# Some series not recording



## superJess (Jul 29, 2002)

I realized today that a new episode of A to Z aired on Thursday and it didn't record. I went to history to see what happened and it doesn't show there at all. I checked the series manager and the show is there and there aren't conflicts. Series manager showed no upcoming recordings planned (the number in parentheses was 0). I looked at the upcoming episodes and sure enough there is a new one on next Thursday but it doesn't look like it's going to record. 

Then I started checking a few other shows that say there are 0 upcoming recordings and they also show new episodes that aren't going to record. 

I canceled the existing series and created a new one and now it shows that next week's episode will record. But one of the shows that had this problem has 2 upcoming episodes and after creating the series it only shows that it plans to record the next one and not the second one. I confirmed they're both new episodes. 

Any idea what's going on here? I have a lot of series set up and some seem to be working fine so far. 


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## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

What model DVR do you have?


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## superJess (Jul 29, 2002)

Oops - it's a Genie HR44


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## superJess (Jul 29, 2002)

One thing I realized is that the ones with problems are all new series (things I set up recently for new fall shows). But some of the new shows seem fine. 


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## texasbrit (Aug 9, 2006)

Did iou set them up through search and ask it to record a future series that was not yet scheduled? Sometimes the channel changes the identification info for the series and so the HR44 can't identify it. We always suggest people review the series link just before the first episode is going to air to make sure this has not happened...


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## superJess (Jul 29, 2002)

That's a possibility. I know I did that for some shows. What's odd is that it did record a couple of episodes before having the problem. 

I'm still not sure why the ones I just set up to replace them don't show that the second episode (2 weeks out) is going to record. They only show that next week's episode will record. Does it take time for the series to realize there's another episode that will need to be recorded?


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

superJess said:


> That's a possibility. I know I did that for some shows. What's odd is that it did record a couple of episodes before having the problem.
> 
> I'm still not sure why the ones I just set up to replace them don't show that the second episode (2 weeks out) is going to record. They only show that next week's episode will record. Does it take time for the series to realize there's another episode that will need to be recorded?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Check the First Aired Date on the one that is not going to record. Some programs have the date as to when they aired in Canada and there is a couple of months difference and the DVR thinks it is old and not a new one.


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## texasbrit (Aug 9, 2006)

superJess said:


> That's a possibility. I know I did that for some shows. What's odd is that it did record a couple of episodes before having the problem.
> 
> I'm still not sure why the ones I just set up to replace them don't show that the second episode (2 weeks out) is going to record. They only show that next week's episode will record. Does it take time for the series to realize there's another episode that will need to be recorded?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


It can take quite a while for the future episodes list to be populated....


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

superJess said:


> That's a possibility. I know I did that for some shows. What's odd is that it did record a couple of episodes before having the problem.
> 
> I'm still not sure why the ones I just set up to replace them don't show that the second episode (2 weeks out) is going to record. They only show that next week's episode will record. Does it take time for the series to realize there's another episode that will need to be recorded?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


It doesn't spend horsepower on long range shows while a DVR is in use for live viewing etc.

It really doesn't matter as long as it records as it should. I believe it rechecks all guide data before every half hour to look for programming changes which do happen and alter the to do list constantly which is why I hate the to do list for series. They need to get rid of it.

Also maybe the guide data isn't fully populated yet to tell it it's a new show.

And as someone else said if it's a Canadian show. Ugh!


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## superJess (Jul 29, 2002)

Today when I checked the series I set up yesterday are now showing that they will record all of the new episodes. So, it seems that the ones I originally set up using search stopped working and that was my original problem. The new series I'm setting up don't appear to have a problem, they just take a while to show that they're going to record everything. I'm trying to find any that may have been set up from search and delete them and make new ones.


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## fudpucker (Jul 23, 2007)

inkahauts said:


> It doesn't spend horsepower on long range shows while a DVR is in use for live viewing etc.
> 
> It really doesn't matter as long as it records as it should. I believe it rechecks all guide data before every half hour to look for programming changes which do happen and alter the to do list constantly which is why I hate the to do list for series. They need to get rid of it.
> 
> ...


