An incredible string of bad luck!

Remember my post a couple weeks ago when I said I had missed an episode becuase Bush's speech delayed the shows one night. Then I missed another one becuase I had accidentely set the VCR for the wrong channel and got "Survivors" instead? My unintentional streak has continued!

Last week was also entirely my fault. On my way to work I suddenly remembered that I hadn't set the VCR!

(I've avoided the group in the last week so as not to learn too much of these episodes. Was it a new one last week?

Last night I went to work, satisfied that not only had I set it, I had confirmed that it was set for the correct channel. I spent my entire time at work with the anticipation of finally seeing a new episode when I got home.

I got home to discover there had been a power failure!

Does someone have a patch of wall that they wouldn't mind having a head sixe hole in?????

Oh well, yet another one to catch on rerun.

Brad

You poor thing. You should get TIVO as a backup. Even after a power outtage, as long as your cable box is on the Friends channel when ity went off, it will still record Friends.

Although, it doesn't know about last minute Bush speeches. So, there is nothing you can do about that. Unless you set it to call the service in the afternoon so that it will update it in time.

"Brad Filippone" wrote in message news:9ru7bh$3d6$[email]...

I don't know if we have that here. At least I've never heard of it.

But I'm looking at it this way. When everyone else is suffering through reruns, I'll have four episodes that are new to me :)

Brad

In article , "Lora J" wrote:

In Britain, you just enter codes for the programmes you want (the new epsiode of Friends was 9821) and then the VCR does everything for you, and it does *not* go by the time. It looks to see when your shows are beginning & ending, and records them. It doesn't matter if they go out late or early, or if there has been a power cut beforehand.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

That sounds like what we call "VCR Plus" where you are still using your VCR. With TIVO, it's basically a stand alone computer hard drive that hooks up to your TV and a phone line. You search for shows you want to watch by title. Sometimes when you are watching a commercial for a show, a little icon will come up and you hit the select button and it will record the show for you. it is quite nifty. You can also program it for a "Season Pass" I tell it I want a Season Pass for Friends and it will record it every time it is on. So, say their is a Monday night showing I don't know about, it automatically records it for me. Great for tv lovers. I was so excited when I noticed that Monica & Chandler have one in their apartment. It's the silver box next to their tv.

In article , "Lora J" wrote:

Yes, we have Tivos as well, plus more advanced versions, but I didn't go into that system since one must subscribe to the service, and rather more significantly you said it wouldn't know about last minute Bush speeches.

"VCR Plus" is known in this country as "VideoPlus", where a programme is represented by a short number; but I was describing an alternative system we have here called "PDC" (Programme Delivery Control), where the TV show actively controls the VCR instead of passively waiting to be recorded.

Tennant

"Tennant Stuart" wrote in message news:[email]...

Ahhhhh, I see. Very interesting!

On Sat, 3 Nov 2001, Tennant Stuart stated this considered view. Waking from my doze, I hastily scrawled -

You mean videoplus?

Rubbish - if their timing is out, you miss bits.

In article , Paul Hyett wrote:

Yep, as you could tell by checking the number in a listings magazine.

That's not rubbish at all Paul, the system works beautifully, and it never lets me down. Your kit's duff, or you're doing something wrong.

Tennant

On Mon, 5 Nov 2001, Tennant Stuart stated this considered view. Waking from my doze, I hastily scrawled -

The videoplus sets the timer correctly, but my point was that programs often run late, and it can't cope with that!

"Paul Hyett" wrote in message news:[email]...

With TIVO & VCR Plus you can set it to start afew minutes before and stop a few minutes (or hours) after. Maybe this contraption does too?

In article , "Lora J" wrote:

The whole idea of PDC is to cope with programs that run late, (or early).

"Contraption" is the right word, Lora. It sounds to me that Paul's old machine does not respond to the PDC (Program Delivery Control) and that tweaking the time is what he's doing. Another possibility is that his contraption does have PDC, but because he fiddles with the setting, he is turning it off. You have to trust the system to run itself, and then the broadcast show will control the VCR, whenever it goes out.

Tennant

On Wed, 7 Nov 2001, Tennant Stuart stated this considered view. Waking from my doze, I hastily scrawled -

You didn't even mention PDC before, just videoplus. However, I don't trust PDC - several ruined recordings when I've tried using it.

Only because I don't trust it, and therefore don't use it!

In article , Paul Hyett wrote:

I didn't mention videoplus either, in the first place. I didn't want the discussion to get bogged down in terminologies & technicalities.

That's up to you, but don't post that it doesn't exist or never works.

Tennant

In article , Paul Hyett wrote:

Oh, I understand now - your VCR does *not* support PDC. If it did, then it wouldn't matter if the programs ran late, or early, it would cope.

Tennant

On Wed, 7 Nov 2001, Tennant Stuart stated this considered view. Waking from my doze, I hastily scrawled -

*It* does, *I* don't! :)

In article , Paul Hyett wrote:

Yeah, well that's a just personal decision that only applies to you.

Tennant