You probably aren't aware of it but there is a good chance that your digital video recorder has the ability to be programmed to record specific TV shows from places other than your living room. This might sound a bit strange at first but let me try to explain how this works. You are especially lucky if your digital video recorder happens to be a TiVo.
TiVo provides an online service that will allow you to access your TiVo digital video recorder over the Internet. This way you are able to program it to record a TV show or movie that you can then watch later at a time that suits you. The online service provided by TiVo comes free as part of your TiVo subscription and is available on all TiVo Series 1 to 3 boxes.
It is not quite accurate to say that you can access your TiVo box online. It would be more accurate to say that you can access the box in a rather indirect way. This mentioned service works by letting you access TiVo's web servers and by logging into your TiVo account, you can make the changes to what you want recorded. Those changes take place on the servers.
When your TiVo box contacts those web servers (this is done periodically), the entered scheduling information will be downloaded to the DVR and then the actual TiVo box can carry out your instructions to record the TV program of your choice. Now isn't that a clever feature?
You will need experience
Even though the system is highly recommended it can create something of a problem for the less experienced users. The TiVo boxes contact the TiVo servers but it is done at irregular intervals and therefore the boxes won't necessarily receive your updated instructions in time to act on them. You might end up without having the program recorded that you wanted. The number of hours in advance of the program you have to change the instructions via the online service depend solely on what type of TiVo box you own.
If you own the TiVo Series3 box it will make contact with your home wireless network every half hour and update the information you have entered with the online service. So you will need to make the changes at least 30 minutes before the show you want recorded is aired.
The TiVo Series1 box requires that you plan ahead because this model connects to TiVo's servers via the phone lines and this is only done once every twenty four hours. So you will need to plan at least a whole day in advance or you might want to consider upgrading to the Series3 version.
Record while on vacation
There can be some implications with this kind of technology but it is obvious that if you can make it work for you then it can't be much easier to record the TV shows or sports events that you find out that you have to watch on TV, even though they are going to come on before you get home.
Now you can just contact the TiVo servers via the online service they provide. This will take care of it (assuming your TiVo box is on a wireless network). Even if you are away on an extended holiday, you can update the DVR's instructions for which show you want recorded.
This service is truly valuable but it can some people might argue that with an addition of a SlingBox you can download the contents of your DVR directly over the Internet to your laptop or other portable device. Now this will not be for the ordinary family man that forgot to set the VCR before he left home but if you are truly into the technology behind these things do a Google search on the topic to learn more.
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