There's usually notification by the DVR if there's a "conflict" with an option to cancel the new request or the one in the to do list. You did not see one?
DirecTV's Manual Record implementation sucks
I have posted on this in the past, and I have seen other people complain about the manual record implementation. And I have seen lots of people try to say it isn't broken. Well, I just hit the case that bugs me so much about it, and I think it is broken.
here is the scenario:
Last week, I setup a Manual record for every sunday starting at 8:15PM for 4.5 hours. The goal is to record sunday night football. The manual record is #1 in the priority list.
Tonight, the NBC pregame runs from 7pm to 8:20pm in the guide. The football game starts at 8:20. (I swear the game started at 8:15 last week).
The manual recording spans multiple shows in the guide. I believe the DVR picks the first in the list as the target of the recording. in this case, the pregame (Sunday Night Football in America) is picked as the target.
There weren't any late games that were close that i was concerned about watching, so at 6:40pm, I pulled up the guide and navigated to the pregame show and hit record.
At about 7:15, I checked the TODO list. The manual recording for tonight's game wasn't listed. There is still an entry for NEXT sunday's game. but tonight's game is gone.
When I hit record for the pregame in the guide (from 7pm to 8:20pm), I believe the software looked at my TODO list and thought I was changing my Manual Recording. So the DVR canceled the manual recording that was scheduled to start at 8:15 and run for 4.5 hours, and replaced it with a recording from 7 to 8:20.
after 8:15, I checked the recording history. the manual recording shows up in the "history" as canceled with reason "This showing was canceled because it is already included in your series recording.(41)".
I think this clearly proves that DirecTV's Manual Recording implementation is using guide data to infer what is being recorded. And then the software is scheduling based on that. The DVR should NOT use the guide data for Manual Recordings except possibly giving the recording a "title".
A manual record should be stupid. If I tell the DVR to record on channel Z starting at time X and record for time Y, the DVR should do it. It should not try to map that recording to guide data. It should not try to be "smart" and infer what I am trying to record. It should not care what is in the guide data for this time. It should not care if the guide data changes. The DVR should record channel Z at time X for Y length of time. That is the whole purpose of a manual record. For whatever reason, I as the user did not want to use the guide data to schedule the recording. One reason people use manual recordings is because the guide data is wrong. Therefore the DVR shouldn't be using the guide data for Manual Recording.
HR20 running 0x5d2
here is the scenario:
Last week, I setup a Manual record for every sunday starting at 8:15PM for 4.5 hours. The goal is to record sunday night football. The manual record is #1 in the priority list.
Tonight, the NBC pregame runs from 7pm to 8:20pm in the guide. The football game starts at 8:20. (I swear the game started at 8:15 last week).
The manual recording spans multiple shows in the guide. I believe the DVR picks the first in the list as the target of the recording. in this case, the pregame (Sunday Night Football in America) is picked as the target.
There weren't any late games that were close that i was concerned about watching, so at 6:40pm, I pulled up the guide and navigated to the pregame show and hit record.
At about 7:15, I checked the TODO list. The manual recording for tonight's game wasn't listed. There is still an entry for NEXT sunday's game. but tonight's game is gone.
When I hit record for the pregame in the guide (from 7pm to 8:20pm), I believe the software looked at my TODO list and thought I was changing my Manual Recording. So the DVR canceled the manual recording that was scheduled to start at 8:15 and run for 4.5 hours, and replaced it with a recording from 7 to 8:20.
after 8:15, I checked the recording history. the manual recording shows up in the "history" as canceled with reason "This showing was canceled because it is already included in your series recording.(41)".
I think this clearly proves that DirecTV's Manual Recording implementation is using guide data to infer what is being recorded. And then the software is scheduling based on that. The DVR should NOT use the guide data for Manual Recordings except possibly giving the recording a "title".
