some help explaining intelligent recordings

[Brett]

Could someone please explain how the priority system works? You have favorites, watched shows, and don't likes.

If I don't watch a show that it "intelligent" records a couple of times does it figure out I don't like it, or do I need to manually select "don't like". Likewise, if I "watch" liveTV of the same show a couple of times does it figure I do like it?

I am trying to figure out why it makes some of the suggestions it made for "intelligent" recordings it keeps on recommending all these shows from the 70s.

Also has it been discussed add the category "1-time intelligent recordings" to the priority system. So I can say have shows 1 thru 15 record before it makes intelligent suggestions, shows 17 thru 35 record only if no other 1-time intelligent suggestions can be realized. By 1-time intelligent suggestions I mean a movie or special.

-Brett

[Opus4]

Initially, IR simply records practically anything, hoping to find something that you like. You can watch a show or mark it as Don't Like. After a while, it is supposed to begin to understand what you like & then it starts to... record practically anything hoping to find something you like. (At least, that has been my experience.) I take a combative posture towards IR, where I review all the upcoming recordings & mark the ones I don't like until IR stops making new suggestions to replace the ones I rejected. Even doing this, it continues to suggest shows that I've repeatedly said that I don't like & chooses movies from channels that I have no interest in. Still, some of the stuff I haven't rejected is pretty good.

- Andy

[Brett]

Originally posted by Opus4
Still, some of the stuff I haven't rejected is pretty good.

Oh yeah, some of its good suggestions, and I realize nothings perfect. The funny thing is its recommending shows I watched like 10 years ago. Which is a lot closer than what my old TiVO would recommend which was absolutely nothing short of wild guessing. I guess I will let it run for another couple of days and keep on hitting 'dont like' and see how it pans out.

Thanks,
Brett

[gplasky]

Definitely need to use the "Don't Like" to tame the Wild IR beast. Something else you'll notice is it will also use actors, directors, genres, etc. to determine what to record. I was getting some programs I couldn't understand why until I noticed way down in the actors list that one of the actors (can't remember who but it was in his early years) was the same actor from one of my favorites.

Gerry

[Opus4]

Originally posted by gplasky
Something else you'll notice is it will also use actors, directors, genres, etc. to determine what to record.

That means you really have to be careful about watching something like "Love Boat"... since _everyone_ is on a show like that at some point, I suppose it could tell IR that you like every show in existence.

- Andy

[Crashless]

I agree, the 'don't like' button is essential to using IR. If you don't, your favorites will get overrun. The first 3 days I had IR on, it recorded every sitcom on televison because I had 'Friends' as a favorite. Now, it's much better, and actually has done a great job of finding movies I like. I _had_ to go buy a extra 250gb HD so I could start an online movie collection using myHTPC. Life is rough.

[jb33]

I recorded 3 Iron Chef's one weekend in December since I'd never seen them and I'm still getting like every show from the food network.

Now that there are categories it would be sweet if you could say you don't like a certain category - cooking - then I could safely set Iron Chef as a favorite without getting inundated with everything else on the channel. Alternatively you could rule out a particular channel.
jb

[Brett]

I have like 70 categories listed! It would be nice if you could filter out the audio categories since you will never be recording songs from the tv tuner.

-Brett

[Crashless]

I think there are a lot of low-level favorites managing features on the way. These will help get only the reruns you want, but AFAIK, you'll have to pound that 'don't like' button a lot no matter how you cut it, if you want sage to suggest stuff.