Understanding timer program recording on old Sears VCR

[James]

I've got this Sears VCR, probably 80's vintage that has a timer
program function. You set the program via the onscreen display, up to
4 programs. However, to activate it, you push a slider that puts the
VCR into a dormant mode until the appointed time.

If anyone's familiar with this kind of functionality, how are you
supposed to record future events if you have to work this slider to
make the recording happen and essentially renter the VCR useless for
anything else in the meanwhile? The whole thing seems cotingent on
your remembering when you set the programs for.

Thanks for all insight.

 

[Geoffrey S. Mendelson]

James wrote:

If anyone's familiar with this kind of functionality, how are you
supposed to record future events if you have to work this slider to
make the recording happen and essentially renter the VCR useless for
anything else in the meanwhile? The whole thing seems cotingent on
your remembering when you set the programs for.

Yes.

That's how it is designed, but there probably should be a button which lets
you see what you have programed.

Depeneding upon the model, it erased the program after it recorded it. Some
had a special program which would repeat everyday. This was to prevent you
from recording a program at the same time tomorrow if you only wanted the one
on tonight and vice versa.

It never really worked in the general public. VCR's were notorious for
flashing 12:00 meaning the clock had never been set.

Geoff.


--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm@mendelson.com N3OWJ/4X1GM

 

[Peter Hucker]

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 03:19:53 -0000, James <muzician21@yahoo.com> wrote:

I've got this Sears VCR, probably 80's vintage that has a timer
program function. You set the program via the onscreen display, up to
4 programs. However, to activate it, you push a slider that puts the
VCR into a dormant mode until the appointed time.

If anyone's familiar with this kind of functionality, how are you
supposed to record future events if you have to work this slider to
make the recording happen and essentially renter the VCR useless for
anything else in the meanwhile? The whole thing seems cotingent on
your remembering when you set the programs for.

Thanks for all insight.

Errr... you've just described every single VCR I've ever known. Except it's not usually a slider nowadays, it's called "timer rec mode". Some you just have to switch off. It's to prevent it recording stuff over a tape you were just playing. You're to tell it that you've now put the recording tape in.

--
http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com

A defendant was on trial for murder. There was strong evidence indicating guilt, but there was no corpse. In the defense's closing statement the lawyer, knowing that his client would probably be convicted, resorted to a trick.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a surprise for you all," the lawyer said as he looked at his watch. "Within one minute, the person presumed dead in this case will walk into this courtroom." He looked toward the courtroom door. The jurors, somewhat stunned, all looked on eagerly. A minute passed. Nothing happened.

Finally the lawyer said, "Actually, I made up the previous statement. But, you all looked on with anticipation. I therefore put to you that you have a reasonable doubt in this case as to whether anyone was killed and insist that you return a verdict of not guilty."

The jury, clearly confused,retired to deliberate. A few minutes later, the jury returned and pronounced a verdict of guilty.

"But how?" inquired the lawyer. "You must have had some doubt; I saw all of you stare at the door."

The jury foreman replied, "Oh, we looked, but your client didn't."

 

[Peter Hucker]

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 05:39:01 -0000, Geoffrey S. Mendelson <gsm@mendelson..com> wrote:

James wrote:

If anyone's familiar with this kind of functionality, how are you
supposed to record future events if you have to work this slider to
make the recording happen and essentially renter the VCR useless for
anything else in the meanwhile? The whole thing seems cotingent on
your remembering when you set the programs for.

Yes.

That's how it is designed, but there probably should be a button which lets
you see what you have programed.

Depeneding upon the model, it erased the program after it recorded it. Some
had a special program which would repeat everyday. This was to prevent you
from recording a program at the same time tomorrow if you only wanted the one
on tonight and vice versa.

It never really worked in the general public. VCR's were notorious for
flashing 12:00 meaning the clock had never been set.

They tend to set themselves nowadays.