No, they need to fix the To Do list, not get rid of it. I had the exact same problem, documented elsewhere. Some shows are recording, some are not showing as scheduled to record (even though tuners are free, first aired date matches as "New", etc,) and the ones it skipped don't show up in the History list as cancelled or skipped, or at all.

Dish's equipment (722, 612, Hopper, etc.) has a To Do list that is very useful, very elegant, and works. The Genie's is just broken.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Again that's not a to do list issue. That's much bigger imho. There is something else breaking down. How many other DIRECTV devices do you have? Can you actually try and record five things right now on different channels? It almost sounds like your unit is set to less than five tuners. 

My issue with the to do list has nothing to do with the issue you are having.

And the best DVR ever didn't have to do lists. Just sayin!


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

In general, I have no problems with the To Do List, nor recordings. Occasionally, something will slip up, usually due to faulty encoding/tagging by TMS.
A series link will often not show up until the recording time is nigh, but I've gotten used to that.


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## trainman (Jan 9, 2008)

fudpucker said:


> ...and the ones it skipped don't show up in the History list as cancelled or skipped, or at all.


If shows are not recorded because the DVR doesn't see them as matching the Series Link settings, they won't show up in the History list.

For example, I have a Series Link for "The Daily Show" set to First Run Only -- the three reruns that air per day do not appear on the History list as having been skipped, because they just didn't match the "First Run Only" condition in the Series Link in the first place. (Sometimes they _do_ appear on the To Do list, but they'll eventually disappear once the guide data "fills in" that properly identifies them as reruns.)


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## texasbrit (Aug 9, 2006)

If the episode does not appear in history, then it did not match the data the DVR had for the series link. If it were me, I would just clear down the guide data (two resets - second one after the box has completely rebooted) or use the clearmybox function, I bet after that things are OK.


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## superJess (Jul 29, 2002)

The issue I had originally was not isolated. I found 1 - 2 missing episodes from 3 different series (so far). I believe the issue was related to setting the series up from search originally (when the shows were not yet showing up on the guide, but search knew they were "coming soon"). For each of the affected shows it recorded 2 - 3 episodes and then stopped "finding" them. I deleted the series that I had originally created from search and created a new one and it seems to be okay now. I deleted and re-created some other series (quite a pain) that I thought MIGHT have this issue because it seems like it started happening somewhat randomly (recorded okay for a few weeks and then stopped).

As for the To Do list... it bugs me that it isn't always updated/accurate. I can't look ahead and make sure that shows are going to record. If I check a series and look at "other showings" it will often show new episodes that look like they won't be recorded. I can't be sure if it's the aforementioned problem or not because if I check again a day or two later they might then show that they will record. So, then I am left with checking constantly to make sure things are going to record like they're supposed to.

ETA: I definitely miss the "To Do" list from my Dish 722. I could see everything that was coming up and also have it show me skipped items so I could see every episode that would be skipped and the reason why (priority, not a new episode, etc.). That way I could tell - oh crap, this isn't going to record because I have too many things recording at the same time and I could jostle things to fix it if I wanted to (or at least know it was going to happen). Or I could see that it wasn't a new episode and that's why it wasn't going to record, so I didn't need to worry.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

I always set my recordings from the Guide. I don't check the To Do list out more than a few days very often.


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## texasbrit (Aug 9, 2006)

For whatever reason, setting new "coming soon" series from search is unreliable, we always recommend that people check to see if the first episode is set to record. Sometimes it's because the channel changes the guide info on the series before it actually airs, so the series link does not recognize it.
Personally I never use it, I always set up from the guide.


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## superJess (Jul 29, 2002)

texasbrit said:


> For whatever reason, setting new "coming soon" series from search is unreliable, we always recommend that people check to see if the first episode is set to record. Sometimes it's because the channel changes the guide info on the series before it actually airs, so the series link does not recognize it.
> Personally I never use it, I always set up from the guide.


