# Progress of Series Links



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

So since the 10AF/103A releases, I have seen a drastic drop in "it missed this show" posts... Now we have 10B8 (on the Humax side)

So, let's do a little poll.

Specifics for the POLL.

1) This is NOT a reflection of First Run vs Repeat... that is a different issue
2) This is basically: I set it as a Series Link, and it recorded
3) Recordings that where missed because the system was locked up, should also be excluded... as that is related to locking up, vs Series Link logic
4) These would be missed recordings that could not be explained any other way (Re conflicts, bad guide data, change in schedule)
5) A Recording that started (but for what ever reason didn't record complete, counts as a valid SL... even though there is another problem there)


Options:
- Near Perfect; Less then 1 recording every two weeks, accross all programs
- Very good; 2 recordings in a month
- Not good; 3 or more recordings in a month
- Just doesn't work at all; Multiple shows... multiple misses... ect.


----------



## Thunder7 (Nov 16, 2005)

Hmm...not sure how to vote yet....

1. The series link finds MOST things fine. My only exception is that it flat out refuses to find Sopranos episodes. (i have the latest firmware, and have re-setup the SL, but still no dice.)
2. It likes to record EVERY episode of King of Queens (even the ones from 1998 that are played by the local channel pre-prime time.
3. Sporadic on The Daily Show. Usually finds 3 out of the 4 11:00 showings, but rarely all 4 for the week.

Other than this, it works.


----------



## majortom (Oct 31, 2004)

So, you are not asking if this series links are useful, just if they seem to be less useless than they were before (since almost all the many reasons my box does not work right are "other issues").

/carmi


----------



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

No, not really...

I am actually asking just that.... ARe the Series Links usefull.
Are they recording the programs are not.... 

yes, there is still issues with First Run vs Repeat... that particular issue is something else.

Basically: If you set a Series Link... did it record or not.


----------



## sandi916 (Apr 8, 2006)

There are certain shows I record M-F. SL does not p/u all episodes. Skips some days and records others. I do have the 10B8 update on R15-500.


----------



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

sandi916 said:


> There are certain shows I record M-F. SL does not p/u all episodes. Skips some days and records others. I do have the 10B8 update on R15-500.


Which ones? (Since the 15 or so shows I use as test cases haven't missed one since 10AF)


----------



## sandi916 (Apr 8, 2006)

Judge Judy shown here on nbc at 4 and 4:30
Judge Alex shown here on Fox 5 at 2 and 2:30
People's Court shown here on CBS at 4


----------



## ApK (Mar 6, 2006)

Hmm...did you intentionally not include a fence-sitting middle option?

I don't know how to vote, but SL have not caused me any problems. I have 37 SLs, and except for the problem with getting duplicates and not being able use SL to get the same show on different channels, they seem to be working as I'd expect. The do not get quite the same episodes as my Tivo for the shows I have set on both (for backup) but the discrepencies have been benign, so I haven't looked closely at the reasons for the differences. Plus, what I read here about the limit on the number of SLs and the problems caused by maxing out prevent me from voting "very good."

If you had a 'good' option between very good and not so good, I'd vote that way.


----------



## qwerty (Feb 19, 2006)

Given your criteria, I give it a "Near perfect". I've never missed an SL recording. Well, at least I've never noticed that it missed one.

It could certainly be better. Like aloowing you the SL the same show on differnet channels if you so desire. And, of course, the Frist run vs. repeat issue. BTW, it successfully did not record tonights repeat of CSI NY.

I was with Dish until Jan, and never had a version of the SL before. Since then, I've grown to love it, even with the minor flaws.


----------



## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

Not having much experience with any other DVR, it is difficult for me to relate to, or understand, the definitions Earl established. If I had failed series link recordings twice a month (every 2 weeks), I would not consider that to be "Near perfect". From what I have read on various forums, I am led to believe that two failures a month probably never, or almost never happens with a Tivo based DVR.

Never the less, I did actually vote for "Near perfect" because I have had fewer SL failures than 2 per month. However even the few that I have had are very frustrating. Once you get used to watching recorded, rather than live, shows, it can really be frustrating to go to watch a show and find out it didn't record. Of course you can't back up in time to correct that.

Perhaps we need a parallel poll, asking what an acceptable or tolerable amount of missed recordings would be? What do our forum members consider to be "Near perfect" or "Very good"?

Carl


----------



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Well I purposely didn't put a GOOD.... as really if you are missing more then 2 a month that isn't good (IMHO)... 

Missing 1 isn't "great" but it does happen (even in DTivo Land) so I gave it a little room there.


----------



## ISWIZ (Nov 18, 2005)

Not bothering to vote, just letting you know my local news (WLOS Asheville NC) can still not be set as a series link. Been that way since say one. No big deal but it has always worked on my other box. All my nationals seem to work fine, for the most part they always have.


