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Big CECB Missing Feature: AUTO-TIME

post #1 of 12
10/26/08 at 1:07am
Thread Starter 
One of the few "luxuries" of the analog system was the time code broadcast by local public television stations to automatically set the timer on VCR's.

I'd bet big money there is a time code embedded in the digital signal and that it is off the table for analog conversion.

I have never heard this topic discussed. Perhaps it has been already in which case apologies.

Regards,
Tom
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post #2 of 12
10/26/08 at 5:04am
Been talked about many times - it's built into the PSIP data stream of every ATSC signal.
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post #3 of 12
10/26/08 at 5:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 6volt View Post

I have never heard this topic discussed. Perhaps it has been already in which case apologies.

Read the DTVpal or TR-40 threads, and you'll see that autotime is a *lousy* feature. In fact it was a lousy feature on the PBS analog channels too.

Why?

Because the time is almost never right. My local PBS station (MPT) ignored daylight time, leaving my VCR an hour off, and when they eventually got around to fixing it, the time was still off my several minutes.

The DTV clocks are no more accurate. Auto-clock is a lousy feature and I stopped using it years ago. MANUAL clock is the best feature, and it should be provided with every box.
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post #4 of 12
10/26/08 at 11:26am
Thread Starter 
I admit there can be problems with the maintaining of the autotime, however, I have found that the PBS stations are quite responsive if you call them up and ask them to correct the problem.

I've done this a few times and I've always, eventually gotten satisfaction.

While the station can screw your clock up, power outages while on vacation you can absolutely count on.

Right now, I run my A/V and computer of a 2200 v-a (1600watt) Tripp lite server rated UPS.

That also solves the problem of the Philips HDD DVDR buffer which dumps when there is a power outage.

What is really bad is that the digital time code will probably be spot on. I would guess it is synced with GMT like those cheap "atomic clock" clocks.
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post #5 of 12
10/26/08 at 11:39am
Supposedly - the stations are SUPPOSED TO keep their PSIP time within a minute (or is it a second ?) - the reality is that not enough are paying that much attention right now. I would hope that after analog is shutdown - getting these details "right" will become more important.
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post #6 of 12
10/26/08 at 2:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 6volt View Post

I have found that the PBS stations are quite responsive if you call them up and ask them to correct the problem.

It's faster and easier to just set the clock yourself. time.gov provides the precise time down to the second, and I set my VCR and DTV tuner accordingly.
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post #7 of 12
10/26/08 at 4:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by electrictroy View Post

It's faster and easier to just set the clock yourself.

Not for the the great numbers of folks whose VCR time still blinks 12:00.
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post #8 of 12
10/26/08 at 6:55pm
The FCC doesn't care about the disparity in time syncs of the broadcast stations and considers it a problem that the viewer needs to contact the station to resolve. That's what they told me.
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post #9 of 12
10/27/08 at 12:57am
My analog PBS time has never been anything but spot on.
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post #10 of 12
10/27/08 at 3:36am
Even after the Daylight Savings Time ends? My MPT station could go weeks before it finally got corrected.

Really. It's just easier to set the clock myself.
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post #11 of 12
10/27/08 at 4:25am
It's fine right now on my Panny EH75V. It's an hour off on my older E85H, which I've been setting manually more recently since I've been using it with the CM7000.

Our time station here has traditionally always stayed right on top of things.
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post #12 of 12
10/27/08 at 6:22am
Thread Starter 
Definitely sounds like nothing but problems.

I have to laugh, my PBS station keeps setting time codes as follows (they change every few days(!)):

Correct, Off by 1 hour, Off by 1-2 hours and some random number of minutes!

My guess is the signal strength is and issue since I do a 4-way split of my incoming cable. But still, these results are definitely wacky.
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