I've learned my lesson. I thought this was the coolest feature I found on DirecTV too. Often I know I want to record something before it has shown up on the guide, so I thought it was great that I could go ahead and schedule it and not have to remember to do it later. Oh well. And like I said, it did work - but only for a couple of episodes, and then it stopped.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Jess-

There's also a calendar with coming events. [A tab at the top of the web pages] I try to check it weekly to see if there's something I want. Then go to the Guide and select it there.


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## fudpucker (Jul 23, 2007)

superJess said:


> .
> 
> ETA: I definitely miss the "To Do" list from my Dish 722. I could see everything that was coming up and also have it show me skipped items so I could see every episode that would be skipped and the reason why (priority, not a new episode, etc.). That way I could tell - oh crap, this isn't going to record because I have too many things recording at the same time and I could jostle things to fix it if I wanted to (or at least know it was going to happen). Or I could see that it wasn't a new episode and that's why it wasn't going to record, so I didn't need to worry.


Yeah, that was what I was used to for a To Do list also. Once you see what can be done when it is done well, it is tough losing that feature.


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## cScott (Jul 19, 2015)

I am having the exact same problem with my Genie (HR44/700). I set it to record the series _Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell_ and _Humans_. Both shows appear in my Series Manager, but it's not recording any episodes of either show.

Based on earlier comments, I suspect it's because both series are airing in the UK two weeks before airing in the US. It seems likely that the Genie is basing its "First Run" determination on the UK air date, instead of the US date, so it thinks that every episode reruns, even when they're not.

I'm not sure if it's a software issue or a problem with the guide date, but I wish they'd fix it, because it's too easy to accidentally miss episodes without being aware of it.

Cheers,
cScott


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

The safest way to set a recording for anything is to find it in the Guide, and hit R twice for a series. Anything else leaves gaps in my experience.


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## armophob (Nov 13, 2006)

trainman said:


> If shows are not recorded because the DVR doesn't see them as matching the Series Link settings, they won't show up in the History list.
> 
> For example, I have a Series Link for "The Daily Show" set to First Run Only -- the three reruns that air per day do not appear on the History list as having been skipped, because they just didn't match the "First Run Only" condition in the Series Link in the first place. (Sometimes they _do_ appear on the To Do list, but they'll eventually disappear once the guide data "fills in" that properly identifies them as reruns.)


When did they fix the guide data on the Daily Show?
I still have that hour set up manually.


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## armophob (Nov 13, 2006)

I am having a fit trying to get my HR34 to record Aquarius. It has never been able to lock on with a SL.
I missed another episode last night.


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## cScott (Jul 19, 2015)

Laxguy said:


> The safest way to set a recording for anything is to find it in the Guide, and hit R twice for a series. Anything else leaves gaps in my experience.


With some shows (such as _Humans_ and _Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell_), it doesn't seem to matter how you set it up to record. It still doesn't actually record the individual episodes.

Cheers,
cScott


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

superJess said:


> I realized today that a new episode of A to Z aired on Thursday and it didn't record. I went to history to see what happened and it doesn't show there at all. I checked the series manager and the show is there and there aren't conflicts. Series manager showed no upcoming recordings planned (the number in parentheses was 0). I looked at the upcoming episodes and sure enough there is a new one on next Thursday but it doesn't look like it's going to record.
> 
> Then I started checking a few other shows that say there are 0 upcoming recordings and they also show new episodes that aren't going to record.
> 
> ...


When you find a problematic show set it to Both in the Series manager. They are easy to delete from the To Do list if you have already watched it.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Good idea. The boxes can do no better than the embedded encoding!


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## trainman (Jan 9, 2008)

armophob said:


> When did they fix the guide data on the Daily Show?
> I still have that hour set up manually.


I will say that once in a blue moon it records the Monday morning rerun.

My recollection is that when "The Colbert Report" premiered in October 2005, the "Daily Show" guide data drastically improved along with it. I'd say it's been at least 99% reliable for what's been almost a full decade now.