--
http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com

,.__.._
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; `\ : "-.
; : .'`-. `.
; . , / .\ ;
; ; / .:; ;
; _ ; .:. ;
..._'\o) , _ ' /
====; ; / \o) , .'`.
.-"'/,_\_| \.`;. `.
; ``---""|`\\` `.
| ' \
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; ; ; :\ ;_...--""""--.
; ; _/ /..`._ ; `.
/ |_/ / ` /___......_ )
\,__,/ \,__.'\,___,....---" `----'

 

[Travis Evans]

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 16:41:06 -0000, Peter Hucker <none@spam.com> wrote:

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 03:19:53 -0000, James <muzician21@yahoo.com> wrote:

I've got this Sears VCR, probably 80's vintage that has a timer
program function. You set the program via the onscreen display, up to
4 programs. However, to activate it, you push a slider that puts the
VCR into a dormant mode until the appointed time.

If anyone's familiar with this kind of functionality, how are you
supposed to record future events if you have to work this slider to
make the recording happen and essentially renter the VCR useless for
anything else in the meanwhile? The whole thing seems cotingent on
your remembering when you set the programs for.

Thanks for all insight.

Errr... you've just described every single VCR I've ever known.
Except it's not usually a slider nowadays, it's called "timer rec
mode". Some you just have to switch off. It's to prevent it
recording stuff over a tape you were just playing. You're to tell it
that you've now put the recording tape in.

My newer VCRs don't even require that. They will happily record over
the tape you were just playing right after you press Stop when it's time
for a timer recording. That's not a very nice “feature” at all.

--
Travis Evans
[Obtain email address by removing all Q's.]

 

[William Sommerwerck]

If anyone's familiar with this kind of functionality, how are you
supposed to record future events if you have to work this slider
to make the recording happen and essentially render the VCR
useless for anything else in the meanwhile? The whole thing
seems contingent on your remembering when you set the
programs for.

Exactly. No one has ever made a VCR that allows you to manually record while
the machine is in timer-record mode. You have to switch off timer mode, make
the recording, then turn timer-record back on again.

This does not seem to me to be an unreasonable way of arranging things.

 

[Peter Hucker]

On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 04:36:25 -0000, Travis Evans <travisgevansQ@coxQ.netQ> wrote:

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 16:41:06 -0000, Peter Hucker <none@spam.com> wrote:
On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 03:19:53 -0000, James <muzician21@yahoo.com> wrote:

I've got this Sears VCR, probably 80's vintage that has a timer
program function. You set the program via the onscreen display, up to
4 programs. However, to activate it, you push a slider that puts the
VCR into a dormant mode until the appointed time.

If anyone's familiar with this kind of functionality, how are you
supposed to record future events if you have to work this slider to
make the recording happen and essentially renter the VCR useless for
anything else in the meanwhile? The whole thing seems cotingent on
your remembering when you set the programs for.

Thanks for all insight.

Errr... you've just described every single VCR I've ever known.
Except it's not usually a slider nowadays, it's called "timer rec
mode". Some you just have to switch off. It's to prevent it
recording stuff over a tape you were just playing. You're to tell it
that you've now put the recording tape in.

My newer VCRs don't even require that. They will happily record over
the tape you were just playing right after you press Stop when it's time
for a timer recording. That's not a very nice feature at all.

I have two VCRs, one to play and one to record, so that never happens. I do this for convenience, so I can watch something while something else may be starting to record.

Replacing them with a SKY HD hard disk recorder soon anyway. With TB hard disk.

--
http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

 

[Peter Hucker]

On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:10:20 -0000, William Sommerwerck <grizzledgeezer@comcast.net> wrote:

If anyone's familiar with this kind of functionality, how are you
supposed to record future events if you have to work this slider
to make the recording happen and essentially render the VCR
useless for anything else in the meanwhile? The whole thing
seems contingent on your remembering when you set the
programs for.

Exactly. No one has ever made a VCR that allows you to manually record while
the machine is in timer-record mode. You have to switch off timer mode, make
the recording, then turn timer-record back on again.

This does not seem to me to be an unreasonable way of arranging things.

The most annoying thing I've found is in the user interface for programming them. Is it just me or are they always extremely badly designed?

--
http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com

This girl walks into a hardware store as she needs a new hinge for a door at home.
As she brings it to the counter, the clerk asks, "Wanna screw for that hinge?"
To which she replies, "No, but I'll suck you off for that toaster on the top shelf."

