Playing after a pause

Question

Does anyone have a good explanation as to why when my live program begins playing after a pause (I don't hit play, it starts automatically after 1/2 hour) does it pick up live, and not where I pressed pause? Isn't the whole point of being able to pause live tv, that you want to watch the whole show?
So: pause live tv, wait until it starts playing automatically (I think it's 1/2 hour) and it beings live, not where you paused. Yes, I can rewind, but that's crazy!!
Can there be any good explanation for this behavior?

Answer 1

TexasStation wrote:
Ok, just spoke to the extremely apathetic Verizon support person, who told me this is supposed to function this way (20-minute limit) to prevent screen burn-in, which Verizon could be held liable for.  Uh, okay. For one thing, a 20-minute limit seems like overkill to protect from screen burn-in. Every time it is paused, there is obviously a different static image displayed, which should be enough to avoid any long-term burn-in. In any rate, my Dish DVR stayed paused for an hour, then resumed from the point it was paused. That's the way a DVR SHOULD function.  I've only been a FIOS customer for a couple of weeks now and got it bundled with Internet and phone, but I'm just floored at the ineptness of the DVR service, not to mention the tiny HD.  It's looking more like I'll end up calling back to cancel the DVR service and go the TIVO route. 
Just to let you know I have a Tivo and love it, but don't look for it to be the wonder box of all DVRs. It has issues with pause also. 1/2 hr buffer, if the 1/2 runs into another program, and you hit record, it records the current program and not what it has stored in the buffer. If I recall the Verizon DVR would record the buffer along with the entire program you had been watching since the time you started watching it. Feature I miss.
Once you know the different issues with the different DVRs, you do a work around. Like the other night I hit record to capture what was paused and had to go to another channel to see something, It recorded the current program on the channel that was paused, and my program was gone. When I went back what I was watching was gone. So no DVR is perfect, but I was able to upgraded my internal drive to a terabyte for 142hrs of HD. Tivo says opening the box voids the warranty. 90 days only on a refurbished unit and $50 exchange fee while you wait for them to get yours and another rebuilt box to come back. You can pay for another brand new TIVO and then get a refurbished one sent to you. You get credited when your broken refurbished box arrives Tivo. Could take six weekes to get your credit. Tivo warranty policy stinks, so why not void it. After 90 days it's probably going to be a drive issue anyway.
When the new Verizon DVRs come out, I will probably get one only if drive expansion is available via the external port. The new DVRs are said to have only a 320gig drive, which is better than the 160, but not much. Drives are dirt cheap now. $99 for a terabyte WD OEM drive. I am sure the OEM cost would be much cheaper if say Verizon was buying thousands. But the only way we will see what the new DVR is going to be, is to wait. My question is will it be $30 instead of $15.99, or $19.99.
If you can't wait, buy a TIVO with a one year commitment and $12.95 a month.
Tivo cost over 1yr
$200/12=$16.67 for the DVR over 1yr. Approximate cost for a "Previously Enjoyed Tivo".
+ $12.95 Subscription
+ $3.99 Cablecard rental
=$33.61 a month if you do the Math. But you keep the DVR in the end, and your cost goes down because it is paid for.
$403.32 for the year
Verizon cost over one year.
$15.99 for Standard DVR x 12 months $191.88
$19.99 MR DVR x 12=$239.88
The choice is yours.