A manual record should be stupid. If I tell the DVR to record on channel Z starting at time X and record for time Y, the DVR should do it. It should not try to map that recording to guide data. It should not try to be "smart" and infer what I am trying to record. It should not care what is in the guide data for this time. It should not care if the guide data changes. The DVR should record channel Z at time X for Y length of time. That is the whole purpose of a manual record. For whatever reason, I as the user did not want to use the guide data to schedule the recording. One reason people use manual recordings is because the guide data is wrong. Therefore the DVR shouldn't be using the guide data for Manual Recording.
HR20 running 0x5d2
1 - 20 of 25 Posts
drill, I have never seen the behavior in manually recordings that you have experienced in your post. I'm suspecting something else happened instead, and its not really due to D*'s implementation of manual recordings...I've been here since the original release of the H20 and HR20.
I manually record Jay Leno every monday. 11:35 to 12:35. It always records NBC from 11:35 to 12:35 even when the show schedule is delayed for tennis or the Olympics or whatever.
I've used Manual record for years.
Zero problems.
Zero problems.
But you do go into the guide and also select record on the Leno show as well?tonyd79 said:I manually record Jay Leno every monday. 11:35 to 12:35. It always records NBC from 11:35 to 12:35 even when the show schedule is delayed for tennis or the Olympics or whatever.
Ultimately he told the DVR to duplicate a recording and it shut it down. The OP either needs to change the manual recording and then not record any show during that time frame on NBC or he needs to just setup the program he wants to record with a buffer to not lose anything.
Twophases, There wasn't a conflict. There was only 1 thing recording from 8:15 to 8:20. Then I pressed record on the 7pm to 8:20 show, that just happened to be on the same channel. I personally believe that DirecTV is treating a record selected by hitting the record button the same as a "Manual Record" set in the series manager. It should NOT do this. Hitting Record in the guide, or on a currently running program should be treated differently. At the very least, DirecTV should ask what to do if there is any ambiguity with a manual recording.
CCarncross, I have been here since the early super buggy HR20 days too. check my posts. Just because you haven't experienced it, doesn't mean that it isn't a bug. For you to experience it, you have to do exactly what I did. If you don't do that, you will not see it.
Shades228, I think you are correct that DirecTV inferred that I was trying to record the same thing with my recurring "Manual Recording" and the press of the Record button. But the problem is, the DVR inferred incorrectly.
THIS IS MY POINT. THE DVR SHOULD NOT TRY TO INFER WHAT I AM TRYING TO RECORD WITH A MANUAL RECORDING. THE DVR SHOULD RECORD EXACTLY AS I TELL IT TO UNLESS I EXPLICITLY CANCEL THE RECORDING VIA AN ONSCREEN PROMPT, OR REMOVE IT FROM THE TODO LIST MANUALLY. (sorry for the yelling, but i don't think my point came across clearly before)
this isn't the first time this has happened. i did the exact same thing 2 years ago, only the game started at 8:15 then, and I setup the Manual Record for 8. This year, I knew DirecTV's Manual Recording algorithm had this bug, and that is why I setup the Manual Record to start at 8:15. Only this year, the games start in the guide at 8:20, not 8:15 (I didn't catch that when I looked at the guide last week). So essentially I exercised the same bug, with different times.
I know I can work around the bug since I know it exists. but why should I have to? How can anyone accept this as the right thing for the software to do?
I am baffled why there are so many apologist for DirecTV on this site. When DirecTV does good stuff, praise them. When they screw up, call them on it. Otherwise, the product doesn't get better.
CCarncross, I have been here since the early super buggy HR20 days too. check my posts. Just because you haven't experienced it, doesn't mean that it isn't a bug. For you to experience it, you have to do exactly what I did. If you don't do that, you will not see it.
Shades228, I think you are correct that DirecTV inferred that I was trying to record the same thing with my recurring "Manual Recording" and the press of the Record button. But the problem is, the DVR inferred incorrectly.