 

[William Sommerwerck]

The most annoying thing I've found is in the user interface for
programming them. Is it just me or are they always extremely
badly designed?

Both. The Sony SL-HF900 had a superbly simple system that I won't waste time
describing. I've seen other VCRs whose programming system is so difficult to
follow that even an instruction book isn't of much use.

 

[Jeff, WB8NHV]

On Oct 26, 12:39 am, g...@mendelson.com (Geoffrey S. Mendelson) wrote:

James wrote:
If anyone's familiar with this kind of functionality, how are you
supposed to record future events if you have to work this slider to
make the recording happen and essentially renter the VCR useless for
anything else in the meanwhile? The whole thing seems cotingent on
your remembering when you set the programs for.

Yes.

That's how it is designed, but there probably should be a button which lets
you see what you have programed.

Depeneding upon the model, it erased the program after it recorded it. Some
had a special program which would repeat everyday. This was to prevent you
from recording a program at the same time tomorrow if you only wanted the one
on tonight and vice versa.

It never really worked in the general public. VCR's were notorious for
flashing 12:00 meaning the clock had never been set.

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel g...@mendelson.com N3OWJ/4X1GM

Most VCRs will have some sort of indication that the clock has
either not been set or there has been a power outage. My Panasonic
"Omnivision" 4-head VCR, bought new perhaps four years ago, shows four
dashes on the clock display after a power outage (or directly out of
the box). It can be reset manually or by means of an XDS (extended
data signal) from the local PBS television station.

Most if not all VCRs made in the last five years or so have this
automatic clock set function, so users need not worry about resetting
the clock after the power goes out. If the user's area has a local PBS
station, the auto-clock-set function will use the XDS signal to reset
the clock to the correct local time.

The old "flashing 12:00" story only applies to older machines
manufactured before the auto-clock-set function became more or less
standard (or was even thought of). The XDS signal will reset the clock
automatically when the power is restored, regardless of what channel
the VCR was set to before the outage.

The use of the XDS data signal to automatically set the VCR clock
has made most modern VCRs very easy to set up; just take it out of the
box, connect the cable or antenna, plug it in, turn it on....and the
machine will take care of the rest, not only automatically setting the
clock to the correct time but also programming the tuner for all
locally receivable TV stations. I had a Magnavox VCR that had this
type of automatic set-up, and I liked it...a lot. Had to get rid of
it, though, about nine years ago when the heads wore out. I've had two
VCRs since then, however, one with VCR Plus+ and my present Omnivision
machine, that have the same automatic set up systems.

I don't know, however, if today's combination VHS/DVD players even
have timers anymore. The ones that have digital tuners probably do,
but the bare-bones machines without RF modulators which will record
only from line input (cable box, antenna) probably don't. The machines
that are set up to dub from VHS to DVD, or vice-versa, carry a very
clearly worded warning to the effect that the units are not designed
to and in fact will not duplicate copyrighted material under any
circumstances. This design, which is required these days by law, is
almost certainly to prevent piracy and copyright infringement, both of
which are punishable by up to five years in federal prison and/or a
$250,000 fine. All commercially-made DVD movies and/or TV series
carry this warning as well, which shows at the beginning of these
DVDs.

 

[UCLAN]

William Sommerwerck wrote:

The most annoying thing I've found is in the user interface for
programming them. Is it just me or are they always extremely
badly designed?

Both. The Sony SL-HF900 had a superbly simple system that I won't waste time
describing. I've seen other VCRs whose programming system is so difficult to
follow that even an instruction book isn't of much use.

The timer programming on the HS-U4xx, HS-U7xx, and HS-HD2000U is a snap. The
HS-HD2000U even lets the user enter all of the info (on time/off time/channel,
etc.) into the remote, then press "transmit", and all of the info is sent to
the VCR. Nifty.

 

[William Sommerwerck]

"UCLAN" <nomail@thanks.org> wrote in message
news:QEwNk.19104$UD6.10813@newsfe07.iad...

William Sommerwerck wrote:

The most annoying thing I've found is in the user interface for
programming them. Is it just me or are they always extremely
badly designed?