----------



## Mr. Furious (Feb 9, 2006)

SLs still suck. The repeat/first run is a big deal for me, and there's been zero improvement there. Some shows (_Doctor Who_) don't want to record at all, others (repeats of _Celebrity Poker Showdown_) record no matter how closely I babysit the ToDo list.

The primary purpose of a DVR is to record programs as the owner specifies. The R15 doesn't do that, and never has. It's sad, really.


----------



## ad301 (Mar 30, 2004)

Earl Bonovich said:


> 1) This is NOT a reflection of First Run vs Repeat... that is a different issue
> 2) This is basically: I set it as a Series Link, and it recorded
> 3) Recordings that where missed because the system was locked up, should also be excluded... as that is related to locking up, vs Series Link logic
> 4) These would be missed recordings that could not be explained any other way (Re conflicts, bad guide data, change in schedule)
> ...


Earl, I have to say, you are doing your faithful r15 devotees no favors with this. To promote the idea that missing 2 recordings per month is "very good" is just laughable! And your idea of near perfect is inexplicably missing _up to 2 recordings per month_. Come on! That's not near perfect, that's UNACCEPTABLE. Given all the caveats on your list, there is no good reason why a SL recording should EVER be missed.

And please, to use the tired old "it even happens in Dtivo Land" excuse is just a crock. Nothing is perfect, we all know that, but the vast majority of missed programs reported elsewhere seem to turn out to be bad data or user error. There is not, and never has been, an attitude by tivo users that ANY number of unexplainable missed recordings is acceptable.

I have been running 4 directivos (2 SD and 2 HD hr10s) and 2 stand alone tivos, 3 of them running continuously since 2001, and I have NEVER, I repeat NEVER, had an unexplainable missed series recording on any one of those 6 boxes. That's what I would call near perfect. An average of 1 missed recording per month? That would be laughable and totally unacceptable.


----------



## mtchamp (Nov 24, 2005)

We have a total of 6 DirecTiVo's in 2 households and it they just plain work. Season Passes record all the programs. I can't even remember a show not recording. I think it happened, but it's so rare and probably not TiVo's fault, that I can say my TiVos record programs as selected 100% of the time.

From everything I read, this box is just the same Sky+ boxes NDS uses in the UK, still buggy and lacking advanced search and record functionality after 4 years. I don't expect this R15's to ever work as good as a TiVo because they can't ever get around TiVo patents to make them work as perfectly as TiVos do.


----------



## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Missing 1 isn't "great" but it does happen (even in DTivo Land) so I gave it a little room there.


I haven't had one unexplained missed recording on any of my DTivo. Plus, it's a huge help to have a history screen that actually provides useful info.


----------



## Bud33 (Jan 26, 2006)

I haven't had any trouble with SL recordings, although I do not do a lot of it and am not sure I understand all I know about it... This is my first DVR of any kind.
I have set up Two soap operas for my wife, on my local NBC channel and they have never missed an episode. Most of the time she is here watching so I have to go in and delete them.
I had also set up Monk, and The Closure on USA and TNT respectively and Monk started to fill up the memory with repeats of repeats so I stopped that.
The Closure has not aired new or as a repeat for a while so it will be interesting to see if it will record when the series starts again in June.


----------



## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

I'm going to have to go with Not so Good. I think it' about 3 shows a month. Without a real history I can't give you a good answer since alot of the shows are on break right now. Some of the things I've missed might have been to the show not being schuduled but since the history doesn't show that I don't know. I have gotten a some what more confortable with not checking the R15 everyday (have the HD tivo for a backup doesn't hurt). But I still try to check it on Thursdays when i have to use 2 R15 and the Hd tivo to get every I want to record.

Mr. Furious, I haven't had any issues with Doctor Who at all. You might want to try deleting the SL and reenter it.


----------



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

ad301 said:


> Earl, I have to say, you are doing your faithful r15 devotees no favors with this. To promote the idea that missing 2 recordings per month is "very good" is just laughable! And your idea of near perfect is inexplicably missing _up to 2 recordings per month_. Come on! That's not near perfect, that's UNACCEPTABLE. Given all the caveats on your list, there is no good reason why a SL recording should EVER be missed.
> 
> And please, to use the tired old "it even happens in Dtivo Land" excuse is just a crock. Nothing is perfect, we all know that, but the vast majority of missed programs reported elsewhere seem to turn out to be bad data or user error. There is not, and never has been, an attitude by tivo users that ANY number of unexplainable missed recordings is acceptable.
> 
> I have been running 4 directivos (2 SD and 2 HD hr10s) and 2 stand alone tivos, 3 of them running continuously since 2001, and I have NEVER, I repeat NEVER, had an unexplainable missed series recording on any one of those 6 boxes. That's what I would call near perfect. An average of 1 missed recording per month? That would be laughable and totally unacceptable.


