6900 - Timer advice

[Skypilot]

Newbie warning :D

I set the timer on my new 6900 on Friday night and found it hadn't changed the channel when I checked Saturday morning.
I double checked the settings and that the clock correct, all ok.

I had another go last night and set it to go to a channel from 7:00 to 12:00
Just checked the recording and it sort of worked but didn't change the channel until 8:22 :confused:

Timer (set to daily) still saying 7:00 to 12:00.
Clock still correct.
............

EDIT

This is driving me mad now.

I have the 6900 connected to a recorder and all I want it to do is change the channel for me when I'm not there :banghead:

I've just re-read the EPG/Timer section of the manual for the umpteenth time and can't see that I'm doing anything wrong.
It did occur to me that maybe the 6900 had to be turned off so the timer could then turn on showing the designated channel.
I just tried this and it turned on but with some scrambled channel.
It didn't turn off after the set time either so that didn't seem to work.

[Giga]

don't follow you:

timer set 7:00 to 12:00 didn't change channel to 8.22?
If you have overlapping times you bound to have conflicts! After F1 race I have a look at it. What are you trying to do?
record BBC 1 7:00 - 8:00
record BBC 2 9:00 - 10:00 or something else?

[Skypilot]

don't follow you:
If you have overlapping times you bound to have conflicts! After F1 race I have a look at it. What are you trying to do?

Sorry - I should have made it clearer.
I set the timer for 7:00 to 12:00 but the 6900 didn't go to the set channel until 8:22 ?

There was no overlapping. I only did the one Timer setting.


What are you trying to do?

I have the 6900 connected to a DVD recorder and all I want is for the 6900 to change the channel for me when I'm not there.

For example: I may want to record 2 or more different satellite channels while I'm at work.
I can set my recorder but need the 6900 to change the satellite channels at the required times.

[Giga]

timer usage: Select USB menu either in main menu or by using USB button on RCU
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu270/Jan_Gruuthuse/Timer/Timer001.jpg

select timer:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu270/Jan_Gruuthuse/Timer/Timer002.jpg

press OK
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu270/Jan_Gruuthuse/Timer/Timer003.jpg

Select kind of recording: Once, Daily, Mon ~ Fri, Weekly
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu270/Jan_Gruuthuse/Timer/Timer004.jpg

Select Record: On/Off On when recording on Technomate, Off: viewing, recording external recorder
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu270/Jan_Gruuthuse/Timer/Timer005.jpg

once all fields are OK press exit and confirm save
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu270/Jan_Gruuthuse/Timer/Timer006.jpg

you can do this for other timer
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu270/Jan_Gruuthuse/Timer/Timer007.jpg

and select another channel by pressing ok on channel
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu270/Jan_Gruuthuse/Timer/Timer008.jpg

press exit and confirm save
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu270/Jan_Gruuthuse/Timer/Timer009.jpg

[Giga]

should work, just tried?
could be your clock settings in
Main Menu
System Settings
Time Settings
GMT Usage: ON
Local Offset: Greenwich or according your timezone
Summer Time: ON (switch this one off with the clock changes in spring and autumn
Timer Lead Time: required time needed for device to boot up: hard disc, external recorder, ...

if you find that the time changes with other sat locations it could be the other way arround
GMT: off and set all others by hand

[Skypilot]

Thanks again Giga

I'd been going in via EPG > Timer menu on P35

I just gave your suggestion a quick try.

No joy to start with but I had no USB connected as I'll be recording via the S. Video out to my Panny recorder.

I tried again with a USB memory stick stuck in the rear connection.
That did the trick and my quick initial test worked :hurray:

A few follow up questions:

1, When first trying I inadvertantly pressed the File Name option just below Channel and it froze the whole machine. Nothing I pressed had any affect.
I had to disconnect at the mains to get back again. I assume I just ignore File Name then but am curious as to its function and how to extricate myself if I slip up again ?

