has anyone used series link recording From Freeview EPG. I can see the option when recording but its greyed out. Sony have said that BBC etc dont broadcast the information required for it to work? Sky boxes etc can do this - do they send some kind of overlay signal to allow this on their kit ?
Or is my new 860 faulty ?

I tried last night on my 860 and couldn't find one from about ten shows that were advertised as a series, evrryone was greyed out. From what I gather this is set on the EPG by the broadcaster as you say, so it would be interesting to find out if ofter makes have the same issues. I have a friend who has a Panasonic and will have a word with him, and post back the findings.

There will be more metadata available over DTT (your freeview) broadcast with infomation for series linked programmes. The BBC and maybe even ITV could be transmitting it now but it isnt something that is thought to be generally available until sometime next year. I believe Sony will have the a software update soon and this feature might be activated either then or a later date depending on how many support calls they think they will get (due to potentially too many shows not showing up as series linkable when they are in fact in a series). It should be a great feature f your PVR when its fully implemented.
Last edited by marcdavis : 30-11-2006 at 09:26

My '860 just received its series record update!!! Fantastic. I'm out today so I can't try it yet. Version 1.01.08CE...

My blue-button is now linked to "series info" in the EPG...

Will try this later tonight or tomorrow. Hope it does everything it's supposed to!

Good to hear George. I look forward to hearing yours and others receiving this feature in the software update, your experiences with it.

At this stage unknowns are how many broadcasters are using it, and how many of their 'seres' is sotagged that way.

..........
Last edited by George45 : 02-12-2006 at 09:31

It started working on my recorder today as well, after it received the software update. I have set a number of series timers but of course it will take a while to see how well it works.

The BBC are transmitting information now, the other broadcasters will start some time after Christmas.

Tried it with Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday. Setting the main programme to record from the EPG using 'series timer' automaticaly recorded the results show later in the evening.

I've replaced all my timer recordings with series recordings on the BBC channels.

Will keep everyone posted as to how it goes.

Incidentally, worked for the repeat of "Never Mind the Buzzcocks" on Sunday - and then, rather cutely, the series recording in the timer list has been shown with an "unresolved" message as the series has come to an end...

There's one "potential fail condition" the unit has passed with flying colours...

Something rather odd happenned with Planet Earth on Sunday on BBC1 with my 860.

I set it to record using the timer on Sunday, and it recorded fine, but I noticed that the timer indicator light was still illuminated; somehow it had also programmed the Saturday afternoon BBC2 repeat.

I'm 100% positive that I didn't do this accidentally, and I didn't use the series link, so there must be some kind of bug here.

Has anybody else experienced anything similar?

A little research has shown that series link broadcasting started on 1 december, I saw this before my box update. It seems other threads confirm that the appearance of the series feature had nothing to do with the update. If you have the older software series still works, I think the update at that time was just coincidence with the BBC starting to send the data.

Talking to an industry insider on the freeview sereis link and it seems like they "improved" on the sky version a bit.

On the Sony box, if the recording says "unresolved" then it means that there is no more events in the series within the EPG (for the next 7 days).

If you have Sky it is annoying that the timer is then deleted but with freeview it remembers this series (apparently for 3 months), so unlike Sky if a series only has monthly programmes it can still be set as a series. As soon as the next programme appears in the EPG it will be added to the timer automatically again. So if you know there are no more programmes in this series, you need to delete it or wait 3 months I guess.

Also if the programme is split (like a movie which has a news break) then it will automatically record both parts, even if you only set a Timer, not a series.

Erasmus - yes, I got exactly the same thing - saw the little red light, looked at the timer list, and found the repeat was set to record ...hmmm

Related question - if I manually set up a timer recording that repeats, eg daily, can I set the title of it so that each recording has that title, not simply one made up from the start/stop times?

HDX860 not accepting TIMER setting (it undoes the setting in front of your eyes) for Torchwood (01:15) Mon 11th December on BBC3 on Timer. You end with a list of unresolved entries for Torchwood with no date/time for recording. Earlier this evening, it failed to stop recording xfactor...the 860 seems to have gained all the 710 traits plus some extras.
Last edited by grn : 09-12-2006 at 21:21

Following the update to firmware 1.01.08CE even single event recordings remain in the Timer List as "unresolved" after the programme has been recorded. I don't know what would happen if you set a series programme to record one episode, would the unresolved timer event get associated with the next episode and get recorded even though you didn't want it?

And how many unresolved timer events can you have before you can't set the timer for a new recording?

I think this feature still needs a bit of work.

"And how many unresolved timer events can you have before you can't set the timer for a new recording?"

Yes, getting the same here even with my new update to 08CE...perhaps "unresolved" refers Sony's collective understanding of the underlying problem.... as you say, I wonder how many of these it will take to fill the Timer List.

Well, I just did a single event recording this evening of of ITV3 and it recorded and deleted from the Timer List fine.

I think one point to bear in mind here is that the series link recording function is only operational (so far) on the BBC channels so what you are asserting may still be true as I have 2 unresolved events in my Timer List and these are both BBC programmes (Question Time & This Week) that are actually having a break over Xmas but are returning in the new year (which is why I have left them) and they were both set up using the series button anyway. Next time I do a single event recording on the BBC, I'll make a note of what happens...

Colin

Good points Colin - In our case we've got "debris" from EastEnders (don't ask) and Torchwood at the moment - the others were wiped manually. Will keep an eye on it here too. I should've made a note of them before they got deleted.
Last edited by grn : 16-12-2006 at 23:03

I just did another experiment using "Torchwood". In the middle of the current episode, I set a single event and used the "Record Now" function. As expected, it made an entry in the Timer List and immediately started recording. Importantly, it didn't add the series record flag (the intertwined circles) next to it.

So, let it run a few minutes and then cancelled it from the Timer List. It immediately stopped AND wiped out the entry from the list.

Went back to the EPG and this time used the "Series Timer" button instead. Again, immediately started recording and set an entry in the list but this time WITH the series symbol. Waited a few minutes and then did the same delete from the list again and stop recording. This time, it stopped but left an "unresolved" entry for Torchwood in the list. I'm betting that when this episode is over, it'll immediately resolve it and start recording the next episode but it doesn't seem to resolve until the current event (you've cancelled) is over...

Colin

All our unresolved entries have occured from single event timers which were made prior to the programme starting and which were left to run to competion - these are the entries left behind. I can imagine stopping a recording mid-programme could be handled differently to stopping mid-programme. Will try later to experiment further, later today.

...just tried another timer recording and it went okay and was removed from the TIMER LIST. Will keep an eye on it.


Thanks.
Last edited by grn : 17-12-2006 at 10:40

Hi Guys,

Never had a problem with mine until the last few days.

Now I get unresolved timings when I record more than one program on BBC even though I always use single events straight from the EPG and not series timings.

I have tried recording 1 program from the EPG and these work fine with no unresolved timings, but put two BBC recordings back to back and at least one of them will be left unresolved. Whats going on?

I have checked my versions and I'm running 1.01.08CE which I take is the latest. Is there any way of rolling back to the previous version or will Sony send a patch pretty soon?

Thanks in advance

I've just bought a 560 and having the same issues - 2 BBC programmes back to back and the first one seems to be "unresolved" - the show still records ok though.

I take it this definately is purely an EPG issue???

Thanks

Mine seems to have resolved itself recently. Recorded a bundle of prog's and not one unresolved for over a week