# The 30-second scan



## comma splice (Feb 4, 2010)

Although the 30-second "skip" served me well in the past, I think I'll be keeping the new 30-second scan as my favorite tool for avoiding commercials.

Here's why:

As bkdtv pointed out, the 30-second scan enables users to queue up their fast-forwarding. Once you figure out exactly how long a show's commercial breaks are, this feature makes it easy to jump ahead by that precise amount.

For example, on last night's "American Idol," I would press the 30-second scan button eight times, the on-screen display would show me that I had queued up four minutes of "scanning," and _voila_. The show returns to normal speed at the perfect time.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

I aksed this before but i don't think I received a response. How much longer does the 30 sec scan take than the 30 sec skip? With Skip, I hit the button eight times and in one to two seconds I'm four minutes ahead. How long does it take with the 30 sec. slip/scan?


----------



## RoyK (Oct 22, 2004)

comma said:


> Although the 30-second "skip" served me well in the past, I think I'll be keeping the new 30-second scan as my favorite tool for avoiding commercials.
> 
> Here's why:
> 
> ...


Given TiVo's stated objective of selling advertising I'd be willing to bet that there's a method in their madness for scanning through 30 seconds rapidly (which would allow the processor to look for a signal embedded in an ad) as opposed to merely skipping 30 seconds worth of the recorded program.

But as others have pointed out I've been wrong before.


----------



## comma splice (Feb 4, 2010)

aaronwt said:


> I aksed this before but i don't think I received a response. How much longer does the 30 sec scan take than the 30 sec skip? With Skip, I hit the button eight times and in one to two seconds I'm four minutes ahead. How long does it take with the 30 sec. slip/scan?


Just guessing here, but it seemed like about 1 second per slip/scan. So eight seconds to get through a four-minute commercial break. Not bad. The small bit of extra time might be helpful if you lose track of how many times you've pressed. In other words, if you press it seven times, the indicator under the time bar shows 3:30. Press it one more time and now it's at 4:00.


----------



## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

comma said:


> Just guessing here, but it seemed like about 1 second per slip/scan. So eight seconds to get through a four-minute commercial break. Not bad. The small bit of extra time might be helpful if you lose track of how many times you've pressed. In other words, if you press it seven times, the indicator under the time bar shows 3:30. Press it one more time and now it's at 4:00.


Can you press Replay to go from 4:00 to 3:30? I guess that would require prescience.


----------



## comma splice (Feb 4, 2010)

orangeboy said:


> Can you press Replay to go from 4:00 to 3:30? I guess that would require prescience.


I was wondering that, too! What happens with those who press _too many_ times? I'll try it out, but I doubt it...


----------



## bkdtv (Jan 9, 2003)

aaronwt said:


> I aksed this before but i don't think I received a response. How much longer does the 30 sec scan take than the 30 sec skip? With Skip, I hit the button eight times and in one to two seconds I'm four minutes ahead. How long does it take with the 30 sec. slip/scan?


I've updated the FAQ a handful of times in the past week.

From the stickied FAQ:



> The new "30 second scan" is enabled by default on the ADVANCE (-->|) button. This feature is very similar to the 30 second "slip" on DirecTV's HR24 DVR. It doesn't jump 30 seconds; instead, it fast forwards through a 30 second interval in one second (i.e. 30x speed). Pressing the ADVANCE multiple times in a row queues added time. If you hit the button four times in a row, the Premiere fast forwards through two minutes in four seconds. You can interrupt this at any time by pressing PLAY.


There is one "gotcha" to enabling 30sec skip. When initially enabled with the SELECT-PLAY-SELECT-3-0-SELECT code, 30sec skip replaces 30sec scan and you maintain access to the other trickplay enhancements, including the ability to press-and-hold REPLAY and SKIP to jump to the beginning and end of recordings.

Once you reboot the TiVo, you retain 30sec skip *but lose access to the press-and-hold functions*, and you're left with the TiVoHD/Series3 behavior. To restore the press-and-hold functions, you have to re-enable 30-second scan through the Settings -> Remote, CableCard, & Devices -> Remote Setup, and then re-enable 30-second skip.

It is not clear whether this is a bug, or whether TiVo simply does not want users of 30sec skip to have access to the new and improved trickplay functions. This was not an issue in the previous software.


