# Starting and Ending Recording



## ken17368 (Dec 12, 2013)

With all the digital information in the video stream you would think a TIVO could tell when a program actually started and ended.
Especially since the TIVO clock is not synchronized with the cable and station clocks; and since many stations are not accurate on their schedules.

I frequently get 30 seconds of the previous program and minutes chopped off the end.


----------



## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

That's what padding is for. There is no signal in the stream to tell TiVo when a program is starting and ending. And even if there were it would have to have a tuner on that station to detect it anyway, so you might as well just pad your recordings.


----------



## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

ken17368 said:


> and since many stations are not accurate on their schedules.


Keep in mind, this is by design for some networks. They throw the last 30-60 seconds of a show into the next time slot in an attempt to keep eyeballs (people who watch live TV) on that channel.


----------



## WhiskeyTango (Sep 20, 2006)

ken17368 said:


> With all the digital information in the video stream you would think a TIVO could tell when a program actually started and ended.


I love when people just assume something exists when it actually doesn't.


----------



## tomhorsley (Jul 22, 2010)

Actually there is show information in some video streams. My TV, for instance, can often tell me what show I'm watching from the ATSC broadcast, but I have no idea if the cable companies preserve that anywhere. I also tend to suspect any show info like that is simply inserted by the stations on the same inaccurate clock, and will be just as far off at the beginning and end of shows .

I just wish that TiVo would allow me to change the default recording options to 1 minute before and after so I don't have to manually change it every time I schedule a recording or season pass.


----------



## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

tomhorsley said:


> I just wish that TiVo would allow me to change the default recording options to 1 minute before and after so I don't have to manually change it every time I schedule a recording or season pass.




TiVo does allow this. Go into Season Pass -> change recording options. You should be able to set a recording to start early and/or end late. Same thing if you manually schedule a recording -- go into Season Pass and other options -> record this episode -> select options.

Unless... you're talking about starting late and/or ending early? Unfortunately that option is not available.


----------



## sangs (Jan 1, 2003)

steve614 said:


> TiVo does allow this. Go into Season Pass -> change recording options. You should be able to set a recording to start early and/or end late. Same thing if you manually schedule a recording -- go into Season Pass and other options -> record this episode -> select options.
> 
> Unless... you're talking about starting late and/or ending early? Unfortunately that option is not available.


I think the OP meant he wanted a system-wide option to change the start/end time, instead of having to do it for each individual show.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

ken17368 said:


> With all the digital information in the video stream you would think a TIVO could tell when a program actually started and ended.
> Especially since the TIVO clock is not synchronized with the cable and station clocks; and since many stations are not accurate on their schedules.
> 
> I frequently get 30 seconds of the previous program and minutes chopped off the end.


This could also be an issue with your cable provider. In my area Comcast is behind what is shown on FiOS by ten to twenty seconds. So while I don't get recordings cut off when not using any padding, if I were on Comcast with the same settings, everything would be cut off.


----------



## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

How could Tivo do this? I would not trust the cable company sending a signal. Some networks/cable cos now have 15 second "shorts" that mess with DVR owners while fast forwarding. If tivo could precisely cut off/start exactly with the start of a show, I would expect the same kind of behavior from the providers.


----------



## tomhorsley (Jul 22, 2010)

What we really need is the TiVo social network. Viewers watching live TV could "tweet" about overruns and schedule changes, and the network could push that info to other TiVos in the same viewing area .


----------



## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

tomhorsley said:


> What we really need is the TiVo social network. Viewers watching live TV could "tweet" about overruns and schedule changes, and the network could push that info to other TiVos in the same viewing area .


By the time they knew it ran over it would be too late.

What we really need if for networks to stop playing these stupid games and actually start/end their shows on time. Or at the very least set the guide data to the proper length (i.e. 1:01) so we don't have to manually pad everything.


----------



## Digital Man (Jan 2, 2013)

I do agree that in this day and age it's silly that we don't have a technology that knows when shows begin and end.

DM


----------



## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

With a TV industry built entirely around ratings it doesn't surprise me in the least. They don't want to make it easy for you to switch to another channel. They want as many eyeballs on their channel, and ads, as possible.


----------

