On- demand television applications have made it easier for us to watch television. If we are interested in something that we have not been able to see, it is easy to return with a Smart TV thanks to specific apps from channels or multimedia groups such as Atresplayer, for example, or RTVE on demand. But if you don’t want to use the Internet and these specific apps, there are ways to record DTT on Samsung or even to control it as if it were delayed content, pausing or rewinding the live stream to see something again.
One of the most comfortable ways to record on a television is using decoders from different operators that have these added functions to watch DTT, without complications or external hard drive. Most decos offer us live control of the television so we can watch programs that we have missed, start a program from the beginning or simultaneously record several channels that you want to watch. In addition, they usually have internal storage or cloud storage so we do not have to worry about having a device connected via USB to be in charge of saving what we want to see later. But we do not always have a contracted operator whose television packages include recording on DTT , as we say.
In that case, there are also options to record television directly from the Smart TV itself. You can record on your Samsung Smart TV in a simple way and we explain what the TimeShift function is that helps us control the live show beyond recording programs or documentaries to watch later.
Terms
Before recording, you must take into account the conditions or limitations indicated by Samsung: “when recording, the hard disk will be formatted in a proprietary Samsung operating system and the recorded content can only be played on the same TV, so it is not possible to modify it. by copyright ”. You will only be able to see the content from the television itself and not by taking that same hard drive to a computer, since the content will be encrypted and protected.
Timeshift on Samsung
Samsung’s Timeshift function allows us to control the live as if it were a streaming platform or a classic DVD disc. It only works with digital channels and needs a USB hard drive connected so that we can pause or rewind the live. In addition, there are some conditions and requirements that we will explain in the next section. For example, we can be watching a soccer game while we are recording it and we can go back in a play that we want to see repeated. We can rewind or pause without having to record the image at that moment.
Timeshift requirements and rules of use
There are a number of requirements that you must take into account when recording with Samsung or using the TV’s Timeshift function. The first thing to keep in mind and that the company explains is that Timeshift may not be supported on all TV models or depending on the geographical area, so the first thing we have to make sure is that our Smart TV model is compatible. Look for the specific specifications. But, in addition, there are a series of common requirements to take into account:
- A USB HDD with speed of 5,400 rpm or higher is recommended for recording and using this feature on the TV.
- RAID-type USB hard drives are not supported.
- USB cards and flash drives are not supported or supported .
- Recording capacity may vary depending on the available hard disk space and the quality level of the recording itself.
- If the storage space becomes less than 500MB while performing functions such as “Schedule Recording” or “Timeshift”, the scheduled recording will stop automatically.
- There is only a maximum time of 90 minutes for this function (if we spend more time, it will erase the beginning as it progresses)
- Timeshift will automatically be interrupted when the external storage reaches its maximum capacity.
- If auto power off has been set , the TV will turn off after recording is complete.
- The schedule recordings feature requires at least 100MB of free USB storage space.
- You can configure a maximum of 30 inputs to schedule recordings and views, no more than this number.
- The recordings are protected by digital rights , as we have explained in the previous section, so they cannot be played on a computer or on another television.
Use Timeshift
To use Timeshift on a current television, we simply have to press Play on the television remote control (on the remote) and the option will automatically be activated. If you want to stop the playback, click on the Pause button as explained in the Samsung manual that you can see in the attached screenshot. To advance or delay the playback we will use the arrow keys to one side and the other. Thus we can control the live as long as there is enough space on the hard drive and the conditions explained in the previous paragraph are met.
Record on Samsung
Beyond Timeshift, there are two conventional options for recording: record the program live if you are going to go to bed and want to watch it the next day, for example. Or you can schedule recordings if you are going to be away from home at a certain time and do not want to miss a program, series or documentary that is broadcast. In any case, the two options may vary slightly depending on the television model you have or how old it is, but in all the options the route or the steps to follow are very similar.
Record program in progress
To record a program in progress we have to turn on the television and touch the “Guide” button that we find on our Samsung remote. Within the programming guide we have to look for the channel that interests us and touch on it through “Enter”. Once chosen, you will have to choose the “Burn” menu as you can see in the image.
You can also schedule a recording. Once you are on the channel you want, simply tap on the “Select” button and you will see the program information window. Use the buttons to the left or right to choose the program you want to program. Once here, press the select button and schedule the recording. Keep in mind that it is essential that the time is correctly on the television so that this does not fail.
To check the recordings we simply have to go to:
- Live TV
- Schedule manager or Recordings
- Recordings
Here we will see the different files or recorded programs, which we can see or we can remove from the list in case they no longer interest us and as long as we have a hard drive that meets the conditions and there is enough space to record or schedule recordings.
View on computer
As we have explained in previous paragraphs, Samsung makes it clear that the content that is stored on the external hard drive can only be played on the same TV. This means that the content we record can be viewed whenever we want as long as that HDD is plugged into the television, but it presents a problem if we want to watch DTT recordings on the computer. If the latter is what you are looking for, you will need a program that is capable of viewing files in SRF format.
But we found a second problem in this: even if you find a program capable of reading Sony Raw Format (or SRF) files, the Samsung recording content through the Smart TV is encrypted or encrypted so it will be difficult for us to be able to see it in a computer. You can decrypt it but it is a much more complex process since you will “face” DRM or digital rights that seek to block piracy and protect content.