THIS IS MY POINT. THE DVR SHOULD NOT TRY TO INFER WHAT I AM TRYING TO RECORD WITH A MANUAL RECORDING. THE DVR SHOULD RECORD EXACTLY AS I TELL IT TO UNLESS I EXPLICITLY CANCEL THE RECORDING VIA AN ONSCREEN PROMPT, OR REMOVE IT FROM THE TODO LIST MANUALLY. (sorry for the yelling, but i don't think my point came across clearly before)
this isn't the first time this has happened. i did the exact same thing 2 years ago, only the game started at 8:15 then, and I setup the Manual Record for 8. This year, I knew DirecTV's Manual Recording algorithm had this bug, and that is why I setup the Manual Record to start at 8:15. Only this year, the games start in the guide at 8:20, not 8:15 (I didn't catch that when I looked at the guide last week). So essentially I exercised the same bug, with different times.
I know I can work around the bug since I know it exists. but why should I have to? How can anyone accept this as the right thing for the software to do?
I am baffled why there are so many apologist for DirecTV on this site. When DirecTV does good stuff, praise them. When they screw up, call them on it. Otherwise, the product doesn't get better.
If a series is set up, and a Manual record does go into the series manager, and you press the record button while the same show is on, it turns the series OFF.
I do this quite often on shows I want to delay the recording of and then press the record button on a later time.
Yes, I know the recorder is supposed to handle that for us, I just choose to manually do it and know before hand that it is taken care of. It only takes a few seconds.
I do this quite often on shows I want to delay the recording of and then press the record button on a later time.
Yes, I know the recorder is supposed to handle that for us, I just choose to manually do it and know before hand that it is taken care of. It only takes a few seconds.
No I don't. I use the dvr as it works. Why would I set up a manual recording and a guide one for the same program."Shades228" said:But you do go into the guide and also select record on the Leno show as well?
Ultimately he told the DVR to duplicate a recording and it shut it down. The OP either needs to change the manual recording and then not record any show during that time frame on NBC or he needs to just setup the program he wants to record with a buffer to not lose anything.
And after his swipe at the site and other posters, I'm not going to test it either.
drill-
Inferences have many problems both mechanically and in the written word.
Short line is to understand what the unit does, not how you think it should. So don't mess with Record if it's doing what it was told to do.
Inferences have many problems both mechanically and in the written word.
Short line is to understand what the unit does, not how you think it should. So don't mess with Record if it's doing what it was told to do.
TwoPhases said:There's usually notification by the DVR if there's a "conflict" with an option to cancel the new request or the one in the to do list. You did not see one?
CCarncross said:drill, I have never seen the behavior in manually recordings that you have experienced in your post. I'm suspecting something else happened instead, and its not really due to D*'s implementation of manual recordings...I've been here since the original release of the H20 and HR20.
tonyd79 said:I manually record Jay Leno every monday. 11:35 to 12:35. It always records NBC from 11:35 to 12:35 even when the show schedule is delayed for tennis or the Olympics or whatever.
davidatl14 said:I've used Manual record for years. Zero problems.
There is little to be baffled about.drill said:Twophases, There wasn't a conflict. There was only 1 thing recording from 8:15 to 8:20. Then I pressed record on the 7pm to 8:20 show, that just happened to be on the same channel. I personally believe that DirecTV is treating a record selected by hitting the record button the same as a "Manual Record" set in the series manager. It should NOT do this.
I am baffled why there are so many apologist for DirecTV on this site. When DirecTV does good stuff, praise them. When they screw up, call them on it. Otherwise, the product doesn't get better.
It would seem Manual Recording works just fine as designed for many people - and nothing that anyone is apologizing for...
What this thread appears to be is one user's assessment of how they would prefer Manual recording to work, in contrast to how is actually works.
Nothing wrong with that at all...but "right and wrong" methods are clearly only individual opinions.
I cannot reproduce.
I setup a manual recording starting at 9:35 this morning.
I also picked from the guide the show that starts at 9 and the show that starts at 10. Bit hour long shows.
All three recorded.
I also experimented with Leno last night. Both recorded. Same starting time.
System is on NR. HR21-100.
