Padding Issues Data (v0x120)

[Tom Robertson]

We’ve done a great job helping with CC, locals, networking, etc. Perhaps we can help illuminate the padding issues in the same way.

For instance it appears 1 or 2 minutes start and end pads seem to work fine; but many sports related pads seem to fail. (And at the most unfortunate time!)

So could you post the following information to help out:

Release level: 0x1??
Zip code:
Show:
Channel:
Start date:
Normal start time & start pad:
Normal end time and intended end pad:
How padding added: (Recording defaults, one touch then modify, select from guide and add when setting up recording, extend an existing recording)
Actual record time:
History entry:

Some of the tests I’ve run to date
Release level: 0x11B, 0x11F, and 0x120
Zip code: 84067
Show: Wichita State @ Northern Iowa
Channel: 72
Start date: Jan. 30, 2007
Normal start time & start pad: 5pm MST +00:01
Normal end time and intended end pad: 7pm MST +3:00
How padding added: select from guide, added at setup time
Actual record time: 5:01
History entry: “Recorded”

Release level: 0x11B, 0x11F, and 0x120
Zip code: 84067
Show: Mississippi State & Mississippi
Channel: 73
Start date: Jan. 30, 2007
Normal start time & start pad: 5pm MST +00:01
Normal end time and intended end pad: 7pm MST +3:00
How padding added: select from guide, added at setup time
Actual record time: 5:01
History entry: “Recorded”

Release level: 0x11B, 0x11F, 0x120
Zip code: 84067
Show: Countdown with Keith Olbermann
Channel: 356
Start date: Regularly
Normal start time & start pad: 6pm MST +0:01
Normal end time and intended end pad: 7pm MST +1:00
How padding added: select from guide, added at setup time
Actual record time: 2:01
History entry: “Recorded”


Thanks everyone,
Tom

[Just J]

Release level: 0x10B
Zip code: 60004
Show: Rose Bowl
Channel: 7 (Chicago LIL Satellite HD)
Start date: Jan. 1, 2007
Normal start time & start pad: Not logged (no pad)
Normal end time and intended end pad: Not logged (3:30 base + 1:30 pad)
Actual record time: 3:40 End Early

Release level: 0x119
Zip code: 60004
Show: Bears/Patriots
Channel: 2 (Chicago LIL Satellite HD)
Start date: Jan. 14, 2007
Normal start time & start pad: Not logged (no pad)
Normal end time and intended end pad: Not logged (3:30 base + 1:30 pad)
Actual record time: 3:40 End Early

Release level: 0x11B
Zip code: 60004
Show: Pistons @ Timberwolves
Channel: 72
Start date: Jan. 20, 2007
Normal start time & start pad: 12:30am CST (no pad)
Normal end time and intended end pad: 2:30am CST + 3:00 pad
Actual record time: 5:00 Correct
Quirk: Tick marks @ 15 minutes and only for the base 2 hours, none in the pad.

Release level: 0x11B
Zip code: 60004
Show: Basketball game
Channel: 2 (Chicago LIL Satellite HD)
Start date: Jan. 20, 2007
Normal start time & start pad: 2:15pm CST (no pad)
Normal end time and intended end pad: 4:15pm CST +1:30
Actual record time: 3:45 Correct
Quirk: Tick marks @ 15 minutes and only for the base 2 hours, none in the pad.

[mtnagel]

After people started saying there was issues with padding, I would just record the show after, but I do have one instance.

Release level: 0x11b
Zip code: 45236
Show: NE/Indy playoff game
Channel: MPEG4 CBS
Start date: 1/21/07
Normal start time & start pad: not sure, but it was scheduled for 3.5 hours
Normal end time and intended end pad: not sure, but I padded by an hour
Actual record time: 3:40 (so it only recorded 10 minutes of the 1 hour pad time)
History entry: not sure
Padding method (as per bonscott's suggestion): 3) Added padding while the recording was in progress

[Just J]

Release level: 0x120
Zip code: 60004
Show: Australian V8 Supercars
Channel: Speed 607
Start date: Jan. 31, 2007
Normal start time & start pad: 2:00am CST (no pad)
Normal end time and intended end pad: 4:00am CST +3:00
Actual record time: 5:00 Correct
Quirk: Tick marks @ 15 minutes and only for the base 2 hours, none in the pad.