Both. The Sony SL-HF900 had a superbly simple system that I won't
waste time describing. I've seen other VCRs whose programming system
is so difficult to follow that even an instruction book isn't of much
use.

The timer programming on the HS-U4xx, HS-U7xx, and HS-HD2000U
is a snap. The HS-HD2000U even lets the user enter all of the info
(on time/off time/channel, etc.) into the remote, then press "transmit",
and all of the info is sent to the VCR. Nifty.

My Hi8 Sony Hi8 VCR has such a system. But I'd be willing to bet that most
people couldn't use it, because the utterly trivial and obvious concept that
you have to enter the channel, day, and start/stop times is completely
beyond their comprehension. Most people act by rote, not by understanding.

The Sony SL-HF900 was about as simple as you could get. You pressed a big
bar, and the setting you were to change blinked. You spun a big knob to
change it, then pressed the bar again. This was repeated until everything
was set.

 

[UCLAN]

William Sommerwerck wrote:

The timer programming on the HS-U4xx, HS-U7xx, and HS-HD2000U
is a snap. The HS-HD2000U even lets the user enter all of the info
(on time/off time/channel, etc.) into the remote, then press "transmit",
and all of the info is sent to the VCR. Nifty.

My Hi8 Sony Hi8 VCR has such a system. But I'd be willing to bet that most
people couldn't use it, because the utterly trivial and obvious concept that
you have to enter the channel, day, and start/stop times is completely
beyond their comprehension. Most people act by rote, not by understanding.

Thus, the popularity of the DVR with IPG.

The Sony SL-HF900 was about as simple as you could get. You pressed a big
bar, and the setting you were to change blinked. You spun a big knob to
change it, then pressed the bar again. This was repeated until everything
was set.

The Mitsubishi is similar. A line is highlighted; adjust with jog dial on
remote; turn shuttle ring to enter - next line is highlighted; etc. Really
simple.

 

[Peter Hucker]

On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:57:28 -0000, Jeff, WB8NHV <jeffhs@ameritech.net> wrote:

On Oct 26, 12:39 am, g...@mendelson.com (Geoffrey S. Mendelson) wrote:
James wrote:
If anyone's familiar with this kind of functionality, how are you
supposed to record future events if you have to work this slider to
make the recording happen and essentially renter the VCR useless for
anything else in the meanwhile? The whole thing seems cotingent on
your remembering when you set the programs for.

Yes.

That's how it is designed, but there probably should be a button which lets
you see what you have programed.

Depeneding upon the model, it erased the program after it recorded it. Some
had a special program which would repeat everyday. This was to prevent you
from recording a program at the same time tomorrow if you only wanted the one
on tonight and vice versa.

It never really worked in the general public. VCR's were notorious for
flashing 12:00 meaning the clock had never been set.

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel g...@mendelson.com N3OWJ/4X1GM

Most VCRs will have some sort of indication that the clock has
either not been set or there has been a power outage. My Panasonic
"Omnivision" 4-head VCR, bought new perhaps four years ago, shows four
dashes on the clock display after a power outage (or directly out of
the box). It can be reset manually or by means of an XDS (extended
data signal) from the local PBS television station.

Most if not all VCRs made in the last five years or so have this
automatic clock set function, so users need not worry about resetting
the clock after the power goes out. If the user's area has a local PBS
station, the auto-clock-set function will use the XDS signal to reset
the clock to the correct local time.

The old "flashing 12:00" story only applies to older machines
manufactured before the auto-clock-set function became more or less
standard (or was even thought of). The XDS signal will reset the clock
automatically when the power is restored, regardless of what channel
the VCR was set to before the outage.

Doesn't work with mine any more, as I only have a scart input to the VCR from the Sky satellite receiver.

Plus the JVC was so stupid that it would only set the time if it was switched off, and not on timer. I only ever had it on timer, or recording or playing.

--
http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com

Everyone farts, admit it or not. Kings fart, queens fart.
Edward Lear, the 19th century English landscape painter, wrote affectionately of a favorite Duchess who gave enormous dinner parties attended by the cream of society.
One night she let out a ripper and quick as a flash she turned her gaze to her stoic butler, standing, as always, behind her.
"Hawkins!" she cried, "Stop that!"
"Certainly, your Grace", he replied with unhurried dignity,
"Which way did it go?"

