Setting a recording that won't get rescheduled?

[TonyC]

I've been having problems recently with the scheduling of various recording via Remote Scheduling, but I think it applies equally to recordings set directly through the Web interface and probably even the SUI.

I had a number of things set to record:

• Star Trek: Next Generation on CBS Action at 11am on Friday
• The Big Bang Theory on E4 at 8.30pm on Friday
• Coast Australia on BBC2 at 8pm on Thursday

The problem was that the same episode of ST:TNG was also on at 8pm the previous day (Thursday), and the same episode of TBBT was also on at 8.30pm the previous day (Thursday). For some reason - I presume internally within the 'Fox rather than in RS - the system decided to schedule these earlier episodes instead - even though that then resulted in a clash - and so TBBT was not recorded.

I am wondering if there could be some way that RS, or the Web-If, could insert an entry into the recording list without a CRID, so that it would be recorded at the desired time without any "helpful" rescheduling like this? Or is there some other way to get the desired effect?

 

[Black Hole]

CRIDs is how the recording system works, unless you abandon all the facilities of tracking etc and simply use a manual timer entry (which af123 has added as an option to the WebIF and RS recently).

It all normally works fine: typically the "establishment" broadcasters use different series CRID codes for multiple instances of the same series at different times of the day or week, and this allows you to schedule the recording of a series at a specific time rather than have the same series CRID for all the repeats and face the lottery that you have - this is all down to the way CBS Action has implemented the CRIDs, and there's nothing to be done about it (other than complain to them about it).

 

[TonyC]

(I suspect I meant PID, not CRID, by the way - all these recordings were one-off settings not series repeats, but I presume the same philosophy applies)

CRIDs is how the recording system works

So the time and date set in the timer is more or less an irrelevance and the 'Fox will always attempt to record the first instance of that CRID?

typically the "establishment" broadcasters use different series CRID codes for multiple instances of the same series at different times of the day or week, and this allows you to schedule the recording of a series at a specific time rather than have the same series CRID for all the repeats

To be fair to CBS I can sort of see why, philosophically, multiple broadcasts of the exact same program should have the same identifier. I doubt they (and E4) will be willing to change how they work.

simply use a manual timer entry (which af123 has added as an option to the WebIF and RS recently)

Ah, that's what I'm after. I've just looked again in RS but didn't see any option for this. What I'm ideally after is an extra button in RS (alongside the current "Record programme", "Record series", "Set reminder" and "Close"), called something like "Record programme (fixed time)".

Otherwise, if CBS's scheduling of ST:TNG is consistent enough I might just try setting a manual repeating timer. Though then if you try to add any padding then the 'Fox changes the recording title to whatever was on before it...

 

[Black Hole]

(I suspect I meant PID, not CRID, by the way - all these recordings were one-off settings not series repeats, but I presume the same philosophy applies)

I'm not at all sure that you did. The CRID has two elements: programme identifier and series identifier - see my Glossary (click).

So the time and date set in the timer is more or less an irrelevance and the 'Fox will always attempt to record the first instance of that CRID?

It's a bit complicated, and I'm not sure we fully understand how it is all supposed to work or how the Humax implements it. S-CRID is used to schedule the next recording when the current recording completes and the recording has series link enabled. If the P-CRID matches the existing recording it will be ignored. We also know that the Humax is capable of re-recording a failed recording by searching for a matching P-CRID, but also that that does not always happen. Certainly it is not reasonable to expect a subsequent recording of a series link to be scheduled for any time other then the first instance of matching S-CRID and non-matching P-CRID.

What I'm ideally after is an extra button in RS (alongside the current "Record programme", "Record series", "Set reminder" and "Close"), called something like "Record programme (fixed time)".

Nice idea, an option could be added to the WebIF schedule browser to convert an existing schedule to manual, but there are wrinkles that would have to be addressed (see below). The current method is to use the SUI: once a recording is scheduled by the usual methods, it is easy to convert to manual timer by brining it up for editing and then clicking "OK" (not cancel). Doing so converts the schedule item to fixed time (typically we then get "why is this broken" enquiries when people have closed the menu by inadvertently clicking OK).

Manual timer entries have no series linking, EPG rescheduling, or AR properties, do not have auto-padding, and record at the specified repetition (it defaults to a one-off recording), so you have to add some pre- and post-padding yourself, and select whether you want the recording made daily, weekly, weekdays, etc. AFAIK the recording will also be made in the My Video folder (although sweeper can be used to sort that out afterwards).

Though then if you try to add any padding then the 'Fox changes the recording title to whatever was on before it...

The new CF facility allows you to name it what you like: http://hummy.tv/forum/threads/wiki-rs-additional-commands-inconsistency.6222/#post-81258