Recording - Missing the end of the block

[Bolden]

I'm not sure which section this should go in, so I'll try here.

Basically, we are series recording the block, but Ch9 let it run way over time. I've added the max 30 minutes to the end of the recording on the Topfield (2400) but still seem to be missing the end.

I know this is more about Ch9 than IceTV, but any other tips/thoughts out there? I'm guessing the simplest is to either record the show that comes on after it, or set up a manual record of say 2 hours on channel nine that should capture the block?

Anyway, any help/thoughts appreciated.

[prl]

Some workarounds are:

• When you miss the end of an episode, simply set a manual timer with enough extra time on one of the many repeats of that episode (they seem to be broadcasting the first run and then three repeats for most episodes).
• Use a PVR that allows more padding (Beyonwiz allows up to 120 min), but that's rather costly and wastes disk space for those programs that don't need the extra padding
• Lobby Topfield to increase the upper padding limit, but that's not likely to solve the problem in the short term, and has the same space issues as above.
• Set manual timers with your best guess of the likely over-run, but that rather defeats the purpose of IceTV
• Hope that IceTV gets better at guessing the actual run times of The Block
• Use catch-up TV on the Web.
• Contact Nine and ask them to keep to their published schedule. ROTFL.

The worst over-run I've ever seen (other than when there are breaking "big news" events) was 50 minutes past the scheduled end of a final of Big Brother. I can't remember which year, but it was when Gretel Killeen hosted it. We weren't watching BB, but we wanted to record the program that came after it.

I run with 25 min post-padding and that seems to work most of the time, but the amount broadcasters let their shows over-run is apparently pretty much boundless.

[Bolden]

Thanks.

Yeah, ordinarily 30mins overrun should work, but for some reason this is the first time I've encountered it as a problem

I know it's not really an ICETV thing, shame we can't have them set the timing of the show to overrun the next one just in case, and start the next one 'on time', but I figure the PVR itself would complain about that.

Really, it's the wife's fault for watching this 'reality' TV stuff.

Thanks for the advice, I might go the manual for the 'score reveal' episodes to keep me in the good books ;)

[Madeleine IceGuide]

Hi

Was this a problem with last night? On Thursday night The Block is two separate episodes, back-to-back - one 60 minute episode followed by a 30 minute "unlocked" episode.

The padding on the first episode would have been dropped in order to start recording the second, however the second episode (which probably has the end of the first episode in it!) will be there on your PVR in a separate recording, maybe as something called The Block -1.

[Bolden]

Thanks Madeleine, no, I think it was last Sunday's 'result' show. So we just miss the end, we've started recording the show afterwards to help with that :)

I think the other problem we are having is that we've gone from Foxtel IQ2 to the Topfield (with IceTV) and we probably start watching the show about 20-30mins after it has started. On the Foxtel, when we caught up to live TV it would be pretty clear. However, with the Topfield it just ends the playback without notice, and normally we are on Ch9 and don't know what's happened as it appears to 'skip forward' to live TV without notice.  This I know is a Topfield thing, not an IceTV thing.

We are also taping Masterchef at the same time, so I don't know if doing that (and timeshifting) at the same time isn't really helping.
We are getting there with it, I just wondered what the other ideas out there were, and I've certianly got some things to try.

Thanks again.

[Madeleine IceGuide]

Hmm, yes, in that case it might be that your PVR sacrificed the padding on The Block to start other recordings.

IceTV support can look at your account for you and the recordings you've set and identify any obvious problems or conflicts.

You can call them toll free on 1300 654 803. They're open 12 pm-8 pm weekdays and 12 pm-6 pm on weekends.

[IanL-S]

If you are just watching half an hour behind, if you are using time-shift then the end of the actual recording should not result in the time-shift viewing ending. I have a dim recollection that for some firmware versions if you were doing a time-shift viewing of a program that was also doing a timer/reservation recording that it went back to live TV. Not sure if that was with a public version or a beta version. If you use chase play (playing a recording while it is still recording) rather than time-shift then if the program runs over time by more than you post padding you will loose the end.

Ian