[keithki]

Does anyone else have the problem of using trick play and then trying to get back to live tv?

I supposed only those of you with 2 receivers would notice. I did a split screen between the H20 and a DirecTivo and once I paused or rewound, "live tv" was actually some 5-10 seconds behind (what was shown on the DirecTivo). The only way to get REAL live, is to switch channels and then switch back.

This doesn't really bother me for normal sitcom programming and such, but when watching sports, I like to be live so that I don't hear my neighbors cheering 10 seconds before I see what happens.

Keith

P.S. I just received my H20 today, so forgive me if this issue has already been discussed. Though, I searched and found nothing.

 

[mtnagel]

Yep. I discovered that. I wrote about it in this post - http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=698746&postcount=8

You can always just use the jump to live trick and then FF for a second or so until it truly catches up to live. I thought it was weird, but you can clearly see the line is not all the way at the end of the bar.

 

[keithki]

I tried that, but I've only been successful when changing the channel and then back again. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? I'd love it if I could get to live and keep my buffer (without hitting record, that is)

Keith

 

[pattcap]

Does anyone else have the problem of using trick play and then trying to get back to live tv?

I supposed only those of you with 2 receivers would notice. I did a split screen between the H20 and a DirecTivo and once I paused or rewound, "live tv" was actually some 5-10 seconds behind (what was shown on the DirecTivo). The only way to get REAL live, is to switch channels and then switch back.

This doesn't really bother me for normal sitcom programming and such, but when watching sports, I like to be live so that I don't hear my neighbors cheering 10 seconds before I see what happens.

Keith

P.S. I just received my H20 today, so forgive me if this issue has already been discussed. Though, I searched and found nothing.

With Plain old D*, the D* feeds were always about 5-7 seconds behind the feed coming from the cable company.
The signals travel at the speed of light, but it is a long way from broadcaster to the bird in the sky, back to D*, back to another bird in the sky to your dish where it is converted.
The HD signals go through a couple more conversion / encoding / decoding steps and that is why they are more like 15 seconds or so behind.
At least, that is what I think it is....LOL

 

[PoitNarf]

This doesn't really bother me for normal sitcom programming and such, but when watching sports, I like to be live so that I don't hear my neighbors cheering 10 seconds before I see what happens.

Well if your neighbor is getting their signal via cable or OTA, then it will still happen. Takes about 1/2 a second (I think?) for the signal to be bounced up to the sat and then back to you., and as pattcap mentioned above there are many other things happening that cause a delay in the transmission. Also here in NY at least, I have noticed that the MPEG4 local channels are lagged about 5 seconds behind the MPEG2 local channels. It is odd that your HR20 won't go back to the live broadcast though, even if it is just a couple seconds. This may be the case with mine too; I've never tested this with mine.

 

[tiger2005]

The same thing happens to mine. The only way to tell is to see the green buffer after your white 'Play' line. It must be a bug in their software.

 

[keithki]

It is odd that your HR20 won't go back to the live broadcast though, even if it is just a couple seconds.

That's just it though. I don't mind a couple seconds--since 1999, I came to terms with the fact that DirecTV signals and even the very first tivo boxes were a bit behind cable and OTA. But with the HR20, the 5-10 secs are more significant.

However, I'm starting to get used to just changing channels. It hasn't been too much of a hassle so far.

 

[bonscott87]

Also note that any DVR will always be a few seconds behind a non DVR unit because of the recording buffer.

So you have the following delays:
1) OTA is about as live as you can get
2) OTA HD is about 2-3 seconds behind live (extra decoding/encoding at the station), could be more if your station has crappy equipment.
3) DirecTV of that same station on a non-DVR box is about 2-3 seconds more delay due to distance of signal travelling
4) And then on a DVR it's usually another 2-3 seconds.

Add that all up and you easily get around a 10 second "delay" behind "live OTA", perhaps more. Just the way it is, welcome to technology.

 

[fdeitz]

3) DirecTV of that same station on a non-DVR box is about 2-3 seconds more delay due to distance of signal travelling

Radio waves travel at the speed of light - 186,000 miles per second. I'd say up and down to the satellite might account for maybe 1/4 second delay at most (if the satellite is in geosynchronous orbit of about 23,000 miles).

 

[bonscott87]

Radio waves travel at the speed of light - 186,000 miles per second. I'd say up and down to the satellite might account for maybe 1/4 second delay at most (if the satellite is in geosynchronous orbit of about 23,000 miles).

