Joe informed me today that we may be getting our hands on a DVR very soon because they are doing a raffle at his work (the cable company). Previously the DVRs were only available to customers due to the limited quantities. See? It’s not always the employees who get first dibs on stuff. Even if Joe doesn’t win the raffle, word is by late August there should be enough boxes in circulation that all employees can choose to get one (and we have to even pay for the service too, but I’m not complaining since we get all the cable channels and high-speed internet for $10 a month now).
Needless to say, I’m over the moon about this. I immediately went online and started reading up on how the device works. Right now the on-screen guide used to search and select programming is crappy, but I hear that will be changed soon as well. My only concern is how far in advance you can search for programming. When I worked for the cable company in customer service, 5+ years ago, we were told the on-screen guide at that time went a week into the future. I’ve yet to see it. We’re lucky if we can view listings two days in advance. Typically after 24 hours into the future, all the listings start saying “to be announced”. Very annoying and not user-friendly at all. So keep your fingers crossed that by the time Fall rolls around and all the new seasons start, we’ll be using a top of the line system to record and watch television. It will be nice not to have to live my life around tv or mess with an annoying vcr. Just the thought of knowing I’ll be able to watch what I want when I want is so liberating!