Forget about spring cleaning… your DVR probably needs a little fall cleaning. Every year we add promising shows to record, and some of them don’t last very long. It seems like things come and go so quickly, it’s easy to forget they ever existedDozens of promising shows and most of them don’t last.
Time to take a look
Depending on your provider, you might not notice when your DVR is recording too many things. Older DIRECTV DVRs only allow for 50 series to be recorded. Today’s DVRs allow for 100 series. DISH DVRs don’t have any limit at all. Either way, it takes time for your DVR to look for each series you choose to record. Even if you haven’t reached your limit, it’s a good time to look at what you’re recording and discard some of those shows that aren’t coming back.
Find those canceled shows
A quick google search will help you figure out those shows that were canceled. You can always count on Is it Cancelled (note the “double-l” spelling) to have the latest. Even if they weren’t canceled, if you’re recording shows you don’t really care to watch you’re just filling up the hard drive and risking that something you really want will be deleted to make space.
Some shows have changed names. American Horror Story seems to do this every season. If you were relying on an old series link (DISH calls them “timers”) you might miss it. This show doesn’t do its followers any favors by changing the name of the title every year.
Some long-time favorites left us last year. No reason to keep them on the list, there aren’t going to be any new episodes.If a show isn’t coming back, save a little bit of computing power and delete it from your Series Manager.
If you can only record 50 series at a time, make yourself a list of shows that only come back in the summer, like Battlebots and take them off the list. Or, use the “All Channels” search option if you’re recording the same show on multiple channels.
You may have conflicts you didn’t have before, because of shows moving to different time periods. Take a look at your DVR’s “to do” list and look for problems. If you have more than one DVR you can spread recordings out.
Give some tired favorites a rest
I’m talking about pretty much every CSI and NCIS show. I’m tired of the format. When you get to the point where the young lead retires from the show because they’re old enough to retire, it’s probably time to pump the brakes. But that seems to be an unpopular opinion, because these shows, along with their Dick-Wolf-produced counterparts, never seem to leave us.
Make room for new favorites
My Fall Preview articles (part 1 and part 2) don’t paint a terribly bright picture of the future of broadcast TV. I can’t help it, I call them as I see them. Still, there are going to be a few shows everyone likes, including me. Take the time to search for them. If you’re on DIRECTV, you will probably find the shows even if they’re a month or more away.
You’ll be glad you did it
A few minutes spent on DVR maintenance will pay dividends all year long. You won’t worry about recording reruns by mistake, running out of available tuners, or a cluttered playlist full of stuff you don’t want.
In the meantime, if you need a new remote, accessory, or anything else to help you live your best digital life, shop the great selection at Solid Signal! If you need help of any kind, just call us! The number is 888-233-7563. We’re here for you during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, just fill out the form below. We’ll get back to you, usually within one business day.
