Direct TV DVR Menu options are My Playlist, On Demand, Manage Recordings, Caller ID, TVMail and Parental Control, Fav’s and Setup. The Playlist is what you have recorded and can be opened by pressing the List button on the remote. Manage Recordings lets you choose the priority of shows you want to record. If there is a time when three programs you have on your recording list all air the same time the two with higher priority will record. You can use this option to arrange priority, otherwise they will fall in the order which they were selected to record. If you choose a program to record and there are two already set to record a notice will appear allowing you to cancel the new program or one of the two prior scheduled recordings.
The Caller ID lets you scroll through the list of calls you have recieved. The DVR has to be connected to a phone line to get programming updates. There are wireless options but I really can’t explain them because I’ve never used one. Having the Caller ID come on the TV is something that proves to be a convenience you wouldn’t otherwise have ever thought of. Like the list on your phone it will only hold about 25 entries before the older ones are erased for new ones.
TVMail is messages sent from DTV to inform you of upcoming events. It’s honestly something I rarely ever check.
The Parental Controls allow you to set locks and limits on programming ratings, channels, spending and hours. I don’t have children that watch TV except when I’m home so I don’t use any of these. But for people who have children, especially with a TV in their room, it can be a great option. Using these will not only prevent children watching explicit programming. It can also prevent parents from dying when they see someone has ordered tons of pay-per-view programming. The options are so specific a parent can choose what channels, what ratings and what hours a TV will play. This can be locked and unlocked at your whim so it’s great for when children are grounded too.
The Favorites setup is great for limiting the channels you have to search through for something to watch. For example I never want to see anything on MTV or Lifetime so I can set a favorites list that excludes them. The options when you select the Favorite Channels are Edit Settings, All Channels, Channels I Get, Custom 1 and Custom 2. From the Edit Settings you can choose to select the channels which show up when you search through the Custom channel you choose. With two custom lists you can set one for channels you like and let someone else select the other. You can use a shortcut to switch between lists. When you press the Guide button to look for programs you can press the yellow button and choose to change to All Channels, Channels I Get or a different Custom list.
The Setup section is where you choose display resolution, audio setup, check signal strength, program the remote to work with your TV and many other options. Typically this is used for selecting the best setup for your TV when the DVR is first installed. After that it’s not really used unless there are some changes made like a different TV or audio system.
{Read part two of this series}
Article by forums member Bama 19642
