[Z3man]

hi all,

i was just wondering how reliable peoples freesat pvr's are at recording when using the auto option rather than the timed recording option where you can add padding to the beginning and end.

after reading these forums i get the impression that most people use the timed option with padding because they don't trust the broadcasters to send out the correct information to stop and start recordings thats needed when using the auto option.

would i be right in thinking that when using the timed option with a few minutes padding at the start and end, if say the formula one grand prix ran over by one hour that i would miss the end of it, whereas if i was using the auto option it would carry on recording providing the broadcaster sent out the correct info.

the reason i ask this question is that i own the echostar hds-600rs and have been giving it a bit of a slagging off due to some failed recordings when using the auto option. most of the tests i did were during the night in the early hours of the morning, i would set up about eight recordings before i went to bed and check them in the morning and had quite a few failures. but now i am beginning to think that it might not all be down to the box and could be down to the broadcasters, how likely are the broadcasters to send out the correct recording info during the night on all the lesser channels and plus one channels. when i am just recording the the odd programme on prime time tv i don't seem to get any failures, just sometimes a few seconds missed off the beginning or end. so i am trying to work out if its all down to the box or is it the broadcasters as well, am i being unfair on echostar.

i would be interested to hear from Humax and Panasonic owners as these boxes seem to be the benchmark in reliability.


thanks

[Jepson]

The only time I to have a problem is with Channel 4 and More 4.

They seem to be incapable of getting the end time correct.

Other than that I find it almost 100% reliable. Offhand I can only remember missing the end few seconds of a couple of programmes over two and a half years. I mainly watch BBC and Film4.

[Night Watchman]

I never use padding and have had hardly any problems on my Humax PVR except on the odd occasion when I have missed a few seconds - I put this down to human error by the broadcasters. I have lost the odd couple of minutes here and there due to conflicts caused by late night overruns when I wasn't around to take action. Despite flagging these recordings with the 'failed recording' thumbnail the recordings were fully playable.

[Flyer 10]

The only problem Ive ever had is with football games going to ET and ITV not updating the timings, I was watching live but would have missed ET and pens.

C4 usually have 2-4 mins of ads before the program starts but apart from that, its been very, very reliable. More reliable than adding 5 mins at the start and end because a lot of programs overrun more than that.

[Z3man]

cheers guys.

so it seems like the broadcasters do send out the correct recording info 99% of the time, so if people have failed recordings it must be due to the boxes.

i have just loaded the latest software on to my echostar so hopefully no more recording failures, only time will tell. but from reading your answers it certainly seems like it was my box at fault rather than the broadcasters.

[dazbear]

Spot on to the first note of the theme tune usually!

E4 often a minute or two before.

[stanandjan]

Never used padding once..as
The majority of mine are back to back for 4 programmes every night for nearly 2 years..
Once or twice a month i lose a minute or so but the Dinner hour ones are such that the wonderful Thumb is almost always the same picture..
I am building up a Portfolio of HD films on the Panny USB and have found in 2 months that i have to pad the start times by some 3 minutes to avoid losing the opening James Bond themes etc..

[Flyer 10]

Originally Posted by Z3man

cheers guys.

so it seems like the broadcasters do send out the correct recording info 99% of the time, so if people have failed recordings it must be due to the boxes.

i have just loaded the latest software on to my echostar so hopefully no more recording failures, only time will tell. but from reading your answers it certainly seems like it was my box at fault rather than the broadcasters.

I think youll only have a problem with ITV and football matches that can overrun by 45 mins if theres a possibility of ET and pens.

Apart from that, its been perfect for me for a long, long time.

[Z3man]

Originally Posted by Jepson

The only time I to have a problem is with Channel 4 and More 4.

They seem to be incapable of getting the end time correct.

Other than that I find it almost 100% reliable. Offhand I can only remember missing the end few seconds of a couple of programmes over two and a half years. I mainly watch BBC and Film4.

i think you might be right about channel 4, i set up ten recordings last night to test my box and i had three failures where the end of the programme was missed off and were all from C4 and E4.

[nexstar]

Originally Posted by Z3man

i think you might be right about channel 4, i set up ten recordings last night to test my box and i had three failures where the end of the programme was missed off and were all from C4 and E4.

I guess it would be an easy test to list, say, 10 recordings to be carried out overnight a couple of nights in advance and see what results users get on the different hardware. I guess the local channels would need to be excluded but, other than that, should be a fair comparison.

The problem is, this feels far too geeky for a hot Sunday morning!

[gomezz]

The main problem lies with the broadcasters not with the recorders.

[Z3man]

Originally Posted by gomezz

The main problem lies with the broadcasters not with the recorders.

is that right?, thats what we are trying to find out, thats why i started this thread. any info would be welcome, which box do you have and what channels do you have the most problems with.

[Z3man]

Originally Posted by nexstar

I guess it would be an easy test to list, say, 10 recordings to be carried out overnight a couple of nights in advance and see what results users get on the different hardware. I guess the local channels would need to be excluded but, other than that, should be a fair comparison.

