Direct TV High Definition Recording

Everything you have already recorded can be accessed using the List button on the remote. The List shows recording from newest to oldest, with any series being grouped together. If a series has more than one recording it will have a folder symbol. Using the arrows buttons to highlight a group and then pushing the Select button will open the folder and each separate recording will be shown. You can highlight any program and a menu will appear letting you choose to Play, Keep, Delete, Series Options and View Upcoming episodes.

To delete any recording, or group of recordings, you can simply push the red button. A confirmation will pop up and you can choose “Yes, Delete”, or if don’t want to delete it you can choose not to. If you have a program you want to save you can highlight it in the List and choose to keep it by pressing the blue button. Items set to “Keep” will not be automatically deleted when the recorder gets full.

Should You Record in High Definition or Standard Definition?

This is something that has to be considered when choosing to record programs because HDTV uses 2 to 3 times the hard drive space that SDTV does. My DTV DVR will record about 35 hours of HD programs, or about 100 hours of SD. If you record a program in HD and want to keep it for a long time it will reduce the drive space available for other recordings.

While 35 hours of recording time seems more than sufficient consider how many VHS tapes you might record it to. Younger people may not be able to use that as a reference like older readers. To put it in perspective, it would take about ten VHS tapes to record 35 hours. When my father passed away I inherited over 100 VHS recordings of sporting events alone.

Another way to understand the amount of recordings people save on their DVR is by looking at the upgrades available online. A measure of recording time is roughly 1 GB per hour of SD recording. Many people buy upgrades for their DVR hard drive of 500 GB and more, with some units having two stacked up inside. I haven’t looked for a couple of years but I’m sure the 1 and 2 TB drives are pretty high sellers.

Of course these upgrades have to be done to a DVR that you own. In the past the DVR was something you paid for up front, now the provider leases them to you. In my case it doesn’t actually cost anything for the DVR itself, I pay for the programming needed to use it. You can buy a used DTV compatible DVR and upgrade the hard drive to expand recording capabilities. But be sure to get the recorder ID number and the access card number from the seller first. Then call DTV to make sure there is no outstanding balances or the DVR still belongs to DTV. You don’t want to buy one then find you have to pay more or can’t use it at all.

The Bottom Line on DVR Recording

I might have made you think using a DVR is terribly complicated, or you might think it’s just another gadget that you won’t really use. The growing popularity of On Demand programming and Internet TV might also seem like another reason not to get a DVR. But if you get one it’s likely you won’t want watch TV without one. It makes for free On Demand TV in a way, because you can record what you like and watch it when you like. But for me the best part is something I haven’t really covered, the ability to skip past commercials. With 1/3 of network shows consisting of commercials it’s a great way to pass the annoyance.

Pushing the fast forward button a few times and getting back to the program in 20 seconds is something I’ve grown to love. I’ve reached a point where the only time I watch actual live TV is during Alabama football games and the Super Bowl. With my DVD recorder I can also save programs to DVD and edit the commercials out. I think it takes a lot of the Boob out of the Boob Tube. There are lots of different reasons to love a DVR, and if you try one I think you will find some yourself.

Related Direct TV DVR Articles:

Install A Direct TV DVR

Direct TV Menu Options

What is a DVR

Direct TV DVR

Article by forums member Bama19642