It’s ok if you do.
It’s a funny thing, cable DVRs and satellite DVRs evolved along different tracks. Cable DVRs were originally seen as fancy VCRs, adding a small amount of recording space and a few extra capabilities for average folks. Satellite DVRs evolved from more capable and expensive devices like TiVos and ReplayTVs. It’s partly because in the early days, satellite users bought their equipment outright and cable customers rented it (and still do.)
So, it makes sense that a product designed to replace a VCR would have a clock and a satellite DVR, once considered a higher-end product, wouldn’t.
High-end audiophiles in the latter years of the 20th century somehow thought adding a clock to something made it seem, well, cheap.
But you know what, there are plenty of times I just want to know what time it is and I’m looking right at the TV. I end up pulling up a clock on the TV screen or using my phone, both reasonable alternatives but a little intrusive when you really sit down and think about it.
So yeah, for years I kept a clock in my entertainment center. I finally discarded it when I needed to put something else there and I ran out of outlets. And now, I kind of miss it.
I’m not saying that DIRECTV and DISH need to start putting clocks on their DVRs. They’re just not going to do that. But I do think that I can’t be the only one who misses having a clock right there always visible. I’ve been with DIRECTV for quite a long time, and I be there are people who have only been DIRECTV customers for a short while and really miss the clock.
So, I want to hear from you, oh my Solid Signal Blog, faithful… do you miss the clock? Remember, you’re using an anonymous username and none of your friends or family will know it’s you. Just leave a comment below and it will be our little secret.
