12-28-2020 12:49 PM
Hi. I've got issues with some series recordings... not sure of a work around, probably setting a manual recording, though that has some issues too.
I want to record the PBS series Masterpiece that airs on Sunday evenings (at 9pm on KCTS from Seattle, or 6pm on WBGH out of Boston). The problem is that in the guide listings the show is not listed as only Masterpiece, or Masterpiece: Endeavour (for instance), but rather Endeavour on Masterpiece.
On the one hand the series recording I have set works in that it will record the 3 or 4 episodes of that particular limited series. The problem is that unless that series returns (in about a year) no other episodes of Masterpiece will record. In other words, we've got to be on the ball and scouring the guide for the next series name and create a new series recording (i.e. Baptiste on Masterpiece) even though the show is on the same channel/day/time throughout the year.
I've set up a manual recording and will see how that works... though I have to create a defined recording time, and as best as I recall these limited series are not all the same length of episode. I've set a 2 hour window and will see how it goes.
I find a similar issue with NFL series recordings, though the recording behaviour is slightly different. I have set a series recording for Channel 101 anyday, anytime. Same for channel 102 and 900. In this case it seems to record subsequent games, but they're listed under the name of the original recording - in other words, the series recording is called NFL: <team A vs team B>, but the games recorded will list different teams since they are different weeks of the NFL schedule. Admittedly the NFL name issue is more of an annoyance than a true fault, unlike the Masterpiece name issue where it is pretty easy to miss an episode/limited series.
Anyway, it seems to me that the listing names are what mess up the series recordings in both cases. I'm guessing that the listings are aggregated by some service that Telus uses to create these listings. Maybe the issue is with the originating broadcaster, in which case I guess I need to make my point to PBS, not that they (or CTV/TSN/the NFL) are going to change their preferred program naming format because I'm not happy with it.
If anyone has some other work around I'd like to know... Thanks.
12-28-2020 02:06 PM
Unfortunately this is appears to be caused by the broadcasters opting to change the names of the shows. It's not clear to me the reasoning but as you have noticed many of the shows now appear in the form of A_British_Show on Masterpiece. I've found the scheduling the show with the new title works fine. It just means that I now need to record Grantchester on Masterpiece as well as Endeavour on Masterpiece.
If there was some form of a wildcard recording function that might work. Unfortunately I don't believe that's currently available.
You can look at the PBS schedule to see what you may wish to record:
Schedule | Masterpiece | Official Site | PBS
I also find ZAP2IT a useful resource for what's coming up to record:
TV Listings- Find Local TV Listings and Watch Full Episodes - Zap2it.com