On Demand is really annoying me

1381719_10152397079184657_408001691_nOr maybe it’s the damn networks’ fault. Or Obama’s. Or Bush’s. (Hey, I’m going with Bush. That’s always easy.)

For about a year now, and increasingly, recorded shows cut off before the last-minute or two. So f**k me.

I always watch Jon Stewart the next morning while getting breakfast. And I have never seen his ‘Moment of Zen’ in its entirety. Never.

The TV Guide is at least honest about what’s coming . . . they list the real run time – for instance, 8:00 – 9:01.

Have these folk noticed that live streaming is biting at their tails? I’d say it’s a heck of a time to get your viewers angry.

12 responses to “On Demand is really annoying me

  1. Call me paranoid (too), but we are seeing some of the same thing. But, it’s mostly on re-runs. Due to the dearth of anything else tolerable to watch during lunch we’ve been recording old Andy Griffith’s and I Love Lucy’s on our DVR and the endings are often clipped. It is possible to program extra recording time at the end of each segment, but if you do the software prohibits starting the episode immediately following. And, the one immediately following is usually not the one originally in sequence. Maybe it’s just sloppiness. Or just maybe TVLand is trying to discourage recording so we will watch the commercials. ?

    I understand the new DVR’s can record 6 or so channels now. šŸ™‚

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    • Jim, one of the reasons I’m getting so fond of Netflix for instance. Got a subscription as a gift (thank you !!!) and I love it. But can’t do Stewart on Netflix.

      On the last generation of DVR I had there was a way around that problem with not being able to record a following program if you extend time – it let me enter any actual span of time, irregardless of what the program was so you could include the following program in the time slot you designated. It went by channel, not by program.

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      • Right, Moe. My DVR can be programmed to start X minutes early or late, but the problem is that it has only two channels and therefore can record only two programs at the same time. Thus, overlaps occupy a full time slot.

        I understand that Dish has a new DVR that has 6 channels and also automatically skips ads. I’m just not sure that’s worth an additional $200 a year, or whatever it is.

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        • I’d not be surprised if cable co’s have the same technology for more channels. I’d bet though that the TV cable and networks would fight that fiercely. I certainly would if my revenue were dependent on advertising.

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  2. My cable does that, too. Sigh!

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    • I’m surprised Elyse not to hear any public comment about it on any of the cable yakety yakety shows or even on news. But I guess it’s like the NYPD’s ‘Blue Line’ – you protect your own.

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  3. It’s purely sloppy coding. There’s no technical reason why either On Demand or DVR can’t read the stream tags and headers instead of working by clock time.

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    • That sounds right jonolan – TV Guide manages to get it right . . . I’m surprised they’re not running off the same whatever (data? algorythim? feed? – no idea what the proper wording is or even what it is, but I bet you do.)

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      • Simply put, some countries, e.g., England, mandate that DVRs adhere to the DVB standards whereas America adheres to ATSC. DVB using Accurate Recording (AR) which records beased up Present and Following data and ATSC doesn’t, though it could as there’s no regulation against it.

        šŸ˜† Don’t, however, get me started on the bullshit that is the plethora of different standards, codecs, and whatnot required for the various nations’ TV feeds. You so don’t want to hear that rant.

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  4. Ok, I agree, it is annoying. But you can extend the recording time a minute, 2 or more. Only have set it one time in the record series options. Yup, I’m annoying, too

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  5. Whoops, I’m back to Anonymous. Have to fix that also.

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