I use the "cavet" in this instance... because it does happen.
Just head over to TCF and there are plenty enough threads (not just the DTivo forums)... It happens.

I gave "nearly perfect" with less then 1 or 2 a month... because what would constitute perfect?

Yes... any missed recordings in "unacceptable" I agree.

What options "would" have been good for this poll?
Given we are looking at a 2 month time frame sinse the 10AF release?

I have 3 remaining active DTivos... at one point I have had 7... and they have missed a recordings... Internal Errors, Frozen HR10-250 (I get that once a month, signal overload on the OTA)... the occasional guide fubared data (stargate), ect...

It happens... So if you have a "perfect" option... not a single person in the entire DVR universal could ever click it, as it simply doesn't happen.

So...

With that said...

Since there hasn't been enough time, nor have I come up with a good "scale", I am going to close the thread.

Sorry for asking to get a "feeler" on how things have improved over the last 2 months.


----------



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

First... my apologize... I defiently over reacted to the comments posted... (It's been a long week).

Another comment:
I recieved a PM from a user.... Saying:
"This is your forum, you can run it however you want."

Well.... This user is wrong... I was wrong.
This *ISN'T MY*, this is *OUR* forum... No one elses... It isn't DirecTV's, It isn't the Moderators, this is place where the R15 user community can discuss these things.

So my apologies


----------



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Clarrifying the options:

1)Near Perfect... basically it works, and I trust it... doesn't really mis anything... but there may have been one somewhere sometime.

2) Very Good... basically it works, and I trust it... but I knowling know of one that didn't record.. hasn't done it again, but it has done it

3) Not So Good. misses multiple recordings, for no reason... Doesn't happen for everything... but it does happen... and I have to kinda babysit the unit

4) Flat out doesn't work.... I think it is self explanitor... Basically you are at the point where it isn't a DVR to you.

IF you are selecting any option except "Nearly Perfect"
Please post why (with examples if possible) you are voting that way.


----------



## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

I voted Near Perfect, never fails to get what I asked for except it has stopped recording early before. On that I have figured out why though. 

NOW if it could just stop recording all the episodes I would be pretty happy.


----------



## Mr. Furious (Feb 9, 2006)

cabanaboy1977 said:


> Mr. Furious, I haven't had any issues with Doctor Who at all. You might want to try deleting the SL and reenter it.


I've actually done that twice now; I think my R-15 hates British Sci-Fi. 

I don't even really know why I record it, since I have it on DVD. Maybe my receiver is trying to tell me something.


----------



## mikewolf13 (Jan 31, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> So since the 10AF/103A releases, I have seen a drastic drop in "it missed this show" posts... Now we have 10B8 (on the Humax side)


Earl, It's also likely that many of those that had the most issues, have simply stopped using the R15, or stopped posting.

Don't confuse silence with satisfaction. Given that voluntary churn accounted for 70% of lost subscribers compared to 56% last year, DTV better start making their base happy.


----------



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

mikewolf13 said:


> Earl, It's also likely that many of those that had the most issues, have simply stopped using the R15, or stopped posting.
> 
> Don't confuse silence with satisfaction. Given that voluntary churn accounted for 70% of lost subscribers compared to 56% last year, DTV better start making their base happy.


But don't confuse a few loud voices for mass problems either...

Hence the reason for the thread... If you don't complain, or call, or somehow let it be known there is still an issue....


----------



## mechman (Apr 29, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> But don't confuse a few loud voices for mass problems either...
> 
> Hence the reason for the thread... If you don't complain, or call, or somehow let it be known there is still an issue....


There are a few loud voices aren't there? :lol:  :lol:

I voted near perfect. I don't recall ever missing a recording. Some sl's have issues with reruns but they haven't reappeared in awhile either... knock on wood.

mechman

PS. Good to see you back Earl, my condolences for your father.


----------



## ad301 (Mar 30, 2004)

Earl Bonovich said:


> First... my apologize... I defiently over reacted to the comments posted... (It's been a long week).
> 
> Another comment:
> I recieved a PM from a user.... Saying:
> ...


I don't see that you have anything to apologize for. Rather, if my message above caught you at a bad moment, then it is I who owe you an apology. We all know this is a rough time for you. Hang in there.

Also, let me say that although we have differed on certain issues regarding the r15, I respect what you are doing here, and you have never given me any grief about expressing my opinions.

An open exchange of ideas is healthy, and, I believe, contributes to the future improvment of the r15. I know that you (and Clint) like to focus on the good side, and present the r15 in as positive a light as possible. I would hope that those who want to see only pro-r15 talk would try to realize that we all (or at least most of us) have the same goal, which is to have the best possible dvr service we can get from D*, both now with the r15, and in the future with the forthcoming HD dvr. I happen to believe that we must continue to point out to the developers, if we truly do have their attention, the things that simply must be fixed.

Having said that, I stand by what I wrote earlier in this thread, the gist of which is this: we shoould not settle for mediocrity! We should not think in terms of even one _unexplainable _missed recording as being acceptable. We shouldn't give the developers the idea that if they can cut the missed recordings down to just a couple a month, that they're doing "very good", because that's NOT very good, it actually sucks.


----------



## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

ad301 said:


> Having said that, I stand by what I wrote earlier in this thread, the gist of which is this: we shoould not settle for mediocrity! We should not think in terms of even one _unexplainable _missed recording as being acceptable. We shouldn't give the developers the idea that if they can cut the missed recordings down to just a couple a month, that they're doing "very good", because that's NOT very good, it actually sucks.


Well with you saying that I must say that I don't think any are acceptable, wether you can explain why it happened or not. I never thought missing a show was ok when my Tivos do it and I didn't think it was ok when when my R15 only recorded half of Smallville.

I complained when both of these happened even though in both cases I was able to figure out why it happened. 

Yes I do try to point out the positive but I am also more then willing to point out the negative of it. I have complained many times about it recording everything even though it's not supposed to. I for one will not stop anyone here from saying what they think about the R15 or any product as log as it is done in an adult manner and doesn't resort to name calling and other such things. 

I enjoy having many of these discussions here, many things others have said hve changed some of my views and I am also more then happy to admit when I state something that turns out to be wrong. On the flip side MANY users here also do the same thing.


----------



## mikewolf13 (Jan 31, 2006)

Earl Bonovich said:


> But don't confuse a few loud voices for mass problems either...
> 
> Hence the reason for the thread... If you don't complain, or call, or somehow let it be known there is still an issue....


(sarcastic answer would be Beta testing/quality assurance/etc.)

But.....

Agreed. This is small sample size of R15 users. Unfortunately calls and complaints directly to Dtv appears to be pointless. As they a)deny issues exist b) are incapable of effective tech support and c) do not commuicate about the existence or features of an update...except for chase telling everyone it's all fixed 

I do appreciate the knowledge of most of the posters here, despite generally disageeing as to the quality of the product. And I do make an effort to seperate my style bias from my functional issues.

If I can get DTV to not charge me $5/ month I am willing to re-activate my r15 to see if it's performance has improved...or more likely document issues it still has.

One other item, I don't recall being mentioned (and having not used it for months I may be wrong)...in the findby actor feature, i believe it only let you choose actors currenlty somewhere in the guide already.

So, If Earl Bonovich was in a movie and I wanted to make sure it recorded if it ever aired, i would try to enter you as a actor but r15 won't let me.
I believe the TIvo has a larger database (don't know source of this data) for actors currently or recently or commonly found even if not currently on guide.

If this is anywhere near accurate..please add it to one of your lists of improvements


----------



## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

mikewolf13 said:


> So, If Earl Bonovich was in a movie and I wanted to make sure it recorded if it ever aired, i would try to enter you as a actor but r15 won't let me.
> I believe the TIvo has a larger database (don't know source of this data) for actors currently or recently or commonly found even if not currently on guide.
> 
> If this is anywhere near accurate..please add it to one of your lists of improvements


If Earl is in a movie I am sure we ALL will know exactly when it's on and he will most likely send us all copies.


----------



## ChrisWyso (Nov 16, 2005)

mikewolf13 said:


> ...One other item, I don't recall being mentioned (and having not used it for months I may be wrong)...in the findby actor feature, i believe it only let you choose actors currenlty somewhere in the guide already.
> 
> So, If Earl Bonovich was in a movie and I wanted to make sure it recorded if it ever aired, i would try to enter you as a actor but r15 won't let me.
> I believe the TIvo has a larger database (don't know source of this data) for actors currently or recently or commonly found even if not currently on guide.
> ...


Actually, my R-10 functions this way too. I remember a while back I wanted to set up a Director wishlist. Initially I couldn't, but once a movie he made fell into the 2 week window, I could set it up & all was good. It was Yimou Zhang (Hero, House of Flying Daggers). I have a suspicion though that certain directors and/or actors have a semi-permanent place in the lists, i.e.: Spielberg, Schwazenegger, :barf: Cruise...


----------



## wbmccarty (Apr 28, 2006)

My R15 failed to record _24_ tonight. I wasn't home to check for, and delete, any lower-priority, conflicting SLs. But, of course, the whole point of the SL feature is not having to do that.

I have no idea what program, if any, was recorded in place of _24_. It must have been an SL, because I'd spot any substitute non-SL program in MyVOD. And, of course, I'd not have requested a program conflicting with _24_. My bet is that _nothing_ was recorded.

Thing is, after the 10B8 release, I had begun trusting the prioritizer. Fortunately, both my Tivos did as they were told.


----------