 

[Peter Hucker]

On Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:31:23 -0000, William Sommerwerck <grizzledgeezer@comcast.net> wrote:

The most annoying thing I've found is in the user interface for
programming them. Is it just me or are they always extremely
badly designed?

Both. The Sony SL-HF900 had a superbly simple system that I won't waste time
describing. I've seen other VCRs whose programming system is so difficult to
follow that even an instruction book isn't of much use.

The most annoying thing about my JVC is that it cancels what you've put in if you leave it idle in the middle of programming for about a minute and replaces the programming on the screen with "program cancelled".

The Sky box and a Sony DVD recorder both annoy me for another reason - there is a delay of about 0.5 seconds between pressing a button on the remote and something happening in a menu. And there is virtually no keyboard buffer, so it gets behind what I'm pressing and does something completely different. The sky box is even more annoying - it has no cache, if I select a progam for recording, then go back to the program listings, it reloads the bloody listings from the dish!

--
http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com

One day, while a woodcutter was cutting a branch of a tree above a river, his axe fell into the river. When he cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, "Why are you crying?", the woodcutter replied that his axe has fallen into water, and he needed the axe to make his living.
The Lord went down into the water and reappeared with a golden axe. "Is this your axe?" the Lord asked. The woodcutter replied, "No."
The Lord again went down and came up with a silver axe. "Is this your axe?" the Lord asked. Again, the woodcutter replied, "No."
The Lord went down again and came up with an iron axe. "Is this your axe?" the Lord asked. The woodcutter replied, "Yes."
The Lord was pleased with the man' honesty and gave him all three axes to keep, and the woodcutter went home happy.
Some time later the woodcutter was walking with his wife along the riverbank, and his wife fell into the river. When he cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked him, "Why are you crying?" "Oh Lord, my wife has fallen into the water!"
The Lord went down into the water and came up with Heather Locklear. "Is this your wife?" the Lord asked. "Yes!" cried the woodcutter.
The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is an untruth!"
The woodcutter replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to Heather Locklear, You would have come up with Tara Reid. Then if I also said 'no' to her, You would have come up with my wife. Had I then said 'yes,' you would have given all three to me. Lord, I am a poor man, and I am not able to take care of all three wives, so THAT'S why I said 'yes' to Heather Locklear!"
The Moral of This Story: Whenever a man lies, it is for a good and honorable reason and for the benefit of others.

 

[Peter Hucker]

On Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:03:21 -0000, William Sommerwerck <grizzledgeezer@comcast.net> wrote:

"UCLAN" <nomail@thanks.org> wrote in message
news:QEwNk.19104$UD6.10813@newsfe07.iad...
William Sommerwerck wrote:

The most annoying thing I've found is in the user interface for
programming them. Is it just me or are they always extremely
badly designed?

Both. The Sony SL-HF900 had a superbly simple system that I won't
waste time describing. I've seen other VCRs whose programming system
is so difficult to follow that even an instruction book isn't of much
use.

The timer programming on the HS-U4xx, HS-U7xx, and HS-HD2000U
is a snap. The HS-HD2000U even lets the user enter all of the info
(on time/off time/channel, etc.) into the remote, then press "transmit",
and all of the info is sent to the VCR. Nifty.

My Hi8 Sony Hi8 VCR has such a system. But I'd be willing to bet that most
people couldn't use it, because the utterly trivial and obvious concept that
you have to enter the channel, day, and start/stop times is completely
beyond their comprehension. Most people act by rote, not by understanding.

The Sony SL-HF900 was about as simple as you could get. You pressed a big
bar, and the setting you were to change blinked. You spun a big knob to
change it, then pressed the bar again. This was repeated until everything
was set.

Is that one of those knobs you can spin and press? My GPS has that, I always press it by mistake while trying to turn it.

