DCX3510 "DVR Clipping" ?

[gary_hall]

The DCX3400 had a feature called "DVR Clipping" where, if 2 scheduled programs overlapped and there was no available tuner, the PVR would still record both programs but it would "clip" the beginning of the second program. This was very useful because some programs listed in the guide might be a minute or 2 longer (e.g., CTV News @ 6pm actually starts @ 5:59pm).

Since the DCX3400's are no longer supported, Shaw sent me DCX3510's. Shaw Technical Support has told me that the DCX3510 does NOT have a "DVR Clipping" feature. It seems that this PVR prohibits recording a program even if there is only a 1 minute overlap. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to get around this limitation? If there was a way to override the guide, that might work for me. For example, even though the guide shows CTV News running from 5:59pm to 7pm (61 minutes), if I could manually change the start time to 6pm, that would eliminate the overlap.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[mdk]

@gary_hall -- according to Shaw's document, this PVR has TWO tuners, and the capability to start the recording "early", and the capability to end the recording "late".

So, schedule your two programs. The first one will start recording, using the tuner that you are NOT currently watching. When the second program starts, the tuner you ARE currently watching will switch to the second program, interrupting what you were watching.  After the "extended" recording completes, you may use the "swap" button on the Shaw remote-control to view the channel that broadcast the now-ended first program. Then, you may select a different channel on this tuner, while the other tuner continues to record the second program.

Note that the "Shaw Gateway" PVR has many tuners, but you probably cannot get one from Shaw -- they probably are "out of stock".  So, getting the BlueCurve PVR, with its multiple tuners, is an option.

Hint: instead of recording a program, and watching it the next day, think about using Shaw On Demand, if it offers, on the next day, the same program -- but minus all the commercials.  So, a 60-minute "live" program becomes a 42-minute "on-demand" stream.  🙂

[gary_hall]

Thanks for the reply. I didn't explain myself well enough. The 2nd tuner is busy recording or scheduled to record. So the 1st tuner needs to record the 2 programs that overlap by 1 minute. The DCX3400 would allow scheduling this and would clip the start of the 2nd program (with "DVR Clipping" option enabled). The DCX3510 won't even allow scheduling this. It doesn't have the "DVR Clipping" option.

In fact, I can watch the 1st program but can't record it because the 2nd program, which is scheduled to record, overlaps with the 1st according to the guide. I could workaround it if I could adjust the scheduling of the 2nd program to remove the overlap. But, although I can start recording earlier than the guide's program start time, there is no option to start the recording later. That would be useful.

Regarding VOD, the news programs we record are not on VOD.

Alas, it's unfortunate that the developers did not incorporate a "DVR Clipping" feature in software.

[rstra]

@gary_hall  It has been a while since I have used one of these boxes, but can you set a manual recording with a customized start time?

[gary_hall]

I don't think the 3510 software has that option.  I've searched but can't find that.  If I recall, the 3400 had that ability.

This is quite disappointing because the 3400's which I purchased some time ago from Future Shop worked perfectly fine for me.  It's too bad that Shaw wouldn't just allow them to remain activated but provide any support.  The 3510's are a step backwards in software functionality.

My wife hates the new guide and useability. 😉

[mdk]

@gary_hall -- the 3400's which I purchased some time ago from Future Shop ...

Shaw waived the monthly PVR rental fee, when I retired my Motorola 3416/6416 first-generation PVR, and Shaw supplied a newer PVR. They said so because I truly "owned" (paying $700!) the older PVR. So, ask Shaw if they are charging you for your new PVR, and see if you can get a waiver of the monthly fee.

[gary_hall]

Yeah, I'm not paying a rental fee.  Probably because I had purchased the DCX3400's; and the DCT3416 before that; and a digital terminal (can't remember the model) before that.  Lots of hardware went to the scrapyard.  My expectation is that waiving the rental fee will continue when I renew my 2-year plan at the end of the year.

I wonder if there is a hidden advanced setup menu in the 3510.  Probably not.

[rstra]

@gary_hall  When you renew, you could switch to BlueCurve and do six recordings at once.

[mdk]

@gary_hall -- The 2nd tuner is busy recording or scheduled to record.

That's quite the difference. 

If the 2nd tuner is currently recording, it is "busy".

If the 2nd tuner is "waiting" for a scheduled program, you can watch any channel through that tuner, until the start-time of the recording. Then, the tuner will switch to the channel you want to record, if the 1st tuner also is actively recording.

I have the "Shaw Gateway" PVR, with 5 (?) tuners, so I cannot experiment to see what happens in that minute or two when you have 3 overlapping recordings.  Does it automatically "clip"? 

[gary_hall]

Thanks. I'll ask about that at renewal time. Is it 6 tuners in the device and stores recording on local HDD?  Or all cloud storage?