I have just had a response from DigitalUK.

Unfortunately, DigitalUK did not seem to understand the problem I was raising and suggested solutions like programmes are often delayed by overrunning sports, and try adding padding.

They did not seeem to appreciate that the automatic system is failing because the timing signals are being placed wrongly.

I did not mention before that DigitalTV had asked me for my phone number so that someone could call.

This morning I was called by another person at DigitalUK and he was most helpful. He understood exactly what I was saying and told me some useful facts:

1 The timing signals are inserted by the broadcaster, which means C5 and 5 USA. I should complain to them.

2 The timing signal is broadcast as a continuous “record me now” signal during the entire duration of the programme.

If it was transmitted as short “Start now” and “End now” signals, then interference might obscure it, and you would lose the recording (or it might never stop).

With the continuous sigal, even if interference means you lose some of the signal, sooner or later the recorder will see the “Record me now” signal and start recording, and will stop recording when it loses the “Record me now”.

3 He was aware of the other C5 problems – mis categorinsing series so you record the repeats as well; renaming a programme half way through a series; setting up a series link for episodes 1-5, and a different series link for episodes 6-10 so you think the series ends at episode 5.

I also mentioned that a BBC1 or BBC2 6 Nations rugby match programme is typically 30 minutes of pundits, followed by the kick-off. BBC often starts the recording at the kick-off, so you miss the pundits.

4 DigitalTV is not responsible for the timing, but likes to be told of problems like this so it can apply the appropriate pressure to the broadcasters. If you contact them, please ensure that you include

a) exactly which programme

b) transmitted on which channel

c) at what time

d) on what date

e) had precisely what problem

when you contact them so they can look at it.

I was very impressed.

James

Thanks for pointing to that. I think that the C5 / 5 USA problem is definiely C5 / 5 USA. My 2p worth is

1 The Humax 9200T released 10 years ago seems to use the programme information banners to start (and presumably stop) the recording. C5 etc were, and may still be, terrible as they consistently and repeatedly appeared to change the programm information well before the previous programme ended, so giving bad recordings.

I think it was probably a design error by Humax to use the programme information banner for timing. Equally, however, it could have been that the timing signals were not available when the 9200T design was completed. Or it could be that the standards changed. For example, the information banner might originally have been sent at the same time as the programme timing signals, allowing manufacturers to choose either. If this requirement was then relaxed, those manufacturers who chose it were left up the creek without the proverbial paddle.

2 The FVP-4000T is much more modern and seems to me to use the correct “Record me now” signals to start and stop the recordings.

3 All channels occasionally make a mistake – that is to be expected and you cannot prevent it entireley. But C5 and 5 USA seem to be in class of their own with the number and frequency of errors they make and recordings are often mis-timed, series links get broken, the repeats get included with the recordings, etc.

If this happened occasionally, you could put it down to human error, but it occurs so often that I can only account for it by their being incompetent.