--
http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com

The A-Z of tools:

a. DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, splattering it against that freshly painted part you were drying....

b. WIRE WHEEL: Cleans rust off old bolts and then throws them somewhere across the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprint whorls and hard-earned guitar calluses in about the time it takes you to say "Ouch".

c. ELECTRIC HAND DRILL: Normally used for spinning steel pop rivets in their holes until you die of old age....

d. PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads....

e. HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes....

f. VICE-GRIPS: Used to round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand....

g. OXY-ACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your garage on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside a brake drum you're trying to get the bearing race out of....

h. WHITWORTH SOCKETS: Once used for working on older British cars and motorcycles, they are now used mainly for impersonating that 9/16 or 1/2 inch socket you've been searching for for the last 15 minutes....

i. HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering a car to the ground after you have installed your new front disk brake setup, trapping the jack handle firmly under the front fender....

j. EIGHT-FOOT LONG DOUGLAS FIR 2X4: Used for levering a car upward off a hydraulic jack....

k. TWEEZERS: A tool for removing wood splinters....

l. PHONE: Tool for calling your neighbour to see if he has another hydraulic floor jack....

m. SNAP-ON GASKET SCRAPER: Theoretically useful as a sandwich tool for spreading mayonnaise; used mainly for getting dog-do off your boot....

n. E-Z OUT BOLT AND STUD EXTRACTOR: A tool that snaps off in bolt holes and is ten times harder than any known drill bit....

o. TIMING LIGHT: A stroboscopic instrument for illuminating grease buildup....

p. TWO-TON HYDRAULIC ENGINE HOIST: A handy tool for testing the tensile strength of ground straps and brake lines you may have forgotten to disconnect....

q. CRAFTSMAN 1/2 x 16-INCH SCREWDRIVER: A large motor mount prying tool that inexplicably has an accurately machined screwdriver tip on the end without the handle....

r. BATTERY ELECTROLYTE TESTER: A handy tool for transferring sulphuric acid from a car battery to the inside of your toolbox after determining that your battery is dead as a doornail, just as you thought....

s. AVIATION METAL SNIPS: See hacksaw....

t. TROUBLE LIGHT: The mechanic's own tanning booth. Sometimes called drop light, it is a good source of vitamin D, "the sunshine vitamin," which is not otherwise found under motorcycles at night. Health benefits aside, it's main purpose is to consume 40-watt light bulbs at about the same rate that 105-mm howitzer shells might be used during, say, the first few hours of the Battle of the Bulge. More often dark than light, its name is somewhat misleading....

u. PHILIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the lids of old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splash oil on your shirt; can also be used, as the name implies, to round off Phillips screw heads...

v. AIR COMPRESSOR: A machine that takes energy produced in a coal-burning power plant 200 miles away and transforms it into compressed air that travels by hose to a Chicago Pneumatic impact
wrench that grips rusty bolts last tightened 40 years ago by someone in Sindelfingen, and rounds them off.

w. PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part....

x. HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to cut hoses 1/2 inch too short....

y. HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate expensive parts not far from the object we are trying to hit....

z. MECHANIC'S KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on boxes containing seats and motorcycle jackets...

 

[Travis Evans]

On Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:49:39 -0000, Peter Hucker <none@spam.com> wrote:

The Sky box and a Sony DVD recorder both annoy me for another reason -
there is a delay of about 0.5 seconds between pressing a button on the
remote and something happening in a menu. And there is virtually no
keyboard buffer, so it gets behind what I'm pressing and does
something completely different. The sky box is even more annoying -
it has no cache, if I select a progam for recording, then go back to
the program listings, it reloads the bloody listings from the dish!

My LG DVD/VCR combo also has an annoying delay. I can't even enter the
data in using the number keys; I have to futz around with the arrow keys
for around 30 seconds just to enter one piece of data because of the
ridiculously poor UI (and exceptionally slow key response). I believe
the firmware coders were just plain lazy. It wouldn't have taken much
to make the UI significantly more tolerable even with the slow key
response.

My Philips DVD/HDD recorder is the best--I can use the arrows /or/ the
number keys, and it accepts keystrokes almost as fast as I can press
them. /That's/ the proper way to implement it.

--
Travis Evans
[Obtain email address by removing all Q's.]

