Setting your DVR to record your favorite shows while you're away

Technology has moved far beyond the days of VHS tapes and 8-Tracks, and watching TV has never been more interactive or more fun. DVRs, Digital Video Recorders, are now a standard accessory available through most cable and satellite TV providers, allowing you to record your favorite shows or movies to watch exactly when you want.

Similar to a VCR, DVRs copy information onto a hard drive rather than video tapes, making recording convenient and less cumbersome. This technology allows you to schedule recordings far in advance, ensuring that with a little forethought, you'll never miss another episode of your beloved sitcom or drama again. Below, find the top three ways TV providers make it easier than ever for customers to schedule their recordings.

1. Remote

By far the easiest way to record your favorite shows is to use your remote to select stations and set your HD DVR. Using the buttons provided, you can scan through listings, select whole genres or similar shows and schedule your TV to record whole seasons of shows or specific movies as they come on. This option works well for those who often find themselves watching a show or movie and wishing they could find similar programming in the future. The on-screen listings and menus now available through most cable and satellite TV providers literally bring the power of your DVR to your fingertips.

2. Computer

Most TV providers have websites where their customers can go to sift through the countless shows and channels offered to find specifically what they're looking for. Using these sites, you can create an account to save your personal programming preferences, pay your bill and even set your DVR to record shows and movies. Just like using a television interface, users need only to search for what they're looking for and select "Record" once they find it. The site transmits the information to the television service provider who digitally relays it to a home cable box or satellite receiver for recording.

3. Mobile

Satellite TV providers recognize that in the age of smartphones, users are looking for faster, simpler ways to stay connected while on the go. Their answer to this challenge has come in the form of mobile applications, available for devices such as the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry. These apps make it effortless to schedule a recording of a show or movie at a specific time. Through your smartphone you can set your DVR to record, delete or even make suggestions for you, all via the click of a few buttons. There's never been a more handy way to comb through the extensive programming options available through most TV providers.

As summer approaches and you plan a vacation or weekend getaway, be sure to remember to use one of these easy options to set your DVR so you won't miss a thing while you're gone. The warmer weather means more leisure and family time, so take the steps to make sure you and your loved ones can watch the latest blockbuster or your favorite shows when and where you want to. You'll be glad you did.

Courtesy of ARAcontent