What is the TimeShift function on Samsung and LG TVs?

The capabilities of TV are constantly expanding. Now the user can not only scroll, but also use additional functions designed to make browsing more comfortable. No one is surprised by the ability to access the Internet and launch games and useful applications. More and more TVs, including budget ones, are getting the timeshift function.

What is TimeShift function

Time shifting (translation into Russian - time shift) is an option that allows you to pause a program or movie at any time. As a result, the user can do other things and return to watching the TV channel later without missing interesting moments. When the function is activated, the signal will be saved on the internal storage, USB flash drive, microUSB card (depending on the TV model).

Initially, the function was developed for personal computers with a built-in TV tuner. The data was saved on the hard drive, and then the content could be viewed. But in 2006, LG engineers considered the potential of the option, integrating Time Shift into several models with a built-in HDD. The image was saved to internal memory. In this case, it was desirable that the owner did not use the function for a long time, otherwise the system would delete old files in order to record new content.

Time shifting allows transmission to be paused.

With the advent of high-capacity flash drives, there was no need for integrated HDDs, which made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of implementing the function, while maintaining all the benefits for the average viewer.

Operating principle

The timeshift function on the TV works simply and does not require any settings or activation. The algorithm works like this:

• During viewing, the user presses the “Time Shift” button located on the remote control. In this case, you should make sure that a flash drive is inserted into the USB input.
• In a matter of seconds, the TV panel begins recording the broadcast, and the picture on the screen freezes.
• Upon returning, the viewer presses the “Play” button on the remote control.
• The broadcast begins from the pause point, while the receiver continues to record the live broadcast to avoid interruptions.

Timeshifting is an effective way to get rid of annoying advertising without missing important TV moments. The time shift option is limited by the capacity of the flash drive. This means that when the space on the external drive runs out, the function will stop working.

The function is applied to the channel that is currently being watched. If the owner switches the channel, the recording of the previous channel will be irretrievably lost.

Content:

• 1 What is timeshift on TV?
• 2 Who can use this mode?
• 3 What are the main advantages
• 4 How to set up the time shift function
• 5 Timeshift Alternative
• 6 Conclusions

Modern TVs are getting more and more functionality. Today they can not only show programs, but also go online, replace game consoles, and allow communication through popular instant messengers, including video calls. Most modern devices have a timeshift function. What it is? We talk about this in the article.

Advantages and disadvantages

Most manufacturers describe the capabilities of TimeShift in detail in their operating instructions. The user can rewind the saved video, speed up/slow down the viewing, and select the maximum shift range.

Advantages:

• the ability to interrupt the broadcast at any time without missing anything;
• the program will be available for viewing for an unlimited time until the TV is turned off or the channel is changed;
• the function works multiple times, that is, you can press the button several times in a row without worrying that the recording will be lost;

Flaws:

• accidental channel switching reset recording;
• Requires purchase of a USB drive;
• You cannot record signals from multiple channels at the same time.

How to set up the time shift function

In order to record a broadcast, you need to select a memory device and connect it to the TV. Next, go to the device menu and enter the recording settings. Then select the channel and time. After that, save the new settings. The recording will be done automatically.

Are there any limitations to this mode? Yes, the timeshift function has its disadvantages. For example, you won't be able to record from multiple TV channels at the same time. For this mode, only what is currently turned on on your TV is available. That is, if there is a football broadcast on one channel, and hockey is shown on the other, you will have to make a choice between two sports.

Another significant drawback is that you cannot switch channels during the recording process. This minus is a continuation of the previous one. If you are recording football and decide to watch the intermediate results of the hockey broadcast, then when you switch the channel, you will start recording hockey, and the football broadcast will be deleted.

Finally, limitations apply to storage capacity. A forty-minute program takes about half a gigabyte. The football game requires approximately one and a half GB. Accordingly, before recording, you need to make sure that you have enough free space or take care of a more capacious device for storing data.

Despite certain limitations, this functionality is popular among TV owners. Manufacturers like Samsung, Sony and LG are constantly improving the functionality of their equipment, so we can expect improvements for the timeshift mode in the future.

Who can use this mode

The option of background recording of terrestrial digital television is available to owners of recorders, multimedia set-top boxes, and televisions. In this case, the capabilities of the mode will directly depend on the connection method (cable, terrestrial, satellite TV), the capacity of the connected storage device (on average, 500 MB of free disk space is required to record 40 minutes of broadcast).

