Question on PTAT vs. standard timer

[docdaddy]

We have timers set up for all of the shows we watch (we rarely watch anything live) but I am puzzled about something:

I'll use Elementary as an example. Since it comes on CBS, which has a lot of sports events that go long, we have a time set up to extend the recording of Elementary by 60 minutes. Yet, the last couple of Elementarys we watched stopped early (they started late due to some sports event and stopped after an hour.)

If a program is being recorded via PTAT, does that override the program's instructions on the timer? I notice you can select a program in the guide that will be recorded via PTAT and one of the options is "restore."

Thanks

 

[Hall]

Unless Elementary is on at 10pm, your best bet is to let PTAT take care of it. PTAT doesn't record individual shows, it records everything from 8pm to 11pm (presuming EST) - it doesn't care what time a show starts or stops.

 

[docdaddy]

Unless Elementary is on at 10pm, your best bet is to let PTAT take care of it. PTAT doesn't record individual shows, it records everything from 8pm to 11pm (presuming EST) - it doesn't care what time a show starts or stops.

It does come on at 10 ET/9 CT. So I set the timer for 60 minutes extra, but when I went to watch it it had only recorded one hour. Even though the timer was set for an extra 60 minutes. Which is why I ask whether PTAT overrides a timer setting I have for a program.

 

[Hall]

I believe it does override. To be more accurate, it simply IGNORES your timer. It shows this if you look at the details for the timer - can't remember the wording but it says something about this.

Work-around: Set a timer for whatever comes on at 11:00pm and extend it. PTAT won't interfere with that timer.

 

[docdaddy]

Very good to know and explains a lot. I don't really want to turn off PTAT because it's so convenient and I suppose I could just go into the guide and "restore" recordings each week for those likely to be effected now that I know how this works. What we like about PTAT is we sometimes see shows it records that we don't normally watch and its a way to take a test drive of those.

 

[Hall]

We have PTAT enabled as well 'cause it's easy. There are definitely problems with it though. The one you point out, for instance.... Or, watch something that's 'in progress' and being recorded by PTAT, but pause it for an extended amount of time (say 15-30 minutes). If you un-pause it and it runs past 11pm, it just dumps you out to live TV at 11:03pm or so !! It doesn't just continue playing back like a normal timer would.

 

[h2ouup2]

I just record the News, and two shows after on CBS around sports time, especially on Sunday, and that's how I make sure I get all of the show.

 

[MikeD-C05]

I just set up the two shows my wife watches on CBS on Sundays with ending 90 minutes late padding. I hope this will allow her to get both shows since CBS makes watching tv on Sundays a living Hell. I used a manual timer during the fall and I ended it when Basket ball was over. So she missed last weeks shows and was pissed. So pissed she said lets get CABLE. I explained that it would make no difference because it is CBS doing the changes , not the guides fault or the dvr itself screwing it up. CBS screws most shows they put on Sunday night because of the sports over runs.

 

[ggw2000]

I'm sure this is widely known but i'll throw it out there.. I have a HWS & SJ that of course gives me 5 tuners. What I found is that I can set PTAT for one night (I use saturday night because I don't record anything that night), I then setup all my timers for the shows I want using the guide for the rest of the week. On Sundays for CBS I just extend the shows an hour. I have used this setup since last fall and record probably 20 or so shows a week.
Since PTAT is setup for Saturday night, I still get Autohop on all my shows for the big four networks I record after the mandatory hold time that is in effect.
Gerry

 

[TalonDancer]

I just record the News, and two shows after on CBS around sports time, especially on Sunday, and that's how I make sure I get all of the show.

That’s what we do too.The downside is that to see the full episode of Elementary we sometimes have to jump from the PTAT recording of Elementary to CBS News then to CBS Sports Sunday.

But there is also an upside to PTAT. The PTAT recordings of NCIS LA and Madam Secretary play through the scheduled hour boundaries. For example, even when the CBS schedule is delayed, once we start watching NCIS LA or Madam Secretary they continue on to the end of the episode.

 

[charlesrshell]

That’s what we do too.The downside is that to see the full episode of Elementary we sometimes have to jump from the PTAT recording of Elementary to CBS News then to CBS Sports Sunday.

But there is also an upside to PTAT. The PTAT recordings of NCIS LA and Madam Secretary play through the scheduled hour boundaries. For example, even when the CBS schedule is delayed, once we start watching NCIS LA or Madam Secretary they continue on to the end of the episode.

Since I have had my HWSs I have one manual weekly OTA timer set for CBS every Sunday 10:00pm CST to 11:59pm. This has worked out great for me to catch a program that has a sport overage issue. Try it out, you won't waste a an extra timer.

 

[TalonDancer]

Since I have had my HWSs I have one manual weekly OTA timer set for CBS every Sunday 10:00pm CST to 11:59pm. This has worked out great for me to catch a program that has a sport overage issue. Try it out, you won't waste a an extra timer.

Thanks for the tip. I didn't know I could set a timer that wasn't linked to a specific program in the guide.

 

[charlesrshell]

Thanks for the tip. I didn't know I could set a timer that wasn't linked to a specific program in the guide.

Welcome. The next morning I check the program the manual timer recorded. If it starts out with the news I know that no sports overage had occurred so I then delete the recording unless I want to watch last nite's news. If it doesn't start out with the news I know a sports overage had occurred so I hang on to it till I have watched everything I want to watch. Works out great for me.