For the last ten days or so I've noticed that ITV1 Accurate-Recording (AR) has not been working as normal on the programmes I record plus a couple of test recordings. Normally ITV1 AR controlled recordings start (and stop) between the sponsors message and the programme theme tune, at the moment they are starting (and stopping) at the programme scheduled time. This is nothing to do with the well known 9xx0 machine delayed start characteristic as my Panasonic recorder is also starting (and stopping) at the programme scheduled time.

I've just done a test recording on BBC3 (Family Guy) and their Accurate-Recording is obviously working correctly. AR controlled recordings from the BBC normally start during the station ident just before the programme starts. My test recording of Family Guy started at this point which occured three minutes after its scheduled time.

I've now noticed that almost all of the ITV1 EPG from early Saturday is not colour coded as being series-linkable, or is empty. I have Wild At Heart on Series-Link but although next Sunday's episode is in the guide, but not colour coded as series-linkable, it has not yet been put in my recording schedule.

I have a HDR-Fox T2, and the programme has the "S" icon to donate that it is series linkable. Not sure why yours wouldnt?

The problem might be regional, I don't know. If I select Wild At Heart from the guide for next Sunday it reservs as a single episode only, I'm simply posting my observations.

Since my last post most of next week's ITV1 programmes in the guide have become series-linkable but at the moment all of the weekend's programmes are not.

A test recording running at the moment on ITV3 shows their Accurate-Recording to be working correctly but earlier this evening ITV1's Accurate-Recording was still not working, the recording starting at the scheduled time..

I don't use SL/AR but I noticed last night that most/all the ITV channels more than a day or two ahead had disappeared from my EPG (I'd been watching a recording and went to bed and haven't looked since). Maybe there's been a bit of a 'reset' somewhere.
Probably nothing to do with it, but I cast it out for your consideration

I think it has got something to do with it, or at least an indication that there is something wrong with ITV1 at the moment. Some of my ITV1 EPG has filled tonight while I've been posting.

ITV are making a lot of changes on satellite including merging some ITV1 micro-regions and launching additonal ITV1+1 regional channels. Now this shouldn't really affect Freeview but I'm wondering if they have mucked up some of the AR and epg data along the way. I know when they launched the +1 channels originally the other year one region had the data for another which I had to point out to them.

A couple of weeks ago I noticed a series link discrepancy with ITV3.

The "prime-time" evening showing of programmes had series link CRIDs, for example Rising Damp.

However, the repeats of these episodes had no series information at all.

Rising Damp was repeated the following morning, at around 9:30am. There was no series link available for this timeslot, even though it was Rising Damp across consecutive mornings in the same slot.

There is a lot wrong with ITV all the time.

Still problems with ITV1 in my region, the only series-linkable programmes between 06:00 Saturday to 06:00 Monday are two editions of Central news and weather early evening Saturday and Sunday.

Yes, I noticed that "In Plain Sight" series 1 on Saturday nights / Sunday morning has to be recorded episode by episode now; wonder when they will fix it.

What region are you in.

East Midlands - Nottingham transmitter.

Same as me and the problem is also on the Waltham transmitter.

I would suggest people notify ITV - viewerservices@itv.com

The same situation again next weekend.

The AR/SL problems with ITV1 seem to continue in this region, again no series linkable programmes for next weekend apart from the early evening Central news and weather on Saturday and Sunday. Posting on another thread prompted me to look at ITV1+1 and interestingly their weekend programmes are series linkable.

After a transmission change here in the East Midlands over the last couple of days it seems that ITV1's Accurate-Recording is working again and the weekend programmes are Series-Linkable again.

This problem is back again here. Also AR is not working again, recordings simply start and stop at the scheduled time.

Sound advice is to keep on telling ITV - viewerservices@itv.com

... and you'll probably get the standard broadcaster's reply - "Nobody else has complained".

This thread indicates why I don't use accurate recording and series link. It is similar to the PDC system used in old VCRs - rarely worked properly, a great way to not-record the whole programme. Most of ITV never implemented it. BBC messed it up. Channel 5 - can't remember. Channel 4 actually managed to make it work.

It is typical of broadcasters in the UK. I saw the German equivalent to PDC (VPS) many years ago and that worked properly 99% of the time. When PDC came to the UK I thought it be very useful. I was sadly mistaken. And my attempts at using AR have not been satisfactory either.

It also seems that the programme guide isn't being correctly updated either. Last week, a football match on ITV1 overran, but the guide still said the programme was News at Ten. And as for the contents of BBC Parliament - rarely correct.

For us accurate recording (AR) works well on a 9200 and very well on a HDR-FOX T2. Many of the minor channels don't implement AR and the Channel 5 implementation is rather odd but in our experience the major channels do it reasonably well.

Fair enough. But I'm quite strict in wanting to see the whole programme. So it p's me off if even 1s missing at either end of the programme. Therefore, I always set the timer manually - and hope the programme doesn't move!

Not strictly true - I use the programme guide to auto set the recording, but manually change the start and end-times which cancels AR/SL. Which reminds me, the alternate programme option doesn't seem to work here at the moment either. (i.e. where, if you have set 2 programmes to record at the same time, and then try to enter a third it offers to shift one if it is repeated sometime later)

I sometimes use the online catch up services to watch the start or end of programmes that the broadcaster has cocked up AR on so clipping my recording.