# "Record Blocking Signal Detected" - now I know why my DVR isn't recording **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 24, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294 "2008-10-24T02:21:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/21 "2008-10-26T02:19:40Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I just tape them on the VCR, why can’t you? Your VCR may not work so well with digital cable. I still have analog cable, but the only use the VCR gets is for recording French language stuff off _Radio-Canada_ that isn’t going to be available as a bittorrent download within twenty-four hours of broadcast. Otherwise, downloading offers much better video quality than VHS, and the bonus of no ads to skip through. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/22 "2008-10-26T02:55:47Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I just tape them on the VCR, why can’t you? Sure, and why don’t I go back to horse-driven transport? ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/23 "2008-10-26T03:50:58Z")
A few points that might be relevant. Don’t confuse paying for cable with paying for the channel. The TV stations may or may not be generating revenue from being carried by the cable provider, and even if they are getting something, still need to generate revenue from commercials. Premium stations, such as The Movie Network in Canada, charge the cable/satellite providers a fee per subscriber, and have a revenue model tied directly to the number of viewers they have (in theory, obviating the need to carry paying commercials). Recording with a VCR is not always an option, especially for those of us who watch predominately HD channels. A PVR is currently the only way to record high definition shows. Those points made, who is your cable provider, featherlou? I have Rogers (and therefore the joke that is Scientific Atlanta hardware), perhaps the most hated carrier in Canada, and yet I have never noticed a program being blocked for licensing reasons. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/24 "2008-10-26T06:12:18Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > Your VCR may not work so well with digital cable. > . It’s worked fine for the last several years with Digital cable. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/25 "2008-10-26T08:01:37Z")
Don’t it just [suck](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=386099)? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/26 "2008-10-26T18:11:51Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > It’s worked fine for the last several years with Digital cable. So you’re setting a timer program to record from the auxiliary input, and then leaving your digital box tuned to the station you want to watch? Or do you just mean that you are using your VCR to record an analog channel? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/27 "2008-10-26T18:47:50Z")
> [@Cerowyn](#): > > \ > Those points made, who is your cable provider, featherlou? I have Rogers (and therefore the joke that is Scientific Atlanta hardware), perhaps the most hated carrier in Canada, and yet I have never noticed a program being blocked for licensing reasons. We are with Shaw. **lissener** , I wish I’d seen your thread before we bought the stupid dvr. ☹ This brings up another point - we keep seeing the notices that tv’s going all digital next year. We are not ready for this. All I want is to watch a little tv, record the stuff that I miss while trying to have a life, and watch it later. I don’t need HD, I don’t need digital, I don’t need a 46 inch plasma screen mounted on my wall, but circumstances are conspiring to make me buy much more than I need or want just so I can watch a couple of programs each week. I am getting frustrated by the whole situation (and feeling like I should add, “You damn kids get your digital tv off my lawn!”). ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/28 "2008-10-26T18:51:40Z")
If you already have cable, then I don’t think you’ll experience any problems or changes with TV going all digital next year… Isn’t that a key point in the notices? It’s only if you use rabbit-ears that you might need to worry. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/29 "2008-10-26T18:52:01Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I just tape them on the VCR, why can’t you? IMHO Comparing a PVR to a VCR is about like comparing a graphing calculator to a laptop. Not only that but what do you do if there’s different shows on different channels that you want to record while you’re at work? Do you just go “sorry guise gotta stop the factory for half an hour so I can go home and change the cable box channel”? Not only that but some folks these days don’t even have tvs. I only have an OTA digital turner usb stick. I have it setup so I can stream tv to my laptop from desktop. Wherre do you wire vcr into that? ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/30 "2008-10-26T21:51:52Z")
Bottom line for me is this: If the sons of bitches don’t want us watching their stupid shows at our convenience when every fucking show we have any interest in is shown at exactly the same time so we can’t see everything live, then fuck 'em. They lose us as viewers, which means they lose us as potential buyers of the crappy products on their crappy commercials. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/31 "2008-10-26T21:53:20Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > This brings up another point - we keep seeing the notices that tv’s going all digital next year. We are not ready for this. The ubiquitous messages are misleading. Cable customers have no concern about over-the-air signals, and those are the ones you are being warned about. However, cable companies are gradually converting to all-digital for many reasons. One is they can charge more for customers who thought they could get by with only basic charges. If they move the basic channels into the digital-only realm (\>channel 112) then they can get the customers to pay for what they used to get for free. Charter is doing that to us. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/32 "2008-10-26T22:15:32Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > If you already have cable, then I don’t think you’ll experience any problems or changes with TV going all digital next year… Isn’t that a key point in the notices? > > It’s only if you use rabbit-ears that you might need to worry. You just have to make sure your TV has a digital tuner, which it might. You don’t have to go buy an HDTV just to get a digital tuner. I’m curious though. **featherlou** , you’re in Canada right? Why is Canada going digital at the same time as the US? Does the FCC really push you guys around, or did the UN tell the whole world to go digital at the same time, or what? ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/33 "2008-10-27T00:18:05Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I’m curious though. **featherlou** , you’re in Canada right? Why is Canada going digital at the same time as the US? Does the FCC really push you guys around, or did the UN tell the whole world to go digital at the same time, or what? No, Canada isn’t going digital next year and won’t for a few years. According to the [digital television](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_television) entry in Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > After February 17, 2009, full-power television stations in the USA will broadcast in digital only. In Canada, this will happen Aug. 31, 2011. Note, though, that many Canadians are confused about this–we get US channels on cable, including their screen crawlers and so on that tell us about February 2009. Especially since our own channels are making no effort to tell us “Ignore the digital date on US channels,” or “If you have cable, you don’t need to worry,” it’s easy to see why so many Canadians are mistaken as to the date of the digital TV switchover in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/34 "2008-10-27T01:03:14Z")
> [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](#): > > They lose us as viewers, which means they lose us as potential buyers of the crappy products on their crappy commercials. 🙂 But DVRs are used to skip the commercials anyway, right? So the channels really have no reason to care whether DVR users watch or not. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/35 "2008-10-27T01:08:54Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > If it becomes too inconvenient to watch cable television, aren’t more consumers likely to just drop the cable and download the programs that they want to see? Consumers who don’t watch ads are already pretty much doing the equivalent of downloading the programs anyway, aren’t they? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/36 "2008-10-27T02:14:58Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > So you’re setting a timer program to record from the auxiliary input, and then leaving your digital box tuned to the station you want to watch? > ? Yep. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/37 "2008-10-27T06:12:28Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > \ > It’s only if you use rabbit-ears that you might need to worry. I hardly ever use rabbit ears. Usually just a French maid outfit. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/38 "2008-10-27T16:25:41Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > IMHO Comparing a PVR to a VCR is about like comparing a graphing calculator to a laptop. Well, I’ll point out my method might be “_so_ last decade” but it _works_- and the OP’s doesn’t.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/39 "2008-10-27T16:56:07Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > But DVRs are used to skip the commercials anyway, right? So the channels really have no reason to care whether DVR users watch or not. Well, we certainly fast forward through them all, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t exposed at least a little bit. I would be stunned if the marketers aren’t aware of this and haven’t ensured that their commercials’ messages can’t be transmitted at a very rapid rate of speed. Take us off the TV watchers list and they don’t even get that little bit of ad influence. ---
**Author:** ![Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gut)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294/40 "2008-10-27T17:42:34Z")
What program are you trying to record? Since I live in the same city with the same cable provider and likely the same pvr perhaps we can eliminate possibility of a faulty pvr. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-blocking-signal-detected-now-i-know-why-my-dvr-isnt-recording/469294.md?page=3)