[Milominderbinder2]

Tom,

Great idea.

I have not had a padding problem since 0x10B but it would invariably stop 10 minutes into the pad. I think we have heard that 10 minute cut-off number many times.

I wonder if there might be a couple of different bugs at work here. I wonder if any are related to the fact that there are no tick marks in the padded area of the time bar.

- Craig

[LI-SVT]

Release level: 0x10b
Zip code: 11720
Show: Patriots/Chargers
Channel: 80
Start date: Jan. 14, 2007
Normal start time & start pad: Not logged (no pad)
Normal end time and intended end pad: Not logged (3:30 base + 1:00 pad)
Actual record time: 3:40 End Early

[bonscott87]

I think there is a piece of data that you should capture: How is the pad added?

1) One touch record then modify the recording to add the padding
2) Selected the program and added the padding at the time of setting it up
3) Added padding while the recording was in progress

I honestly think padding problems might be related to one or more of these methods.

I personally pad hockey games all the time on various channels (my RSN, Vs., HDNet and channel 95). I use method 2. Since I know I'm going to pad by 30 minutes every time I just select the show and add the 30 minute pad while setting up the show. Less steps.

I have never had the padding issue. Always records the full time plus 30 minutes.

So it would be interesting to see for those that have padding issues, how did you set up the padding?

[Tom Robertson]

I think there is a piece of data that you should capture: How is the pad added?

1) One touch record then modify the recording to add the padding
2) Selected the program and added the padding at the time of setting it up
3) Added padding while the recording was in progress

I honestly think padding problems might be related to one or more of these methods.

I personally pad hockey games all the time on various channels (my RSN, Vs., HDNet and channel 95). I use method 2. Since I know I'm going to pad by 30 minutes every time I just select the show and add the 30 minute pad while setting up the show. Less steps.

I have never had the padding issue. Always records the full time plus 30 minutes.

So it would be interesting to see for those that have padding issues, how did you set up the padding?

Excellent insight! And I add a 4th method to your list: recording default padding. Normally I let the default do the padding, but for sports I use method #2.

Cheers,
Tom

[NYHeel]

I think there is a piece of data that you should capture: How is the pad added?

1) One touch record then modify the recording to add the padding
2) Selected the program and added the padding at the time of setting it up
3) Added padding while the recording was in progress

I honestly think padding problems might be related to one or more of these methods.

I personally pad hockey games all the time on various channels (my RSN, Vs., HDNet and channel 95). I use method 2. Since I know I'm going to pad by 30 minutes every time I just select the show and add the 30 minute pad while setting up the show. Less steps.

I have never had the padding issue. Always records the full time plus 30 minutes.

So it would be interesting to see for those that have padding issues, how did you set up the padding?
My experiences indicate that you only get a problem with options 1 and 3. I actually had the box freeze up on me twice when I tried to do option 1.

[Nolzman]

My experiences indicate that you only get a problem with options 1 and 3. I actually had the box freeze up on me twice when I tried to do option 1.

This happened to me last night. Had to do a RBR to "unlock" the box. I had to deleted the recording set up and do number 2 to get it set up correctly.

[bonscott87]

Starting to see a trend that editing the recording after the fact or during the recording seems to be a cause of the padding issue. Hopefully others will chime in and hopefully DirecTV sees this as it should be easy to test and replicate.

[SDizzle]

I think there is a piece of data that you should capture: How is the pad added?

1) One touch record then modify the recording to add the padding
2) Selected the program and added the padding at the time of setting it up
3) Added padding while the recording was in progress

I honestly think padding problems might be related to one or more of these methods.

I personally pad hockey games all the time on various channels (my RSN, Vs., HDNet and channel 95). I use method 2. Since I know I'm going to pad by 30 minutes every time I just select the show and add the 30 minute pad while setting up the show. Less steps.

I have never had the padding issue. Always records the full time plus 30 minutes.

So it would be interesting to see for those that have padding issues, how did you set up the padding?

Yes, 30 minutes will work fine. It is when you try to pad longer than 30 minutes, all football season I would add 1 hour, and it would stop at 40 minutes over. I would also set the next show or two after the game as a backup.:mad:

[bonscott87]

Next hockey game I record I'll set it for an hour pad to test.

