[sriggins]

We're coming into week 1 of our new DTV service with our HR34. So far, things are working really well. We're noticing two little issues, and are wondering how best to resolve them.

We notice that shows which are set to record back to back on the same channel often record overlapping video. So at the end of show A, we'll see 2 mins of show B. Then when we watch show B, it'll have the same 2 mins at the beginning. This is not an issue per se, but we're wondering if this is making the DVR use two tuners, and if so, why?

Secondly, we're noticing that some shows, on channels like ABC and CBS, are clipped 20-30 seconds at the start. We have 2-3 things being recorded. Is there lag in starting 2-3 shows? I could change all shows to start 1 min early, but I do not know the DVR software that well yet to know what side effects that will have in terms of overlapping recordings.

Thanks!

 

[litzdog911]

Yes, seems to be a common issue with the HR34. Mine always starts recording a minute or two later than my HR2x HD DVRs.

Note, however, that you can usually back up (rewind) slightly and catch the beginning of the show.

 

[spartanstew]

The majority of the time it's because shows start early. For example, a show scheduled to start at 9:00, actually starts at 8:59. That's why you see the beginning of it at the end of your previous show.

Additionally, the receivers automatically pay the beginnings of shows (if tuners are available) to try and compensate for this. That's why when a show starts playing, you can usually rewind a minute or two and catch the beginning if it started early.

 

[Jerry_K]

Ours clips the start of shows. And there is no rewind available to see the beginning I would not like to have to go and put padding on 70 series passes. There is always a couple minutes extra at the end. I like that. Now if we just had a couple minutes on the front.

 

[Steve]

We're coming into week 1 of our new DTV service with our HR34. So far, things are working really well. We're noticing two little issues, and are wondering how best to resolve them.

We notice that shows which are set to record back to back on the same channel often record overlapping video. So at the end of show A, we'll see 2 mins of show B. Then when we watch show B, it'll have the same 2 mins at the beginning. This is not an issue per se, but we're wondering if this is making the DVR use two tuners, and if so, why?

Secondly, we're noticing that some shows, on channels like ABC and CBS, are clipped 20-30 seconds at the start. We have 2-3 things being recorded. Is there lag in starting 2-3 shows? I could change all shows to start 1 min early, but I do not know the DVR software that well yet to know what side effects that will have in terms of overlapping recordings.

Thanks!

Do you put your HR34 in standby when you're not using it? I've seen reports from folks who don't that the clock drifts up to one minute per day. I always put my HR34 in standby when I'm not watching it, and I have no HR-induced recording start time issues. FOX here in NYC does have a nasty habit of sometimes starting things a half-minute early, however.

If a tuner is free before or after a scheduled recording, the HRs will automatically pre-pad and/or post-pad that recording by 90 seconds. If back-to-back recordings are on the same tuner, only one tuner is used for the overlapping recordings.

Pre-padded recordings will cue at 0:00 for playback, because that's the "scheduled" start time. That's usually not the true beginning of the recording, though. So if you're missing some of the show start, hit RW and go back to the -0:30 second mark.

 

[Jerry_K]

FWIW, we never put ours in other than full on mode. Never have with any other DVR.

If we MUST and I do mean MUST, turn them off and turn them on I guess I will program that into the Macros. The more things that have to happen, the more likelihood momma will wave or put down the remote before all the signals get to the equipment. TV and Receiver are OK so far.

 

[Steve]

FWIW, we never put ours in other than full on mode. Never have with any other DVR.

Ya. I suspect the "clock drifting" when not in standby is a temporary bug that will get fixed in a future release. And that's if, in fact, it's a universal issue. I haven't confirmed it, because I use the DirecTV remote to power off my TV, which powers off the HR34 at the same time.

 

[kwint1]

how do you put it in stanby mode?

I just hit the off button (not power) turning off DVR and tv

 

[Steve]

how do you put it in stanby mode?

I just hit the off button (not power) turning off DVR and tv

Yup. That's standby.

When it's in that mode, I think the DVR software knows you're not watching it, so it's OK to run some housekeeping tasks, which might include synchronizing the clock more often. Just my theory. I don't know this for a fact.

 

[Jerry_K]

What do you do to turn the Receiver on and off? Use the switch and two button pushes? Then back to DVR and two button pushes again?

 

[Steve]

What do you do to turn the Receiver on and off? Use the switch and two button pushes? Then back to DVR and two button pushes again?

On the HR2x remotes, the OFF button turns off the TV and puts the DVR in standby. If you look at the remote, you'll see it flashes two IR commands with one push.

The PWR button just puts the DVR in standby.

 

[Jerry_K]

On the HR2x remotes, the OFF button turns off the TV and puts the DVR in standby. If you look at the remote, you'll see it flashes two IR commands with one push.

The PWR button just puts the DVR in standby.

