# Why can't Tivo adjust the recording schedule?



## Compu Doc (Jan 1, 2006)

I have a Season pass for 60 minutes shown Sunday nights at 7pm. I'm tired of having my Tivo record what it thinks is the 60 minutes program only to find that some sports game went over and started recording the ending of that because it is 7:00pm.

Why cant Tivo adjust the schedule time for the different programs so that when a game goes over I dont get half of the game that went over and then half of the program I wanted Tivo to record. Just last night I was not able to watch 60 minutes when it aired and Tivo recorded it with 12:00mins of a sports porgram that went over. Tivo should be able to recognize that and start recording when the program starts.

In other words, record by the program title and not the time and channel on a season pass and for that matter any program.


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## Uncle Briggs (Sep 11, 2004)

How would TiVo contact every machine and tell it when to start and when to stop. How would it handle the programming conflicts it created. Most TiVos are connected by phone line.


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## wscannell (Dec 7, 2003)

In addition, TiVo does not really know. The network provides the data on when the program will start. TiVo records the exact time slot it was given. Sports events are typically scheduled for a smaller time slot than they need. They very frequently run over their time slot. CBS chooses to run the whole evening schedule late when this happens. Your best bet is to pad the 60 Minutes recording by 30-60 minutes.


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## Sy- (Sep 29, 2005)

I'm thinking it could be done. You ever watch a commercial and see that "Thumbs Up" to get more information or to record that episode that the commercial was for. There must be some broadcast flag that the Tivo is reading that triggers the thumbs up. Maybe the broadcasters can putin a flag that signals the start of the show that Tivo can read and then the Tivo Box can verify that flag. If the Tivo has been recording for 20 minutes of what it thinks was the show when it sees the flag it could just automatically pad another 20 minutes it there is nothing conflicting. Would probably require a lot of cooperation from the networks tho


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## mhalver (Nov 3, 2005)

That's the problem. It would require EXTREME cooperation from the networks. In fact, I'm not sure if the required level of cooperation wouldn't run into some problem with anti-trust laws (as they would be favoring TiVo here).

Plus the box would have to be able to "watch" a different channel to tell when a flag came up. It would require some hardware modification to do that and would likely be very expensive to implement it (likely more than two tuners would be required).

I think that the ability to pad a season pass like is currently available is probably the best option, all things considered.


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## Sy- (Sep 29, 2005)

I don't see why it would have to watch a different channel. It could just watch the show its recording for the flag. 

I'm sure there are other things it could watch for. What if it just looks for a SAP signal. If the progran before it is not supposed to be broadcast with SAP then it would know when the show starts just by seeing when the flag turns on. Also I don't see how it would favor only Tivo as any DVR manufacturer could use the flags too.

~Sy


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## mhalver (Nov 3, 2005)

The problem is that other manufacturers will start to demand their own "personalized flags" which the networks will have to accomodate. Besides, that sort of technology has the potential for targetted ad skipping, so I don't see it to be likely to be developed.


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

Just make it a standard.


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## gmcc (Feb 11, 2006)

Sy- said:


> I'm thinking it could be done. You ever watch a commercial and see that "Thumbs Up" to get more information or to record that episode that the commercial was for. There must be some broadcast flag that the Tivo is reading that triggers the thumbs up. Maybe the broadcasters can putin a flag that signals the start of the show that Tivo can read and then the Tivo Box can verify that flag. If the Tivo has been recording for 20 minutes of what it thinks was the show when it sees the flag it could just automatically pad another 20 minutes it there is nothing conflicting. Would probably require a lot of cooperation from the networks tho


The only way every broadcaster would do this would be if it were required by the FCC. And you want them to put some new signal in the VI or such that would make it easier for you to skip over the commercials, where they make their money? Not very likely.


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## Sy- (Sep 29, 2005)

I didn't say put in a signal that tells them when there is a commercial. I said put in a signal LIKE the one that they use to trigger the 3 Thumbs up for more info. But instead stick a signal LIKE that one at the beginning a program to signal that the program is starting. 

Then...

Lets say the Tivo is 20 minutes into the recording and it sees the flag signaling that the program has started it could say to itself "Hey this program is running 20 minutes late i'll just pad the recording another 20 minutes"

~Sy


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## gmcc (Feb 11, 2006)

Sy- said:


> I didn't say put in a signal that tells them when there is a commercial. I said put in a signal LIKE the one that they use to trigger the 3 Thumbs up for more info. But instead stick a signal LIKE that one at the beginning a program to signal that the program is starting.


So who would provide this signal... every broadcaster and network in the country? I didn't mention marking a commercial start but rather them doing anything to help you record programs on a Tivo which you can later use to skip over commercial breaks.

It would not be popular among the stations and the FCC would likely never require it and so the stations would never do it.

And I have no idea what the '3 Thumbs up' business means. Probably because I don't use it at all.


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## Sy- (Sep 29, 2005)

If you have a tivo then you probably seen a commercial and seen a green thumbs up in the top right corner with a message that says "Press Thumbs Up for More Information". For the Tivo to display that message it must have read some kind of flag in the video stream. I'm just guessing but the flag was probably put there by the advertiser itself.

All the networks or the television shows' producers would have to do is put a similar flag at the start of the show signaling that the show is starting. The DVR or Tivo reads this flag and can pad the recording as needed. There is no reason why the networks wouldn't want to put in this simple flag as it would ensure that their entire show (commercials and all) are going to get recorded. 

The FCC wouldn't have to require it but if the smart people at NBC or ABC decided to put the flag in themselves it would just be an advantage for them over the networks that don't want to cooperate. From a programmers perspective it doesn't seem that difficult. A couple of if/then statements. 
~Sy


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## megazone (Mar 3, 2002)

The technology to do this exists - there is already such a system, no one uses it in the US. It is used in the UK.

US broadcasters just don't see the reward in doing it, especially if it makes timeshifting easier. They want you sitting in front of your TV when they air their programs, watching them, and the ads, live.

Maybe once DVRs get enough market share they'll start doing things to cater to that market.


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## Traal (Jul 8, 2002)

I don't know about 60 minutes, but a lot of shows have encore performances. In a situation where the recorded program was overrun, TiVo, Inc. could "tell" all the TiVo boxes that had recorded the program to record it again.

Since encore performances often air hours or even days after the original showing, in many cases dialup and especially broadband-connected boxes would be alerted in plenty of time in advance.

One way for TiVo to be alerted that a program was overrun is when a user tries to re-record a program he/she already recorded. The TiVo box could ask something like, "you already recorded this program, why are you recording it again?" If the reason is because of an overrun, TiVo would alert all the TiVo boxes that had the same two programs in a row to record the program again.


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