[drboogie]

My experiences indicate that you only get a problem with options 1 and 3. I actually had the box freeze up on me twice when I tried to do option 1.


This has been my experience, also. I first saw this problem on software version 115, but it only happened once and I thought it was an anomoly. I've had options 1 and 3 do it to me twice this week on software version 120. Option 2 seems to always work. I have to rbr to get the box to unfreeze. Have waited up to 15 minutes for it to unfreeze itself before the rbr.

[LI-SVT]

99% of the time I pad my recording this way:

>Search for show using saved search.
>Select show from list.
>Select the record screen, not using the REC button.
>Add padding then select RECORD.

I have had a few missed endings using this method. I even had one manual record set for 3 hours that stopped after 2 hr 40 min.

[Steveknj]

Starting to see a trend that editing the recording after the fact or during the recording seems to be a cause of the padding issue. Hopefully others will chime in and hopefully DirecTV sees this as it should be easy to test and replicate.

When I had my issue, I used method #2, padded when initially setting up recording (this was Giants/Eagles playoff game), cutoff at 3:40. Padded 1 hour (3 hours scheduled by guide, 1 hour padded by me = 4:00)

[bonscott87]

So maybe it's an issue with padding beyond 30 minutes.

I've got a hockey game scheduled for tomorrow night. Already has a 30 minute pad so I'll delete it and reschedule the recording with an hour pad and see what happens.

[Just J]

So maybe it's an issue with padding beyond 30 minutes.

I've got a hockey game scheduled for tomorrow night. Already has a 30 minute pad so I'll delete it and reschedule the recording with an hour pad and see what happens.

I 'm starting to lean to the "padding method" rather than "padding length" as the source of the problem, at least as of 0x11B. As I've reported above, with 0x11B and 0x120, I've had no padding failures, either at 1.5 hours or 3 hours. But:

I don't pad the start, just the stop.
I always create the recording with the padding specified; I don't go to an existing recording (upcoming or in progress) to add the padding. When I tried under 120, it failed twice and then hung the box on the third try.

[Tom Robertson]

The last couple days, I took your excellent feedback and tried a couple of things:

Padded already scheduled events, events there were already recording, and long events (2+ hours) and shorter events (less than 2 hours). A short summary of what I’ve found so far:

When I tried to pad the Jazz game last night on SLC SD channel 14, I “locked” up 4 of 5 HR20s. Method: used blue button, single line guide to find the game and hit record. Then, via the todo list, edited the padding for an 1:30 extension. As an aside, some of the units would not accept the select button to cancel the already scheduled recordings. I had to redo the request to pad before they would accept a cancel 1 or cancel 2. The units didn’t lockup, just wouldn’t take the select button to cancel. Either from the remote or the front panel, btw.

So then I re-edited Jazz game for 3 hours padding. At this point 4 of the 5 HR20s I have became unresponsive for roughly an hour with the please wait cyclone bar. An hour later, after I returned from a quick errand, the Jazz game should have started recording. All 4 units were responding, but none had their recording light on. Reviewing the Todo list, they were all “supposedly” recording, but nothing was in the MyPlaylist.

So, I tried to extend the “recording”. They had reset their padding so as I extended that to 3 hours again, 3 of the 4 locked up, this time for several hours. I gave up after about 2:30 or so. RBR hat trick.

This morning in my lab of 3 HR20s (now all at 0x120), I tried to lockup in the same fashion. When I tried a 1:50 movie and a 2 hour show, no lockups. After several attempts I moved to a 2:15 movie. Eventually one HR20 locked up. Now the other difference was the longer movie also interacted with recordings scheduled via prioritizer, but the short ones did not.

After the one today that locked up became responsive again, it did not start recording, listed an item as recording in Todo, but nothing in myplaylist. Tried to edit the recording and, again, it has locked up. So far, after an hour and a half+, it has not freed up. Perhaps after the show should be finished it will?

My connections to TVs covers the entire gamut: HDMI, Component, S-video, and multiple off one HR20. Not likely a part of this problem.

Software was 0x11B, 0x11F (3), and 0x120. Also not likely part of this problem.

Differences between lockups and non-lockups: of the 5 HR20s, the one that didn’t lockup has only 1 satellite feed and 4 prioritizer items. The other 4 have 16-20 items in prioritizer and two satellite feeds.