 

[Peter Hucker]

On Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:31:56 -0000, Travis Evans <travisgevansQ@coxQ.netQ> wrote:

On Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:49:39 -0000, Peter Hucker <none@spam.com> wrote:
The Sky box and a Sony DVD recorder both annoy me for another reason -
there is a delay of about 0.5 seconds between pressing a button on the
remote and something happening in a menu. And there is virtually no
keyboard buffer, so it gets behind what I'm pressing and does
something completely different. The sky box is even more annoying -
it has no cache, if I select a progam for recording, then go back to
the program listings, it reloads the bloody listings from the dish!

My LG DVD/VCR combo also has an annoying delay. I can't even enter the
data in using the number keys; I have to futz around with the arrow keys
for around 30 seconds just to enter one piece of data because of the
ridiculously poor UI (and exceptionally slow key response). I believe
the firmware coders were just plain lazy. It wouldn't have taken much
to make the UI significantly more tolerable even with the slow key
response.

My Philips DVD/HDD recorder is the best--I can use the arrows /or/ the
number keys, and it accepts keystrokes almost as fast as I can press
them. /That's/ the proper way to implement it.

I don't understand why anything made recently would have a slow response. The ZX80 was faster at key input, haven't chips speeded up since?

--
http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com

Bad or missing mouse. Spank the cat (Y/N)?

 

[UCLAN]

Peter Hucker wrote:

The Sky box and a Sony DVD recorder both annoy me for another reason -
there is a delay of about 0.5 seconds between pressing a button on the
remote and something happening in a menu. And there is virtually no
keyboard buffer, so it gets behind what I'm pressing and does something
completely different. The sky box is even more annoying - it has no
cache, if I select a progam for recording, then go back to the program
listings, it reloads the bloody listings from the dish!

My LG DVD/VCR combo also has an annoying delay. I can't even enter the
data in using the number keys; I have to futz around with the arrow keys
for around 30 seconds just to enter one piece of data because of the
ridiculously poor UI (and exceptionally slow key response). I believe
the firmware coders were just plain lazy. It wouldn't have taken much to
make the UI significantly more tolerable even with the slow key response.


My Philips DVD/HDD recorder is the best--I can use the arrows /or/ the
number keys, and it accepts keystrokes almost as fast as I can press
them. /That's/ the proper way to implement it.

I don't understand why anything made recently would have a slow response.
The ZX80 was faster at key input, haven't chips speeded up since?

What isn't being into consideration is the time it takes to process/buffer
digital video signals. This is even more problematic on a DVR since you are,
in effect, viewing a recorded/delayed signal.

 

[Peter Hucker]

On Sat, 01 Nov 2008 18:21:38 -0000, UCLAN <nomail@thanks.org> wrote:

Peter Hucker wrote:

The Sky box and a Sony DVD recorder both annoy me for another reason -
there is a delay of about 0.5 seconds between pressing a button on the
remote and something happening in a menu. And there is virtually no
keyboard buffer, so it gets behind what I'm pressing and does something
completely different. The sky box is even more annoying - it has no
cache, if I select a progam for recording, then go back to the program
listings, it reloads the bloody listings from the dish!

My LG DVD/VCR combo also has an annoying delay. I can't even enter the
data in using the number keys; I have to futz around with the arrow keys
for around 30 seconds just to enter one piece of data because of the
ridiculously poor UI (and exceptionally slow key response). I believe
the firmware coders were just plain lazy. It wouldn't have taken much to
make the UI significantly more tolerable even with the slow key response.


My Philips DVD/HDD recorder is the best--I can use the arrows /or/ the
number keys, and it accepts keystrokes almost as fast as I can press
them. /That's/ the proper way to implement it.

I don't understand why anything made recently would have a slow response.
The ZX80 was faster at key input, haven't chips speeded up since?

What isn't being into consideration is the time it takes to process/buffer
digital video signals. This is even more problematic on a DVR since you are,
in effect, viewing a recorded/delayed signal.

It can do all that decoding, but can't repsond to a keypress in a timely manner?

--
http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com

I've had bad luck with both my wives. The first one left me and the second one didn't.