How to Pause a DVR Recording to Skip Commercials

Dealing with commercials in your recorded shows can be a bit of a frustration. Many people simply use the fast forward feature on their remote, skipping commercials after recording. But what if your DVR doesn't support this feature directly, or you're a non-living entity like a ghost or goblin (happy Great Pumpkin Day!)? This guide will help you pause a DVR recording to skip commercials.

Mutually Exclusive Solutions

Some DVRs like TiVo offer a powerful feature called skip mode, which allows you to skip through commercials almost completely. This is a great solution for those who can use TiVo. However, if your DVR does not support this feature, muting the commercials is a common workaround. Some DVRs even allow you to skip commercials by time, with options to skip 3 or 4 minutes at a time.

Advanced DVR Solutions

Other DVRs offer advanced features that might differ slightly. For instance, TiVo's skip mode can mostly skip commercials on some shows. But what if you want to stop and restart a recording mid-episode, right after a commercial break? This can be tricky.

Manual Pausing and Resuming

Pausing a DVR recording to skip commercials manually requires precise timing. You need to be present when the commercial comes up, as you have to hit the pause button when the commercial starts. After the commercial, hit the pause button again to resume recording. On some DVR models, you may need to hit “play/record” again for the DVR to start recording from where it left off.

Testing Your DVR Configuration

To ensure you can confidently pause and resume your recording, test your DVR's pause and resuming functions. Press the pause button and check if the DVR pauses the recording. If the DVR jumps forward one frame, you need to hit “play/record” to resume.

Conclusion

While technology has made skipping commercials much easier, there are still cases where you need to manually pause and resume your DVR recording. With a bit of practice, you can effectively skip commercials without missing any of the show.

Keywords: DVR, skip commercials, TiVo, remote recording, commercial skipping