A program that is scheduled for less than two hours hasn’t locked up yet, but this might be a false lead. More testing to follow. On the other hand, sporting events tend to be longer than 2 hours so is consistent with the issue that seems to strike sporting events more often.

I have not recreated the “only records 3:40” issue. If it does record for me, it has recorded the full length. More testing to follow.

Cheers,
Tom

[Tom Robertson]

An update: the HR20 that did a secondary lockup today eventually freed itself early this evening. But it didn't record the movie. Still in the todo list.

[Milominderbinder2]

My experiences indicate that you only get a problem with options 1 and 3. I actually had the box freeze up on me twice when I tried to do option 1.
You got it. Same for me. That is the commonallity for when I have had padding not pad enough, usually 10 minutes.

Pardner, I believe you are holding a smoking gun.

- Craig

[Just J]

Release level: 0x120
Zip code: 60004
Show: Sabers @ Bruins
Channel: 79
Start date: Jan. 31, 2007
Normal start time & start pad: 10:00pm CST (no pad)
Normal end time and intended end pad: 12:30am CST + 3:00
Method: (R) from guide, then went to To Do list and added the pad.
Actual record time: 5:30 Correct
Quirk: Tick marks @ 30 minutes and only for the base 2:30, none in the pad.

Release level: 0x120
Zip code: 60004
Show: Empire Of The Sun
Channel: 78
Start date: Jan. 31, 2007
Normal start time & start pad: 11:45pm CST (no pad)
Normal end time and intended end pad: 2:20am CST + 1:30
Method: (R) from guide, then went to To Do list and added the pad.
Actual record time: 4:05 Correct
Quirk: Tick marks @ 30 minutes and only for the base 2:35, none in the pad.

[bonscott87]

Quirk: Tick marks @ 30 minutes and only for the base 2:30, none in the pad.


I've noticed this now in a few of the reports. When I use method 2 (just setup the pad at the time of recording) I'm pretty sure it has tick marks for the entire recording, including the pad.

[Just J]

I've noticed this now in a few of the reports. When I use method 2 (just setup the pad at the time of recording) I'm pretty sure it has tick marks for the entire recording, including the pad.

I normally use method 2, since I do it for pretty much any sporting event and I know it's a sporting event when I set it up. But in my most recent test, I tried method 1 just to see if it made a difference.

Summary of results: Since 0x11B, using method 1 and method 2, every padded stop recording has these attributes:

has recorded the full padded length,
does not have tick marks in the pad period, and
has tick marks spaced only for the original program length (in other words, for a program scheduled for 2 hours or less, the tick marks appear every 15 minutes, no matter how long the padding makes the actual recording).


For me, since 0x11B, method 1 and method 2 do not produce different results. I haven't had a chance to try method 3 yet.

(Caveat: I never use padded starts, so I don't know how they would affect the results.)

[bonscott87]

Here is the result of my test.

2.5 hour hockey game, added 1 hour pad via setting the padding at initial setup of the recording.

After the 2.5 hour mark there are no tick marks as others have seen.
However, the entire 1 hour pad recorded with no issues.

[dallascontractor]

0x120 build, recordings started by selecting show that has started and padded 1 .5 hours and hjas worked great, Did a search in keywords on friday for Mavericks game on Saturday night and padded game 1.5 hours extra. Game game up short with 13 unavailable, only 3 hours 40 minutes. game started at 7:30 PM and stopped at 10:40 PM only 10 minutes extra.

[Tom Robertson]

0x120 build, recordings started by selecting show that has started and padded 1 .5 hours and hjas worked great, Did a search in keywords on friday for Mavericks game on Saturday night and padded game 1.5 hours extra. Game game up short with 13 unavailable, only 3 hours 40 minutes. game started at 7:30 PM and stopped at 10:40 PM only 10 minutes extra.

Dallascontractor, thanks for confirming that it still exists. Can you fill out one of the forms in my first post? That will a huge help.

Thanks, again,
Tom

[Tom Robertson]

Todays tests are all 4 styles: using recording defaults, OT then append before recording starts, OT then append during recording, Select and edit as one step.

