My 90 minute buffer is only 60 minutes

[Indiana627]

The HR20 is supposed to have a single 90 minute buffer correct? Last night I had the hockey game on live (not recording) since 8PM when it started. At 9:36 I hit the play button to bring up the progress bar and noticed the green part of bar only went to 8:36 (even though there was more empty space to the left of the green bar). I then held down the jump back button to get back to the beginning of the buffer and it only went back to 8:36. Why didn't it go back to 8:06?

I was recording shows on the other tuner from 8-10PM.

HR20-100S with 0x15c.

[Indiana627]

Anyone?

[Earl Bonovich]

Other then there possibly being a channel change at 8:36 for what ever reason, or something that caused the buffer to flush out...

I don't know what could cause it.
As the unit certainly does have a 90 minute buffer.

[Indiana627]

The channel definitely didn't change on either tuner at 8:36.

A related question, when I turn on the HR20 (or more correctly bring it out of standby), should there be a 90 minute buffer right away (assuming the channel had changed in the last 90 minutes it was in standby)? Or does the buffer start when you bring it out of standby?

[Tom Robertson]

If the unit hasn't had to change channels to record on both tuners, the buffered channel should go back 90 minutes.

As for dumping the buffer at 8:36, could someone have hit the active button? Or tried to watch an already recorded program briefly (like as in see if something was worth keeping) during a commerical break?

Cheers,
Tom

[Earl Bonovich]

The channel definitely didn't change on either tuner at 8:36.

A related question, when I turn on the HR20 (or more correctly bring it out of standby), should there be a 90 minute buffer right away (assuming the channel had changed in the last 90 minutes it was in standby)? Or does the buffer start when you bring it out of standby?

Not in every case.
There are times that the unit will flush the buffer while in standby.

While in standby, the 90 minute buffer is not guaranteed...
It does buffer, but there are background proces that can run, that will cause the buffer to drop out.

[Indiana627]

Or tried to watch an already recorded program briefly (like as in see if something was worth keeping) during a commerical break?

Cheers,
Tom
If you watch something from the MyVOD, it flushes the live buffer?

We didn't do this at 8:36, but I want to make sure I understand what you are saying.

[Tom Robertson]

If you watch something from the MyVOD, it flushes the live buffer?

We didn't do this at 8:36, but I want to make sure I understand what you are saying.

Earlier releases of the HR20 did not preserve the live buffer while in MyPlaylist. Sometimes it would flush the buffer, sometimes not. Newer releases tend to preserve the buffer better. I was brainstorming thoughts as to what might have happened.

Cheers,
Tom

[Indiana627]

Earlier releases of the HR20 did not preserve the live buffer while in MyPlaylist. Sometimes it would flush the buffer, sometimes not. Newer releases tend to preserve the buffer better. I was brainstorming thoughts as to what might have happened.
I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for explaining it.

[Indiana627]

OK, here's what happened tonight. Brought the HR20 out of standby at 5:50PM. I checked the progress bar and it went back to 5:00PM. I left the HR20 on and on the same channel. At 6:15PM I again checked the status bar and this time it only went back to 6:00PM. Seems like something is definitely amiss with my 90 minute buffer.

[veryoldschool]

OK, here's what happened tonight. Brought the HR20 out of standby at 5:50PM. I checked the progress bar and it went back to 5:00PM. I left the HR20 on and on the same channel. At 6:15PM I again checked the status bar and this time it only went back to 6:00PM. Seems like something is definitely amiss with my 90 minute buffer.
I'm not sure if this is what happened to you but...when I do this mine goes back to the start of the show & if I press << again it will then go back to the earlier show.

[davring]

If you watch something from the MyVOD, it flushes the live buffer?

We didn't do this at 8:36, but I want to make sure I understand what you are saying.



