Triumphal trumpeting...

[fajrdrako]

I finished the story I was working on all week. About ten thousand words, needs a few more drafts, but I'm happy with it. Tomorrow I'll start on the story where yesterday was the deadline. I got an extension.

Two weeks ago I got a small raise at work - enough to make me feel wild and crazy, and it was close to my birthday, so I went out and bought at DVD recorder. A beautiful machine, and I bought it discounted, a display model without a box, and hooked it up when I got home. It worked beautifully, taped like a dream, gorgeous clear picture, large hard drive, plays DivX files, a great machine. Small and powerful.

But I couldn't program it. Couldn't access any of the programming features. Couldn't even set the clock. What's the point of a recorder if you can't set the timer? After I (and several of my tech-savvy friends) wasted hours trying to figure out what was wrong and what to do about it, it became only too clear that I had one model of machine and had been given the remote (and the manual) for another.

So today I went back to the store, and got the right remote. Tested it right there with my machine in the store, just to make sure it was all astheyand didn't even glance at my receipt, just took my useless old remote and let me take the new one. I scouted out a few of the new DVD recorders they'd put on the shelves in the past couple of weeks, and was all the more thrilled with mine: machines with half the features were selling for twice the price. It was worth the hassle over the remote to have this beauty.

And now? The whole system works like a dream.

Comments

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Recorders are good. I backed up most of my old tapes. There's rarely anything worth recording on TV these days, though.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I haven't backed up my video-tapes - but there are some I'd like to, mostly in the interests of keeping them longer.

There's rarely anything worth recording on TV these days, though.


No? I find I'm watching more than ever, though keeping less. There are several shows I love - primarily Doctor Who, but I'm also thoroughly enjoying Vanished and Heroes and Veronica Mars. Four shows in a season, and maybe Lost too - that's unprecedented! Since I have trouble keeping up with one or two shows in a week, this means that a lot of stuff will be taped for later viewing, or will simply fall by the wayside.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

I only watch the news, and Doctor Who when it's on (before it was revived, Buffy was my Who substitute), and the occasional documentary or film (although I have most of the movies I want on disc). I don't generally like non-literary serials - can't be bothered following them week after week. I only have the 4 main terrestrial channels: would need a new aerial and a digital set-top box to get the Freeview channels (and C5 without snowstorms).

I'm online far more than I watch TV. I usually just watch 1-2 hrs of news (BBC 1 and C4) a day, then the TV goes off, and I escape back to my 12C boys.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'm online more than I'm in front of the television, too. And with some exceptions, I usually watch TV as a social activity - inviting people over, or visiting them, to watch a favourite show. I used to have weekly Smallville video-parties, for example! (That was fun.)

It remains to be seen whether my TV habits will change, now I can record DVDs.