Since we have a couple long events today, I tried setting up Puppy Bowl III and SB, both to +3 hours. The one that is hanging up is when I set it, then change it before the recording starts. Some interesting things:

If I RBR, then try to change the listing to add the 3 hours, it would revert to 1 minute (the default on this particular HR20.)
A second attempt to change the padding would lockup for an amount of time.
If I tried to a 1st attempt, let it revert, then go to another show, attempt to change its padding it would also revert to 1 minute.
If I then switched back to the first show and try to change its padding a second time, it knew--and would still lockup. (experience has shown that it would clear, but I would RBR to get back to that screen sooner for more test.)


I'll post more as I get results (I'm really interested in seeing if I can get any of the "only pad by 10 minutes" issues.)

Cheers,
Tom

[Tom Robertson]

Did anyone else have problems padding the SB?

Release level: 0x120
Zip code: 84067
Show: SuperBowl XLI
Channel: 2-1 in SLC (OTA HD)
Start date: 2/4/2007
Normal start time & start pad: 4:25pm MST +00:01 start pad
Normal end time and intended end pad: 8pm MST +3:00 end pad
How padding added: select from guide and add when setting up recording
Actual record time: 3:47 (stopped at 8:10pm MST)
History entry: This episode was partially recorded because it became unavailable (13). Failed.
Interesting note: tick marks every 15minutes for 1 hour. No tick marks beyond that.


Release level: 0x120
Zip code: 84067
Show: SuperBowl XLI
Channel: 2 in SLC (HD MPEG4)
Start date: 2/4/2007
Normal start time & start pad: 4:25pm MST +00:01 start pad
Normal end time and intended end pad: 8pm MST +3:00 end pad
How padding added: Recording defaults (set to stop at 3 hour pad.)
Actual record time: 3:46 (stopped at 8:10pm MST)
History entry: This episode was partially recorded because it became unavailable (13).
Failed.
Interesting note: tick marks every 15minutes for 45min. No tick marks beyond that.

Release level: 0x120
Zip code: 84067
Show: SuperBowl XLI
Channel: 2 in SLC (HD MPEG4)
Start date: 2/4/2007
Normal start time & start pad: 6:06pm MST (single button start, somehow disappeared from todo list or human error setting up the original recording request)
Normal end time and intended end pad: 8pm MST +3:00 end pad
How padding added: extend an existing recording
Actual record time: 2:04 (stopped at 8:10MST)
History entry: This episode was partially recorded because it became unavailable (13).
Failed.
Interesting note: No tick marks.

Release level: 0x120
Zip code: 84067
Show: SuperBowl XLI
Channel: 2 in SLC (HD MPEG4)
Start date: 2/4/2007
Normal start time & start pad: 4:25pm MST +00:01 start pad
Normal end time and intended end pad: 8pm MST +3:00 end pad
How padding added: extend an existing recording
Actual record time: Currently still going, at 5:01hr
History entry:
At this point seems to be succeeding. Tick Marks every 30 minutes for 4 hours, then no tick marks.
Only differences: RBR just before game time at 3:30pm MST. Puppy Bowl was NOT recording on the other tuner (failed and locked up every time I tried to set an extension for the recording before the recording started, so had several RBR’s between noon and 3:30pm MST.) Was therefore recording Monk Marathon on USA channel 242 (with overlapping padding, btw.

All 4 seem to have accurate clocks as of 9pm MST tonight (within 10seconds), all were meant to record puppy bowl III starting at 1pmMST for 3 hours + 3:00 pad. All succeeded with exception of the one noted above that couldn’t extend the recording before the recording started.

The units connect in different ways to their TV, all types end up in use: HDMI, Component, Component 480p (older TV with only 1 1080i component in), S-video. All are two tuner satellite; all have had their networks enabled but are currently unplugged; 1 RF (failed) the rest IR (2 failed).

Cheers,
Tom

PS, the 4th padded recording failed at 9:29pm MST with only 5:05 recorded. Same error "This episode was partially recorded because it became unavailable . (13). Guess I spoke too soon (by 4 minutes.)

[Just J]

Did anyone else have problems padding the SB?

I don't think so. I padded it when I created it via [Info] from the guide and it appeared "normal" - correct length, but no tick marks in the pad period. But I can't confirm, because I deleted the recording in progress when the game ended; I was watching in real time by that point, having caught up with about 3 minutes to go in the game).