Other Features

Now you know what the famous timeshift function is and what benefits it provides to the user. Note that you can completely manage it and adjust it to your needs.

For example, you can easily select the amount of disk space that will be used for delayed recording. If you enter such settings, the tuner cannot exceed the specified size and takes it into account during recording.

The space occupied by recorded programs on disk depends on several factors:

• Image resolutions. Regular video will take up much less space than HD.
• Possible compression technologies to optimize storage space.
• Recording format.

That is, timeshift, as a useful TV function, still takes up some space on the media, and its capabilities depend on the amount of total and free memory. Therefore, users are advised to consider the amount of data storage space in a set-top box or smart TV; functionality directly depends on this. It’s good to have 5 or more gigabytes free, this will allow you to fully use the broadcast stop.

But the technology also has broader capabilities, and it is not only possible to control one channel.

Setting the function

The background recording mode for terrestrial television only works when an external drive of 500+ MB is inserted into the USB port. Otherwise, the system will display a notification that the function cannot be used.

The extended pause is configured as follows:

• Press “Menu” on the remote control;
• Next, select the “Settings” icon;
• find the sub-item “Recording settings”, click OK;
• set the desired parameters, then click OK to save the settings.

As a rule, the user can activate or deactivate Time Shift, limit the amount of data that will be used to save the live broadcast on a flash drive.

Setting up the function takes little time.

The function is available while watching terrestrial digital television. To activate a pause you must:

• press the Time Shift, Freeze, “Pause” button on the remote control;
• wait until the picture freezes and information appears that the option is enabled;
• to unfreeze the image, you must press the Exit button on the remote control;
• the channel will continue broadcasting from the moment it was stopped, while the user can slow down/speed up the playback speed, or fast forward.

One of a kind | Review of the game TimeShift

We are all familiar with games like FEAR, Max Payne, The Matrix, Prince of Persia ... but what do they have in common? Of course, it's a game with time . And if the first three stand out in this regard only by the bullet time , then in the last one we could see not only the slowing down of time, but also its complete freezing , and what seemed a generally unimaginable innovation - its rewind . The games in the Prince of Persia series, embodying this mechanics in the gameplay, were the only ones of their kind until our compatriots from Saber Interactive released the game TimeShift . This is what we will talk about in this post.

In the near future, scientists managed to create a supersuit that allowed its wearer to travel through time: not only for observation, but also for direct intervention. However, scientists did not stop at simple jumps. For military purposes, another version of the suit was also created, capable of slowing down, stopping or turning back time during combat operations.

One of the main persons of the research laboratory, Aidan Krohn, began to make his own plans for the alpha suit, that is, the first option, and demanded that the development of the second, beta suit, be frozen. A girl lower in the hierarchy for this project named Marissa Foster, who was working on a new version with Nathan Tucker, began to suspect Kron of his very unclean intentions. She tried to warn the game's protagonist, Michael Swift, a soldier whom the US government sent to their laboratory to test the beta, about this. When this information reached the main leadership, Michael was given orders to kill Kron if he tried to seize the chrono-suit. However, the heroes realized it too late.

Evil uncle Krohn, the future Fuhrer in an alternative 1939, makes a time jump...

When Michael went to Aidan to stop the villain, he had already captured the alpha suit, planted a bomb in the laboratory and made the jump. The evacuation began, but the hero was in no hurry to leave the laboratory. Having reached the beta suit, he climbs inside and, a moment before the explosion, the artificial intelligence built into the suit automatically transfers the hero after Kron.

The beta suit had not yet been finalized and had never been tested, and therefore Michael was unable to move at exactly the same time as Kron. In addition, the return transfer system was damaged, and now the only chance to return to the present was the transfer engine in the Kron suit. GG found himself in an alternative past, many years after Aidan arrived here. Here the villain seized power and established a fascist dictatorship, and upon the protagonist’s arrival in alternative Washington, he was already finishing off the remnants of the rebels. In a semi-conscious state, Michael is found by one of the rebels and dragged to a shelter, where he hands the alien a machine gun and sends him to the front line.

Washington in the alternate universe created by Aidan Cron is not a happy place. The rebels fight the fascist dictatorship day and night, they die, but they fight.

