dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
Search similar:


uniqs
596
kmdean
join:2012-06-22
Orlando, FL

kmdean

Member

Improvements / Fixes to the DVR's Navigator I'd like to see

It seems that issues with the DVR's Navigator software stick around much longer than they should. New versions come out without seeming to ever fix some basic issues or being improved in logical ways for the benefit of useability.

I figure this thread can be one place were people can post issues that you still have hanging around specifically with the DVR software that you'd like to see fixed and hopefully BHN can direct the information to the programmers that need it to be able to take action.

Here's some issues and suggestions that sill exist for me with ODN 6 on my Cisco 8742HDC.

• Conflict resolution for series recordings aren't always reliable, making one have to babysit the software and manually resolve all conflicts before airtime, but they aren't always shown as conflicts so they can be missed and cause much more major issues.

For example. Just the other day, there was the following situaton:

Show A - 9:00pm - 10:00pm
Show B - 9:00pm - 10:00pm
Show C - 9:01pm - 10:00pm - I've had similar issue occassionaly even with the 3rd progam starting at 9:30pm

Show D - 10:00pm
Show E - 10:00pm

All of the shows were set to record showing no conflicts which is the first problem. A, B and C cannot record at the same time.

Looked at the DVR after 10:00pm and noticed:

Show A & B Recorded.
Show D was Recording.
Show E wasn't recording because for some reason Show C was indicating recording but wasn't actually recording due to the previous 3-way REC glitch. Thus the incorrect Show C recording blocked the latter time slot Show E from recording.

I cancelled the false Show C. Turned off the DVR and came back an hour or so later.

Show C is back in the list showing REC. Cancelled again. Came back a few hours later after other shows had finished recording.

Show C was yet again back in the list showing REC even though it's timeslot had long passed and never actually recorded in the first place.

Cancelled again and rebooted the DVR.

• Improve normal conflict resolution.

If I have a series recording at 8pm that cannot record due to conflict, but airs again at 11pm in an open recording slot, I don't want to see the 8pm showing a conflict recording and nothing showing at the 11pm. I don't mind still seeing the conlict at 8pm, but I want to see the 11pm already set to record. This doesn't always happen.

• Fast-forwarding while show is still recording issue.

If I start watching a show while it's still recording... let's say it's an 8pm-9pm recording and it's 8:33pm at the time I start watching.

If I happen to be fast-forwarding at 3x or 4x speed when I hit the 8:33pm time during the show's playback (even though the recording has completed to 9pm), the Save or Delete screen will pop-up well before the actual end of the show. The video continues playing behind the screen and you need to rewind briefly or hit the jump back button to make it go away.

• Fast-forwarding near the end of the show.

When fast forwarding at 3x or 4x and reaching the actual end of the show. I'd much rather the Save or Delete not appear until it is played to the very end rather than it guessing that I'm close to then end and coming up early (sometimes 2-3 minutes early). The video continues playing behind the Save or Delete screen and I have to rewind briefly to get it to go away. It doesn't seem to happen with 2x or 1x. I'd much rather when fast-forwarding at any speed when it reaches the end of the program to just jump back the normal jump back increment you get when you press play and have it just play to the end. Although with the DVR compensation feature being removed in a future update, this problem may go away since it seems that may be involved.

• Improve guide data mangement - these issues have been around a long time.

- Once a conflict has been resolved amongst series recordings, no matter how many days in advance, the cancelled show should not get re-added and cause the conflict again. Not sure with ODN 6 yet, but before if you cancelled a show a day or more before, the DVR just adds it right back the next day. Maybe the software just needs a hidden list of cancelled recordings that it can reference to know what has previously been cancelled. That list can then auto clean itself out when those timeslots pass.

- When set to record NEW shows only, the DVR will set to record shows that do not have episode specific info in the guide yet and are not marked as NEW (just the generic show description).

Problem is, the guide is often inaccurate for some channels more than others when the schedule information is firsted added to the guide and many extra shows get set to record when they shouldn't. The guide info is usually updated before the shows air, but once they're set to record they don't go away until manually cancelled. It doesn't even catch when a show is no longer scheduled in the timeslot it is set to record.

I would like to see the DVR re-process the scheduled recordings whenever a guide update is received and remove recordings that no longer qualify. So if the episode specific guide information appears and the state of the NEW flag changes to NOT NEW, then the scheduled recording should be adjusted per the options chosen by the user and the DVR should automatically cancel the recording (as long as it wasn't a manually set recording). If when the guide information is updated and multiple recordings of the same NEW episode are set to record, then it should automatically keep the first no-confict recording and cancel the rest. Also, if the show is no longer airing in that timeslot after the Guide update, it should automatically cancel the recording. These improves would drastically reduce the need to daily have to delete a bunch on undesired recordings for some channels that are sloppy with their initial scheduling data.
BHNtechXpert
The One & Only
Premium Member
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

BHNtechXpert

Premium Member

Needs to be here please »If you could add a product, feature or make a change....
kmdean
join:2012-06-22
Orlando, FL

kmdean

Member

Yeah, but that's an old thread and it seems to have boiled down to arguments between some people. That and it doesn't make sense to mix them all together with other services since I think more specific threads would get more attention.
BHNtechXpert
The One & Only
Premium Member
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

BHNtechXpert

Premium Member

said by kmdean:

Yeah, but that's an old thread and it seems to have boiled down to arguments between some people. That and it doesn't make sense to mix them all together with other services since I think more specific threads would get more attention.

It isn't an old thread its very current and it allows suggestions to be kept in one place easily researched instead of threads here and there that get lost over time.
kmdean
join:2012-06-22
Orlando, FL

kmdean

Member

Old in that it started back in 2011 and is long so some of the info likely no longer applies and is difficult to wade all the way through to see what has and has not been reported especially with all the extra CEO for a day talk. The last time I looked at that thread the other day the latest posts were just arguing back and forth, but I can post a copy over there as well. Sometimes you just need to refresh and start over to get a clearer idea on what is currently still a problem. As long as we can be assured that you're passing it all along to the appropriate people. I just appreciate a more focused bugs and improvements thread without all the extra fluff.
BHNtechXpert
The One & Only
Premium Member
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

BHNtechXpert

Premium Member

said by kmdean:

Old in that it started back in 2011 and is long so some of the info likely no longer applies and is difficult to wade all the way through to see what has and has not been reported especially with all the extra CEO for a day talk. The last time I looked at that thread the other day the latest posts were just arguing back and forth, but I can post a copy over there as well. Sometimes you just need to refresh and start over to get a clearer idea on what is currently still a problem. As long as we can be assured that you're passing it all along to the appropriate people. I just appreciate a more focused bugs and improvements thread without all the extra fluff.

Then you will appreciate why I asked you to put it there One place with a thread that is constantly moved to the top and no hope of it going away.