2, Does it matter that the USB I have connected is a cheapo 1gb memory stick. I assume the TM just recognises the connection and works normally but am concerned that it may recognise when it's full and turn itself off.

3, Where can I view the great "Idiots Guide" you posted. There is nothing in my manual.

[Giga]

no manual, trial by error and screen shots made.
Try with Record: Off receiver should start, if stick would be needed: yes you could.
Can even test if stick is fast enough:
USB Menu:
Disk Manager:
Testing USB speed:

[Giga]

Get yourself a small USB 2.0 hard disc without external power supply: max 350 GB. It is digital recording and great fun. Can make 2 recordings on the same transponder and view 3 channel. (Like BBC red button streams) or you can pause real time viewing, for getting a coffee break: just press pause. These are not so expensive these days.
With digital recording you can do other nice things on your computer.
Most things are covered in sticky in this forum and otherwise ask, sometimes we know the answer, sometimes not.

[Skypilot]

Thanks for your help so far Giga :respect-013:

I think I've got the timer business sorted at least :respect-applause-00

[Skypilot]

Thanks for your help so far Giga :respect-013:

I think I've got the timer business sorted at least :respect-applause-00

Spoke too soon :mad:

I've been using Giga's recommendations.
As I'm recording to a seperate recorder, rather than via the USB, I've been using the Record - OFF setting.

The results have been entirely hit 'n miss. Nearly always miss.
It's actually worked 3 times - BUT - Once 25 minutes late, once 85 minutes late and once 2 and a half hours late.
Mostly it just ignores the settings altogether.

I've tried experimenting with other methods too but with worse results.

[snaps]

Ive been having simular probs of late, im using a 160gb hard drive and sometimes its records and sometimes it doesnt. Ive actually given up on it now.

[Giga]

avoid time changes in receiver and set in Main Menu > System Settings > Time Settings > GMT Usage: OFF
set Current Date and Current Time to your local
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu270/Jan_Gruuthuse/Timer/Timer.jpg

USB recordings:
In Main Menu > USB > Disk Manager Menu set Default Disk to: /USB0
always use the same USB port for recordings
only use a non powered USB hard disc or a suitable USB stick.
don't leave USB stick or 2nd usb device on other USB port, when receiver wakes up for recording, order of usb ports has most likely changed and recording device has now USB1 instead of USB0
Don't leave receiver on, have it in standby, USB drive is perhaps not waking up when receiver stay's on.
I always switch receiver of even when I do live recordings 5 minutes before event and switch back on 30 seconds later, just in case to prevent wake up problems.

http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu270/Jan_Gruuthuse/Timer/Diskmanager.jpg

hope this improves the success with recordings.

[Skypilot]

Ive been having simular probs of late, im using a 160gb hard drive and sometimes its records and sometimes it doesnt. Ive actually given up on it now.
At least I feel reassured that it's not just my Machine.

[Skypilot]

avoid time changes in receiver and set in Main Menu > System Settings > Time Settings > GMT Usage: OFF
set Current Date and Current Time to your local
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu270/Jan_Gruuthuse/Timer/Timer.jpg

.........I always switch receiver off even when I do live recordings 5 minutes before event and switch back on 30 seconds later, just in case to prevent wake up problems.

http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu270/Jan_Gruuthuse/Timer/Diskmanager.jpg

hope this improves the success with recordings.

I found the GMT (Summer) setting would lose or add an hour unpredictably so I have been using the time settings by local though I find it does need fairly frequent adjusting.

I tend to have the receiver on nearly all the time so that may be contributing to the "wake up" problems.
I'll try your "turn off" suggestion to see if that impoves things.

Thanks again.

[Giga]

summertime adds or detracts one hour from the current time set.
GMT usage is only good if you don't switch to foreign channels from other time zones or use other sat locations: time changes every time to actual channel watched.
Yes: clock is not very accurate, I check against BBC news or Sky news for deviation. keep also in mind advertised times in EPG are not always kept, program starts later ends later. But that is other issue.