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## CTJon (Feb 5, 2007)

I have found this problem with several vendors (Uverse, TWC, DirecTv, etc.) for many years. Whomever produces guide data, and it isn't who provides the actual service, has the actual first aired date - in the UK or ?? - and thus we aren't ever really seeing first run date. As someone said - do both and delete the repeats. Works great for new shows - if you are doing that for a series that has been around for a while it creates a mess but fortunately it usually doesn't happen for long running series.

It would probably require the whole guide data structure to change to include country and first air date for country. Still wouldn't work for PBS stuff where it seems as if every local station decides when to air what.


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## nuspieds (Aug 9, 2008)

cScott said:


> With some shows (such as _Humans_ and _Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell_), it doesn't seem to matter how you set it up to record. It still doesn't actually record the individual episodes.
> 
> Cheers,
> cScott


Depending on how you configured the series recording, Guide data can also be a contributing factor to the issue.

I actually thought that there was an intentional gap after the first episode of Humans but after my vacation when I realized nothing new had still recorded, I suspected something was wrong. Sure enough, my HR44 still had zero upcoming for recording.

So then I changed the options from "First-Run Only" to "Both" and then the To-Do List became accurate. Clearly, the Guide data were incorrect.


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## texasbrit (Aug 9, 2006)

cScott said:


> With some shows (such as _Humans_ and _Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell_), it doesn't seem to matter how you set it up to record. It still doesn't actually record the individual episodes.
> 
> Cheers,
> cScott


If you set "Humans" to record all episodes, it does. Humans is one of those programs where the first shown date is wrong, it's set to the first shown date in the UK, so the DVR does not see it as first run. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is probably the same. You should complain to AMC about it.


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## armophob (Nov 13, 2006)

trainman said:


> I will say that once in a blue moon it records the Monday morning rerun.
> 
> My recollection is that when "The Colbert Report" premiered in October 2005, the "Daily Show" guide data drastically improved along with it. I'd say it's been at least 99% reliable for what's been almost a full decade now.


No, I had just got Directv in 2005 and tried to set up a DS/CR SL every year up until 2010 or so when I just stopped trying. Every time I did, it recorded 3 to 4 of them a day,


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

armophob said:


> No, I had just got Directv in 2005 and tried to set up a DS/CR SL every year up until 2010 or so when I just stopped trying. Every time I did, it recorded 3 to 4 of them a day,


Sounds like a good time to set up the "Manual Record". Choose the channel, time to start and duration. It works.


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## armophob (Nov 13, 2006)

jimmie57 said:


> Sounds like a good time to set up the "Manual Record". Choose the channel, time to start and duration. It works.


Yes, I have been doing that for over 10 years now.


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

armophob said:


> Yes, I have been doing that for over 10 years now.


I have started using it ( Manual Record method ) on some shows that run 1 minute over normal. They interfere with what I want to record next and by setting it to the exact time ( minus the minute ) I get to record the next 2 shows that are set. So far I am only missing commercials, even if it is a preview of what is coming on next week which I really don't care to see anyway.


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## mrphil (Dec 11, 2011)

jimmie57 said:


> Sounds like a good time to set up the "Manual Record". Choose the channel, time to start and duration. It works.


That works OK, until the network changes the broadcast time, then something else is recorded. Seems it would be easier for D* to get with the guide data provider and get this issue, now ongoing for several years, fixed. Zap2it has incomplete info and doesn't show, for example "Stossel" on FBN Fri at 8ET as New, (First Run) yet both Titantv and TVGuide have the new indication. My DVR is set to record only new episodes, which air once weekly of this program, yet my HR44 is going to record it 11 times between the 24th & 26th of July because there is no first aired date. It's practically a daily chore to clean out the to do list. Wonder how many man hours are spent in total by all D* subscribers screwing around with something that appears easily fixed....either tell your current data provider to get with the program, or switch to a data provider that provides complete, accurate data.


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