Tech Support

Here's the scenario:  I have a DVR.  It lets you record two things at once.  (That's one of its many benefits.)  I set it to tape all episodes of the shows I like to watch.  Because I don't entirely trust it, I verify its programming every week.  This week, it decided it was going to tape "House" on Tuesday at 9, but overlooked "Amazing Race" in the same time slot.  When I manually tried to add "Amazing Race," it said, "You cannot record three things at once, which one do you want to delete?"  Then it gave me a choice of deleting either "House" or "Amazing Race."  You will note that there were only TWO progams there.  I tried deleting both programs and starting again, but each time, it thought the two programs were three and wouldn't let me record both. 

With me?

Tech support wasn't.

I called the Tech support guy.  He had a heavy Indian accent, so I suspected my cable company had outsourced DVR Tech support and I was actually talking to a dude in India.  Which is all well and good, but he probably doesn't know what "House" is.

ANYWAY, he asks me what the problem is, and I launch into the story.  The upshot of which is "...so I'm only trying to record TWO shows at once, and it keeps thinking there's THREE so won't let me add the second."  All during the tale, he's saying, "Mm-hmm" and giving me the impression he actually understands what I'm saying. 

Then he comes up with, "You cannot record three programs at once; you have to delete one."

Am I talking to myself here?  I get visions of using email tech support, where you get back a form answer that has some vague relationship to some of the key words in your request, but really does nothing to answer your question. 

I say:  I know.  I'm only trying to record two.  It won't let me do this.  It thinks two are three.

Him:  Look at your scheduled recording list.  Is there anything there?

Does he think I'm a TOTAL moron?

Me:  Only one in that time slot.  Then I try to add the second, and it won't let me.

This does not compute, apparently.

Him:  No.  Hit your "schedule recording list."  Is there anything there?

I roll my eyes.

Me:  Of course there's stuff there.  There's a whole week worth of recordings in there.  But there is only ONE program in this time slot. 

Him:  The one you are trying to add is at the same time on a different channel?

(No.  It's the same time on the same channel.  I'm really impressed by ABC's ability to broadcast two things during the same time slot.  Geez, ya bonehead, what kind of question is that?)

Me:  Yes.  Same time, different channel. 

Him:  And there's nothing else in your scheduled programs for that time?

Me:  Yes.

HIm:  That's strange.  It isn't supposed to do that.

Me:  I know.  That's why I'm calling you.

Argh.