*This is where the introduction ends, but since the plot in the game is not so hot, I will tell you until the end (SPOILERS!!!)*

The hero successfully shoots off the heads of the followers of the bald “Fuhrer”, moving through the ruins of Washington, until he runs into the Guardian - a giant Kron walker, equipped with powerful electromagnetic cannons. The mechanical bastard discharges itself directly into Michael’s position, and the suit’s AI, sensing the danger, again makes a time jump. We are not told how far the hero was thrown back this time, but at this time the rebels were not yet almost completely suppressed, and having met a mute boy in a newfangled suit, they were aflame with new hope for liberation.

Michael is sent to the head of the resistance named Cook and his first order was to storm the administration, where the servers with information about Krona were located. After deep penetration into Dr. Evil's database, the beta suit copies and stores all the information that was stored there, including the whereabouts of the surviving prisoners of war. Cook picks up Michael on the airship, and they set off to rescue their comrades. After this, the hero moves to a military factory, where Kron created super-soldiers who could also slow down time. But all his plans are ruined by the indomitable Michael Swift, destroying all his work.

An uber-soldier waiting in the wings. The hero still has to work with them: these assholes can also slow down time and, thus, move quickly, like GG, and others can even stop time - for us it looks like they are teleporting.

Without new weapons, Kron's army was powerless against the rebel forces. The hero again finds himself in Washington, where the rebels were already finishing off the fascists. Michael destroys the Guardian, from which the helpless Aidan falls out, and without any qualms of conscience, GG puts a bullet in his forehead. The job is done, all that remains is to return to your own time and save the laboratory. Michael takes out the transfer engine from the alpha suit and makes a jump to the “present” right at the moment of the explosion. He defuses the bomb and is about to uncover the beta, when the system notifies Michael about the formation of a time loop and the inevitability of a time paradox. The suit automatically makes a new jump and the story ends there.

*Spoilers are over, you can open your eyes*

Here the meaning behind the name of the game becomes clear. If you pay attention to the letters “i”, you will notice that they are made in the form of brackets, highlighting the word “mesh” - “loop” inside “Time Shift”, and thus there is not only a direct translation of the name of the game as “Time shift ", but also "Time Loop".

The developers had a brilliant idea - to introduce time-changing mechanics similar to those in Prince of Persia into a first-person action game. They came up with a cool concept for a time machine suit, introduced a good premise, created an interesting setting around it all... but they weren’t strong enough to write a really good script. Half of what I said about the plot cannot be understood directly from the game. The names of the trio of goodies have always remained a mystery to me: if Tucker’s name also flashed in one of the cutscenes (although it was not clear to whom exactly it refers), then I found out what the girl’s name was from Wikipedia. The main character, presented in the game as a deaf-mute killing machine, generally lost his name and occupation by the release version, and I learned about him on the developers’ website.

When the player has long ago realized what happened at the beginning, we are fed useless flashbacks throughout the game, in which, instead of adding descriptions of the heroes, somehow revealing them, we are still told that Kron is up to something. Well, we also find out that GG slept with Clarissa. In the end, we don’t even know who all the characters presented were: scientists, members of the State Department, CIA officers or janitors. Agree, a white coat doesn’t mean anything. During the entire game I met only 5 characters, but none of them were different from the gnarled birch logs that I threw into the stove in the village. And it seems that the creators of the game didn’t even try to do anything in this direction.

They put all their effort into the gameplay.

It’s a shame that the plot component turned out to be so vague and incomplete (there is practically no script between the beginning and the end). This idea could have resulted in not only an excellent game plot, but also a good movie...

TimeShift is, at first glance, a standard first-person shooter, perhaps with the only feature being interaction with the fourth dimension. Moreover, it is used not “sometimes”, in some extreme cases or according to a script, but constantly. Without using the chrono-suit's abilities, you risk falling dead very quickly. The enemies here are not smart, they love to expose themselves to bullets, but they also mercilessly pour fire on the hero. Even in a one-on-one clash, the health bar quickly resets to zero, let alone situations when several soldiers are shooting at Michael at once. Therefore, like it or not, you will have to use a chrono-shift.

A total of three modes are available: in the first, all the space and objects surrounding the hero slow down, while Michael himself becomes faster and the regeneration of hits is slightly accelerated; in the second mode, everything except the hero freezes, and at the same time the GG moves more slowly; the third mode is rewind, during which the player moves very slowly and cannot influence the environment, because this could cause a time paradox. Over time, we are allowed to switch modes ourselves and activate any of them, but in certain situations the suit adjusts automatically. Using Chrono Shift drains the suit's energy reserves, and each time you have to wait a little while for the energy meter to replenish.

