# First Run Season Pass Recording Repeats



## Nugent (Jan 20, 2004)

I have a season pass for "The Daily Show", set to record first run only, keeping a maximum of three shows. I find that my DTiVo is recording the same show up to three times, with the result that older, first-run recordings are overwritten.

This is very annoying - what is to be done?

Note: I have a DirecTV box, and a contract with DirecTV. Although my DVR happens to use TiVo technology, and programming data is supplied by some media conglomerate, I have no relationship with either of them - my monthly check goes to DTV.


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## Billy Bob Boy (Jul 25, 2004)

This has been asked here before but I will answer again cause I aint got nuttin bedder to do anyhoo. 

Sometimes with certain shows the info listed is identical to other shows and the tivo cant distinguish between what is new and not so especialy on the daily show it records the same show even with first run only selected. 

Sometimes the 28 day rule wont apply either. Normaly if you recorded the same show within 28 days or it is in the NP list it wont record. But every so often the show has a generic listing IE: I have seen the simpson listed with this "homer and marge raise Their kids". It may say this on ten shows in a row so the machine records them since it cant distinguish these listings from the true show listing IE: "Homer buys a computer and havoc ensues" Ect:


Edit: What I cant understand is why it records the generic listing with the same info over and over. Even though it is a generic listing what it says IS Identical to something else in the NP list so technicly It should not record it. I wish the pro's can explain why it will record ten shows all that say " homer and marge raise their kids" Thats a noodle scratcher. 

Btw I understand why this happens (with the generic Titles) , the co. that supplies the info was lagging. What i cant understand is why it records them anyway. I have seen seven or eight simpson episodes in a row all with the Generic In my NP. I generaly just delete them all and wait for the rerun with the right info to record.


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## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

Billy Bob Boy said:


> Edit: What I cant understand is why it records the generic listing with the same info over and over. Even though it is a generic listing what it says IS Identical to something else in the NP list so technicly It should not record it. I wish the pro's can explain why it will record ten shows all that say " homer and marge raise their kids" Thats a noodle scratcher.


The reason it always records is that the TiVo uses the episodeID (a hidden guide data field) to determine if it has seen an episode before. An episode with generic data ("home and marge raise their kids") also has a blank episodeID field. This seems to cause the TiVo to always record, because to it they aren't identical episodes (it isn't looking at the text), they are unknown episodes (no episodeID).

And there is some slight logic to that. If the episode is unknown then the TiVo can't know that it isn't new; so maybe it should record it anyway just to be safe.

This is why some people have requested an additional setting on season passes that would let you say First Run only and no unknown episodes. 
Basically a way to tell the TiVo that you believe that no new episode will have generic data, so it shouldn't waste its time (and disk space) recording them.


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## Nugent (Jan 20, 2004)

I think we have a reasonable understanding of what is happening. The question is: What to do?

Should I call DTV?
Should I ask for a credit because my service is not working properly?
Should I lower my expections?

If you read the many comparisons between TiVo technology and all the other DVRs out there, the TiVo evangelists always point to the Season Pass as the main differentiator. But if season passes don't work, then where does that leave (D)TiVo?

Sorry - I hope this is not coming across as a troll!


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## MikeMar (Jan 7, 2005)

Nugent said:


> I think we have a reasonable understanding of what is happening. The question is: What to do?
> 
> Should I call DTV?
> Should I ask for a credit because my service is not working properly?
> Should I lower my expections?


Call Comedy Central, it's their fault for providing bad data


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## Nugent (Jan 20, 2004)

MikeMar said:


> Call Comedy Central, it's their fault for providing bad data


Re-read the OP. I have no contract with Comedy Central. They owe me nothing.


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## Langree (Apr 29, 2004)

on stuff like this I set up manual records, in my case I pick the time it is least likely to cause conflicts.


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## MikeMar (Jan 7, 2005)

Nugent said:


> Re-read the OP. I have no contract with Comedy Central. They owe me nothing.


Yeah but if comedy central provides no data for their shows, how will tivo or any other dvr for that matter, get the show info if it's new or not.

Setup your own dvr on your computer and I bet you will hit the exact same thing w/ the guide data.


