Time, NTP and wakeup

EPG, timers and wakeup need a correct clock. A suitable display format is not enough: date, time zone and the actual synchronised time must be correct.

Configure time

Open Menu → Setup → System → Time Settings. First choose the time-zone area and location, for example Europe / Berlin for Germany. This also applies local daylight-saving rules. Do not manually adjust the clock at every seasonal change.

The test receiver uses transponder time here. NTP server and polling interval appear when NTP is selected. Open original image ↗

Setting	What it controls
Time-zone area and time zone	Local display including the installed daylight-saving rules.
Synchronise using transponder time	Use time information from DVB reception.
Synchronise using NTP	Obtain time from a reachable network time server.
NTP server	Name or address of an actual NTP service; pool.ntp.org is the checked source’s default.
NTP interval	Repeat the time check. The checked version offers 30 minutes, 60 minutes or daily.
Date/time format	Change display formatting; does not correct system time.

For NTP, select that source, check server and interval, then save with Green. Ensure the receiver has network access. A public server requires Internet access, working DNS when using a name, and reachable NTP traffic, normally UDP 123. A router or NAS is a suitable local server only if it actually provides NTP.

The offered geolocation action can determine the time zone; it does not replace time synchronisation. Manually selecting the area and location is sufficient.

DVB time or NTP?

DVB transponder time can work without Internet if a received service provides valid time information. With no reception or incorrect broadcaster data, synchronisation may be absent or wrong. IPTV-only operation does not automatically provide the same DVB time source.

NTP is particularly helpful for IPTV, variable reception and devices whose startup time is not reliably retained. Regular synchronisation corrects a free-running clock’s error. Internet access also helps external EPG sources, but is not required for every correct receiver clock: valid DVB time or an accessible local NTP server may suffice.

Use OpenATV’s intended time settings. Installing a package such as Chrony does not prove that synchronisation is active. Do not start several independent time services by combining Linux tutorials; they may all affect the same system clock. In the checked Enigma2 version, NTP synchronisation explicitly invokes ntpd. OpenATV time synchronisation.

Does an Enigma2 receiver have a real-time clock?

There is no single answer for every model. Distinguish three things:

• Linux system clock: Runs while the system operates, including ordinary standby. Without synchronisation it can gradually drift.
• Hardware real-time clock / RTC: Can keep time while the main system is off. Presence, backup power and survival of mains loss depend on the device.
• Front processor or wakeup logic: Can monitor a programmed appointment and start the main system while the necessary standby power remains available.

An RTC does not necessarily support every alarm feature. Conversely, a missing /dev/rtc does not prove that a receiver lacks separate front-processor wakeup. Linux documents differing RTC/alarm capabilities; OpenATV also uses receiver-specific front-processor interfaces. Linux RTC basics, OpenATV hardware interfaces.

Why does the receiver not wake at the desired time?

During a regular shutdown Enigma2 selects a forthcoming relevant wakeup and passes it, with lead time, to supported hardware. NTP does not switch on an already shut-down receiver. The network service can obtain time again only after the system starts.

Check in this order:

1. Power: A mains switch turned off or an unplugged receiver normally prevents self-initiated scheduled startup.
2. Correct timer type: Use a recording timer, supported wakeup task or plugin with wakeup enabled. A cron line alone is insufficient.
3. Date and time before shutdown: Working wakeup logic cannot correct an appointment set in the wrong week.
4. Clean shutdown: Enigma2 needs an opportunity to save and program the next appointment. A crash or pulling power is not equivalent.
5. Device support and resting state: Model-specific power-saving/front-processor features may impose limits. Such details belong in a device appendix.
6. Startup lead time: Networking, synchronisation and storage must be ready in time. A receiver may wake yet still miss the recording because its NAS is unavailable or its clock is corrected too late.

Test an important setup with one appointment and observe shutdown, startup and the actual start of recording. An entry in the timer list or a time on the display does not prove successful wakeup.

Clock drift: long standby without networking

In ordinary standby, the system clock continues running. Without successful NTP or DVB correction, its error can accumulate over days; a running tuner does not guarantee fresh time data in every state. Deep standby is different: retaining time depends on hardware. Loss of mains power can additionally cause complete time loss.

Regular synchronisation limits drift. Saying “the receiver was in standby” does not establish whether a time source was reachable. NTP on free-running clocks and synchronisation.

Diagnose time errors and read logs

Over SSH, these commands read time without changing it:

date
date -u

Compare local time and UTC with a reliable reference. If only local time is one hour wrong, check the time zone. If the date/year or both times are wrong, investigate synchronisation. An incorrect year can also break HTTPS access to feeds and EPG sources through certificate errors.

In the Enigma2 debug log, look for NetworkTime, NTP errors and messages about system time being unavailable. In the checked implementation, a “Setting time” line alone does not confirm successful server contact; consider preceding errors and compare the actual clock. If Chrony really runs as a service on your image, chronyc tracking and chronyc sources can provide additional diagnostics. Chrony diagnostics.

Verification: Captured the native time dialog and checked configuration and Enigma2 wakeup logic. No time server was changed, no clock was deliberately shifted and no cross-model RTC/deep-standby test was performed.

Further sources: Time dialog, Time options, Wakeup selection during shutdown.