I'm sure this has been discussed many times but I did not know how it worked until lately. If I am veiwing a recorded show(from MyVOD) and tune to a live TV show, using "prev" I can return to the recorded show exactly where I left off. Pressing "prev" again takes you back to live TV with the buffer intact. I use it like DLB all the time with good results. There is a sight delay if there is a resolution change. I was not aware the "prev" button worked this way. I hope I explained this OK.

[davring]

OK, here's what happened tonight. Brought the HR20 out of standby at 5:50PM. I checked the progress bar and it went back to 5:00PM. I left the HR20 on and on the same channel. At 6:15PM I again checked the status bar and this time it only went back to 6:00PM. Seems like something is definitely amiss with my 90 minute buffer.

I have found even though the status bar may only show lets say the top of the hour you can continue to rewind well beyond what is indicated. The status bar will reset and show the earlier time.

[Indiana627]

VOS and Dave,

I will experiment some more in a bit once the kids are ready for bed. Thanks for the advice.

[Indiana627]

I'm not sure if this is what happened to you but...when I do this mine goes back to the start of the show & if I press << again it will then go back to the earlier show.

I have found even though the status bar may only show lets say the top of the hour you can continue to rewind well beyond what is indicated. The status bar will reset and show the earlier time.
You were both right. Who'd of thought rewinding the highly touted 90 minute buffer would be so tricky. And clunky. They really need to work on making the trickplays much, much smoother.

[Earl Bonovich]

You were both right. Who'd of thought rewinding the highly touted 90 minute buffer would be so tricky. And clunky. They really need to work on making the trickplays much, much smoother.

Not sure why you find it tricky or clunky...
Just a different way of handling such a larger buffer...

With the smaller 30 minute TiVo window, you wouldn't often overlap more then one show.

But with a 90 minute one, you could have three full 30 minute shows in the buffer (for a brief moment)...

Maybe this is another place where they should implement a toggle...
Show you the full 90 minutes in one long buffer segment, or show it how it is now... broken up by shows in the buffer.

[Blurayfan]

Not sure why you find it tricky or clunky...
Just a different way of handling such a larger buffer...

With the smaller 30 minute TiVo window, you wouldn't often overlap more then one show.

But with a 90 minute one, you could have three full 30 minute shows in the buffer (for a brief moment)...

Maybe this is another place where they should implement a toggle...
Show you the full 90 minutes in one long buffer segment, or show it how it is now... broken up by shows in the buffer.

Making it optional would be great, but I for one like buffer the way it is. If I forgot about program(s) airing which happens to have been buffered I like being able to just press record on the individual show(s) and the HR20 will save it just as if it was a scheduled recording. Going the one full 90 minute buffer could lose this capability.

[Indiana627]

Not sure why you find it tricky or clunky...
Just a different way of handling such a larger buffer...

Maybe this is another place where they should implement a toggle...
Show you the full 90 minutes in one long buffer segment, or show it how it is now... broken up by shows in the buffer.

I find it clunky because they are hiding the rest of the buffer. Yes, there is a 90 minute buffer, but when you pull up the progress bar, you don't see 90 minutes, and you really have to hold the rewind or jump back button for a few seconds to get to the previous show in the buffer. I think the entire 90 minute buffer should show up on screen as soon as I pull up the progress bar.

And there should be a quick way to jump from one end of the 90 minute buffer to the other. It took me about 2 minutes to go from one end to the other last night, and then another 2 minutes to get back. Of course, the entire trick play feature needs much more work IMHO.

[upnorth]

I find it clunky because they are hiding the rest of the buffer. Yes, there is a 90 minute buffer, but when you pull up the progress bar, you don't see 90 minutes, and you really have to hold the rewind or jump back button for a few seconds to get to the previous show in the buffer. I think the entire 90 minute buffer should show up on screen as soon as I pull up the progress bar.

And there should be a quick way to jump from one end of the 90 minute buffer to the other. It took me about 2 minutes to go from one end to the other last night, and then another 2 minutes to get back. Of course, the entire trick play feature needs much more work IMHO.

