Name Based Recording Coming to the 50x Series!

[cj9788]

Mine downloaded the software lastnight, so yes it is still rolling out.

 

[JusJim]

After seeing this thread, I checked our 510, and we don't have the update either, so I assume it's still "rolling out".

 

[kstile]

Got mine sometime over the wknd. All is working well so far. Glad to have it as this is the TV watched mostly by the kids (ages 4 and 6). I set up the shows they want to watch as "All" but keep only 2 or 3 episodes. That way there's always something new for them to watch as nearly all of their shows get repeated over and over and over again throughout the week.

 

[bacchus101]

Mine downloaded the software lastnight, so yes it is still rolling out.

I must be last on every new software roll-out list.

I am not sure if this is due in fact to my tendency to nag when good software goes bad, or just chance.

 

[dlsnyder]

Many of the problems I was having with 4.00 were resolved by changing timers from "all" or "new" to weekly, then adjusting the start early times to zero and end late times as needed. The biggest problems were with "Brothers and Sisters" leading in to "Desparate Housewives". My wife was complaining about both of them going over the top of the hour at the end, losing about a minute or two for each. There should be a "start late" option for timers just as there is a "start early" option.

OOPS! Shows how much attention I pay to those shows. Desparate Housewives is on first, followed by Brothers and Sisters. This isn't really related to the NBR software on the 508 but more of a network scheduling problem. The guide data is not correct, so there is no way that the DVR can correctly record the events. The best we can do is to watch the end of the first event at the beginning of the second one, then extend the timer on the second one.

One thing that DOES seem to be software related is that Brothers and Sisters was set to skip this week because of priority conflicts with Desparate Housewives which was on immediately before it. The only thing I could do to fix the conflict was to delete both timers and then re-create them, with the global preference of 0 min early start and 0 min late end set. I then had to add 3 mins late end to the Brothers and Sisters timer. That seems to be getting it done for now.

 

[Stacy A]

must be nice to have that problem. They still haven't put my 508 or 510 in the que for the update.

 

[kstile]

I don't know if it was just me (or my wife using it before I had a chance), but it appeared as if all the timers became Manual ones when 4.01 kicked in. This would have been fine, but for some reason they also were all set to start 1 minute early and end 1 minute late. This meant that anytime we had two shows back to back, one wouldn't get recorded by Priority.

I would highly recommend that when you get 4.01 that you wipe out all your timers and re-create them. Kind of a pain, but better safe than sorry, eps. with new software.

 

[Frank Jr.]

I sure do not want it. Never have. I guess it was about two years ago the 500's were the most stable DVR's Dishnetwork had. Be real careful what you wish for. I hope I am wrong but when this finally rolls out to everyone there s going to be a lot of upside down smiles.

 

[Mike1951]

I never wanted NBR and miss the simple control of timers with the old software.

But P400 was so full of bugs that I do appreciate the fact that P401 is working relatively well.

Mike

 

[langlin]

I never wanted NBR and miss the simple control of timers with the old software.

But P400 was so full of bugs that I do appreciate the fact that P401 is working relatively well.

Mike

The reason it was simple is that it didn't do anything, most of us want NBR and I can't wait to add the flexability to my 510 that I have with my 622 so I can use it again:.

 

[bacchus101]

The reason it was simple is that it didn't do anything, most of us want NBR and I can't wait to add the flexability to my 510 that I have with my 622 so I can use it again:.

For me, without NBR my 508 is not used as a DVR. The only advanced functionality over my 301 is the ability to pause live TV once in awhile. I can't stand setting up old school timers since I moved over to a 625 on my main television setup.

Once you go NBR you can't go back...!

 

[Mike1951]

For my use of a DVR, NBR is simply a non-issue. However, I lost some functionality in the setup of timers with the new system.

I have almost 30 searches for actors that I do about once a week, but only want to record those movies that I haven't already got.

Then I use a favorites list of my preferred movie channels and make the rest of my selections by scrolling through it.

My weekly prime time shows are recorded directly to DVD on another non-DVR setup.

Just for the heck of it, I tried NBR to pull up results for 'Dirty Jobs' and 'Mythbusters', the only shows I enjoy enough to consider recording multiple airings. But my harddrive space is to precious to allow uncontrolled recording of these shows, so I scrapped that idea. I'm already hard pressed to keep enough DVR space free for new recordings.

I'm just saying that in my case, NBR is an inconvenience, nothing more.

Mike

 

[STDog]

Once you go NBR you can't go back...!