The problem is, this feels far too geeky for a hot Sunday morning!

sounds like a good idea to me as you own the humax. post a list of the recordings you think we should set up (as many as you like) and we shall compare notes afterwards. i wont be able to check mine till the evening though after i finish work.

you never know other people might join in.

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by Z3man

sounds like a good idea to me as you own the humax. post a list of the recordings you think we should set up (as many as you like) and we shall compare notes afterwards. i wont be able to check mine till the evening though after i finish work.

you never know other people might join in.

I'm game, I can also record same from Freeview (single tuner only for freeview+). Trouble with overnight with Humax boxes is it messes with the housekeeping which might influence the results.

[gomezz]

What may be interesting is if you pick recordings which back to back on different channels and which many overrun or start early, This will sort the men out from the boys as to how they handle that situation by rescheduling an alternate showing, starting the new recording late (if at all) or cutting off the current recording.

[Z3man]

Originally Posted by grahamlthompson

I'm game, I can also record same from Freeview (single tuner only for freeview+). Trouble with overnight with Humax boxes is it messes with the housekeeping which might influence the results.

ok we could do day time recordings as well, i was just doing it overnight so it didn't interfere with my daytime and evening viewing. but im back at work tomorrow so it doesn't matter now.

graham, you are obviously very knowledgeable on these matters, do you want to make up a list of the recordings you think we should set up and would be a fair test.

[TimmyRaa]

Very.

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by Z3man

ok we could do day time recordings as well, i was just doing it overnight so it didn't interfere with my daytime and evening viewing. but im back at work tomorrow so it doesn't matter now.

graham, you are obviously very knowledgeable on these matters, do you want to make up a list of the recordings you think we should set up and would be a fair test.

I rarely record anything from other than the main psb channels and these are generally very reliable apart from the odd glitch like Eastenders switching channels due to the tennis this week. Best to choose at least some content from the duffers, others will have better ideas. From my point of view a time slot of 7am to 1pm would be ideal. Additionally my Freeview+ channels currently restricted to the psb SD and HD mux channels as the commercial mux are still too low power to get from Lark Stoke.

I would also suggest setting things up so that a tuner is required to follow up an ITV recording with an another channel. On the hdr at least recording on ITV terminates with AR after the ads after the programme finishes. This often results in the follow up recording being slightly truncated at the beginning. Interesting to see how other pvrs cope.

[nexstar]

Originally Posted by grahamlthompson

Trouble with overnight with Humax boxes is it messes with the housekeeping which might influence the results.

I guess that could be a test within a test. My hdr is on 24/7 so it would be interesting to see if the housekeeping causes any issues. Not that many people are routinely recording programs at 3am of course!

I'm not best qualified to say what would be the most exacting tests but I'm happy to carry them out at pretty much any time of day ( except for peak viewing hours ).

[Z3man]

ok i will make a list later today, i will start the list from about midnight tonight and spread the recordings through till about 4pm tomorrow, then we can post our results tomorrow evening, how does that sound.

what times should i avoid to avoid the humax houskeeping.

i will not just pick loads of worst case scenarios to try to confuse the boxes but i will try back to back recordings on one channel while recording another channel. the main objective of this exercise is to find out if the broadcasters are sending out the correct recording info not the push the boxes to their limit and try and force errors so i will keep it a fairly simple test.

we can always try some further test later.

i am not very technical and sometimes cant fully understand the scenarios you come up with so i am keeping it fairly simple.

[nexstar]

Originally Posted by Z3man

what times should i avoid to avoid the humax houskeeping.

The housekeeping is carried out at 3am but it would probably be good to include something around there so that we can see if the hdr deals with it ok for those that are in standby mode (and so will be doing housekeeping) and those, like mine, which won't be doing any housekeeping.

[Z3man]

ok will include some around 3am, i will put the list up this evening around 7pm.

i was going to make the list up mainly of the bbc, itv, C4 group and C5 channels, are there any other channels you want me to include.

[d'@ve]

I haven't had any recordings this year when Freesat on Auto failed to correct for a delayed programme end, but I have had a failure on the Sky EPG - Eurovision Song Contest if I recall correctly. Freesat corrected but Sky did not (both on Auto).

Weird!

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by Z3man

ok i will make a list later today, i will start the list from about midnight tonight and spread the recordings through till about 4pm tomorrow, then we can post our results tomorrow evening, how does that sound.

what times should i avoid to avoid the humax houskeeping.

i will not just pick loads of worst case scenarios to try to confuse the boxes but i will try back to back recordings on one channel while recording another channel. the main objective of this exercise is to find out if the broadcasters are sending out the correct recording info not the push the boxes to their limit and try and force errors so i will keep it a fairly simple test.

we can always try some further test later.

i am not very technical and sometimes cant fully understand the scenarios you come up with so i am keeping it fairly simple.

OK here if you include C5 lunchtime neighbours and home and away (already on series link) to keep the better half happy

[Z3man]

Originally Posted by grahamlthompson

OK here if you include C5 lunchtime neighbours and home and away (already on series link) to keep the better half happy

will do.

anyone else, i am going out now will be back about seven.