Nowhere will you see such beautiful rain as it was in TimeShift, and which looked especially impressive when time slowed down... a simple screenshot cannot convey all its beauty.

No matter what anyone says, all 3 modes were useful for me. Most often, of course, I used the usual slowdown, since it consumes less energy, and during this time I managed to kill more enemies, but also very often I turned on the stop, and it instantly began to replenish my health. And besides, this mode was simply vital when I faced opponents who also knew how to slow down time. And finally, rewind. I turned it on less often, but nevertheless, if, for example, an enemy threw a sticky grenade at you that you couldn’t escape, the third mode came in very handy. The suit helped not only in combat, but also in overcoming obstacles such as fiery fountains gushing from pipes or high-voltage water areas.

We had access to 9 different futuristic barrels with two fire modes. The more “futuristic” the guns were, the more interesting it was to shoot from them: for example, an electromagnetic gun could release energy clots in a canopy or accumulate a charge and release all the energy in one powerful shot, tearing bodies into pieces with a large affected area, and, if it was strong overheat, then the damage will begin to spread to the player. Or a very cool, but rarely seen, pulse rifle that slowly fires powerful projectiles in normal mode and burns with electricity in alternate mode. The most boring were the local analogues of these ubiquitous “pistol-machine gun-shotgun”, but the most effective was the crossbow with explosive shells - I used it most often, although it does not have an alternative mode.

In a second, these guys will turn into a shapeless heap... If only they knew what this electromagnetic gun is capable of (although if it overheats, then the hero himself will be in trouble)

Until you get to the coolest and most lethal weapons, shooting games seem boring. The enemies wear very durable armor, which you can’t pierce with a simple weapon, which is why the game can become annoying. Indeed, when you start the game for the first time, you realize with disgust that in order to kill an ordinary soldier Kron, you will have to fire almost the entire clip at him from a machine gun, even if you shoot him in the head. But then you realize that this is due precisely to the armor. With a well-aimed hit, the helmet can fly off the adversary’s head and expose his tender face. That's when a hit to the head would be lethal for him. There is also a chance of knocking the weapon out of the enemy’s hands with a successful shot, while shouting in fear “I’m unarmed!” Don't hit me! he will cover his head with his hands and sink to the floor. And one day I spared such a fellow, and then he picked up the gun and beat me to death with the butt. Since then I have been merciless towards the enemy...

There are not many types of opponents: numerous armored soldiers, naked technicians, guys with jetpacks, cyborgs that slow down time and, only at the very end, bastards with pulse guns that can teleport. But meanwhile, the first type, while remaining the most common, from level to level can have different weapons in their hands: from standard carbines and shotguns to power shields and flamethrowers. You might think that thanks to superpowers, it is very easy to deal with them, but the energy reserve is consumed very quickly, while enemies are dumped on the hero in batches. So, when the chrono-shift ends, and a few soldiers on jet packs remain overhead, and even a couple of snipers in the corners, you begin to squeal and frantically look for cover. I repeat, they kill very quickly in TimeShift.

The same “weapon” of the main villain. See that soldier with the chrono-tail behind him? In real time, these move at incredible speeds, and without using the suit's chrono abilities, it is very difficult to cope with them.

In fact, the action part looks very monotonous, and by the middle of the game it could become quite boring, but the constant use of chrono-shift, and in all three modes, which, among other things, also looks very impressive, is a drawback, in my opinion , fully compensates. You just don’t have time to concentrate on the general monotony and fly through one level after another. Sometimes the creators diversify the gameplay with inserts with rides on an ATV or put us behind a turret on an airship and order us to shoot at air mines and fighters, and thanks to this, such levels are memorable. But all the others somehow don’t stick in my memory. They can be narrow corridors, or they can be very large-scale, such as a giant plant, although at the same time, we still move along a certain route. There is simply nothing to look at in the locations, the only place that made me stand and stare was Washington: airships float across the sky above the dilapidated skyscrapers, fighter jets flash, and a giant Guardian walks along the ground... But this, perhaps, is all that I managed to cling to look.

The sight of this gigantic mechanical beast - the mighty "Guardian" - is very impressive... especially when one of its huge guns is about to discharge on you...

