Additional record time problem with series
Reader3
Enthusiast - Level 2

I cannot record a particular show appearing on a local PBS station beyond the time the show is on. The show is EastEnders & it comes on every Sunday night. There are 2 different episodes, one starts at 11pm & ends at 11:30, the 2nd show starts at 11:30 PM & ends at midnight. There are no episode titles, It appears simply as EastEnders for both time slots in the program guide

When I set up the series recording on my FiOS DVR, I set it to record a specified length of time after the show ends, so I don't miss any of it in case  the show  runs long. The problem is that although I have set it up correctly, the DVR will not record for any length of time after the 2nd show ends. I have tried setting it to record 15, 30, 60 & 90 minutes after the show ends & it always stops recording just at the point the 2nd show ends. I know it is not the actual DVR at fault as I tried this on both of my DVRs & the same thing happened. Also, this is the only show that I have a problem with. Other shows that I have set up to record longer, do so without a problem.

I have spoken to FiOS tech support several times about this issue & can't resolve it. They said they get calls from customers with issues like mine from time to time, but don't know what the problem is.

Could this have something to do with the way the PBS station communicates it's program guide to Verizon? If so, what exactly is the issue? Is there a fix?

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Re: Additional record time problem with series
Reader3
Enthusiast - Level 2

Thanks to everyone who has been trying to help me!

It turns out that setting the program to record 90 minutes later does work. But it records the second program for 2 hours. Not sure why, but I'm not complaining.  I never got an error message when I set up the series recording though, it just wouldn't record longer until I changed the end sertting to 90.

Helen try what I did. My settings are the same as yours except for setting it to record 90 minutes after the show ends, unless this will keep something else from recording for you. Are you in the Philadelphia area? I get EastEnders from Lehigh Valley PBS 39.

Cheers everyone!

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Re: Additional record time problem with series
walt178
Specialist - Level 3

Try making a manual recording.  You can specify the start time, end time, and recurrence on a specified day of the week. That should eliminate any issues the guide may be causing.  You can't attach the show's name so it will show up in your list of recordings as a manual recording.

Re: Additional record time problem with series
Reader3
Enthusiast - Level 2

Thanks for your prompt reply and suggestion!

I will use the manual recoding option in the short term. But I would like to solve the problem, so I don't have to use a workaround.

Any ideas about what would cause this recording problem would be appreciated.

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Re: Additional record time problem with series
lacticacidtrip
Specialist - Level 1

If you are looking for ideas and not solutions, my best guess would be that it is precisely because the episodes are back-to-back that the DVR won't extend the recording time. In order that the recording of the first episode not run over into the second, or bump the recording of the second altogether, the DVR seems to automatically turn off the extra setting. But it turns it off for both recordings, not just the first. If you are sure that you do not have two recordings set to start at the conclusion of the second episode, my guess is that it would take a change in the DVR programming (software) to make it function as you would expect it to. You can suggest it in the Idea Exchange, but until that happens, I would follow walt178's suggestion.

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Re: Additional record time problem with series
walt178
Specialist - Level 3

@lacticacidtrip wrote:

If you are looking for ideas and not solutions, my best guess would be that it is precisely because the episodes are back-to-back that the DVR won't extend the recording time. In order that the recording of the first episode not run over into the second, or bump the recording of the second altogether, the DVR seems to automatically turn off the extra setting. But it turns it off for both recordings, not just the first. If you are sure that you do not have two recordings set to start at the conclusion of the second episode, my guess is that it would take a change in the DVR programming (software) to make it function as you would expect it to. You can suggest it in the Idea Exchange, but until that happens, I would follow walt178's suggestion.


If I understand your post correctly, and if those conditions were applicable, the user would get an error message and not be able to set the recordings.

The DVR will not allow you to overlap recordings on the same channel.  So when recording consecutive programs on the same channel, you can not extend the time on the first program. 

Nor will it allow three recordings on different channels. When attempting to set the third recording, you would get an error message. And have to delete (or modify) one of the other recordings.

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Re: Additional record time problem with series
lacticacidtrip
Specialist - Level 1

Hi walt178,

I would have to troubleshoot farther to understand exactly how it works. You are correct that if 3 programs are set to record according to their Guide slots and overlap by even 1 minute, one of the 3 will get bumped. But I'm not sure the same applies when the overlap is because of an extra setting. I recently had a situation similar to the OP in which I set a series to record with a 1-minute extension to prevent getting the ending chopped. Then the series played back-to-back new episodes one week. The first show recorded during its time-slot without any conflict messages, but did not attempt to record the extra minute. The second recorded without incident as well, but I can't remember if it included the extra minute I had set. The following week, it recorded with the extra minute.

So I know that the extra settings can be ignored by the DVR. The question is when and why.

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Re: Additional record time problem with series
walt178
Specialist - Level 3

@lacticacidtrip wrote:
So I know that the extra settings can be ignored by the DVR. The question is when and why.

This might be one of those weird events where it works differently for different users.  Every time I have attempted to extend the recording time for consecutive programs on the same channel, I get an error message. I can extend the second show, but not the first.

Doing some more tests tonight.

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Re: Additional record time problem with series
Hellenww
Enthusiast - Level 3

I also watch Eastenders and extend the second episode with no issue but I have to do it every week. In Series recording I use these settings:

First run and repeats

All episodes

Start: on time

End: on time

Save: until I delte

Channel: Selected

Airtime: anytime

Duplicates:  Yes

Then under Scheduled Recordings I go to the 11:30 ep and Modify end time. But if verizon has an update or we have a power outage I have to reset the end time.

I hope this helps!

Re: Additional record time problem with series
walt178
Specialist - Level 3

@Hellenww wrote:

Then under Scheduled Recordings I go to the 11:30 ep and Modify end time. But if verizon has an update or we have a power outage I have to reset the end time.


If you go Manage Series Recordings and edit the end time you will only have to do it once.  The first show will record with scheduled end time and the second show will have it's end time extended.

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Re: Additional record time problem with series
walt178
Specialist - Level 3

@Reader wrote:
 Any ideas about what would cause this recording problem would be appreciated.

None.  I've run several tests and can not duplicate the problem you are having.  In each test the end time was extended.

If you don't mind posting your zip code, it would be interesting to know if you and Hellenww are in the same viewing area.

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