----------



## comma splice (Feb 4, 2010)

bkdtv said:


> From the stickied FAQ:
> 
> I've updated the FAQ a handful of times in the past week.


Sweet!

You should change the name of the stickied thread to remove the word "Prerelease" so people know it contains updated info...


----------



## NotVeryWitty (Oct 3, 2003)

I'm interested in seeing how this works for watching sports -- I'd like to hear from people that have used the DirecTV implementation of this.

When I watch NFL football in "Tivo-mode" (i.e., skipping through all the idle time in between plays using the 30-second skip button), I sometimes have troubles when a team goes into no-huddle mode. I occasionally find myself not being sure whether I've missed a play or not, and have to resort to using 1X or 2X FFW. I wonder if the 30-second scan mode will help with this...


----------



## matguy (Jul 20, 2004)

NotVeryWitty said:


> I'm interested in seeing how this works for watching sports -- I'd like to hear from people that have used the DirecTV implementation of this.
> 
> When I watch NFL football in "Tivo-mode" (i.e., skipping through all the idle time in between plays using the 30-second skip button), I sometimes have troubles when a team goes into no-huddle mode. I occasionally find myself not being sure whether I've missed a play or not, and have to resort to using 1X or 2X FFW. I wonder if the 30-second scan mode will help with this...


On a series 2 I got in to the habit of 30 second skip, then replay (9 seconds?) and usually caught it just about right at ~20 seconds. This usually works for most of the game, but it's pretty obvious when a team is going to go to a no-huddle hurry-up offence since time is running out. But yes, it will be interesting how that the new 30 second slip works out.


----------



## redthumb (May 30, 2003)

My 30 sec. scan has quit working. I tried to use it during SouthPark and got a 'dong' instead, so I keyed in the SPS30S. Old style skip worked there but now I can't get the scan style setting back. When I re-enable it in the Settings menu I only get the 'dong' when I use it now.


----------



## bkdtv (Jan 9, 2003)

redthumb said:


> My 30 sec. scan has quit working. I tried to use it during SouthPark and got a 'dong' instead, so I keyed in the SPS30S. Old style skip worked there but now I can't get the scan style setting back. When I re-enable it in the Settings menu I only get the 'dong' when I use it now.


It is possible the behavior changed in the latest update. In Settings -> ..Remote, try switching to the second option and then back to the first one.


----------



## redthumb (May 30, 2003)

bkdtv said:


> It is possible the behavior changed in the latest update. In Settings -> ..Remote, try switching to the second option and then back to the first one.


Nope, still the DONG.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

NotVeryWitty said:


> I'm interested in seeing how this works for watching sports -- I'd like to hear from people that have used the DirecTV implementation of this.
> 
> When I watch NFL football in "Tivo-mode" (i.e., skipping through all the idle time in between plays using the 30-second skip button), I sometimes have troubles when a team goes into no-huddle mode. I occasionally find myself not being sure whether I've missed a play or not, and have to resort to using 1X or 2X FFW. I wonder if the 30-second scan mode will help with this...


I think it will. You certainly see the programming scan by quickly.

I like the 30 second scan better than the 30 second skip.


----------



## redthumb (May 30, 2003)

aaronwt said:


> I like the 30 second scan better than the 30 second skip.


I like it, too. How do I get mine back?


----------



## riekl (Jan 29, 2001)

This must be a personal choice thing .. I had 30sec skip for years and years with Tivo, went to Uverse for 6 months and had 30 sec scan. Absolutely hate it one of the main reasons i dumped uverse and came back to Tivo.

I can't see (for me) any possible use of scan, it just slows down my ability to get past the commercials. To each their own i guess but if premier doesnt still have a skip option .. definiately not buying.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

redthumb said:


> I like it, too. How do I get mine back?


Here is the answer I got for it when I couldn't figure out how to get it back.



DonB. said:


> Go to Messages and Settings/Settings/Remote Control, and you will see your options there


----------



## redthumb (May 30, 2003)

aaronwt said:


> Here is the answer I got for it when I couldn't figure out how to get it back.


I tried that, no joy. The old standard still works but I would like to be able to choose one or the other. Now the new scan feature has gone away for no apparent reason.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

redthumb said:


> I tried that, no joy. The old standard still works but I would like to be able to choose one or the other. Now the new scan feature has gone away for no apparent reason.


reboot the box. This is the issue I had. I rebooted it and went into teh settings to get it back.


----------

