make this change themselves? If so, how?

[l.i.t.e.]

Hey guys,

OK, i never thought i would be missing my dishplayer after purchasing a 721 but this 2 hour buffer is killing me !!!

Was watching a show today and wanted to rewind to a certain part to show my girlfriend and of course the 721 would not let me rewind that far....this is progress ?? i may end up returning this thing.

Just venting, Thanks

[Bill D]

Originally posted by l.i.t.e.
Hey guys,

OK, i never thought i would be missing my dishplayer after purchasing a 721 but this 2 hour buffer is killing me !!!

Just venting, Thanks

Maybe when you turn the TV on immediately hit record and extend the stop time 24 hours or 12 hours. That should cover you plenty..

[Jacob S]

They do this to protect the other shows from being recorded. I would think with the larger hard drives they would be more willing to use the entire hard drive instead of limiting the buffer time. At least they extend it to 2 hours per tuner on the 721.

[mgavin]

But thats just it, they aren't doing it to protect the other shows from being recorded. As I stated above the buffer is much more then just 2 hours - however *E only lets you go back two hours.
If you've sat on the same channel for 8 hours all 8 hours will be in a single file stored on the harddrive, so they might as well just let us view it - since its already there...

[Jacob S]

Good question. Why let the dishplayers do it and not the models that follow it? It would not really be protecting anything if it would just use the available space and then let the recordings that would take place write over the buffer.

Perhaps they could simplify all of this by allowing the whole hard drive space that is available to be used minus a couple three hours or some given amount of time to allow space for shows to be recorded while the buffer is going on.

Another idea beyond that is for the receiver to check the amount of hard drive space required for the shows for the day and then save that amount of space to be used for the buffer.