Using the 721 Quirks

[Nightmare]

I'm playing around with my 721 to try and avoid conflicts when I want to record something "important".  This is the first test I did.

Set a Timer to record Channel 120 at 2:00pm

Set another timer to record Channel 121 at 2:00pm

Tuned the Sat to channel 122

At about 5 minutes (not 3) before the timers the clock icon showed up

When the timers fired a message showed up saying:

Launching a timer but the main and pip are in use. Please select an option to continue

Timer :  2:00 - 3:00 HIST - 120

Running: 2:00 - 3:00 HIST - 121

1) Use MAIN to record (The default option)

2) Stop current running timer

3) Cancel this timer

With "DONE" "CANCEL" and "HELP" buttons at the bottom.  The cursor was resting on DONE.  After 40 seconds the main tuned to channel 120 and started to record.  I guess this action is taken by default in case the TV or PVR is off.  It would suck to miss a show because you had the Sat tuned to another channel.

 

While these were both recording it was easy to press the PVR button and view any of the show I had saved.  It was just a little more work to watch either of the channels I was recording.  In order to switch from the main to the second, I had to open the pip and swap them.  It would not let me just tune to the other channel.  If I tried to change channels it prompted me that this could only be done in LIVE mode.  And asked if I wanted to switch to LIVE mode.  Switching to live mode stopped the recording that was taking place.  I assume I could control which one I wanted to end by viewing that one before switching to live mode.

My next test will be to setup back to back recordings with the 1 and 3 minute overruns in place.  I'm guessing I will miss the first 3 minutes of the second show.

[TomCat]

I think the ergonomics are poorly thought through on the 721...especially for a product that lived as vaporware for a long, long time.

I think it would be easier to understand if they used a "two recorder" paradigm. For instance they could refer to "Tuner A" and "Tuner B". "Main" and "Pip" doesn't cut it, because if you switch the pip, then the names change, the tuners may or may not follow, and it gets confusing. If I knew what "Tuner A" and "Tuner B" were doing, and I knew what was being shown (tuner a or b) in the main and pip windows, it would make more sense when I'm only recording one event yet the 721 claims it can't do something like change channels without stopping the recording. Not being able to change channels without stopping the recording makes absolutely no sense on a unit with two independent tuners/recorders.