# Every show is clipped at the end almost a minute...XL4



## Eric2500 (Jan 14, 2014)

Started using TiVo about a year ago... and love it... most of it anyway. 

Have a TiVo XL4, although I don't think it matters what model I have, there's a problem with the time. 

It seems to depend on the channel, but regardless of what channel, the time is off. If I'm watching Fox News, it starts the recording about 10 to 15 seconds early, so you see the end of the last show... which of course is not a problem. However, it clips the show at the end and we miss the last 10 to 15 seconds. 

More noticeably though we've been taping old shows of King of Queens and it starts taping about 55 seconds before it should... and subsequently it clips the last 55 seconds of the show. (Yes, yes... I know I can add a minute.)

I guess I want to know... who's fault is this... Comcast? Individual channels? TiVo? (I don't think). 

Is there any solution to having my unit better adjust to the actual time the programs come on and off? 

All of our shows get clipped... it's just a matter of 10 seconds or 55 seconds. I guess I could just add a whole minute to EVERY recording... then again a lot of stuff will start overlapping and cutting off the beginning of every show. 

Any suggestions? Thanks.


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## Eric2500 (Jan 14, 2014)

Just wanted to add some more information. 

I just checked out some of the shows I tape and it seems that each channel has a set amount of time of when they start a show early. 

For instance... Fox News starts 10 seconds early... so naturally it ends 10 seconds early and is clipped. The Science channel... shows like Beyond the Wormhole start 15 seconds early and end 15 seconds early and clips. The King of Queens is on TV Land... and that is WAY OFF. It seems to vary, but it's around a minute. Lastly... we watch The Middle on ABC Family and that's starting and ending 10 seconds early so we always miss the last line or two of the show. It's like listening to a joke but not hearing the punchline. 

I'm guessing there's nothing that can be done other than just add a minute to the end of the shows you want and clip the hell out of a bunch of other shows. Makes a great case for getting the Roamio so you have the best chance of clipping the least amount of shows with 6 tuners. 

I know this is small potatoes in the grand scheme of things... irritating none-the-less.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

If something starts early, then shouldn't it end early? 

You'll need to add some padding, seems your streams are all over the place. 

This is caused by a lack of consistent control to precise timing of the clocks for anyone controlling the content. There is not a requirement to keep programs to an exact schedule, and nobody has a reason to keep to any precise schedule other than us DVR owners.


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## zoomzoom71 (Sep 7, 2013)

I've noticed that many of my records are getting cut off at the end, too. I have to make it a point to add a minute at the end for any recordings. Movie channels are usually OK, but the series stuff I record on NatGeo and the like are prime suspects.


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## DogsOfWarandPeac (Apr 11, 2012)

The TiVo is very precise in start and stop times, but the networks are not and they aren't going to change that so padding is the answer.

I pad almost every show by 1 minute and some by 2 minutes. With 4 tuners it hasn't been a problem with scheduling. This reminds me I keep meaning to add another minute to The Daily Show, I miss all or half of the moment of Zen on every show.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

Eric2500 said:


> Just wanted to add some more information.
> 
> I just checked out some of_* the shows I tape *_and it seems that each channel has a set amount of time of when they start a show early.
> 
> ...


What is this "tape" you speak of?


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

Eric2500 said:


> Just wanted to add some more information.
> 
> I just checked out some of the shows I tape and it seems that each channel has a set amount of time of when they start a show early.
> 
> ...


You have a model with tape?

If you are recording from the guide, then you can yell at Tribune Media Services OR TiVo. Have you checked with a good time source against what is shown on the screen? My units are six seconds fast when tested against WWVB or www.time.gov.


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## SNJpage1 (May 25, 2006)

I have notice the same thing happening with some of the shows I record. TNT is really bad for doing it.


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## JandS (Oct 1, 2010)

I've noticed for 2-3 weeks that many shows in the guide are listed as starting at 1+ minute times, e.g. tonight's NBC Michael J Fox is listed as 9:01pm, CBS's The Millers is starting at 8:31, The Big Bang Theory at 9:01. These aren't channels we watch, so I can't confirm clipping on any recordings.

This is on Comcast King County WA. Same on Romio Pro and on XL4.