Yes, the satellite travel itself is only about 1/2 second. But your're forgetting the signal getting to DirecTV uplink centers in the first place and then encoded and compressed and whatnot before even being sent up to the sat and back down to you. HD will incur probably a bit more delay with the encoding equipment. All told every little quarter to half second delay here and there adds up.

I'm just stating the facts of it. Your sat signal is 2-3 second delay from OTA "live". Nothing changes that fact. It's really easy to see if you have an antenna. Cable also has a bit of a delay over OTA for the exact same reason but it isn't as much as sat due to not having to travel up the sat stream and back.

 

[fdeitz]

Yes, the satellite travel itself is only about 1/2 second. But your're forgetting the signal getting to DirecTV uplink centers in the first place and then encoded and compressed and whatnot before even being sent up to the sat and back down to you. HD will incur probably a bit more delay with the encoding equipment. All told every little quarter to half second delay here and there adds up.

I'm just stating the facts of it. Your sat signal is 2-3 second delay from OTA "live". Nothing changes that fact. It's really easy to see if you have an antenna. Cable also has a bit of a delay over OTA for the exact same reason but it isn't as much as sat due to not having to travel up the sat stream and back.

All I said was traveling up and back to the satellite only accounts for 1/4 second of the delay. I did NOT say that there should only be a 1/4 second delay total! It was stated that "2-3 seconds more delay due to distance of signal travelling" which is not true. Delay due to signal travelling is maybe 1/2 second at most to be generous.

 

[tiorio]

Umm, wasn't the original post comparing the HD20 to a DirectTivo? So both signals are coming from the samne sattelite and should have the same delay? But the HR20 is behind by seconds.

I only say that becuase I have the same problem, which requires changing channels, to get back to 'true' live (as live as my DirectTivo). Really annoying...

 

[bonscott87]

I don't get why it matters. "Live" is whatever time it is you are watching. You wouldn't know a difference unless you're watching from another source at the same time and why would you be doing that? Who cares if it's a couple seconds off.

 

[NFLnut]

Aside from being unable to get the REPLAY function to work most of the time without it locking up, this is my second-most hated annoyance with this box! Have you noticed that if you use the 30s SLIP button (by holding it down) that it will play the same sequence of frames and audio every time?

I have this box, and use three other DirecTiVos to feed TVs throughout the house, and have several screens in addition to my DLP in my main room that I use to watch games. Because of this it is EXTREMELY frustrating that I can't get this thing back to Live! Especially if I happen to go to another room for a minute or two, and the DirecTiVo is 30secs ahead of the HR20!

The reason I have to rely on that many TiVos (instead of say, two) is because there is currently no way to switch between the two tuners on the HR20. If we had dual live buffers, that would reduce the amount of frustration!

 

[NFLnut]

With Plain old D*, the D* feeds were always about 5-7 seconds behind the feed coming from the cable company.
The signals travel at the speed of light, but it is a long way from broadcaster to the bird in the sky, back to D*, back to another bird in the sky to your dish where it is converted.
The HD signals go through a couple more conversion / encoding / decoding steps and that is why they are more like 15 seconds or so behind.
At least, that is what I think it is....LOL

That's not the problem being addressed here. It is a software bug on the HR20!

 

[NFLnut]

Umm, wasn't the original post comparing the HD20 to a DirectTivo? So both signals are coming from the samne sattelite and should have the same delay? But the HR20 is behind by seconds.

I only say that becuase I have the same problem, which requires changing channels, to get back to 'true' live (as live as my DirectTivo). Really annoying...

Finally .. someone who understand the complaint of the original poster ..

With the DirecTiVo, you press the "Back to Live" button and it goes to the very end of the buffer, in other words, back to "Live." With the HR20, you press and hold the "30s SLIP" button (which is THEIR answer to the TiVo 'Back to Live' button) and it jumps to anywhere from 10-30 seconds behind the end of the buffer. So then, you have to keep pressing the FF button until it gets to the end of the buffer! Even then, it sometimes wants to stop just short of the end of the buffer.

It shouldn't take 47 button presses and two minutes of workarounds to get this machine to do what the initial button press should do instantly! Especially if you're watching a football game, because then you've missed a minute or two of action!

 

[paulman182]

I'm sorry, folks, but none of the noticeable delay is due to the distance travelled--it is all in the encoding/decoding, etc. equipment.

The signals travel 186,300 miles per second. That means it could travel the distance to the satellite and back four times in less than one second.