Auto-Timer v Timer

[EGGMANCAN]

Mrs Willo for a start! She's a proper technophobe but she soon learned how to get the TV to turn onto Coronation Street automatically, usually when I'm watching something else.

haha bravo

[EGGMANCAN]

Maybe you've made the wrong choice?

I can't think of anyone who has made such a fuss about anything and everything- even my mum managed well into here 90's without the issues you seem to have.

but did your mum at the age of 90 use an Enigma box?

[birdman]

Ok why not make the Record button on the remote show "Single Recording" and "Weekly Recording"? Tell me what user technical or not presses a record button to set a zap timer?

Me, sort of...

...as I don't press a Record button to make a recording. For that I'd go to the EPG, navigate to the programme I wish to record (making sure I get the correct one), press Add Timer then select where I want it to be filed.

[birdman]

what if they want to record an event? is it fair to force them to learn some 'insider' tech nical lingo just to set a simple recording which they can do no problems on the standard boxes?

How did they learn to do it there?

[adm]

pressing the "Record" button shows "Add Timer" and "Add AutoTimer".. no mention of record...

Turn on timeshifting
menu -> setup -> recordings, playback and timeshift -> timeshift -> automatically start timeshift after = 10 seconds

Start watching a programme of your choice

Whle still watching press the record button on the remote and see what you get.

[EGGMANCAN]

How did they learn to do it there?

they learned what the word record meant in school like: make a record of the days that it rains. Then they started using CD's and tapes and learned that you could record data to a CD or a tape so they probably first saw the recording button there. Next maybe they saw a video camera and discovered that you could record video and audio too with the same button and all of this translates onto a television with recording video. Nowhere along the way was the record button used for timing or zapping.

[Willo3092]

Nowhere along the way was the record button used for timing or zapping.

That's evolution for you

[birdman]

Nowhere along the way was the record button used for timing or zapping.

How did you zap on a tape recorder?

[EGGMANCAN]

That's evolution for you

but there is enough space for a timer button and a record button. or... we can use just 1 button called "Timers". then you choose what function you want to be used with the timer. notification, zap and record.

my only issue is with there being 2 buttons for the same purpose. why create the same thing twice?

[nekrub2]

Dear all

For me the auto-timer is the real timer. I use it now for switching on the TV when a program starts or zap from radio to the TV station. So it's more that "record". I would like to know when somebody needs the normal timer. What can be done in Timer you cannot in Autotimer?
My suggestion: Kick out the normal timer.
nekrub2

[birdman]

I would like to know when somebody needs the normal timer. What can be done in Timer you cannot in Autotimer?

I see a flim and click on Record to record it. Why would I use an AutoTimer for that?

My suggestion: Kick out the normal timer.

You do realize that all the AutoTimer code does is to set a "normal timer"?

[nekrub2]

Hi Birdman
I can't agree with your answer that the AutoTimer just sets set a "normal timer". The "normal timer" does an action at a given time, however the Auto Timer does it when a certain transmission starts. This is what I assume is needed in 99% of the cases. But instead of offering two user-interfaces I would integrate them into one, with a possibility to to say "yes" if the user wants the action take at a specific time.
nekrub2

[ccs]

So you want autotimer to ask if you want to set a timer, so yet more key presses, daft idea.

I use both, maybe I use autotimers more, but the current choices are fine.

[adm]

Hi Birdman
I can't agree with your answer that the AutoTimer just sets set a "normal timer". The "normal timer" does an action at a given time, however the Auto Timer does it when a certain transmission starts.

No it doesn't. It's effectively a search facility and when it finds something matching what you have asked it to search for it sets a timer.

For instance if you configure an Autotimer to record every episode of programme A then as programme A is listed in the EPG normal timers for programme A are added in advance of the program being transmitted. If you have a 7 day EPG and have configured the search to be for 7 days then the timer for that programme will be generated 7 days in advance of it being broadcast.

Try it for yourself. Chose a future programme in the EPG, say one in a few hours time, and configure the Autotimer just to zap to that programme. Exit the EPG and wait 60 seconds. Now go to menu -> timers -> timers and you will find that the Autotimer search has found the programme selected in advance of it being broadcast and has set a timer for it.

The Autotimer is NOT waiting for a program to start. It is searching for a set of criteria and setting a timer when an match is found irrespective of the broadcast time.

If you delete an Autotimer you will be given the option to keep or delete all the timers generated by this Autotimer.

This is what I assume is needed in 99% of the cases. But instead of offering two user-interfaces I would integrate them into one, with a possibility to to say "yes" if the user wants the action take at a specific time.
nekrub2

Possible the only “timer” that takes action at a specific real time is a Power Timer but this is more to do with configuring waking up and shutting down the box at user specified times.

[EGGMANCAN]

No it doesn't. It's effectively a search facility and when it finds something matching what you have asked it to search for it sets a timer.

For instance if you configure an Autotimer to record every episode of programme A then as programme A is listed in the EPG normal timers for programme A are added in advance of the program being transmitted. If you have a 7 day EPG and have configured the search to be for 7 days then the timer for that programme will be generated 7 days in advance of it being broadcast.

Try it for yourself. Chose a future programme in the EPG, say one in a few hours time, and configure the Autotimer just to zap to that programme. Exit the EPG and wait 60 seconds. Now go to menu -> timers -> timers and you will find that the Autotimer search has found the programme selected in advance of it being broadcast and has set a timer for it.

The Autotimer is NOT waiting for a program to start. It is searching for a set of criteria and setting a timer when an match is found irrespective of the broadcast time.

If you delete an Autotimer you will be given the option to keep or delete all the timers generated by this Autotimer.



Possible the only “timer” that takes action at a specific real time is a Power Timer but this is more to do with configuring waking up and shutting down the box at user specified times.

Is there any way to make the Power Timer shutdown the box regardless of whether the EPG menu is open or not?