Recording and zap timers

A recording timer schedules a recording at a particular time. A zap timer selects a service without necessarily recording a file. Both require a correct clock; a recording timer also requires an accessible, writable destination.

Create a timer from the EPG

1. Open the EPG and select the desired programme.
2. Choose the displayed timer action, Green – Add Timer in this example. Custom colour-button assignments may differ.
3. Check service, date, start and end. Select Record to create a recording.
4. Check margins and recording location. A NAS share must be available when recording starts.
5. Save with Green. Resolve a reported conflict before relying on the timer.
6. Check the entry under Menu → Timers → RecordTimers. Practise with a short, unimportant recording and check its file, duration and playback afterwards.

Example in the native timer editor: the recording named EPG Demo was neither saved nor started. Open original image ↗

For a manual recording without EPG, open the recording timer list and choose Add. Enter the title, service, date and times yourself. If the programme crosses midnight, the end date is the following day.

Which fields matter?

Field	Meaning
Timer type	Record, zap, or zap and record. A zap-only timer creates no recording.
Once/repeated	One event or a pattern such as daily, weekly, Monday–Friday or selected weekdays. Check the first applicable day.
Start/end	Planned duration. Zap timers may offer different end-time and execution conditions.
Before/after margins	Extra minutes around a programme. They also consume reception and storage resources.
Service	Actual service from the channel list; similarly named HD/SD/regional services are not necessarily interchangeable.
Recording location	Destination for this timer. Bookmarks and global defaults help selection, but each timer still needs checking.
Tags	Labels for organising recordings later.
After recording	Do nothing, standby, deep standby or automatic. Automatic considers the sequence and previous state; it does not always mean shutdown.
Zap conditions	Where offered, zap only while running, only from (deep) standby, or always.

An EPG-created timer takes the known programme times. This does not guarantee tracking every subsequent schedule change. Check important recordings and use sensible margins. AutoTimer is an additional plugin: it searches EPG data and creates individual timers from rules. A repeated clock-time timer does not automatically search for programme titles.

Understand and resolve conflicts

Overlapping timers are not automatically a conflict. Depending on reception, several services from a transponder can share resources; other combinations require additional available reception capacity. This guide therefore does not assume a particular tuner count.

For a conflict warning, compare the full duration including margins, services, repeats and recordings already running. Reduce margins deliberately, use a repeat broadcast or disable the less important timer. Do not delete arbitrary entries just to dismiss the warning.

A passed timer conflict check guarantees neither free disk space, NAS availability, network throughput nor available connections from an IPTV provider. Such limits may only become apparent at runtime. See NAS recording.

Standby, shutdown and wakeup

In normal standby, Enigma2 keeps running and can record. During a regular shutdown to deep standby, Enigma2 determines the next relevant wakeup time. This requires suitable hardware, power and a correct clock. A timer cannot start a receiver disconnected from mains power.

Current or imminent recordings can produce a shutdown warning. Time shift, streaming and background work may cause messages too. Forcing a confirmed shutdown can still interrupt recording; a warning is not an absolute lock. Timeouts and default answers vary by dialog.

After wakeup the receiver needs time to boot, obtain the correct time and possibly access the NAS. Avoid placing overnight imports immediately before a recording starts. Afterwards, the timer’s after-event action, other appointments and receiver use affect the next state. See scheduled tasks and time/wakeup.

Status, files and diagnosis

Open the affected timer and its offered log/status display. Note the planned time, actual behaviour and error. Add an Enigma2 debug log when necessary. The checked image stores definitions in /etc/enigma2/timers.xml. Use the interface to edit them so Enigma2 does not later overwrite manual file changes.

Verification: Captured the timer editor with an unsaved example. No new recording, conflict scenario or automatic hardware wakeup was performed.

Sources: Timer editors and overviews, Recording operation, Shutdown messages.

Watch completed recordings

Use MovieSelection or EMC to play and manage files. Their library and starting paths do not change stored timer destinations.