[tiggertiny]

Having just bought a DVD recorder I decided to use video plus to ensure I don't miss anything due to re-scheduling or error on my part however it doesn't seem to be very accurate.

Anyone else found that the first few minutes of a programme(s) have not been recorded and oddly stopping recording half way through a programme?

Is video plus so unreliable?

[broadz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiggertiny

Having just bought a DVD recorder I decided to use video plus to ensure I don't miss anything due to re-scheduling or error on my part however it doesn't seem to be very accurate.

Anyone else found that the first few minutes of a programme(s) have not been recorded and oddly stopping recording half way through a programme?

Is video plus so unreliable?

Videoplus doesn't start recording when a programme starts, and stop recording when a programme stops. All videoplus does is give the DVDR or VCR a channel number, start time and stop time, rather than forcing you to type them in manually. If the broadcasters decide to start the programme early or late, or the clock on your DVDR is wrong in the first place, it's not going to record the programme properly.

[tiggertiny]

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadz

Videoplus doesn't start recording when a programme starts, and stop recording when a programme stops. All videoplus does is give the DVDR or VCR a channel number, start time and stop time, rather than forcing you to type them in manually. If the broadcasters decide to start the programme early or late, or the clock on your DVDR is wrong in the first place, it's not going to record the programme properly.

Thanks for that info.

Having not used this before I was under the impression that it did rather more than that! You live and learn.

Cheers.

[Nigel Goodwin]

You're thinking of PDC (Programme Delivery Control), a terrestrial analogue feature that never really worked too well

VideoPlus was just for people who couldn't set the timer on their VCR.

[ColinGodfree]

And at what point will they stop printing the Videoplus numbers in the listings
as the PVRs take over?

[Nigel Goodwin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColinGodfree

And at what point will they stop printing the Videoplus numbers in the listings
as the PVRs take over?

I would have thought probably at DSO?.

[Scorpio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiggertiny

Having just bought a DVD recorder I decided to use video plus to ensure I don't miss anything due to re-scheduling or error on my part however it doesn't seem to be very accurate.

Anyone else found that the first few minutes of a programme(s) have not been recorded and oddly stopping recording half way through a programme?

Is video plus so unreliable?

Unless you really want to write discs or archive a lot of programs, take your DVDR back and buy a twin tuner PVR that uses a digital program guide to record upto 2 channels at once.
These machines are far more flexible than DVDRs.

Rgds,
Scorp

[tiggertiny]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scorpio

Unless you really want to write discs or archive a lot of programs, take your DVDR back and buy a twin tuner PVR that uses a digital program guide to record upto 2 channels at once.
These machines are far more flexible than DVDRs.

Rgds,
Scorp

Hi, mate

I've got a lot of cassettes I'm copying to DVD so it is very useful and it was also cheap!!

Now I know that I was mistaken about how video plus works I shall simply time it manually as I always did with my VCR it's not a problem.

Thanks to everyone who responded.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiggertiny

Now I know that I was mistaken about how video plus works I shall simply time it manually as I always did with my VCR it's not a problem.

If you like the ease of VideoPlus, simple use the number and then edit the result - most machines take you directly to the editting screen once you've entered the number.

[Gilson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

You're thinking of PDC (Programme Delivery Control), a terrestrial analogue feature that never really worked too well

VideoPlus was just for people who couldn't set the timer on their VCR.

I only used Video+ once and only once ever having paid at the time £30 over the odds for a VCR with this "superb" feature around 10 -15 (edit probably nearer 20) years ago.

So we were going out and the missus wanted:-

Coro 19.30 - 20.00
E-enders 20.00 -20.30
Coro 20.30 - 21.00

Programmed via VideoPlus what we got was

Coro 19.30 - 20.00
Whatever on ITV1 20.00 - 20.15
E-Enders 20.15 - 20.30
Whatever on BBC1 20.30 - 20.45
Coro 20.45 -21.00
Whatever on ITV1 21.00 -21.15

There appeared to be no way of over-riding the 15 minute idiot add-on overide. This was the same on a later VCR of a different make.

As she says about any bit of new technology I buy or have probably bought in last 20 years "stupid machine!" (one exception Canon Ixus 850 camera!)

[martytoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scorpio

Unless you really want to write discs or archive a lot of programs, take your DVDR back and buy a twin tuner PVR that uses a digital program guide to record upto 2 channels at once.
These machines are far more flexible than DVDRs.

Rgds,
Scorp

No doubt they are, but can they overcome the the fact that some Broadcasters are apparently incapable of showing their programmes at the advertised times. Example this week on ITV we had the Peoples 50 million Lottery programmes, advertised start time 11:05 PM actual start time approx 11:10PM PDC was meant to overcome this problem, trouble is there were two different methods of implementing PDC which weren't fully compatible with each other.

[Scorpio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by martytoo

No doubt they are, but can they overcome the the fact that some Broadcasters are apparently incapable of showing their programmes at the advertised times. Example this week on ITV we had the Peoples 50 million Lottery programmes, advertised start time 11:05 PM actual start time approx 11:10PM PDC was meant to overcome this problem, trouble is there were two different methods of implementing PDC which weren't fully compatible with each other.

Yes, they most certainly can!

With a fully integrated EPG controlled recording, boxes like Sky+ and HD react to broadcaster changes dynamically.

On cheaper Freeview twin tuner recorders you can set the recording 'buffer' to be 3/5/7 mins either side of each recording..................

BUT.........................the big advantage is that a twin tuner machine can manage each recording seperately and doesnt have to impact an immediatly subsequent recording because it's holding on to the only tuner to record 'padding'.
This is exactly what happens in a single tuner VCR/PDC scenario quoted earlier in this thread.

There really is no contest as these machines are designed from the outset to record 2 channels, allow playback prior to recording completion, to allow playback of a 3rd (already recorded program) while you are recording 2 more simultaneously.

Rgds,
Scorp