[LI-SVT]

I observed a new tidbit with a failed padding of the Super Bowl. Just about two weeks ago I found the Super Bowl listing in the mini guide and set it to record from channel 80. The recording was set up by selecting the guide listing, selecting record and adding three hours. Fast forward to yesterday I added the Kickoff Show to the ToDo list by pressing the REC button in the mini guide. The Kickoff Show recorded fine. The Super Bowl stopped three hours forty-five minutes in to a scheduled six hour thirty-five minute recording. While the game was on I watched it via "live TV." I succesfully used all of the cruise control options at various times durring the telecast. When the game clock ended I decided to check the recording from the list, the recording was now in to the padding time. The recording played fine. Durring the game I made notes of when I had paused, FF, REW, etc. I then reviewed the recording at those times to look for problems. There were no pixilations or audio drop outs for the segments I checked. While reviewing the recording it stopped early...INTERESTING PART: I watched the recording for a few more minutes then used the exit key to return to live TV. When I went to live TV the channel banner indicated I was watching the Kickoff show and the progress bar had the same title with orange. Thats right, the DVR thought it was recording the pre-game show. With the channel banner and progress bar on the screen I brought up the mini guide. It correctly showed Criminal Minds.

[NYHeel]

I tried to pad the Criminal Minds that was on after the Super Bowl last night. I tried to do it at around 5:30 via the to do list. First when I wanted to add 1:30 hours it didn't take but then I tried 1:00 and as usuall it stayed on the please wait screen for ever. None of the buttons worked except power (standby). A simple power off and on and I got the picture back. However, I then gave up and just turned it all off. I came back on after the Super Bowl and noticed that it wasn't recording Criminal Minds at all despite the fact that the Guide showed it with the season Pass record symbol. The history showed cancelled. started recording at that point but I didn't get back any of the old recording.

Regarding the padding issue, the freezing up on the please wait processing screen happens to me every single time I try to pad via the to do list. It seems less like a bug and more like a lack of a feature. It's not that it doesn't work at all for me but that I couldn't even set it up.

[rsblaski]

We’ve done a great job helping with CC, locals, networking, etc. Perhaps we can help illuminate the padding issues in the same way.

For instance it appears 1 or 2 minutes start and end pads seem to work fine; but many sports related pads seem to fail. (And at the most unfortunate time!)

So could you post the following information to help out:

Release level: 0x1??
Zip code:
Show:
Channel:
Start date:
Normal start time & start pad:
Normal end time and intended end pad:
How padding added: (Recording defaults, one touch then modify, select from guide and add when setting up recording, extend an existing recording)
Actual record time:
History entry:

Some of the tests I’ve run to date
Release level: 0x11B, 0x11F, and 0x120
Zip code: 84067
Show: Wichita State @ Northern Iowa
Channel: 72
Start date: Jan. 30, 2007
Normal start time & start pad: 5pm MST +00:01
Normal end time and intended end pad: 7pm MST +3:00
How padding added: select from guide, added at setup time
Actual record time: 5:01
History entry: “Recorded”

Release level: 0x11B, 0x11F, and 0x120
Zip code: 84067
Show: Mississippi State & Mississippi
Channel: 73
Start date: Jan. 30, 2007
Normal start time & start pad: 5pm MST +00:01
Normal end time and intended end pad: 7pm MST +3:00
How padding added: select from guide, added at setup time
Actual record time: 5:01
History entry: “Recorded”

Release level: 0x11B, 0x11F, 0x120
Zip code: 84067
Show: Countdown with Keith Olbermann
Channel: 356
Start date: Regularly
Normal start time & start pad: 6pm MST +0:01
Normal end time and intended end pad: 7pm MST +1:00
How padding added: select from guide, added at setup time
Actual record time: 2:01
History entry: “Recorded”


Thanks everyone,
Tom

Release level: 0x120
Zip code: 89061
Show: Superbowl
Channel: Ch 8, KLAS/DT Mpeg4
Start date: 1-4-07
Normal start time & start pad: No start pad
Normal end time and intended end pad: 1.5 hr end pad
How padding added: when setting up recording
Actual record time: 3:40
History entry: not noted

Seems that the default for extended pads is about 10 or 11 minutes into the requested pad. This has happened before with NASCAR cup races last season.

On my other hr20, I simply scheduled the following three shows to record and had no problems.