"You have to get the DVR, you have to get the DVR" That's what they all said. So I got it about a month and a half ago. So far I have it set to record Simpsons, Family Guy, Rockets. The last 2 Family Guys did not start on time so I didn't get them recorded. So I think I only have one full epsiode in the last month. Then I decide to record the original King Kong on TCM. Guess what, the last 10 minutes of the movie were cut off. He is on the building swattin planes and the movies ends. I want my money back.
You select the program you want to record. I have it set to record all new espisodes of Family Guy and Simpsons. If the show doesnt start exactly on time you are screwed. Sometimes it works ok.
It isn't the DVR's fault that the President makes a speach or that a football game runs over or a NLDS game goes 18 innings. The DVR gives you the option of also recording from a set time to a set time, so if you know there is a game or Fox or a speech coming you have to make the adjustments.
That kind of bites. I'm usually the last to spend the money on new technology, and only do it when it's absolutely necessary, so I'm hanging on to my VCR for now. I like the idea of being able to pick the times you record something and program that in yourself. Most people should have the intelligence to look at a TV schedule and do that. However, if the technology won't let us... I guess, if something is coming on after a ballgame or something and you're afraid it might start late, you can record the program after it as well, but then you're recording a lot more stuff than you will actually need.
That's why I got the dvr. I don't keep up with tv to know all of that. I record the few shows I watch to view at my leisure. Otherwise the tv is off. Oh well. It just happened with the last 3 of the few shows I recorded.
Actually, I think DVRs (by and large) do suck. They're hard to manage sometimes, they respond slowly, and they're about 1/100th as user-friendly as a Tivo. Tivos, however, rock SO hard.
It's not the DVR's fault channels change their programming or cut in for breaking news. On Sundays in the fall, the NFL on Fox always runs 30-60 minutes over if Fox has the late game. To be safe, I always add recording time. I am not sure why your movie got cutoff. Perhaps you were trying to record 3 things at the same time? Edit - Dammit I hate typing slow
No, because there is no way they can update the guide that quickly... even your "channel 99" or whatever it is on cable doesn't know when a show has been delayed. The DVRs/Tivos get the guides downloaded from the network at "off peak" times, if there was a show running late and an update was sent to all the Dish/Direc/Cable boxes to update the guide, the network would probably crash everytime a show ran over or something changed.
It just really sucks when you talk your wife into getting it (she would be happy with basic cable) and I get her to sit down to watch Family Guy and it never works. I get the "I told you so" vibe.
The cut off happens frequently on FX when shows go over the time slot. There are no games or presidential speeches to affect it, but the show goes over and the programming guide doesn't know. I've been programming it to record the show I want to record and the show after to make sure I won't miss anything.
And another thing... My picture gets "snowy" from time to time. I have to uplug the dvr box and plug it back in for the picture to clear up. Anyone ever have this problem?
