remap your dvr remote to skip commercials

Update: I've done this to my remote, but have not had a chance to sit down at the TV and try it yet. My friend N reports that it works fabulously and she loves it.


Ok, I'm really posting this on my blog so I can find the instructions later, but this hack should enable my Comcast remote to skip commercials in 30-second intervals (on programs that I've dvr-ed).

I am soooo excited to try this, and give my utmost thanks to the folks at wisebread.com!

http://www.wisebread.com/five-quick-remote-control-hacks-to-save-you-time-and-money

Skip Ads Easily with a Standard Cable Remote Control

The basic premise is this: your average Motorola-made DVR, the one that your cable-TV provider gives you, should come with the ability to skip ads in 30-second increments. And yet, in most cases, it doesn't. I'm not going to go into the reasons for that here, but it's obviously related to money and advertiser pressure. Anyway, some clever dude has figured out a way to remap your remote control to enable this feature. I tried it on my Comcast remote and it worked like a charm. Here's what to do:

1. Press the Cable button at the top of the remote.

2. Hold the Setup button until the Cable button flashes twice.

3. Enter 994 on the keypad. The Cable button will flash twice again.

4. Push the Setup button once.

5. Enter 00173.

6. Finally, push the button that you want to use as the 30-second skip; I chose the A button since I don't use it for anything else. The Cable button will flash twice.

To restore the original functionality to that key, follow the first steps described above, but after entering 994, push the remapped key twice. The Cable button will blink twice if your input has been accepted.

There are some other tips on there as well, but this one excites me greatly. I'll try it soon and post results.

Julie Pickett-Hall

Mad Men!

My last post was about waiting for Mad Men, and then I happened upon the season opener last night, which was good. I really loved how they made Salvatore's intentions really unclear with the whole bellhop-thing, and then who would have thought that Don Draper, the repressed skirt-chaser that he is, would be so open-minded. Good for him.

Peggy seems totally confident and comfortable in her own skin, which is great. And Pete is the same entitled man-boy that we all love to hate. Usually we want to see a character grow in some small way, but Pete actually seems to be regressing.

Is Joan really going to leave Sterling Cooper? I can't see it.

UPDATE

A commenter on Feministing pointed out that Sal being late to the meeting the next morning could imply that he did, in fact, meet back up with his sexy bellhop. A possibility that hadn't even occurred to me... go Sal!

Julie Pickett-Hall