Can't set timer for San Francisco ABC affiliate

bobl

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Dec 11, 2003
178
3
San Francisco Bay Area
I'm wondering if anyone else is having a problem setting a timer, from the guide, for prime time programs while having Prime Time Anytime active? I can do it for the CBS, FOX and NBC affilates but not for KGO, the ABC affiliate. This problem only occurs during prime time hours where the "PT" icon shows in the program guide. If I turn off PTAT, I can then set the timers. It appears the Hopper thinks there's already a timer for every ABC prime time program (there isn't). When selecting one of these programs in the guide, the only options are "Daily Schedule" and "More Info". Neither of the "Record" options exist. This problem only started in the last week, or two. It would appear something has changed with Dish's speciications for this affiliate. The ABC programs still record, but since I can't setup a timer, the programs can't be automatically copied into the "My Recordings" section.
 
Do the ABC programs end up in the primetime Anytime DVR folder? What happens if you choose save or save series? That should move them to your DVR folder and if you choose Save Series then you should only have to do that once and they should save.
 
I had the same thing with the Sacramento area affiliate for ABC. I had to go into the Primetime set up and uncheck the day of the week I was setting the timer for and save (could have probably just disabled ABC instead). Then went back to the guide and set the timer (this was for Nashville) and after the timer was set, went back to Primetime set up and enabled the day of the week that I had previously disabled. Only ABC does this occur, the others allow me to set a time during PTAT without a problem.
 
My brother is having the exact same problem with our ABC station KBMT 12 in Beaumont, TX.
Both of his Hoppers will not allow him to save programs from PTAT on ABC.
However it works just fine on my box running the same software.
Very strange problem.
 
I have no issues with our local ABC affiliate here in Charlotte, NC. I do Save and Save Series from PTAT folder with no issues. Are the timers being set by clicking in the guide? Try using the search feature to set the timer for a particular show.
 
Kind of ironic that its ABC/Disney channels.Things that make you go hmmm.
 
Ok I'm the brother that Arcade mentioned above. I'm gald to know about turning off PTAT to get it to work and then turning PTAT back on. I worked around it by waiting till the show I wanted to record was recorded by the PTAT timer. Then you can go in the DVR and tell it to save series. It was fairly painless this way but If I ever forget to save the series I'm risking loosing episodes if I don't watch them soon enough.

On a very related side note it has happened once to me on CBS as well.
 
Ok I'm the brother that Arcade mentioned above. I'm gald to know about turning off PTAT to get it to work and then turning PTAT back on. I worked around it by waiting till the show I wanted to record was recorded by the PTAT timer. Then you can go in the DVR and tell it to save series. It was fairly painless this way but If I ever forget to save the series I'm risking loosing episodes if I don't watch them soon enough.

On a very related side note it has happened once to me on CBS as well.

If you go into the Guide and browse to the show you want to record so its highlighted in blue, then press the Search button you can find the show and set a timer for it that way. No need to turn PTAT off and on.
 
Yes, the programs do record and end up in the PTAT folder. Once there, I can save them to the My Recordings folder. I can confirm turning PTAT off, setting a timer, and then turning PTAT back on, does work. I had already tried this before posting. I also tried the search option, however, after finding the appropriate program through search, the record options are still missing, just like they are from the guide. As said above, a very strange problem.

I've reported it to Dish technical support. Has anyone else? Wonder if they will actually get it fixed?
 
I also tried the search option, however, after finding the appropriate program through search, the record options are still missing, just like they are from the guide.

I guess I don't understand how search does not work. Once you have found the program using the search option click on the icon and you should see a list of episodes displayed. Clicking on the first episode on the list will give you the record options. Did you do this? If you don't see a list of episodes you are not going far enough in the search function.
 
Trust me, search doesn't work, at least not for me. I initiate a search for an ABC prime time program. A list of episodes is displayed. Highlighting one and hitting enter acts just like highlighting a program in the guide-no recording options. It acts like a timer is already in place for each episode even though one isn't. Further confirmation is that each episode is displayed twice-one for the Dish delivered ABC channel and one for the OTA ABC channel. Highlighting the OTA delivered episode brings up the record options, highlighting the Dish delivered episode doesn't.
 