As long as you know there is 90 minute buffer who cares if they do not show the whole buffer you know it is there. As far as clunky I do not see that. It does what I need yes the trick play and FF etc need some fine tunning which I am sure will come but it is very usable.
I think were all getting a bit knit picky remember the days when you had to look in the news paper or tv guides to see what was showing and then we had to actually get up and walk to the Tv to change channels and volume.
Oh how about that first C-band system we had the big thick orbit guide or the satellite tv weekly the size of a news paper now that was clunky. Then you had to go to the actuator box and move it to the satellite you wanted that was designated by a number or you had to go out and crank the dish over there were notches on the hand crank for the satellites.
Then you had to change the channel 1-24 and on the first ones you had a polarity switch for odd even channels then you could adjust the skew from there all just to change a channel.
Yep I would say were a bit spoiled but then this was way before your time for most on this forum
So this old man will just shut up now

[Indiana627]

As long as you know there is 90 minute buffer who cares if they do not show the whole buffer you know it is there.
That's just it - I didn't know how to get to the whole 90 minutes. I don't remember reading anything in the manual about the 90 minuter buffer being broken up into three 30 minute buffers or one 60 minute buffer and one 30 minute buffer (depending on the length of the previous shows). D* touts it as a 90 minute buffer but it does not present itself that way on screen. Average users who don't come to this site IMHO aren't going to figure out the full functionality of this feature.

[Earl Bonovich]

And there should be a quick way to jump from one end of the 90 minute buffer to the other. It took me about 2 minutes to go from one end to the other last night, and then another 2 minutes to get back. Of course, the entire trick play feature needs much more work IMHO.

There is:

Hold down the Jump Back Button for 3 Seconds to go to the beginning
Hold down the Forward Advance Button for 3 Seconds to get to the end.

[Indiana627]

There is:

Hold down the Jump Back Button for 3 Seconds to go to the beginning
Hold down the Forward Advance Button for 3 Seconds to get to the end.
I did this but each time it would only take me to the beginning of each 30 minute buffer. Holding the jump back button down once I got to the beginning of each 30 minute buffer did not take me back to the previous buffer. I had to release the jump back button, then repress it to get to the beginning of each 30 minute buffer (it was three 30 minute shows in this case). Same thing in reverse with the forward advance button. And even then the progress bar would flash on and off a little changing from one buffer to the next. It was not a smooth process which is way it took a little bit to get all the way back to the beginning.

I do like your idea of D* adding a toggle to show either the full 90 minute buffer or the individual buffers like it currently is. Maybe even make it so each user can set their own default.

[veryoldschool]

I did this but each time it would only take me to the beginning of each 30 minute buffer. Holding the jump back button down once I got to the beginning of each 30 minute buffer did not take me back to the previous buffer. I had to release the jump back button, then repress it to get to the beginning of each 30 minute buffer (it was three 30 minute shows in this case). Same thing in reverse with the forward advance button. And even then the progress bar would flash on and off a little changing from one buffer to the next. It was not a smooth process which is way it took a little bit to get all the way back to the beginning.

I do like your idea of D* adding a toggle to show either the full 90 minute buffer or the individual buffers like it currently is. Maybe even make it so each user can set their own default.
What you're seeing is due to watching [or being tuned to] 30 min shows.
It goes back to the beginning of what you've been watching, be that a 30 min, 60 min, 90 min, or more.
I don't think it's "clunky" when it moves to the beginning of the program.
So if your program was longer than 30 min, you will see a longer progress bar.

[Indiana627]

What you're seeing is due to watching [or being tuned to] 30 min shows.
It goes back to the beginning of what you've been watching, be that a 30 min, 60 min, 90 min, or more.
I don't think it's "clunky" when it moves to the beginning of the program.
So if your program was longer than 30 min, you will see a longer progress bar.
I understand the buffer better now as I use it more and learn here. I just think that even if there was three 30 minute shows, you should still one 90 minute buffer. Or at least be given that option.