Can other PVR receivers do this?

[PopcornNMore]

Tonight I was playing around with my Optibox Anaconda HD PVR receiver and I discovered that I'm able to pause, rewind and then forward live programming just like you can with DirecTV and Dish Network DVR receivers.

I was under the impression that FTA PVR satellite receivers only allowed you to record programming, but I guess I was wrong.

 

[catamount]

Yes, nothing new. My five year old CNX trio does that. You can set the time buffer to varying intervals. Have not used that feature in years, but I remember it did work very well.

Catamount

 

[Mr Tony]

yup. Its called timeshift

The Micro has that option as does the Manhattan. I'm sure the Openbox's do too
Its an option you can turn off and on. On the Micro you can even dump the buffer into a DVR file so if you're watching say 8 minutes of a program and hit record it will dump the buffer into the file and continue recording.

from my review

The receiver does have a buffer (timeshift) which works really well. You can go backwards or forward at 2,4,8,16 or 24 times speed. In the menu settings you can have it so when you hit record it either starts when you hit record or it dumps the whole buffer in the file. So if you had 38 minutes of buffered programming and hit record it shows 38:01.

 

[avenger]

Is all of this refference conserns a true PVR box, or can this functions be also done with a USB "Hard Drive" type of equipment. Maybe NOT?.

 

[PopcornNMore]

On the Micro you can even dump the buffer into a DVR file so if you're watching say 8 minutes of a program and hit record it will dump the buffer into the file and continue recording.

My wife and I enjoyed this feature in the past using a Tivo DirecTV receiver. Our current VIP722K Dish receiver doesn't do this. I will need to play around with my Optibox Anaconda some more to see if it has this feature.

 

[Babadem]

My wife and I enjoyed this feature in the past using a Tivo DirecTV receiver. Our current VIP722K Dish receiver doesn't do this. I will need to play around with my Optibox Anaconda some more to see if it has this feature.

That's weird!??! ...........because my 722K does all that you mentioned in your first post.

 

[PopcornNMore]

FTA receivers have come a long way no matter what brand you purchase. It still amazes me that with a FTA satellite system anyone can enjoy free SD and HD programming using a receiver that offers free DVR and timeshift features that cost $6 and more a month on pizza along with high cost TV packages.

Our family currently uses FTA satellite 70%, OTA 20% Dish Network only 10%.

My wife and daughter are now saying things like "can you show me how I can record a program on FTA satellite?" and "WOW that HD channel looks great". Soon my wife will be after me to install more dishes. I hope!

 

[PopcornNMore]

That's weird!??! ...........because my 722K does all that you mentioned in your first post.

The 722K allows you to rewind or pause live TV, but if you hit record after watching a program for say 10 minutes it begins recording with the first 10 minutes being lost.

 

[Pepper]

The 722K allows you to rewind or pause live TV, but if you hit record after watching a program for say 10 minutes it begins recording with the first 10 minutes being lost.

Unless you rewind to the point where you want the recording to start before hitting record (then you can fast forward back where you were); or just hit record, then click "Options" and choose "Record entire event" if it has been on that channel since the program started.

Some of the functionality of the FTA boxes has gotten a lot better but the interfaces are still very clunky when compared to Dish or DirecTV, it seems like DVR functionality was more an afterthought than a serious part of the design. A major reason is probably lack of useful guide information on most satellites.

 

[Mr Tony]

Is all of this refference conserns a true PVR box, or can this functions be also done with a USB "Hard Drive" type of equipment. Maybe NOT?.

most FTA receivers require a USB hard drive to work as a PVR.
There are very few receivers with a hard drive built in. I owned both Pansat 5000 & 6000 which were true dual tuner units with a PVR (you could hook two lines directly to the receiver and record 2 different channels from same satellite or use loop out and do same polarity) but it was buggy as heck.

 

[Mr Tony]

I will need to play around with my Optibox Anaconda some more to see if it has this feature.

check in the menus. MicroHD says "timeshift" and "dump to USB" or something like that. It can be turned on and off

 

[Mr Tony]

FTA receivers have come a long way no matter what brand you purchase.

as has most things

It still amazes me that with a FTA satellite system anyone can enjoy free SD and HD programming using a receiver that offers free DVR and timeshift features that cost $6 and more a month on pizza along with high cost TV packages.

I'm not going to turn this into a DBS vs FTA debate but the DBS DVR's in most cases can do things that FTA PVR's can't. The one thing I can think of off the top of my head is record 2 separate channels regardless of location. Even when I had a true dual tuner FTA receiver (Pansat 5000/6000) timers could only do one program. Another is dual buffers and in some cases PIP.

 

[Mr Tony]

pic on the Micro that has the timeshift and dump optino

 

[FaT Air]

The Openbox will also 'timeshift' and record the program back to your timeshift option setting.

 

[PopcornNMore]

The Openbox will also 'timeshift' and record the program back to your timeshift option setting.

Now I need to hookup my Openbox to see this option. I also should upgrade the firmware since the timers never worked in the version that it shipped with.

 

[avenger]

most FTA receivers require a USB hard drive to work as a PVR.
There are very few receivers with a hard drive built in.

I mentioned on onther thread that I have an external USB Hard Drive, and you recommended to connected it to the microHD via the USB port and to format the hard drive before use.

What I was realy asking was (should have been much clear on the question), will this hard drive perform as a mini "Tivo", that is will this allow me to record a show and do the things that PopcornHMore was mentioning on the first post.

My external "Hard Drive" it still virgin.

Not to change the subject.... Had to spend some time working on the $69.99 six foot special, the wild winds that we had last week, did some damage (cracked a weld) to the bracket which is attached to the positioner arm/rod, the original little spot weld job done to the initial bracket was/is a very poor workmanship.

The only dish that is functioning right now is a three foot dish which I am using for K/u viewing, which that I bought from SatelliteAV five years ago. Thanks Brian for a good product.

Thank You.

 

[Mr Tony]

I mentioned on onther thread that I have an external USB Hard Drive, and you recommended to connected it to the microHD via the USB port and to format the hard drive before use.

What I was realy asking was (should have been much clear on the question), will this hard drive perform as a mini "Tivo", that is will this allow me to record a show and do the things that PopcornHMore was mentioning on the first post.

yes. You can also (on the Micro) record 2 channels on the same transponder at same time (like PBJ & TuffTV)

 

[KE4EST]

The Openbox will also 'timeshift' and record the program back to your timeshift option setting.

Yep this has always worked great on my S10.

 

[PopcornNMore]

I found the timeshift options within the menus of the Optibox Anaconda receiver. It allows you to set timeshift (auto, manual and off). One interesting thing to point out is that it allows you to set the timeshift duration which is currently set to 240 minutes by default. I learned from my wife tonight that the Dish VIP722K receiver does allow you to record previously viewed programming by selecting the option Pepper suggested, but it only buffers roughly 15 minutes of previously viewed programming. So, if you watched 1.5 hours of a 2 hour movie and you decide the record it will only record the previous 15 minutes plus the remaining 1/2 hour of the movie. I believe the Optibox Anaconda would buffer the entire 1.5 hours and add it to the recording if you so desire.