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## trainman (Jan 29, 2001)

Of late, the only "Daily Show" and "Colbert Report" recordings that are causing me problems are the two showings of each that air during the day Monday -- all other showings have correct data, so I find that the least worrisome option for me is to have a First Run Only season pass for both, and just go into the To Do list and delete those four recordings every week.

That said, at this point, there is no guide data for any showings starting on Monday the 22nd (I think both shows are going to be in reruns)...so we'll see if the correct data gets "filled in" within the next five or six days.


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## lemp (Oct 25, 2003)

Something I noticed was the repeat tag missing on the show info. I think this is a DirecTV issue, almost all of my shows are doing this.


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## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

lemp said:


> Something I noticed was the repeat tag missing on the show info. I think this is a DirecTV issue, almost all of my shows are doing this.


Fortunately the TiVo doesn't use the repeat tag for decision making, so this shouldn't mess up any of your season passes.


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## Larus (Nov 15, 2001)

I too use the "manual record" function for this show and it seems to eliminate the problem.


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## trainman (Jan 29, 2001)

trainman said:


> That said, at this point, there is no guide data for any showings starting on Monday the 22nd (I think both shows are going to be in reruns)...so we'll see if the correct data gets "filled in" within the next five or six days.


The data did get filled in today -- except for those mysterious Monday daytime airings -- so now my To Do list is looking kinda sparse for next week.


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## mrmcmanus (Feb 24, 2005)

The Daily Show/Colbert Report glitch is just something we have to put up with. Since I am not good at remembering to record manually, it is easier for me to go into the ToDo list about once a week and delete all the extra episodes it wants to record. 5 minutes a week is a small price to pay. As someone said, it is better to err on the side of having too many of them as opposed to missing one.


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## Larus (Nov 15, 2001)

Just to clarify, you set up the manual recording once for a series and that's it-there is nothing to remember, to get the Daily Show every M-F at 10PM on Comedy Central, for example.


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## trainman (Jan 29, 2001)

Larus said:


> Just to clarify, you set up the manual recording once for a series and that's it-there is nothing to remember, to get the Daily Show every M-F at 10PM on Comedy Central, for example.


Unfortunately, it only airs Monday through Thursday, so there will still be something to delete from the To Do list every week with this method (the Friday night 10:00-10:30 manual recording).


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

I do M-F 10AM-11AM manual recording (to catch the reruns). I sometimes let it still record on Monday and quickly make sure it's one I've seen before deleting it.

I do an hour long recording to catch both shows. Daily Show slightly goes over its alotted time slot in the regular guide data (so you miss at LEAST Moment of Zen), but Colbert Report finishes on time the vast majority of the time (I think I've literally had it only ONCE miss the end, and from what I could tell he was pretty much at the end of a sentence that was probably the end anyway).


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## Stu_Bee (Jan 15, 2002)

Jonathan_S said:


> Fortunately the TiVo doesn't use the repeat tag for decision making, so this shouldn't mess up any of your season passes.


Maybe I can understand it not using the non-presence of the repeat tag for decision making......
But I take it that it doesn't use the presence of a repeat tag either?

I mean if the guide data tags it as (R), I'm pretty sure that it really is a repeat, so if I have a "First Run Only" attribute set...is there really a reason for it to record it?

Or would Tivo observing the (R) tag mess up the whole Tivo logic thing of recording a missed show due to season pass conflict (ie it instead records it's second airing at a later date/time)


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## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

Stu_Bee said:


> Maybe I can understand it not using the non-presence of the repeat tag for decision making......
> But I take it that it doesn't use the presence of a repeat tag either?
> 
> I mean if the guide data tags it as (R), I'm pretty sure that it really is a repeat, so if I have a "First Run Only" attribute set...is there really a reason for it to record it?
> ...


The TiVo doesn't pay any attention of the (R) repeat symbol.

Probably because the various networks are really inconsistent about applying it, and all have different rules for what is (and isn't a repeat). And I don't think any of those rules match the TiVos rules.


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## trainman (Jan 29, 2001)

Jonathan_S said:


> Probably because the various networks are really inconsistent about applying it, and all have different rules for what is (and isn't a repeat). And I don't think any of those rules match the TiVos rules.


The "(R)" concept is now so unreliable that for a couple years now, Tribune Media Services hasn't been including it in their print listings data -- that's why newspaper TV listings these days use "New" or "(N)."


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