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## Eric2500 (Jan 14, 2014)

Thanks everyone for your responses. 

I contacted TiVo and explained the problem in an email... after I looked into the issue and possible solutions. I even mentioned in my email that the different shows on different channels are off by different amounts of time. 

Regardless of me telling them that, they gave me the standard, what I thought I would get answer... 'Here's how to change your clock on your DVR'... go to messages and settings... then settings... then network... then connect to network and that will reset your clock. 

I already knew that wouldn't fix the problem, but I tried it anyway... and of course it didn't. 

Yeah, I guess the only option is to add a minute to the end of each show we record. 

Four tuners is usually enough to record the shows we are watching, but not always. All it takes is padding two shows by a minute and then all four turners are being used at once (for that one minute) if two more shows are starting that same time. You might think... how many shows do you watch, but my wife watches her shows... I watch different shows and my daughter watches her shows. So sometimes we have 3 or 4 of the tuners running all at once because the shows happen to be on at the same time. All it takes is two shows to be 'padded' and then suddenly two more shows puts it at the max. (Not to mention one of the tuners is sometimes used by the TiVo Mini in our bedroom.)

I'm almost tempted to buy the top-of-the-line Roamio for $899 (with the sale going on now with lifetime subscription) but my wife will want to choke me out. And for those of you who don't know how I got my screen name... just two weeks ago I found out I won the third place prize in the TiVo Holiday Cash Sweepstakes. Supposedly I'll get that check in about a month from now. Perhaps then my wife might let me upgrade the Premium XL4 that I have now. 

Anyway... thanks again for suggestions.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

I would absolutely use that cash for a new Tivo. Even after taxes you are ahead. Push for $99 lifetime on the old premiere and sell it for a few hundred bucks...


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## Mauly (Oct 5, 2011)

I've had this problem for years on both my Premiers, one on Comcast, one on Verizon. I've complained to Tivo many times and requested they add the ability to 'pad the clock'. They claim ignorance to the problem. Note that it's always early, never late in starting a recording.
However, a couple years ago I responded to a TIVO survey asking me to prioritize wish-list features they were considering. One was 'automatically pad a recording if there is a free tuner'. I rated this feature my number one choice. Apparently they didn't feel it was important. I think that would be the most elegant solution that would resolve many of not most of these clipped recordings.
It brings to mind what a friend once said. TIVO can be viewed a giant ear. Unfortunately it's deaf.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

Pad everything. Cable networks are really good at not starting on time and running late, over the years. CBS,Fox,NBC, and ABC have gone this way also. This problem goes back to the VCR era. I can remember The Movie Channel starting films listed as starting at 15 min after the hour at 13 min after the hour, 17 min after the hour...
Padding with a Tivo is easy just do it.


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## bradleys (Oct 31, 2007)

The main channels seem to be okay, NBC, ABC as well as what I will call top tier cable channels such as fox, history and A&E...

The second tier channels like TBS, TLC and TV Land are terrible! They are always 15 to 30 seconds long and get clipped.

When I notice that a season pass gets routinely clipped, I pad it a minute.

The two shows a remember distinctly having to do it on were Big Bang Theory on TBS (catching old seasons) and Gold Rush on TLC.

It was funny - I kept missing the clean out results on Gold Rush! 

It is annoying when it happens, but it really doesn't happen very often - and once you take care of a season pass, you are good for all future recordings of that show.


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## NashvilleKat (Dec 25, 2013)

For umpteen years, I have added 1 minute to the start and end of every recording. If I find a particular program needs more, I adjust the SP for it.

If I get a conflict, I adjust as needed. I review each day's upcoming programs to check for conflicts.

I believe a lot of this is due to cable companies having a slight delay for most if not all channels. I noticed OTA recordings being much closer to the TiVo time.


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## MHunter1 (Oct 11, 2007)

Eric2500 said:


> It seems to depend on the channel


Over time you'll determine which programs and/or channels regularly get cut off and need padding. Unfortunately, TiVo currently doesn't offer an option to pad just a few seconds. Look at this thread for others in your predicament:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=9957715

Here's my contribution to that discussion:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=9961337#post9961337


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