Hi,
Does anyone know if the DME-EX77EB recorder supports VSP/PDC ? if so how do I switch it on? I'm losing the start or end of films if they are broadcast earlier than advertised or over-run. Any advice is very much appreciated.

As it is a DVB-T tuner it is unlikely to use VPS or PDC ....

But it may look for running status in the Event Information Table (EIT) which is the DVB equivalent.

The BBC ( only??) update this dynamically so that if the sport overruns you do not stop recording if you are recording Sport or Starts if you are recording the next programme.

Rest tend to work by clockwork ....

As technologist alludes above - there are no such systems on the EX77.


However, it is exceedingly quick and easy to add 'padding' every time you set a timer recording.

When you select a programme for a timer recording from the EPG, you are taken to the timer page , where all the parameters for that particular recording are already filled in. [ Start, Stop time etc]
Take the focus across to the stop time using the East/West buttons of the Nav Wheel and then you can add / subtract time using the North / South buttons.

Dabbing the buttons adds/ subtracts one minute per push. Holding the button down changes the time in 10 minute increments.

It is much longer in the describing than in the doing. It typically takes less than a second to do, once you are used to it.

It will depend what channels / programmes you record, but I routinely add 3 minutes to the end of all timers, and I almost never lose anything that way.

I spent about three minutes searching the remote for the PDC button when I got mine. Duh

As Gav says it is very easy to pad out the timers.

Thanks for the responses.
I think it's a backward step not to have the equivalent to VPS/PDC on DVB-T (oops too many TLA's), especially when manufacturers extoll the simplicity of "one touch" recording via the EPG on their machines.

DVB-T *does* support an equivalent to VPS/PDC, it's a feature of what is branded "Freeview Playback". (The other main feature being Series Link.) An increasing number of DVD/HDD recorders have Freeview Playback enabled. Panasonic, unlike Sony and others, have chosen not to build this into their decks.

Mind you if the digital version of PDC is as reliable as the original, you're better off without it

From what I've read on other threads, it is as useless as pdc was, with only the BBC really using it, which makes it a waste of time!
Dave

Incorrect its used by BBC, ITV, C4 channels and Sky3, most of the most watched channels.

BBC and C4 are good while ITV are currently deploying improved playout systems.

Panasonic should implement FP spec on their DVD and DVD/HDD recorders or autopadding if they do not implement FP.

Sorry, but not incorrect, read the other threads, I watch channel 5 and the common thread is that they will never use it.
Dave

Absolutely incorrect... YOU said the BBC were the only ones using it.

That's right, from what I've read the commercial channels are only using it when they remember, as with pdc, so that's only 2 of the main 5 channels guaranteed to use the system what's the point, every time you set a recording you have to try to remember to set for the correct type of recording, so untill the system is used by 100% of the tv suppliers it will never be a really useable system.
Dave

That is also absolutely incorrect ... do you always believe what you read....

I have series links on BBC1234, ITV1234, C4E4M4, and Sky .... all working. Its not restricted to BBC 1 & 2 ... as you incorrectly stated.

I have never used the PDC on my old Panasonic. I always add a few minutes as Gavtech suggests. The only problem comes when you want to record two things straight off and they are on different stations.

The other thing to be wary of if subtracting a few minutes from the published starting time is that the date will probably require altering if the published start time is at midnight ie 00:00. I got caught out on this a couple of days ago. The solution is simply to decrement the starting date by one day after altering the starting time to say 23:58.
BobW

This one caught me out, too. D'oh!

Ooh yeah, that is a problem. I sometimes set timer record for something on say ITV and then immediately after for a follow up programme on ITV2. There's no real fix for that scenario is there?

I'm still glad I read this thread though as I was looking around specifically for a pdc type solution for timer recordings on my DMR EX85 and I didn't know about the 'padding' tip. I'll try that out.