The Best Way to Record Sporting Events on a Digital Video Recorder

For all you sports fans out there, I've developed a great way to record sporting events which virtually guarantees you won't miss any of the big game. Digital Video Recorders include Electronic Programming Guides (EPG) that let users view upcoming programs and see in advance what they might wish to view and record. For regular TV shows, like half-hour sitcoms or one-hour dramas, you program the show to record from 8 to 8:30 or 8 to 9, and you don't have to worry about missing any of it (just make sure you pad the show a little bit, read What is Padding for more info). Sporting events, however, have no specific ending time. Most EPGs will list a football or baseball game for 3 hours and a basketball game for 2 hours. If you only record the time allotted for the game, chances are you will miss the ending. What I do when I'm recording sports is record the show or shows directly following the game, typically encompassing about two extra hours. For example, if I set a football game to record using the EPG, it will record the 3 hours allotted. I then set the show right after it to record, which will typically be a half-hour to an hour, and continue programming the DVR to record the shows immediately following, filling up the two hours after the game. By doing this, I can be ensured of catching all of the game without much extra work on my part.