# Series 3 Season Pass fail safe option



## terryfoster (Jul 21, 2003)

So if I understand correctly the S3 will allow for recording OTA ATSC, Cable NTSC, and Cable QAM. This _could_ give me the option to watch the same video from several different sources. For instance I could watch LOST in HD(DD5.1) from WKEF-DT 22.1, HD(DD2.0) from WCPO-DT 9.1, HD(DD2.0) WCPO-DT 909 (QAM), and SD from several sources, most reliably, SD(DD2.0) WCPO-TV 9/809(QAM).

What I would love to see is the ability to set up a season pass/wishlist for LOST and configure a priority list of stations to record from. So if my WKEF-DT signal is unreliable/non existent, TiVo would automatically switch channels midstream to 9.1, then 909, and then 9. Also, if possible, drop to a lower source option if the video stream is blank(all black) OR the audio is non-existent. Another great ability would be to automatically change sources if the picture is pillar-boxed (user selectable option OR automatic if the guide information notes the show as HD).

This could be accomplished in a different number of ways.

There could be a master source priority, for instance "I want to record OTA, QAM, then NTSC Cable", This wouldn't solve multiple OTA/QAM sources though.
You could manage a priority for each content provider, "For ABC I want to record 22.1, 9.1, 909, 9."
You could manage a priority for each show, "For LOST I want to record 22.1, 9.1, 909, 9."

This would resolve the "Shoot, WKEF-DT didn't come in last night and we missed LOST" or "Shoot, WKEF-DT forgot to enable the HD feed or Dayton was under a weather warning and dropped to SD to provide weather information" problems that many HDTV users face with recordings.

Cincinnati, like other areas, have program shifts like the "Bearcat Bounce" when University of Cincinnati plays basketball and shifts FOX's prime time lineup to 10pm-ish. This could possibly solve that issue as well since the shifted programs are not generally listed as an HDTV broadcast, the source priority would choose a different source if an HDTV broadcast was available.

I'm sure I didn't explain myself very well here and would like to discuss this further with anyone interested.


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## terryfoster (Jul 21, 2003)

Also, I know that dropping down the priority due to pillar-boxing would not be easy to detect, but do think that unreliable/non-existent signals would be easy to detect.


I'm still trying to figure out in my head how the channel line up will look like for TiVo with 9.1 being available via OTA ATSC and QAM.

UPDATE:
Maybe offer an advanced feature of condensing the channel line up to just display the source providers i.e. ABC, CBS, FOX, and then provide some sort of a virtual x.1 when the programming actually differs AND have the source priority work through that kind of a configuration.

(I'm sure your head hurts now from having to read my ramblings.)


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