I have DVR. I have never had one before.
Last Friday, I disconnected my old cable box and went over to my cable company’s customer service department, where I was met by a big sign that suggested Take A Number. My number was 001. I sat down amongst a bevy of other folks who were waiting for their number to be called.
Now serving 183 at counter 6! blared the loudspeaker.
I hoped that the numbers started over at 199, because there were only 16 people ahead of me. If the numbers didn’t start over until 999, I was in for a long, long, long wait.
But I could knit while I waited. I opened my purse to get the current socks-on-the-needles out. There was no knitting in my purse.
I banged my head against the cable box a few times. Even if I only had to wait through 16 people, it was going to seem like a long, long wait.
It was just under an hour before I heard Now serving 001 at counter 7!
Because I’d called first, the nice person at counter 7 knew exactly what I wanted. He scanned in my old box, looked at my photo ID, and handed me the new box. Total time of transaction: Approximately 2 minutes.
I recorded about 12 shows the first night.
Then I set the thing up to record more shows every night. It’s amazing how quickly I’ve gotten used to having this thing. Before, if I missed a show it was just too bad. Not that there’s much on to watch right now anyway. But there are, I found out, several shows that are only on during the day that I can record now and watch later. Like Knitty Gritty and History Detectives. I have a nice long list of shows that I’ve recorded now.
How do I get caught up?
Our DVR is not provided by the cable company but is one that we purchased ourselves. It records to writable and re-writable DVDs.
It won’t take long to get caught up because you can ZZZZZIIIIIIPPPPP right through all those pesky commercials. It is amazing the portion of time commercials take up compared with the actual program time.
Of course, there are those times when we forget we are watching something we recorded (probably because I am deep into my knitting) and we watch the commercials anyway.
1Remark from Bonnie — Wednesday, 1/16/2008 @ 12:02 PM
My DVR is so full of Knitty Gritty that I gave permission to my husband to stop recording it until I get caught up! My fave thing to record is Let’s Make a Deal on the game show network.
A nice day off with nothing to do is usually the day I get caught up on the shows (and the knitting).
2Remark from aimee noel — Wednesday, 1/16/2008 @ 12:21 PM
I love my DVR. I record Oprah, travel channel stuff, even food channel stuff. I have several shows for my son. This way, he can watch his repeats (he’s 7y/o) without any commercials! I catch up after 9pm when he is asleep and I get 2 hours of quiet. Just to knit and catch up. And if I don’t like the show, I can just hit delete and it is gone. I am not sure what I did before my DVR arrived.
3Remark from Lu — Wednesday, 1/16/2008 @ 12:49 PM
I love love love our DVR! I bike to it in the early morning hours when nobody but me is awake and we record stuff we want to watch for “Family Night” and watch it on Thursdays with the kids. I am pretty addicted to CSI Las Vegas and Law and Order. Crossing Jordan will do in a pinch and I love to make fun of CSI Miami.
4Remark from LeAnne — Wednesday, 1/16/2008 @ 5:14 PM
Congratulations! Your life will never be the same (and you won’t know how you ever lived without it)!
5Remark from Debbie Cowherd — Wednesday, 1/16/2008 @ 8:05 PM
You’re doomed!
6I got my DVR, and discovered all those shows that I’d wanted to watch when they were on are now on in reruns. I programmed merrily away — and in no time my box gets up to 85% full!.
I have to watch HOURS every day to keep up.
I rarely get that done.
But I feel compelled now to clear out the DVR!
it’s a disease.
a lovely wonderful disease….
Remark from Helen — Thursday, 1/17/2008 @ 11:53 AM
No knitting? Waiting for an hour? How did you pass the time? EEK!
I think in the last year, since getting my DVR (TIVO), I’ve watched more TV than ever. The WORST thing though is counting on something to record, and then coming home after a week vacation to find out that nothing had recorded.
Have fun!
7Remark from ~Kristie — Thursday, 1/17/2008 @ 1:09 PM
Welcome to your TV addiction. That’s all I gotta say! 🙂
8Remark from J.P. — Thursday, 1/17/2008 @ 4:45 PM