When I click on the episode I get the Pop-up that allows me to Record Series, Record This etc. Don't hit enter just click on the episode to get the pop-up I described. Did you reboot the Hopper?
 
This is an apparent bug and there's an earlier thread I started about the same thing. You'll find that if your ABC affiliate is omitted from the PTAT schedule that the "ghost" timer showing will then move alphabetically to your CBS affiliate. I've called Dish and seem completely in the dark with 3 different answers from 3 different techs...all wrong, BTW. They need to clean it up so that you can set a timer for that slot if you choose. As of now, you have to let the show start before recording which pretty much makes it pointless. I might add this only started with the S234 software.

Sent from my Droid RAZR MAXX using Tapatalk2
 
What do you mean by "just click on the episode" rather than "don't hit enter"? BTW-seek and record is greyed out on the search screen.

There is no enter key on a Dish Remote. You use the Select button of that purpose. Highlight an episode and use the Select button. If Seek and Record is greyed out there is something wrong with your Hopper. Do you have S234 installed? Have you re-booted by pulling the plug? I see none of the issues you describe while using search to set a timer for a PTAT show on ABC.
 
There is no enter key on a Dish Remote. You use the Select button of that purpose. Highlight an episode and use the Select button. If Seek and Record is greyed out there is something wrong with your Hopper. Do you have S234 installed? Have you re-booted by pulling the plug? I see none of the issues you describe while using search to set a timer for a PTAT show on ABC.

Numerous users have this problem since S234. With PTAT enabled for all networks a *ghost* timer will appear for the ABC time slot immediately BEFORE the PTAT is set to begin recording. This show is NOT recorded and you cannot set a timer for it in advance. You can however, record it manually after it begins to air.

Additionally, if the ABC network is omitted from PTAT then the timer will move to CBS and so on, alphabetically. I can only believe that this is a bug in S234 as it did NOT occur prior to the upgrade.

Sent from my Droid RAZR MAXX using Tapatalk2
 
This show is NOT recorded and you cannot set a timer for it in advance.
Sent from my Droid RAZR MAXX using Tapatalk2

I disagree. If you just go into the guide and click on that show, then yes you cannot set a timer that way. I'm able to set a timer for that show and any from the guide using Search and then either Seek and Record or clicking on the show to display the episode list. Clicking on any episode gives me a pop-up to Record Series or Record This. I'm able to this with any show that is being recorded by PTAT using this method.

The fact that you can't set the timer from the guide may be a bug but you can set a timer in advance.

I think the OP has a problem with his Hopper because he just reported that Seek and Record is greyed out in the search screen.
 
I disagree. If you just go into the guide and click on that show, then yes you cannot set a timer that way. I'm able to set a timer for that show and any from the guide using Search and then either Seek and Record or clicking on the show to display the episode list. Clicking on any episode gives me a pop-up to Record Series or Record This. I'm able to this with any show that is being recorded by PTAT using this method.

The fact that you can't set the timer from the guide may be a bug but you can set a timer in advance.

I think the OP has a problem with his Hopper because he just reported that Seek and Record is greyed out in the search screen.

Your information & work-around is accurate however, this is a bug in the software and it's unrealistic to expect customers to be required to go through all the search gymnastics just to set a simple timer. DISH needs to identify what's causing this & correct it. It started with S234 so it is certainly doable.

Sent from my Droid RAZR MAXX using Tapatalk2
 
I'm having the exact same issues -- cannot setup any timers for our ABC affiliate during PTA hours while using the guide. I even tried using Search and clicking on the show then clicking to record on a future episode and it too will not show the "record this" or "record series" options. Unable to disable PTA and try to setup my timers as suggested earlier since it's during PTA time right now but will try that as a temporary fix. Please DISH, fix this!!

I would love it if they would also fix the folder counts so I don't see 12 things when there are only 2 things in there (because of deleted items?). Get rid of "Deleted Recordings" for each individual folder and just have one at the top level. And don't count shows I deleted in any folder counts or in my hard drive usage percentage.
 

Why can't I set a series timer for ABC during PTAT?

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