Rogers' Cable PVR is Evil

Here in the Great White North, we suffer, TIVO-less.

Both Bell Expressvu and Rogers (the big satellite and cable choices in my area) have PVR based recorders, menu driven, of course -- but they're just not as smart or crazysexycool as TIVO.

Each has their quirks. The bane of the Rogers model hearkens back to the bad old days of the imprecise VCR clock. It's a slave to the schedule grid, and if the Amnets are doing their usual shuck fly bait and switch, and start a movie or tv series early or end it late, it gets cut off.

There are certain shows and networks which are the worst culprits. ABC is flat out the worst. Usually when I remember, I try to program a few extra minutes on the end of the recording. It's cumbersome and I don't always remember. But even that doesn't always work. When you have a "tape every show" setting, it doesn't remember from week to week that you want to stop taping at 10:02, not 10:00.

Anyway, all that's a long way of getting to this. Now, this might not mean a lot to you if you don't watch LOST, but I'm not into doing spoilers, so you can go find out what I'm talking about somewhere else. If you do watch LOST, you should recognize my problem immediately.

Here's how LOST ended for me this week:

Ana Lucia (Michele Rodriguez, left) says, "I just can't do this anymore," meaning kill Henry, the Other they've got stashed in the hatch. Michael (Harold Perrineau, right) nods and says, "Give me the gun. Let me do it." Ana Lucia hands him the gun. Michael says, "I'm sorry."

End of Recording.

I don't want to talk about it.