I'm not an addict

I've had DVR (Digital-Video Recorder) service for a little over two weeks now. I already can't live without it.

Nothing beats the ability to pause live TV to go the bathroom, answer the phone, or get some food. Plus I no longer have to choose between watching "C.S.I." on CBS and "My Name Is Earl"/"The Office" on NBC on Thursday nights. I can now record shows that I wouldn't otherwise make a significant effort to watch. That's how I started watching "Supernatural" on WB. I recorded a couple of episodes and watched at my leisure. I like the show, it really utilizes 5.1-surround sound digital audio.

I also love Wikepedia, the open-source online encyclopedia. Yesterday I found that Wikepedia contained a large entry for my cable box. I found out how to program extra features into my remote. The cable box has a dual-HDTV tuner built in. That allows the user to watch one show and record another. However I was disappointed to find out that I couldn't spontaneously record a show in progress without being forced to watch said show. That's because I couldn't use my remote to switch tuners. I asked the cable company how to switch tuners and they said it wasn't a feature.

Thank goodness for the internet. I can now switch between tuners as I please. I can record spontaneously without being locked into a show. I also can record and watch "Earl" and "the Office" while recording "C.S.I." in the background. This week I was forced to cancel my recording of "C.S.I." so I could watch and record NBC instead since the cable box decided "C.S.I." was what the main tuner would display. I was a day late.

I also programmed a "30-second skip" button. This is a feature loved by TiVo users to skip commercials when watching recorded programs. Now I, too, can blaze through commercial breaks.