# FROM MARK: Timer Type Data Collection



## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

I've been curious about this for a long time, so I'm using my favorite 921 users as my personal guinea pigs... 

Do you guys use all of the timer types? I'm referring to the DVR, Autotune, Reminder, VCR options. Are there any from this list that you don't use? Why or why not?

I'm putting this question as a poll.

*In this poll, you can select as many options as you like.*


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

Of course, DVR is used. 

Auto-tune is my alarm clock.

Reminder is rarely used - mainly when the disk is too full to DVR a HD show I don't want to miss - so I'll watch it live (horrors!).


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## skassan (Jan 10, 2004)

I use auto-tune instead of reminder. For reminder to be useful, I need to be in front of the set. But if I'm not near the remote, it will still tune for me automatically. If I decide I don't want to watch, I just cancel the timer when Mr. Blinky appears.


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## Ken Howe (Aug 9, 2005)

i just record the dang show... and watch it when i want... thats about it... sometimes i try to watch it before it has started to record... mostly because i do not know when the dang show is on anyways.


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## Bradtothebone (Aug 11, 2003)

DVR timers are enough of an adventure (especially manual OTA ones).

I have NO confidence that using any of the others won't screw up a DVR event somehow, so I just don't use them at all. I really don't have a reason to, anyway.

Brad


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## dishbacker (Jun 15, 2004)

I have a daily auto-tune at 6:30a for Disney so its up and running when the kids get up and can rewind to their favorite show if they actually sleep in... which is a rarity.

Don't even have a VCR connected to my 921... and Reminder, like stated above, is of little use unless you are actually watching TV.


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## lujan (Feb 10, 2004)

I only use the DVR feature and I only do it manually. In other words, I don't use any of the weekly timers etc. Therefore, I don't get any of the timers firing a day early and other issues that others might have because when I want to record something that may come out daily, I create the timer manually every day. I don't trust the 921 enough to use the weekly timers at all...


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## parttimedevotion (Sep 1, 2005)

yeah just take 5 min. before ya go to bed and set your recordings for that night through to the next night


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## mwgiii (Jul 19, 2002)

I just use DVR. When Mr. Blinky pops up and I don't want to record it, I just stop the timer.

I have never seen the point of the Auto-Tune & Reminder. Why not just record the show?

I don't ever record anything to my VCR.


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## dishbacker (Jun 15, 2004)

mwgiii said:


> ...
> I have never seen the point of the Auto-Tune & Reminder. Why not just record the show?...


Why record 2+ hours of kids show every single day? Have enough time trying to manage my DVR space, don't need all of those extra shows on there. And I don't trust the 921 to clean up space automatically... let alone actually delete a show I care about.


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## styxfix (Aug 7, 2002)

I use the auto-tune timer all the time. It's esp. useful when you know you'll be home within a couple of hours before your events starts. My daily 3 AM auto-tune works great for Sportscenter. I use the reminder timer if it's not a must see program.


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## ebaltz (Nov 23, 2004)

I would use the reminder a lot more if there wouldn't be "conflicts" with it, why does a Reminder cause conflicts, its just a reminder, it doesn't DO anything, it should just flash an icon on the screen as a reminder and that's it, it shouldn't matter if there is already two DVR timers set for the same time. The icon that flashes should be different for each type of action, why would that be so difficult to do.


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## langlin (Apr 8, 2005)

First, I only record HD on the 921, all SD is recorded on my 510.

I set my record up mostly using the guide and I only use the timer (DVR) for the OTA station that I DON"T have guide information for, that is KOZK the PBS station or very occasionally to modify a set timer when the schedule changes late. I have found the guide to be extremely accurate.

PS I use One time and Weekly timers and I have Never had a timer misfire.


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## evyst (Jul 5, 2004)

I use both the DVR and Auto-Tune but normally not the others.This reminds me to ask you for the next software update suggest this to Eldon.
I do not subscribe to the locals, so when I program in a DVR timer I have to scroll down the entire list of channels to get to my locals. Couldn't there be a wrap feature so I could scroll both ways. Then my locals would be just after the top of the list.

p.s. I forgot to update my info...I do have L270


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## Bradtothebone (Aug 11, 2003)

If the cursor is over the channel list in the timer setup screen, all you have to do is punch in the channel number (say, 04101 for 41-1) and it will go to that point in the list without scrolling.

