Does 508 list timers by title yet?

[rjl]

The only thing I don't like is listing the timers by slots. Have they upgraded to list by title?

[styxfix]

the interface of the 501 & the 508 are the same, so to answer your question, NO, they've not yet upgraded the timer menu.

[rjl]

how do you know what you recorded?

[Mark Holtz]

The title of the first show you recorded will appear in the PVR screen. So, if you;re like me, and because of time overruns, record Survivor and CSI back-to-back as one recording, the title and info will show "Survivor".

[rjl]

if you list multiple recordings, each set separate, will all the titles be listed?

[DarrellP]

What's interesting about doing this is when you roll over the time period for the next show, when you hit Cancel to see the show Info, it will display the proper name for the show you are watching.

[snagel]

I've also noticed when you are watching a recorded event and you push the cancel button the title of the show come up and also show the time left at that point in the recording.

[Jacob S]

Maybe it is displaying the wrong show information sometimes because it states the show that started one minute early instead of the actual show. I believe the 721 is doing this.

[rjl]

Since the pvr is mainly for recording, why the hell was it set up the way it is? What's wrong with doing it the way the dp is? List the titles so you know what the hell was recorded. This really ticks me off cause I wanted a 508, but not the way it is now. So how do all of you remember if you have 10 or 15 recordings?

[Jacob S]

Might as well have no title at all if it is going to have the wrong title.

[MrAkai]

while it's recording it may have the wrong title, but when it stops recording, it seems to catch the correct title.

For example, CSI starting at 8:59 will say "Survivor" until 10 when the recording stops , they it will say "CSI"

-S

[Jacob S]

Seems like it corrects itself, but why would it say the wrong title before saying the right one? How is it doing this?

[kstuart]

When the recording is FINISHED, then it takes the TITLE and INFO from the LONGEST program during the recording.

Before it has finished, it cannot yet know what is the longest program during the recording (duh), so it cannot yet make that calculation.

To clarify the whole situation, CURRENTLY:

- TIMER screen does not show program titles

- RECORDINGS screen ("PVR Events") DOES show program titles.

[MrAkai]

I do wish they had a more DP like recording structure.

I understand that they can't do "season pass" type stuff since Tivo patented it, but they should be able to do like the DP:

"It's monday and 9pm, I have a timer that says "daily 9pm" and "witchblade" so I check the show title, it is "witchblade" so the show is taped....."

"It's tuesday and 9pm,. Ihave a timer that says "daily 9pm" and "witchblade" so I check the show title, it is not "witchblade" so I don't record...."

etc

[kstuart]

I do wish they had a more DP like recording structure.

I understand that they can't do "season pass" type stuff since Tivo patented it,

I've heard that there are certain features of the DP that they cannot use for exactly that reason, ie they are patented or otherwise owned by MSN-TV.

Remember that the DP interface was part of the WebTV and Dish Network did not get ownership of any aspect of the WebTV product or its interface.

[cnsf]

kstuart, it seems strange though in that the idea of patenting setting up a recording list with the names of the shows you plan to record is allowed/granted.

I think this may go back to the Gemstar suit in that you can't patent a grid. How can you patent listing the names of shows you plan to record?

Sounds like a Dish runaround/development avoidance to me.

[Tony S]

I have to agree with you cnsf, it is Dish runaround/development avoidance, there is no reason why they can't display the names. Hopefully, they will do something about the timer screen. It is virtually useless the way that it is currently implemented.

As a minimum, I wish they would sort the list chronologically, and allow the Info button to display the program info. Ultimately, it would be better if the program names were listed, and you could also sort by name.

[Tony S]

Originally posted by kstuart
Before it has finished, it cannot yet know what is the longest program during the recording (duh), so it cannot yet make that calculation.

Obviously, if the 501 is recording, a timer must be executing. The timer software should know when the timer starts, and when the timer ends. The software also has access to the program guide.

Before the recording ever starts, the software has all the information that it needs to determine which show is going to be the longest. So I think that this is just another example of the E* programmers taking a shortcut that was easier to program, but could have been better implemented.

[Jacob S]

So if I get this straight, they are just using the guide info to see the program title when the show starts to record instead of the actual show? Then is the 721 the only one using the 'longest show' prodecure to capture the show title? It has still messed up with some titles at times anyhow.