After a few months of TiVo, you'll rarely worry about missing shows. You tell TiVo what you want, and TiVo automatically grabs them; case closed. But what happens if you hear about an exciting new show when you're away from home? How can you tell TiVo to record something when you're on vacation, visiting a friend, or at work?
TiVo's Remote Scheduling feature places your TiVo within earshot of any Internet connection. TiVo's Web site lets you search by show name, title, actor, or director. When you locate your show and select it, the Web site routes your request to your TiVo. TiVo records it - with as little as 15 minutes notice, if your TiVo connects through broadband.
Here's how to make Remote Scheduling work as promised:
1. Purchase and install TiVo's Home Media Option.
2. Log on to TiVo Central Online at TiVo's Web site.
When the buzz of that "can't miss" new show vibrates your ears, head to TiVo Central Online ( Tivo Central Online). Log on using the e-mail address/password combination you used when purchasing the Home Media Option.
TiVo Central Online appears, as shown in Figure 1. The site already knows a little about your TiVo - what you named it when signing up for HMO, for example. (Names help identify individual TiVos in two-TiVo households.)
Figure 1: TiVo Central Online lets you schedule your TiVo's recordings on the Internet.
3. Search for and select your upcoming program.
TiVo Central Online allows the same searches as TiVo's menus: show title, keyword, actor, or director. Enter your search, click Go, and TiVo Central Online scans the next seven days of listings.
TiVo Central Online's Browse by Channel option lets you view a day's listings for any channel you receive, up to seven days in advance.
TiVo Central Online knows the channels your TiVo can receive, but it doesn't know whether you subscribe to them all. For example, the Web site lists HBO even if you don't subscribe to HBO. If you accidentally choose a nonsubscribed channel, TiVo's e-mail confirmation exposes your gaffe.
4. Verify your recording time and choose Record this episode.
When you choose a show, TiVo lists its description and first upcoming airing, as shown in Figure 2. Any upcoming showings appear in a list below the description.
Figure 2: To schedule the recording request, choose Record this episode.
Click the Record this episode button to tell TiVo to record that particular airing of the show.
Because the selected show airs in only six hours, the top of the Web site warns, "May not record." If your TiVo uses a dial-up modem, this recording request probably won't arrive in time. But if TiVo connects through a broadband connection, the request arrives in plenty of time. \
With a broadband Internet connection, you can send in recordings quickly, catching shows that air in just 15 minutes. Without broadband, your Remote Scheduling request won't arrive until your TiVo makes its next phone call - up to 30 hours later.
5. Set your recording options and then click Schedule It.
TiVo's Remote Schedule has one basic flaw: It doesn't know if you've already scheduled another recording for that time slot. And it won't discover any conflicts until it talks to your TiVo.
To deal with this potential problem, the Web site asks you what it should do:
• Only Record If Nothing Else Conflicts
• Cancel Other Programs If Necessary
Requests made over the Internet usually carry a sense of urgency, so if you absolutely must see this exciting show, choose Cancel Other Programs If Necessary. (You can probably pick up anything cancelled, whatever it was, on a rerun.)
If you're reluctant about canceling a scheduled recording, check out any upcoming showings for that program. Send in a request for one that airs during the wee hours, when you're less likely to be recording something else.
If you have an hour or so, you can avoid a scheduling dilemma by choosing Send Confirmation to receive your TiVo's response by e-mail. If TiVo says there's a conflict, you'll know which show is at risk, letting you tailor your next recording request. With a few e-mail exchanges, you can usually schedule what you want and minimize the damage.
Keep in mind that TiVo's Web site sends requests using your TiVo's default recording quality and options. Feel free to choose Change under Other Recording Options to change the recording quality, pad the show's start and stop times, or change its deletion date.
Trapped in a boring conference call? Use that wireless laptop to browse upcoming show listings on TiVo Central Online. Your computer keyboard flips through show listings much more quickly than "thumbing" the letters with TiVo's remote.
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