Brad


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## Rovingbar (Jan 25, 2005)

I didn't even realize there was a reminder option. I just record the program and watch it later if I'm interested. I might use the VCR feature if I had a VCR, but I just don't need it with the DVR.


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## lpickup (Jul 12, 2005)

With one exception, I use DVR exclusively. I've used an Auto-Tune a grand total of once, and that was simply to have the channel switch automatically for my techno-phobic in-laws that were parked in front of the TV and I was planning on behing out of the house.

For my own use, I just record everything to DVR. It's going to be rare when I'm sitting in front of the TV when something just comes on and gets Auto-Tuned, and then I'm not going to want to watch it live anyway.

...Lance


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## Curmudgeon (Jul 15, 2004)

I use both DVR and autotune and I wish there were a way to select BOTH for any given time period.
I often want to both watch and record simultaneously...or I'm working and my wife wants to watch and I want it to record for my later viewing. Make her life simpler if the tuner would just automatically go to the channel and start recording.

Gary


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

By "DVR", I assume you mean using the "record" function, as in RECORD. Mostly, I use AUTO-TUNE, because if I use REMINDER, I may be away from the the tv during the time the reminder is flashing. By using AUTO-TUNE, if I happen to miss the beginning of a show, I can always REWIND to the start of the program, then JUMP through subsequent commercials until I achieve the live, real-time feed.

Also, I frequently use the global SEARCH function with my wireless keyboard to search for shows, and especially to look up movies by genre, title, actor or director.


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## AnubisPrime (Mar 13, 2005)

I use both. If I'm watching a weekly series and I know that I'm gonna be there to see it, autotune works just fine.

Some weekly stuff I'll DVR, especially when someone else wants to watch another program at the same time. Thank goodness for dual tuners.

I must say that the 921 is behaving much more soundly since L270. I hope this trend continues.


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## kckucera (Aug 1, 2005)

Of course I also use DVR (why would own a 921 without it?) I have about 20 weekly /daily recordings programmed plus 3-4 one times. I use auto-tune infrequently and do not useReminder or VCR at all (would use VCR when a real HiDef DVD recorder comes out, not much of a fan of the tape solution). 

I do use auto tune almost exclusively on my 811s. Although this is slightly off topic, the 811 always defaults to VCR, it would be nice to select the default setting, thus saving a few key strokes per use.


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## evyst (Jul 5, 2004)

BradtotheBone.......Thanks for that tip! Tried it this afternoon.


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## rdopso (Jan 26, 2004)

Have never used VCR recording/options.
99% of use is DVR record, rare once in awhile auto-tune or reminder.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

I use the DVR one 98% of the time.

I used the auto tune to change to Cartoon Network at 5am every day. The wife gave me grief about 2 years ago when I was watching a movie on SHO-W and then turned off the receiver for the night. When my kids got up at 6:30 to watch cartoons (and my wife was up making coffee) she hears moaning coming from the TV. Turns out it was a Showtime "Skinemax" soft porn movie on. She ripped into me thinking I left the porn channel on. I explained that SHO-W was just the west coast feed of Showtime and that it was still 3:30 in the morning in LA so those shows are still on at that time. I came up with the auto tune to channelk 170 at 5am as a way to keep this from happening. 

Reminder and VCR functions are never used by me.


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## WhatMud (Mar 15, 2005)

I use the DVR exclusively, but I may have used auto tune once or twice. . I would love to use the VCR timer or even DVD if it existed, but the 921 won't recognize my VCR/DVD. It is a LiteOn with a DVD writer. I don't have dish subscription on my other TVs (even though I have an older receiver sitting in the attic)as it is an additional cost for the receiver and local channels. I feel I am being nickled and dimed enough.


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## guruka (Dec 27, 2003)

Nick said:


> <snip> Also, I frequently use the global SEARCH function with my wireless keyboard to search for shows, and especially to look up movies by genre, title, actor or director.


Wireless keyboard? Can you elaborate? Are you usng one of the USB ports? What keyboard?

Thanks, .....G


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## tech_biz (Nov 22, 2005)

Autotune
Reminder
Regular record
Never VCR


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## CharlesA (Feb 2, 2005)

I have on one or two occassions used the auto-tune so I could watch it from the buffer. My whole point to PVR is to compress the viewing from 1 hour to 45 min.

When I have two shows recording (very often) I'll watch another from the hard drive. Works for me.


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