Unfortunately that is true with the way Dish does software. I'd love the option to have the fixes in 4.0x but not NBR.

I use the DVR as a better VCR. more recored time, better quality, and integration with the satellite reciever are big plusses. FF/RW and the skip are better than a VCR like a CD v/s cassette. It was much better until they screwed that up in the early 3.6x releases.

NBR could be nice for when program schedules change, or season start/stop. But I generally know what I want to watch and when.
I want set timers, as the guide if far too often wrong for NBR to be any good for me.


The 50x has a much better guide than my 4900, and I suspect the 301. The half screen gude with picture is useless on the 4900 too, but again I don't know if that works well on the 301.

 

[bacchus101]

But I generally know what I want to watch and when.

My NBR usage example:


The Setup - At my house we record both Bionic Women and Private Practice on Wednesday at 9 PM.

The Surprise - Last Thursday I checked my recordings and BAM! New Mythbusters episode!

The NBR Magic - I had set the DVR to get me new Mythbusters episodes 6 months ago. It tried to record the initial showing at 9 on Wed but with those other shows in that time slot it automagically grabbed another showing in an open timeslot.


How can you not love that? I didn't have to think, "Hmm, I wonder when Mythbusters will have new episodes and when will it be on." It just did it for me.

I have all sorts of shows like that programmed in and when they are on and it can be done, the DVR does its stuff. Simple as that. Modern technology! The VCR has evolved, really it has!

 

[Mike1951]

As I said, hard drive space is at a premium.

If I were to miss a 1935 movie that I wanted because my DVR had decided to record a new Mythbuster episode and there was no longer room for my movie, I would be very upset, not pleased as you are.

I don't want anything recorded that I'm not expecting.

I'm stuck with NBR now, but I don't have to use it and I won't.

I still wish I had as much control over timers now as I did before, but I'll learn to live with what I've got.

When Tivo first came out, my brother got one. I thought it was nonsense then and my opinion hasn't changed.

But hey, it's all in how we use the DVR.

You're not wrong to want different things from yours, just don't expect all of us to be excited.

Mike

 

[STDog]

I didn't have to think, "Hmm, I wonder when Mythbusters will have new episodes and when will it be on." It just did it for me.

That was exactly the one useful feature I mentioned

NBR could be nice for when program schedules change, or season start/stop.

And it was the sentence right before the one you quoted

 

[STDog]

However, I lost some functionality in the setup of timers with the new system.

Mike, I looked back and couldn't tell, what functionality is gone?
What could you do before that you cannot do now?

 

[bacchus101]

As I said, hard drive space is at a premium.

I tend to watch what I record within a week or two so I have never have hard drive space issues on any of my DVR's.

You're not wrong to want different things from yours, just don't expect all of us to be excited.

I don't see how NBR hurts you. You don't have to use it. Just choose record once or weekly or any of those other non NBR options.

They are going to keep updating the software no matter what. Time marches on.

When Tivo first came out, my brother got one. I thought it was nonsense then and my opinion hasn't changed.

Maybe one day I will stop adapting along with and accepting new technology, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

 

[Mike1951]

Mike, I looked back and couldn't tell, what functionality is gone?
What could you do before that you cannot do now?

They could fix one gripe by allowing the options to also end a timer early. As I said, many of my shows are old movies and often have talk-fill for 5-25 minutes at the end. Relying on the timer starting at the correct time to catch the beginning of a movie is another thing. It often doesn't.

If I have consecutive timers, I cannot start them early without overriding the previous timer. Now I have to create a manual timer the length of all of the consecutive movies I want to record, which is sometimes 6-10 movies in all. It's quite a chore to transfer all of those to DVD so I can delete a huge recording. If I could end a timer 2-3 minutes early and start the next timer those same 2-3 early, I could create individual timers instead of one long one.

There was no messing with priorities with the old system. When there was a conflict, it showed on screen and you could edit or delete one of both until the conflict was resolved.

I have nothing against progress. My difference with most of you is that I don't consider this progress.

I don't want my DVR recording anything I haven't scheduled it to record. The old software, when it worked, gave me everything I needed and, as far as I'm concerned, could not be improved upon.

DISH decided I needed features which I didn't want or need and am now left with software that I don't like as much.

Still, I didn't intend to argue with those of you who for, whatever reason, like the changes.

Mike

 

[Frank Jr.]

If the update would not adversely affect the stability of my receiver I wouldn't care. However with their track record just leave well enough alone.