For 2007, the game has a very good decanter, I would even say excellent. But for some reason, the rebels are drawn somehow crookedly and fadedly (not to mention the meager set of models), but the Kron warriors have every element of their armor carefully drawn. And in general, they seemed to be quite “alive” guys: they called to each other during the battle, cursed (it was especially funny when slowing down), wriggled and screamed when you set them on fire, and beautifully flew into pieces. There was plenty of meat in the game, and when killed at point-blank range, the screen was filled with bloody blots, which, however, decorated the surrounding walls and floor.

The sound in the game is generally good. Yes, some weapons don’t sound very believable, but otherwise I was satisfied with the game. Except that the soundtrack turned out to be somewhat unmemorable, not counting the music in the menu and in the opening screensaver. Regarding the voice acting, I’ll say this: I haven’t played with the original one, and therefore I have nothing to compare it with, but our localization is not bad, but you can’t call it good either. The voices do not evoke any emotion, and besides, there are not so many of them, so the “characters” often speak in the same voices.

One of the few rebels whose face is not hidden by a mask, but he also has a double (they didn’t even remove the scar from the double’s face, or the localizers simply decided to suddenly give him a different voice in the middle of the game)

TimeShift is the game of my childhood, it is a shooter that left the most vivid mark on my memories of those times. All thanks to the flirtation with time, which was first introduced in first-person shooters, and the like of which I have not seen anywhere else since then. And I advise everyone who is still not familiar with it to go through it at least once. It was an unforgettable experience for me, and even now, while preparing this review, I finished TimeShift twice, and despite all the cries of critics that were heard around the game almost 12 years ago, I still enjoyed it as much as I did as a child. Despite the almost complete absence of a script and some monotony, I would still be glad to see a continuation someday, but most likely these are all pipe dreams...

USB recording

Some TV models offer the ability to save a recorded program. To use the option:

• connect the USB drive to the TV, first making sure that there are no important files on it;
• go to “Configuration” - “Recording Settings”;
• select Time Shift – “Recording device”;
• check whether the flash drive is connected correctly, the TV can see it;
• format the drive the first time you connect. This will ensure full file system compatibility;
• record the channel using the EPG program guide or by clicking the “Record” button during a live broadcast;

After recording is complete, a file will appear on the flash drive that can be viewed offline or transferred to other devices.

With the TimeShift function it is possible to record to a flash drive.

Purpose

Before purchasing the latest model TVs, you may wonder what this timeshift function is. This option allows you to pause a TV program. You can take a break from watching an important match or an interesting movie at any time - the TV will pause the broadcast, and then you can continue watching from the same place.

The function allows you to record a broadcast even when no one is at home. To do this, in the settings you need to specify the start time of the program and the channel on which it will be broadcast. The recording can be viewed at any convenient time.

Alternatives

As an alternative to Time Shift, you can use PVR technology. This is a more advanced solution that does not require a flash drive or recording activation. All data (usually an archive of all transmissions for the last 3-5 days) is stored on the provider’s server. If there is no dedicated server, you can record data to the device’s internal storage, HDD, microSD. To gain access, the user just needs to select a show, movie in the program, and start watching.

PVR Features:

• simultaneous viewing of two streams on the screen;
• setting a timer recording;
• access not only to digital terrestrial television broadcast in Russia, but also to hundreds of foreign channels of various types;
• rewind time in any direction;
• ability to download the program to the device.

Essentially, PVR is an improved Time Shift that offers more features, but requires an Internet connection. But, in most cases, the service is provided exclusively by cable providers and paid streaming services. Accordingly, to use the option you will need to pay a monthly subscription fee, which is not suitable for every user.

Time Shift - significantly expands the capabilities of a regular TV. The popularity of the option forced even manufacturers of the second and third echelons to install time shift on their models. Now the viewer will not miss a movie or series, being distracted by an important phone call or household chores.

What are the main advantages

This technological solution offers the following advantages:

TV repairs are 30% cheaper

than in service centers near your home

Order repairs

1. The ability to stop the broadcast at any time and not miss anything during further viewing.
2. Timeshifting makes a recording so you can watch the entire piece of the broadcast in the future.
3. The time shift function, as it is also called, works repeatedly. You can stop playback at any time and start recording the broadcast.
4. For owners of cable television with a tuner, additional features are provided. For example, you don't need a flash drive. All information is stored on the provider's servers.