Sync System Clock with SageTV Server - accurate?

[tvmaster2]

In Detailed Setup/General, I have this item, "Sync System Clock with SageTV Server" selected.
Today, my Win 7 SageTV server box was 45 seconds behind BOTH my satellite box and my cable set top box.
I did a manual update using windows time item located on bottom right of toolbar (which is synced to 'time.windows.com'), and now the server is in line with the boxes
Question: is my SageTV server getting it's time from time.windows.com, or from SageTV's servers, wherever they're located?
:45 seconds is a fair amount of time to be off....anyone else noticing their clocks not in sync with their tuners?

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

In Detailed Setup/General, I have this item, "Sync System Clock with SageTV Server" selected.
Today, my Win 7 SageTV server box was 45 seconds behind BOTH my satellite box and my cable set top box.
I did a manual update using windows time item located on bottom right of toolbar (which is synced to 'time.windows.com'), and now the server is in line with the boxes
Question: is my SageTV server getting it's time from time.windows.com, or from SageTV's servers, wherever they're located?
:45 seconds is a fair amount of time to be off....anyone else noticing their clocks not in sync with their tuners?

I believe that "Sync System Clock with SageTV Server" only applies to clients. Your server gets it's time from the operating system clock on which it resides.

I have my server with a 15 Second offset using Analogx time sync... and it works as designed.

[Opus4]

The option gets the time from the EPG server -- the manual & option just say SageTV Server, which is probably confusing, but the help text below it clarifies that it sets the time to the time on the EPG server.

There was a time discrepancy that was fixed today, but it was only around 20 seconds. the clocks on the cable/sat boxes may not be completely accurate either.

Since the EPG time sync only occurs once per day, I would suggest that if you want better time accuracy, install a time utiliy to check more frequently... but realize that stations are not often perfectly on time anyway.

Andy

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by Opus4

The option gets the time from the EPG server -- the manual & option just say SageTV Server, which is probably confusing, but the help text below it clarifies that it sets the time to the time on the EPG server.

There was a time discrepancy that was fixed today, but it was only around 20 seconds. the clocks on the cable/sat boxes may not be completely accurate either.

Since the EPG time sync only occurs once per day, I would suggest that if you want better time accuracy, install a time utiliy to check more frequently... but realize that stations are not often perfectly on time anyway.

Andy

brilliant - thanks. that clarifies things. I had a little program running for years, Symmtime, but support for it and the servers it grabbed time from has gone bellyup. Do you know if there's a way to force Windows 7 to update with the windows.time servers more frequently? My satellite and cable box are within about two seconds of each other, so I trust they are pretty accurate.

Oh, I imagine if I disable this feature, THEN my SageTV server will get it's time from my Windows 7 install?

[KryptoNyte]

It seems like we might be splitting hairs talking about something being off by seconds. Would padding the start/end of the program resolve the issue?

[Denali]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

Do you know if there's a way to force Windows 7 to update with the windows.time servers more frequently?

Checkout http://www.analogx.com/contents/down...s/Freeware.htm

I use 1700 Seconds/Update and -10 Seconds Offset

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

brilliant - thanks. that clarifies things. I had a little program running for years, Symmtime, but support for it and the servers it grabbed time from has gone bellyup. Do you know if there's a way to force Windows 7 to update with the windows.time servers more frequently? My satellite and cable box are within about two seconds of each other, so I trust they are pretty accurate.

Oh, I imagine if I disable this feature, THEN my SageTV server will get it's time from my Windows 7 install?

Realize that Sage gets it's time from your system clock (in the PC) via Windows. What that setting does is tell Sage to update the system clock (once/day). I imagine that if you've got both enabled then both Sage and Windows update the system clock via the internet, and whichever updates last "wins".

[Neo]

I was gonna suggest to modify the "SpecialPollInterval" registry setting in windows. But according to this article, that won't help. They do have a solution for it though, but it seems to me installing Atomic TimeSync above is easier.

[Fuzzy]

I've found the best time syncs by running an NTP client and server on my router (pfSense). The router sets its time to an internet NTP pool, and all devices on my network set their time to the router.

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by Denali

Checkout http://www.analogx.com/contents/down...s/Freeware.htm

I use 1700 Seconds/Update and -10 Seconds Offset

I do something similar ... I run analogx TimeSync on my server and enable it to act as a time server then I Installled analogx timesync on my clients and have it update from the SageServer. I also have an offset.

[Skirge01]

Here's my scheduled task that I have running on all computers (whether they run Sage or not). Recordings are almost never off, unless it's Fox and some sort of live sporting event is on beforehand (cursed sports!). Just import that into Task Scheduler and make any other changes you want.

Here's a guide on exactly how the task is configured manually.

Here's the North American pool of NTP servers, in case you want to change which one your computer syncs with (via the standard Windows clock settings). If you're somewhere else, feel free to browse to the region you want to pull from.

[waynedunham]

Originally Posted by Opus4

... but realize that stations are not often perfectly on time anyway.

Andy

That has to be one of the biggest understatements of all time! (no pun intended)

Thank god for pre and post padding in SageTV or I would NEVER be able to watch an entire program. Depending on the network and probably the last time they synced their clocks programs can start anywhere from 30 seconds before or a minute after the "scheduled" time according to the EPG. And don't even get me started on their liberal interpretation of their end times!

[tvmaster2]

thanks for all the input and suggestions - with all of this, it shouldn't be hard to find a more reliable timing setup

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

I do something similar ... I run analogx TimeSync on my server and enable it to act as a time server then I Installled analogx timesync on my clients and have it update from the SageServer. I also have an offset.

how do you set up this app to relaunch automatically after a reboot? I can only seem to launch it manually....

[Denali]

Place a shortcut in the StartUp folder.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by Denali

Place a shortcut in the StartUp folder.

that was simple....

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by Denali

Checkout http://www.analogx.com/contents/down...s/Freeware.htm

I use 1700 Seconds/Update and -10 Seconds Offset

and...under the atomicx "display", there are two readings: Network and local. On my box, at the moment, there is a seven second difference. Why would the local reading be behind? Doesn't Analogx keep the local synced to the network time?

and and... under "Configure", why do you use a negative offset as opposed to a positive one, and do you disable or enable "Local Server"?

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

and...under the atomicx "display", there are two readings: Network and local. On my box, at the moment, there is a seven second difference. Why would the local reading be behind? Doesn't Analogx keep the local synced to the network time?

That says that your PC clock has lost 7 seconds (vs network time) since the last time it updated your PC clock.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by stanger89

That says that your PC clock has lost 7 seconds (vs network time) since the last time it updated your PC clock.

right - but I have the update item set to 1700 seconds (1/2 hour), so that's a surprising amount in that time, OR, it's not updating for some reason?

[MattHelm]

I had a PC MB in the good old days (pre-Y2K) that I ended up setting to update the time every 15 minutes. Internal clock was always wrong. Dumped that MB shortly after.