On-time recording, TV-Anytime, Freeview+, recording without padding

[vfrvulcan]

All names for the same thing over here in the UK, where the program start and end signals are broadcast in the stream allowing PVRs to record the program at the correct time even if running late.

Is there any way that this can be achieved with NPVR? I hate it when a live event over-runs by two minutes and makes me miss the end of TopGear because it started late!

MTIA

Aaron

[griffy]

Increase the padding, personal mine is +12 minutes but if it's a live event I'll add 30-60 minutes just to be safe.

[martint123]

Not available at present.
I used to hate that PDC system on analogue video recorders, it caused so many missed shows I made sure it was never used again.
Relying on someone else to send a start and stop signal is asking for mistakes.

[imilne]

Yes, I've read various bad things about the system over the years, although not having any "official" freeview/freesat hardware myself I can't really comment on how good or bad it actually is. PDC with VHS was cack though.

It may also be a UK-only thing, and that would make it very unlikely that sub would (or even could) support it. Personally, I don't think it's needed; 5 mins prepadding and 10 mins post has served me great over the years, with the occasional massive post-padding for something like Formula One.

Iain

[vfrvulcan]

Increase the padding, personal mine is +12 minutes but if it's a live event I'll add 30-60 minutes just to be safe.

Thanks, but the idea is to avoid the padding scenario where others are complaining about recordings using the same tuner and padding bits being cut off. Why record 30-60mins extra and waste disk space? I know disk space isn't a premium anymore but it would also effect archiving and the like. On-time recording works by telling the system when the program is about to start and finish - makes much more sense. No missed beginnings, no missing tail-ends...

Not available at present.
I used to hate that PDC system on analogue video recorders, it caused so many missed shows I made sure it was never used again.
Relying on someone else to send a start and stop signal is asking for mistakes.

Yes, I agree, PDC was pretty much still-born. The idea was good but in the early days only Channel 4 (UK) used it.

Yes, I've read various bad things about the system over the years, although not having any "official" freeview/freesat hardware myself I can't really comment on how good or bad it actually is. PDC with VHS was cack though.

It may also be a UK-only thing, and that would make it very unlikely that sub would (or even could) support it. Personally, I don't think it's needed; 5 mins prepadding and 10 mins post has served me great over the years, with the occasional massive post-padding for something like Formula One.

Iain

I'm using on-time recording on a Humax 9200T Freeview PVR which has been next to faultless in it's recording for over two years so I'd say it's come a long way since the days of PDC. Series-link is another added benefit

As for UK only, I'm not so sure. There is an ETSI (which is a European Standards Institute) document here which discusses it in detail. Also a BBC Opensource Java api available from here.

Pre and post padding may serve well for the majority of occasions but still has it's pitfalls. On-time allows you to sit down, turn on the media server hit play and watch, not mess around skipping the pre-padding. Maybe I've got too used to the Humax being excellent in this regard but it's an area I would love to see improved in NPVR.

[martint123]

Out of curiosity (the link probably goes into too much techy detail for me) could it handle the overrun of something like the rain delayed Formula 1 race that overran so much they changed the channel it was broadcast on half way through the overrun. ????

[vfrvulcan]

Out of curiosity (the link probably goes into too much techy detail for me) could it handle the overrun of something like the rain delayed Formula 1 race that overran so much they changed the channel it was broadcast on half way through the overrun. ????

Sorry Martin, I'm not sure but would think that would be too much to ask - much like good old BBC starting a Wimbledon Tennis Match on BBC2 before BBC1 started their broadcasts and chopped and changed to suit for Andy Murray's matches to keep it 'on the prime channel' - wish they wouldn't bother with that c@rp, only goes to p off the fans. Especially later on when they decided to shift the major national news program onto BBC2 to continue Murray's match on BBC1 - if they start doing it in a particular way, stick to to, not feck around half-way through!

But I digress, no, I didn't think that anything would cope with channel changes mid-program, that would be pushing things a bit too far.

[Reddwarf]

Just to make it clear, post- and pre-padding does not always fail, I'v been running npvr since it was born with a multi tuner setup (also with mixed dvb-c/dvb-t tuners) and has never missed any post or pre paddings.

[vfrvulcan]

Just to make it clear, post- and pre-padding does not always fail, I'v been running npvr since it was born with a multi tuner setup (also with mixed dvb-c/dvb-t tuners) and has never missed any post or pre paddings.

Sure, I accept that, and have not had too many problems myself - but wouldn't you want to have a recording 'on-time' regardless if it was early or late without having to have any padding??

[mvallevand]

Out of curiosity (the link probably goes into too much techy detail for me) could it handle the overrun of something like the rain delayed Formula 1 race that overran so much they changed the channel it was broadcast on half way through the overrun. ????

When I was watching the Canadian GP, I heard the announcers say that they were switching to BBC2 (odd perhaps when I was watching this Canadian broadcast from 200km away with British commentators) and thinking how many GBPVR users could l miss the end. Worse yet the end was very exciting.

Martin