Dish STB and recording service

[richardw456]

I seem to have a problem recording from the Dish box. The problem is, the box goes into standby after a set period of time. Now this has been mentioned before, and the solution was to either disable the standby, or set a timer for 24 hours so it never goes to standby. Problem is, the box wants to update IT'S guide when it goes into standby. If it doesn't get to upgrade, it will get desperate and give you no choice. Whatever your doing it will interrupt and update which takes like 5 minutes. I don't want that happening in the middle of a recording.

What I would like is to be able to detect in some way when recording service starts, but before it sends the channel change command to the box. I could then program IR Server Suite to send the "enter" to the box to wake it. The enter command would have to go out a few seconds before the Channel change so the box is awake. I tried the recordingstatus.bat, but either I screwed up or it isn't fast enough. Can anyone help me with this little problem?

[bogyver]

I am looking into getting dish network soon and I remember reading that the best way to deal with this was to set an arbitrary wake up point and set the box to allow updates during the night, I think you might be able to even pick when it does its update. The other thing I heard mentioned was to do like what you have allready done and set timer but to have it start at like 3:30 am and then have it end at 3:00 am to allow it time to download in the half hour window, but once again you have to make sure the box is setup to do it thing on its own. I have seen some people mention using a 24 hour timer basically set it to come on at 12:00am and end at 11:59 but I would surmise that you would have the problem you are having. I'm at work now and dont have the links to pages that had this info but I can provide them later when I am back home.

It would be nice to have an option where gbpvr could send the select command 10 min before a recording.

Hope this helps

[bogyver]

I did some more reading and it looks like you can set what time your box does its update and you can disable the inactivity standby screen. So if you disable the inactivity screen and set the update to 3 am (just a random time) and then have a vcr timer at 3:30 or 4:00 am to wake the box back up. You could wither set it as an hour long timer or make it 2:30am to 3:30am to be sure it doesnt turn off, but if the standby screen is disabled then that should be an issue.
I think this is the way "fix" this issue hopefully

[richardw456]

I did some more reading and it looks like you can set what time your box does its update and you can disable the inactivity standby screen. So if you disable the inactivity screen and set the update to 3 am (just a random time) and then have a vcr timer at 3:30 or 4:00 am to wake the box back up. You could wither set it as an hour long timer or make it 2:30am to 3:30am to be sure it doesnt turn off, but if the standby screen is disabled then that should be an issue.
I think this is the way "fix" this issue hopefully

That's a work around, and I didn't think of that. I set a 24 hour timer, and it never did the update. Your way it SHOULD wake the box back up. I'll test and report back so you know what happened. Still a workaround in my opion, though. The send select would be just the ultimate!! I have been in the Dish guide, and switched input to the computer to look at something, and left the Dish in the guide. I got distracted with the computer, and forgot. The next day the box was still on the guide. If I had tried to record something it would have recorded the guide!!

The advantadge of sending the select is:
1. If the box is in standby, it wakes up and takes the channel change.
2. If the box is in the guide, it drops to the current channel in the guide, and GBPVR can send the channel change and no problem.
3. If it is on a normal channel, the box ignores the select.

As I said, the best would be to be able to send the select. Problem with the timer is, what if I want to record something that goes past the update time? For example, if I set up the box to update at 3:00AM, and record from 2-4, it gets sticky. to set the timer, you have to set a channel. So the timer kicks in at 3:30 and changes the channel in the middle of my recording!!

[bogyver]

As I said, the best would be to be able to send the select. Problem with the timer is, what if I want to record something that goes past the update time? For example, if I set up the box to update at 3:00AM, and record from 2-4, it gets sticky. to set the timer, you have to set a channel. So the timer kicks in at 3:30 and changes the channel in the middle of my recording!!

That would be an issue, I guess one would have to pick a time that you most likely wouldn't have a recording to do the update. Not ideal though.

The advantadge of sending the select is:
3. If it is on a normal channel, the box ignores the select.

I dont know if this is the case any more but on my parents dish network box when you press select when viewing a channel it would bring up the overlay with the channel info. That could be annoying to see in your recording, If we could get the ability to send the select command before before the recording maybe we could also have it send the cancel or have it send it like 2-3 min before the recording starts to the overly goes away in time for the recording.

I agree it would be the best to be able to send the select command, to bad dish doesn't have an option to set a "turn on" time.

[gstone123]

I've been using a 24hr vcr timer and it works pretty good. Although one thing to note is after my dish updates it epg schedule at around 5 am my first gbpvr recording after that doesn't work correctly because the usb-uirt sends something other than what the dish receiver needs for the first channel change of the day. All channel changes after that are correct.

[richardw456]

That would be an issue, I guess one would have to pick a time that you most likely wouldn't have a recording to do the update. Not ideal though.



I dont know if this is the case any more but on my parents dish network box when you press select when viewing a channel it would bring up the overlay with the channel info. That could be annoying to see in your recording, If we could get the ability to send the select command before before the recording maybe we could also have it send the cancel or have it send it like 2-3 min before the recording starts to the overly goes away in time for the recording.

I agree it would be the best to be able to send the select command, to bad dish doesn't have an option to set a "turn on" time.

I agree, but it is only on for like 30 seconds, and the "pre-roll would take care of that. (Remember, recording service starts about 30 seconds before the actual program.)

[richardw456]

I've been using a 24hr vcr timer and it works pretty good. Although one thing to note is after my dish updates it epg schedule at around 5 am my first gbpvr recording after that doesn't work correctly because the usb-uirt sends something other than what the dish receiver needs for the first channel change of the day. All channel changes after that are correct.

Never saw that one. Maybe it's time for Direct? That would cost me, I am still in the damn commitment time!

[bogyver]

I agree, but it is only on for like 30 seconds, and the "pre-roll would take care of that. (Remember, recording service starts about 30 seconds before the actual program.)

Good info to know

I've been using a 24hr vcr timer and it works pretty good. Although one thing to note is after my dish updates it epg schedule at around 5 am my first gbpvr recording after that doesn't work correctly because the usb-uirt sends something other than what the dish receiver needs for the first channel change of the day. All channel changes after that are correct.

I would think that setting a vcr timer for a show like 1/2 hour before your first recording if its a recurring would solve that. You could even set it for that channel to ensure it works.

Never saw that one. Maybe it's time for Direct? That would cost me, I am still in the damn commitment time!

The only reason I am going with dish is its cheaper than DirecTV when you look at it at a strait price for price. I can get DirecTV as cheaper than Dish for the first year and then at the same price or close the second year, but it requires some work and then I'm locked into a 2 year. With Dish I can get in with out the 2 year commitment and it allows me to keep my options open for the future. If your interested here is the forum that has all the info on the discounts for DirecTV its kinda long read the beginning and then skip the end

50 dollar off referal
http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-foru...rvice.html

AAA Member deal save 240 dollars over 2 years
http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-foru...tomer.html

There are a lot of good deals listed in the last link on how to get extra savings.

[richardw456]

Dish and Direct always give great deals to new people. That's why I switched to Dish from Direct. Dish already had MPEG 4 and Direct was just rolling it out. Direct would charge me for upgrading equipment, and Dish would do it free. In a year or so I'll probably switch back.

But, getting back on thread, does anybody know a way I could send that damn enter when I want to? Seems like there must be some way.