I have done that. Does no good when you have the second part of HD Audio on a receiver.

HD DVR with no Dolby capability makes no sense to me.

So we have a receiver to turn on and off too.

That said I put those two white bricks away as they confuse my lovely wife. We use two AR Touch universals. Best universal I have ever had.

What I don't want to do is get too complicated and have my lovely wife get things out of sync on turn on turn off. Multiple sends take time to accomplish. She does not hold the remote still. For her it is push a button and it better happen in two microseconds because I can guarantee the remote is no longer pointed at the equipment.

I know this is my problem. And part of my solution is to not turn the DVRs on and off.

I guess I will just bite the bullet and sit here and add some time at the beginning of the series links. Then I don't have to guess that just turning the DVR on and off will make a hill of beans anyway.

 

[sriggins]

Thanks! That is so odd, but yeah we can jump back and catch the pre-pad.

So all is well!

 

[Steve]

I guess I will just bite the bullet and sit here and add some time at the beginning of the series links. Then I don't have to guess that just turning the DVR on and off will make a hill of beans anyway.

Going forward, you can change your "recording defaults" to pre-pad by a minute. It will only work for new SLs created after the change, though, AFAIK. It's not "conditional", like the automatic 30 second pre-pad. Doing that will force those recordings to intrude into the previous hour, which might cause some conflicts. Not really an issue on the HR34 with 5 tuners, but could be problematic on an HR2x.

 

[TomCat]

...I know this is my problem. And part of my solution is to not turn the DVRs on and off...I don't have to guess that just turning the DVR on and off will make a hill of beans anyway.

It really doesn't matter. (was that a Casablanca reference?) "Standby" is not very different at all from "On". The DVR still does everything in the background that it does normally.

This includes the NTP daemon, which either requests and resets the time regularly, or sets it due to a timed packet initiated by the uplink at regular intervals (probably the latter in DBS, as that is primarily a one-way service). NTP is tiny and can be on virtually every transponder making it available at all times. That daemon runs as a service and can theoretically spontaneously quit leaving the rest of the OS running intact, so if you have time creep issues restarting the DVR will also restart that service and is probably the first thing to try.

A DVR prioritizes tasks, meaning if a task with a higher priority comes along (responding to a remote; starting a recording) tasks with lower priority (NTP reset, background indexing) are briefly asked to wait their turn, not aborted. That means that in standby you are actually more likely to have background tasks completed and not interfered with than if the DVR was on, rather than less likely. But really, neither mode will prevent the DVR from doing what it needs to.

A DVR not in standby (which primarily means it no longer mutes the video and audio outputs and some front panel indicator lights) does have a few other things to consider, such as whether someone might actually be watching the current channel. In that case it keeps that tuner on that channel if possible, and puts up dialog warnings if it needs to change the channel. In standby it obviously does not need to do those things, but even not in standby most other tasks are not deferred, especially since the other tuner is available for downloads, etc. In fact having 2 tuners is as much to simplify DVR background tasks as it is for the convenience of the user. One of the reasons "DoublePlay" times out after 2 hours is to give that tuner back to the OS so it can get updates seamlessly in the background once again.

Bottom line, A DVR never put in standby will operate just as well as one always put in standby; the only difference is that you will save a few watts.

BTW, it sounds like you are a lucky man. Leave 'em on; make it simple for both of you. There is no down side.

 

[Jerry_K]

Thanks Tomcat.

I did check a couple recordings and found some initial material ahead of the start point. So maybe it is a sometimes rather than always glitch.

And I will leave them on. We don't pay any utilities so I could care less about watts. Never cared when I did pay directly either.

 

[makaiguy]

Excellent information-laden post, TomCat.

 

[TBlazer07]

Ours clips the start of shows. And there is no rewind available to see the beginning I would not like to have to go and put padding on 70 series passes. There is always a couple minutes extra at the end. I like that. Now if we just had a couple minutes on the front.

I simply set up all the SL's to "start 1 minute early." The "auto padding" isn't always enough time for me especially since some shows start early anyway which makes it worse. I seem to vary from 20-40 seconds slow by the end of the day on the original N/R as well as the current one (04C9). With 5 tuners the "1 minute early" is never an issue. Maybe the next N/R will fix it.

 

[mgroups]

All recordings have been starting late for the past week or so on both units. The clock on the HR20 guide screen is 45 seconds slow. Rebooting does not fix it.

 

[Racer88]

Wow, it's like deja vu, all over again...

This is nothing new. Every model they've ever made has the same flaw. Their hack code monkeys have put in some more of their half arsed code as a half arsed fix for this over the years, but like pretty much everything else they touch it's just that, HALF ARSED..

It speaks volumes when they keep churning out timing dependant devices that CANNOT do the ONE THING that is most important, and fundamental to it's proper operation. KEEPING PROPER TIME!:nono2::nono2::nono2: