# Records 1 minute short



## btbrewer (Feb 3, 2007)

Every time we record a show on our DVR (501) it records for 1 minute less than it should. For example a 1 hour show will come up in our DVR menu with a duration of 59 minutes. Likewise a 30 minute show will only record 29 minutes. 

We have had 3 DVRs for several years now and all of sudden in the last week or so all 3 of them cannot record a whole show. Something has obviously changed at the Dish Network end of things, but I can't even get tech support to understand the problem. 

Is anyone else experiencing this issue?

The tech support solution is to use manual timers for everything. What a worthless and rediculous fix.


----------



## Tifftman (Jul 10, 2004)

We just noticed the same thing on our 508. Also the search function doesn't pick up programs on our network locals. I wonder if it is a problem related to the latest software update. We have P365


----------



## olguy (Jan 9, 2006)

Tifftman said:


> We just noticed the same thing on our 508. Also the search function doesn't pick up programs on our network locals. I wonder if it is a problem related to the latest software update. We have P365


My 625 has had the search problem since the software version before the current software version. And since Dish is rebuilding their site, I can't get the Current Software Version page to come up. Even from the link on the 625 page. Some other 625 users have the same problem. Looks like the code writer that wrote the 625 code may be working on 508 software.

I reported it to a tech support guy on the phone and he wrote up whatever kind of report they write up for things they don't know how to fix and said it should be a couple of weeks and then it would download to my receiver. That was a month ago. I also sent a message via the online support request last week. The information said to expect a reply in 24 to 48 hours. It's been about 120 hours now.


----------



## AVITWeb (Jan 3, 2007)

Tifftman said:


> We just noticed the same thing on our 508. Also the search function doesn't pick up programs on our network locals. I wonder if it is a problem related to the latest software update. We have P365


Ours just literally got the 365 software. We turned it on just a few minutes ago and it did a check and said software 365 (we were on 363 and the timer issues have been ocurring for the past several days.)

Hopefully I will beupgrading soon, but we plan to use this in another room. If anyone gets info, please let us know!


----------



## Tifftman (Jul 10, 2004)

Still no resolution from Dish about the search problem. However, I found a work-around solution that works for me.

As we know, local channels have a four digit channel number and all the content is essentially copied and assigned a channel number that corresponds to the number the local OTA broadcaster uses. This is fine except, when you do a search, the results are duplicated showing what is on the four digit channel and the same on the local channel. To avoid this duplication I locked out the four digit channel number using the channel lock feature and then hid the locked channels. This worked until Dish sent out a new software release recently.

To solve the problem I unlocked the four digit channel number for my network locals. This works for my 508 except I get duplicate search results which is what I had been trying to avoid. I don't know if it will work on other models. Good luck!


----------



## Frostwolf (May 10, 2006)

btbrewer said:


> Is anyone else experiencing this issue?.


Yes I am, also the fast forward was very jumpy in all speeds, where it has been smoother in the past. Especially 4x, it was almost useless the other night, I wonder if this is a video compression issue.

I also had it pixilize the screen some with skip back.


----------



## Beardedbosn (Dec 9, 2002)

We have started recording a minute short as of daytime 2/6. Have primetime timers going right now so cannot check software version.....


----------



## Hoobastank (Mar 9, 2004)

My 510 has been doing the same strange things as others have reported, including:

1. Funky forward search
2. 59 minute recordings

and my favorite:

3. Saying it has recorded the whole hour program when in fact it only recorded 18 minutes. 

What the hell use is a DVR when it doesn't record during the time and length it is supposed to? Great new software we got huh!?!


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Must be the Frank Costanza method... stopping short!


----------



## mrrandyd (Feb 1, 2007)

I have three 510's and all are recording 1-minute short. The spastic FF has subsided for now--but maybe if I'm patient it will come back! 

Could somebody tell me what the latest software version is for the 510 and where it is displayed? Thank you in advance.


----------



## olguy (Jan 9, 2006)

mrrandyd said:


> I have three 510's and all are recording 1-minute short. The spastic FF has subsided for now--but maybe if I'm patient it will come back!
> 
> Could somebody tell me what the latest software version is for the 510 and where it is displayed? Thank you in advance.


Current Software : P3.63, P3.65

Dish Home>Customer Service>Tech Portal>Receivers and select yours. The current software is displayed near the top along with previous software. Unfortunately, no dates are given.


----------



## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

Here's a direct link to the TechPortal.

All receivers will display the software version on the system info screen.


----------



## GeorgeJor (Feb 16, 2007)

I found this thread looking for a change log on what update P3.65 did.

I've noticed the same thing on my 501 since updating to P3.65; seemingly minute short recordings and jerky FF and FW playback. I had my suspicions on the 29/59 minute syndrome, especially since is seemed that all my recorded shows played in their entirety, except for certain known stations that don't seem to start/stop their shows "on time", and that's really not the fault of the DVR, at least not until it can "sense" when a show starts and stops.

This prompted me to test my suspicions. I recorded a 30 minute program and then played it while timing it with a stopwatch. The recording indicated it was only 29 minutes long, but the stopwatch played out to 29:55...only 5 seconds short of 30 minutes. I am currently testing an hour-long recording (59 minutes registered) to see if it is the same; namely 59:55 long. I'll post back shortly when that is done.

So, here are my hypotheses on what is going on. Either one or both of these conclusions may apply (or not...as I have no true verification):
1) A new compression algorithm is recording the set amount of time but reporting it just short of the total time. This would make sense to me in light of the simultaneous manifestation of jerky FF and FW, which I see all the time on FF and FW of highly compressed movies such as MP4.
2) Maybe evenly numbered recording times (e.g. 30 minutes, 60 minutes/1hour) work against an accurate calculation of amount recorded and amount of space remaining. Maybe to more accurately achieve those times an odd number is needed. It seems go contradict reason, but software can often contradict reason in the way it acts, especially when dealing with formulas. Rounding is often the nemesis of accurate calculation; you don't round, if at all, until the final result/answer is reached.

My hypotheses may be incorrect, and please feel free to prove me wrong. I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this aberrant behavior and thought I'd throw in my 2 cents.

***Update***

Well, the stated 59 minute recording of the hourlong show came to 59:33. Not as close as the 29/30 minute recording, but also not short enough to clip off any of the show, including the credits. YMMV. So currently I have no problem with this "feature".

Now only if they would give us the option of "Start Recording 30 seconds early", I would be happy. 1 minute picks up too much stuff I don't want, and "on time" often clips off a few seconds of the start of the show.


----------

