Unable to play recorded programs when recording extends beyond scheduled end-time

Hello @chbroyles
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We have a tip for you: As you know, sports events can be longer than expected for several reasons, such as the development of the matches. The best way to extend the recording session is by selecting the next program to record so your TV show will be recorded fully. Remember, DIRECTV is just a message away if you have any other questions. Andrea, DIRECTV Community Specialist

@DIRECTVhelp Andrea - The poster is aware sporting events can run long, as does DirecTV.  That’s why DirecTV went to some amount of effort to add auto-extend to recording of most sports events.  Auto-extend is supposed to save users from having to manually record the following program.  It would be useful for you to be aware of this.  The poster is pointing out a problem with the implementation of the auto-extend. Your appropriate response would be to report this problem back to the developers, not to offer an unasked to workaround. 

@Jrandomuser thank you for your response - and you were spot on with your response.  @DIRECTVhelp Andrea - I am fully aware that I can record the next program to help ensure I record all of the preceding sporting event.  However, this suggestion DOES NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE AT HAND and the problem I reported is still a problem, even if I do record the subsequent program following the sporting event.

The primary issue is that the DVR auto-extended recording becomes inaccessible if the event goes beyond its scheduled time slot.  DIRECTTV's auto-extend functionality is automatic and to my knowledge cannot be turned off.  IF I COULD TURN OFF AUTO-EXTEND, and then use the strategy of "record the next program" to ensure I record the entire game...OK that might work, albeit a pain in the (Edited per community guidelines).  But because I cannot turn-off auto extend this too is not an option.

Your software and development team just needs to address the issue.  A DVR Recording should be accessible regardless of whether it is still recording or not.  Please make it happen... You are a market leader in this space, and its rather inexcusable that this continues to be an issue (I've been experiencing this problem for more than 2 years with your service, but this is the first time I've made a point to tell someone.

@chbroyles, thank you for sharing that information. Keep in mind not all games qualify for Auto-Extend, if it's available, shows on the screen when setting the recording. Currently, it is not possible to turn it off. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention, and we'll make sure to share this with our specialized team to see if we can make this option available in the future. DIRECTV appreciates your understanding. Luna, DIRECTV Community Specialist.

@DIRECTVhelp Just to clarify - the feature you should be requesting is "the ability to play recorded content while auto-extend is active and enabled"

I am not suggesting you remove the auto-extend feature, nor do I care that some sporting events may not qualify for Auto-Extend (I'll record the next program if that's the case).  

The focus here should be that you have customers unable to watch their recorded content because the event is still live but has gone past the scheduled broadcast time.  Users should be able to watch recorded content regardless of whether the program is still actively recording or has concluded.  

Its clearly a glitch that developers just need to smooth out.  If your team can't figure it out... You tell me what that says about DIRECTV...

We appreciate your feedback. We have forwarded your suggestion to the appropriate team, so they can review and determine the next steps. Also, message us through our social media account for other concerns.

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Additionally, why can't DirecTV Streaming determine a workaround to extend the recording of events that had a delayed start due to the extension of the prior show?  I have used the "work-around" of recording the event after my desired program, but I don't always remember and it seems odd this should be my responsibility.  With today's technology, coupled with the upcoming DirecTV Stream cost increase, this seems like a reasonable request.

Even better, allow us to manually extend recording by an hour, or two hours, or a half hour.  This is an option on DirecTV Satellite, so the technology is already in place. The auto-extend feature is cumbersome and vague. Use the technology you already have!

The implementation of "extend recording" is weak, and today it's not working at all. The Denver Broncos vs Houston Posers game today was decided with 11 seconds to go in the game, but DTV Streaming cut if off with about two minutes left in the game. 

This is not what I pay for. 

Interesting, I recorded the game also and it went to the end of the game and started the overtime game which came after.  Weird

What streaming device do you use? I get the same result in Apple TV, Firestick, and the website. 

As some posters suggested, for scheduling recording of live events, just add the "extend the recording by ..." half an hour, an hour, etc.—a function EVERY OTHER DVR OFFERS. 

And not just for sports but for awards shows too, like the Golden Globes and the Oscars. 

For developers there, accomplishing this should be a piece of cake and yet they still haven't done it after all this time. 

I just recently changed from ATT Uverse to Direct TV stream. I use the DVR to record AEW wrestling on TBS and TNT. The program typically runs 5-10 minutes past the scheduled time. The recording stops at the scheduled time. I have contacted Direct TV three times. Each time I have been told that the program should record in its entirety. They have even replaced the interface. I have not seen an option for extend time for these programs. Uverse had an option to extend the time for recording up to 2 or 3 hours past the scheduled time. 

These shows are available On Demand, however with Direct TV and are presented in their entirety. It is interesting that if I try to watch the On Demand recording while the DVR recording is still present, Direct TV defaults to the DVR recording. 

It will be interesting to see what happens once the fall seasons begins and the start of the next program is delayed by a sporting event [ie on Fox - The Equalizer] delayed as a result of football whether the program I am trying to record completely records.

If this is a continuing issue, my time with Direct TV will be short lived.

U-Verse and DirecTV Stream share an ownership and that’s about all - you shouldn’t expect the functionalities of the two to match. The DVR that Stream offers is much more capacious, but it lacks numerous features the the U-Verse DVR has, and manually extending a recording is one.  By default, all Stream recordings match the scheduled program time. They added a feature that automatically extends the length of a sporting event recording to match the actual program length, but it only works for some sports on some channels.  (It also won’t shift the recording of delayed programs. But I don’t know if a DVR system that will - U-Verse’s DRV certainly won’t.)

From their page “How to use the DVR”:

Note: Sports recordings are automatically extended where content continues to stream beyond the programmer’s scheduled time. Applies to the NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA leagues, NCAA Football and Basketball (Division I), and Soccer (UEFA, FIFA). Extended sports recordings contingent upon third-party recording service availability and varies by packages, channel subscriptions & billing region.

So I’d guess your wrestling show is not covered (and the Support reps aren’t that knowledgeable - they very well could be unaware at that level of detail and assumed it would be). 

We’ve asked that manual extension be added for years and don’t know why they haven’t or why they provided this sometimes useful auto-extend instead - the only thought I have is that the way they implemented the cloud DVR makes it very difficult to let individual users change the recording parameters.  (Still, it shouldn’t be impossible, but we out here can’t say for sure.)  The only current workaround (which their reps also offer) is to also record the following program if you think the program you are recording might run long.  Not a wonderful “solution”, but it’s what we have. 

I see two distinct problems with the current environment:

1. The “auto-extend” “feature” does not apply universally. That means that I have to take different steps to accomplish the same goal depending on an external parameter whose value I must search for.
2. I have found myself in the situation of wanting to record two different programs on a single network on Sunday evening, one an hour-long program scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm and the other an hour-long program scheduled to begin at 9:00 pm. During the NFL season, in order to watch these two programs in their entirety, I not only have to record the 6:00pm and 9:00pm programs, but also the programs scheduled to begin at 7:00pm, 8:00pm, and 10:00pm. In order to capture the 9:00pm program, I have to be aware that a program that began six hours earlier (and in which I am uninterested) may have run over its allotted time. And all of this assumes that a program cannot possibly run more than one hour over its allotted time.

My impression is that everyone is wishing for and describing workarounds rather focusing on the goal, which, as I would describe it, is:

The guide should allow me to select the program that I want to record. Having selected the program, I should later be able to view that program in its entirety, regardless of its actual beginning and ending times, without taking any additional actions.