Q. Do any digital video recorders provide a fix for the “Heidi Bowl problem,” where recorded shows are cut off because of live programs running late?
A. For those who are unfamiliar with it, the Heidi Bowl conundrum refers to a 1968 event in which many football fans missed the thrilling end of a televised game between the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders because NBC switched to a children’s movie about a young Swiss girl promptly at 7 p.m. Eastern time. Decades later, incomplete recordings continue to frustrate viewers on both sides of the situation, as others are dismayed to find the late game has bumped the start time of the Sunday-night television programs — and recording stopped before the end of the delayed show.