What system was the problem on. Either something was done that is. It recalled or something changed or different software.
Did the guide data change at all?
I setup a manual recording starting at 9:35 this morning.
I also picked from the guide the show that starts at 9 and the show that starts at 10. Bit hour long shows.
All three recorded.
I also experimented with Leno last night. Both recorded. Same starting time.
System is on NR. HR21-100.
What system was the problem on. Either something was done that is. It recalled or something changed or different software.
Did the guide data change at all?
You changed it when you told it to also record ten same thing on the same channel at the same time. It won't ever let you set it to record the same show under two different recordings at the same time when you tell it to do that. It did it based on your second request to record it, not guide data.
Personally, I don't understand why you'd use a manual recording for this purpose anyway. There is a much simpler approach to catching every Sunday night football game...
AALL EVENTS CCHANS 4 & Sports & Football
Assumes your NBC channel is 4
The sports and football are the categories you choose after doing a keyword search for the first part. It will catch a few notere dame games, but that's easy enough to erase.
Personally, I don't understand why you'd use a manual recording for this purpose anyway. There is a much simpler approach to catching every Sunday night football game...
AALL EVENTS CCHANS 4 & Sports & Football
Assumes your NBC channel is 4
The sports and football are the categories you choose after doing a keyword search for the first part. It will catch a few notere dame games, but that's easy enough to erase.
I wonder if he had something else recording on the other tuner?"tonyd79" said:I cannot reproduce.
I setup a manual recording starting at 9:35 this morning.
I also picked from the guide the show that starts at 9 and the show that starts at 10. Bit hour long shows.
All three recorded.
I also experimented with Leno last night. Both recorded. Same starting time.
System is on NR. HR21-100.
What system was the problem on. Either something was done that is. It recalled or something changed or different software.
Did the guide data change at all?
Should it matter whether your live or recording on the other tuner?inkahauts said:I wonder if he had something else recording on the other tuner?
There should be some evidence that a battlefield decision was made to butch off a recording.
Shouldn't matter. Directv DVRs share the tuner for a channel if the channel is the same. With overlaps and extended start and stop times, you can get more than 2 programs recording on a standard dvr at the same time."inkahauts" said:I wonder if he had something else recording on the other tuner?
this is EXACTLY what i would expect the DVR to do in this case. It should recognize that my MANUAL recording is recording past the scheduled time in the guide. Therefore, it may be recording a different show. In that case, pressing record on the show in the guide should NOT result in canceling the MANUAL record. when the overlap occurs, record both from the same tuner.tonyd79 said:Shouldn't matter. Directv DVRs share the tuner for a channel if the channel is the same. With overlaps and extended start and stop times, you can get more than 2 programs recording on a standard dvr at the same time.
again ... users here suggest ways to get around the problem, but don't acknowledge that the implementation is broken. if the implementation wasn't broken, a "workaround" wouldn't be needed. :nono2:
why would anyone EXPECT that a MANUAL recording would in any way rely on or use guide data? the reason a user goes through the trouble of setting up a MANUAL recording is to subvert the guide data, and instead do a dumb recording on a specific channel at a specific time.
Did you miss the part where I posted that I did EXACTLY that and it recorded everything?drill said:this is EXACTLY what i would expect the DVR to do in this case. It should recognize that my MANUAL recording is recording past the scheduled time in the guide. Therefore, it may be recording a different show. In that case, pressing record on the show in the guide should NOT result in canceling the MANUAL record. when the overlap occurs, record both from the same tuner.
I set a manual record for 9:35 to 10:35. I then selected from the guide the 9:00 show and the 10:00 show (both were hour long shows). I wound up with THREE items in my list. Both shows plus a one hour block of manual recording tagged with the 9:00 show's name.
Did you do something else that you have not told us? Because I did exactly what you said you did.
Yep, no work arounds, no back door tricks, just set the MR properly and absolutely zero problems in years.
Manual record working as intended on both my DVR's. Tested it out last night.
1 - 20 of 25 Posts
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