# Timer takes over active tuner



## Joe1022 (Nov 18, 2011)

I have noticed that a timer has a predefined tuner to use and if you are watching something on that tuner, even if there is an available tuner not being used, it prompts you to allow or deny the timer on the active tuner, if you allow, it takes over the active tuner. I can switch tuners with the red button but I lose any buffering I had on the original.

Is there, or shouldn't there be, a way to have the timer use an available tuner instead of taking over one that's being watched?

For example, I was watching tuner 1 and pip on tuner 2.
Tuner 3 was not being used at all.
Primetime anytime took over tuner 1 and then shows tuner 2 still in use and tuner 3 still available.
Seems like it should have just used tuner 3 since it was not being used... Are at least give more than allow or deny... Maybe ask if you want it to use a different tuner instead.

I hope this is clear, but don't hesitate to tell me if I'm not making sense.

Thanks!


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

It all depends on what you are watching.

IF you are watching a LiL, and then PTAT kicks in... it is going to kick-in on the tuner you are watching because that is the most efficient use of the available tuners...

So...

Tuner 1 = Available
Tuner 2 = Available
Tuner 3 = in use, watching LiL

At PTAT time, it will start recording using the Tuner 3 already in use... and leave the other two tuners available for other viewing options.

IF, however, you had been watching say ESPNHD 140 on Tuner 3... then you would see the PTAT kick-in on a different tuner (although to be fair, it sort of looks like the tuner numbering isn't explicit but rather implicit... by which I mean, tuner 3 isn't always the same tuner since it seems like tuner 3 is always LiL).


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## Joe1022 (Nov 18, 2011)

Thanks for the response. However in my case I was not watching LiL... I was watching TBS... Then PTAT took over my TBS tuner even though there was a tuner not being used at all.


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## 3HaloODST (Aug 9, 2010)

This has been one of my complaints since day 1 with Hopper. There needs to be a way to define which tuner is used and prevent timers from interrupting the TV at the Hopper location.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Joe1022 said:


> Thanks for the response. However in my case I was not watching LiL... I was watching TBS... Then PTAT took over my TBS tuner even though there was a tuner not being used at all.


I have never seen or heard of this happening.

Do you have Joeys? Are multiple timers firing?

I haven't heard of a receiver taking over the currently-being-watched tuner unless there was no other free tuner to use.


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## Ray [email protected] Network (Dec 28, 2010)

What software version does your receiver have? Is this the first time this occurred or does it consistently happen? Please let me know so I can assist you further. Thanks.



Joe1022 said:


> Thanks for the response. However in my case I was not watching LiL... I was watching TBS... Then PTAT took over my TBS tuner even though there was a tuner not being used at all.


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## TheGrove (Jan 10, 2007)

Sorry not in a position right now for the software version, but it should be the latest version for the Hopper (not the hopper2).

This happens to me from time to time. Not always but I have had instances where I was watching a show, paused it to go eat supper and when I came back the only scheduled recording took over the tuner and started recording so I lost the end of the show I was watching.


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## TheGrove (Jan 10, 2007)

Well I had a version of this happen last night. I have a timer setup that created 2 back-to-back recordings. With my default setup of 1 min early and 5 min late the first recording was scheduled for 3:59 - 4:35 and the second from 4:29 - 5:05.

At 3:59 the system grabs the unused tuner and starts recording - beautiful.

At about 4:28 the system pops up a message saying that a recording was about to start which I replied Allow to. Looking at the tuner status (red button) I had the following:

Tuner 1 = Show A Watching PIP
Tuner 2 = Show B Watching
Tuner 3 = Show C Recording

I had about 10 minutes of show B buffered that I was watching.

So at 4:29 the system went to record the 2nd episode and instead of grabbing tuner 1 which I wasn't activly watching it grabbed tuner 2 and discarded what was buffered so I missed the last bit of the show.

So why does it grab the tuner I'm activly watching instead of grabing the PIP tuner?

Just incase the question comes up, my Joey is not linked to the Hopper in question.

Also, why when you have back-to-back recordings on the same channel doesn't the system just use the 1 tuner and start a 2nd recording when needed? I'm almost positive my old 622 and 722 did this instead of grabbing the other tuner to start the new recording.


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## Ray [email protected] Network (Dec 28, 2010)

If you have 2 timers that overlap, as indicated in your description - Timer 1 - 3:59 PM to 4:35 PM; Timer 2 - 4:29 PM to 5:05 PM, it will grab 2 tuners to record both events, otherwise, there would be a conflict and both would not record. Thanks.



TheGrove said:


> Well I had a version of this happen last night. I have a timer setup that created 2 back-to-back recordings. With my default setup of 1 min early and 5 min late the first recording was scheduled for 3:59 - 4:35 and the second from 4:29 - 5:05.
> 
> At 3:59 the system grabs the unused tuner and starts recording - beautiful.
> 
> ...


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

I want to be sure we don't have competing problems in this thread...

As I mentioned to the thread starter (which he subsequently said was not the case in his situation)...

IF you have the following pre-timer situation:

Tuner 1: Available OR watching (not recording) PiP
Tuner 2: Watching HBO
Tuner 3: Recording SHO

And if you have a timer set to record something on HBO... it appears the Hopper will fire that recording on Tuner 2 where you are already watching so as to conserve tuners. This probably means if you were watching paused/delayed tv it would mess you up.

BUT

Same scenario above... IF your timer was set to record on MAX... then it would be expected that Tuner 1 would be engaged for that timer... and your Tuner 2 would be left alone and you could continue to watch.

Summarizing... regardless of available tuners... the Hopper seems to want to fire timers on tuners already tuned to the channel... so it will co-opt the tuner you are watching IF you are watching the channel about to be recorded. IF, however, the timer is for a different channel AND another tuner is available, it should be using that "available" tuner for the timer.


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## TheGrove (Jan 10, 2007)

Ray [email protected] Network said:


> If you have 2 timers that overlap, as indicated in your description - Timer 1 - 3:59 PM to 4:35 PM; Timer 2 - 4:29 PM to 5:05 PM, it will grab 2 tuners to record both events, otherwise, there would be a conflict and both would not record. Thanks.


But I sure wish it wouldn't. But still why does it have to take over the tunner that I'm wathcing instead of the PIP one?



Stewart Vernon said:


> I want to be sure we don't have competing problems in this thread...
> 
> As I mentioned to the thread starter (which he subsequently said was not the case in his situation)...
> 
> ...


Yes the timmer is for a channel different than any of the tuners in use. But it took over the one I was watching instead of the PIP tunner.

Don't know what will happen now as I just got the S400 software release and this all happened on the previous release. BTW, I _*HATE*_ the new timer info screen (red button) - but that is something for the other thread.


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## some guy (Oct 27, 2012)

You hate it why?


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## TheGrove (Jan 10, 2007)

See http://www.dbstalk.com/topic/206382-hopper-s400-software-experiencesbugs/

Basically the new screen doesn't show all of the informatin the old screen did without gyrations.


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## TheGrove (Jan 10, 2007)

Last night was the 1st time I had a chance to see what would happen when 2 things tried to record at once since the S400 update. I was watching a show on Tuner 2 and had a show paused on tuner 1. At 9:00 the system started to record the 2 shows that were scheduled. One recording took over tuner 3 as expected and the 2nd show took over tuner 1 (where the show was paused). This was good! Hopefully this is what will happen from now on.


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