Help Seniors in Your Family Use Comcast DVR Remote
We decided to install a Comcast Cable TV Motorola DVR (digital video recorder) for the senior in our family. Teaching him to how to use the remote control for the DVR and TV was essential. Including a DVR made it more technically challenging than just providing him with cable TV but the DVR allows him to watch 60 Minutes, Charlie Rose and other programs he likes, when he wants to, rather than being bound to real time (linear) viewing. It also allows him to pause and rewind during live viewing.
Comcast offers the option to pay a small additional fee with your monthly cable package to rent a basic or HD (high definition) DVR. This replaces your premium cable box.
We could not find a diagram of the remote, so we created a diagram similar to this one for him:
Created by Ray Gordon for Boomer Tech Talk
For the first stage, we set some series recordings for him and gave him instructions on how to find and watch his recorded programs. We then gave him the basics for setting up recordings. Both sets of instructions are below for you to use with your family.
How to Watch a Recorded Program
1. Click My DVR
(top middle white square button)
2. DVR Menu appears
The default selection highlighted in yellow is My Recording
3. Click on My Recordings Using Red OK/Select Button
– A list of recordings appears.
– The default selection highlighted in yellow is the most recent
– TV shows in the same series appear in a folder with the number of shows in the folder following. In this screen shot, you see 60 Minutes with (13) in parentheses indicating there are 13 shows in this folder.
-At the top of the list, you will see percent full – something between 0 and 100% full. When you get over 90% be sure to delete out some less important recordings. Your DVR will automatically drop older recordings or fail to record new ones.
4. Click on your selection.
To click, press the Red OK/Select button.
If you first select a folder of shows, you will then click the same way on the specific show inside the folder. In either the case of folder contents or for individual shows, they will appear on your menu list in chronological order with the most recent at the top.
5. Move Up and Down the List with Arrows to Your Selection
You will automatically be defaulted to the most recent recording, but you can move up and down this list using the arrow buttons that surround your Red OK/Select button.
6. Play Your Selection
By default, the right facing triangle (symbol for Play) is highlighted in yellow. Click on this using the Red OK/Select button.
The symbols you see on this screen are from left to right – return to list; play; go to beginning of show; modify the save setting; the X for delete; and parental discretion lock.
If you are in the middle of watching a show and don’t finish, you can follow the same steps above to retrieve your show to watch more of it later. The Motorola DVR will remember where you were.
Select Shows to Record From the Guide or the DVR Menu
Recordings can be selected from the Guide or from other choices in the DVR Menu. To select from the Guide, click on the Red oval labeled Guide on the left middle of the remote.
To Select Shows Using My DVR Menu
1. Click My DVR
(top middle white square button)
2. DVR Menu appears
3. Use the right arrow next to the Red center OK/Select button to move one step to right to Set a Recording
4. Click Set a Recording by pushing the Red OK/Select button
You will get the DVR Scheduler screen.
Use the right arrow next to the OK/Select Red button to move to Find Shows to Record
Click on Find Shows to Record using the Red OK/Select button
5. Now you are on Search by Title
6. Click on Search by Title
Use the Red OK/Select button
7. Enter the name of your show letter by letter then click Search Now
At any point press Exit – middle left white button – to go to full screen version of your program.
Delete Programs You Have Seen
Yes, we wish the DVR had more space too. But we unless you are sure a show is important to watch again, it is best to delete it once you have seen it. At the end of the show, you will be given two choices delete now, or don’t delete. The default is delete. Hit the Red OK/Select button. If you don’t hit anything, it should not delete it.
Note that if you record programs in HD (high definition) they will take up more space per program on the DVR.
If you have someone in your family with cable TV service but not yet a DVR, why not give them a year’s worth of DVR rental payments to their cable TV provider for a gift. It is a very convenient device.