Here's a thought...
Since 98% of the programs everyone records carry ratings metadata in the first 15 seconds by law so that V-chips and other fun-blocking mechanisms can automatically do their thing (actually within the first frame, I think) why can't Replay (or TIVO/Dishplayer) take advantage of that to help solve this problem?
For instance: You've set a timed recording for "Friends" (which is notorious for starting early) at 8 PM. If Replay isn't recording anything just before 8 PM why not have it go to that channel two minutes early but not begin recording until it either sees the ratings metadata or it becomes 8 PM straight up. If the show starts early (or late) Replay would know it because the start of the program is where that metadata lives (I think. Anyone know different?) That way you would only miss the first 3 or 4 seconds if a program actually began early. Also if a program began two minutes late (and there were no scheduled recordings just after) Replay would know that from when it first sees the ratings data and could record until 30 or 60 minutes from that point (or until it sees new data from the next program) so that the end credits aren't clipped off.
If this would work I think it would be a terrific feature, and the very able software engineers at Replay should be able to code that into the operating system pretty easily, I would think.
Now if we can just get all of the program suppliers to provide an in and an out tag hidden in the metadata with the actual ID of the program in it we could solve the problem of baseball games running long or "Politically Incorrect" starting 25 minutes late whenever the braintrust at ABC gets a hard-on for breaking news.
Does this sound like it would work?
'Cat
Since 98% of the programs everyone records carry ratings metadata in the first 15 seconds by law so that V-chips and other fun-blocking mechanisms can automatically do their thing (actually within the first frame, I think) why can't Replay (or TIVO/Dishplayer) take advantage of that to help solve this problem?
For instance: You've set a timed recording for "Friends" (which is notorious for starting early) at 8 PM. If Replay isn't recording anything just before 8 PM why not have it go to that channel two minutes early but not begin recording until it either sees the ratings metadata or it becomes 8 PM straight up. If the show starts early (or late) Replay would know it because the start of the program is where that metadata lives (I think. Anyone know different?) That way you would only miss the first 3 or 4 seconds if a program actually began early. Also if a program began two minutes late (and there were no scheduled recordings just after) Replay would know that from when it first sees the ratings data and could record until 30 or 60 minutes from that point (or until it sees new data from the next program) so that the end credits aren't clipped off.
If this would work I think it would be a terrific feature, and the very able software engineers at Replay should be able to code that into the operating system pretty easily, I would think.
Now if we can just get all of the program suppliers to provide an in and an out tag hidden in the metadata with the actual ID of the program in it we could solve the problem of baseball games running long or "Politically Incorrect" starting 25 minutes late whenever the braintrust at ABC gets a hard-on for breaking news.
Does this sound like it would work?
'Cat
