some guide features i would love to have - maybe its already there and i dont see it?

i have the 6412 and fully loaded package

right now u can go thru the guide and pick shows to record
or u can set a reminder for shows to watch

what i want to see is a variation of the pick and record

go thru the guide and pick shows - but instead of recording it will auto
tune to that program - so say u can start at 5pm and pick out the evenings shows - at the appointed time the 6412 will switch to that program

guess i can set the reminders for now - there have been times where i was just watching a "time waster" program and waiting for a show to come up i want to watch - i forget about the show - and remember - usually to late that i wanted to watch that

Blintok,

Exactly this feature exists in NON-PVR boxes, and here's why.

Non-PVR DCTs have an option for VCR timers, and since the DCT interrupts RF signal on channel 3, the VCR is always set to channel 3 when recording off of the DCT. What the DCT's VCR timer option does is it allows you to designate future programs to be recorded, and then it switches the DCT to those channels automatically about 3 minutes before the show is scheduled to start. The idea is that you set your actual VCR timed recording option for the length of the show, and the two functions working together (VCR Timers on DCT to change the channel + VCR Timed Recording on your VCR to record at the time of the show from channel 3) allow you to record DCT programs.

This feature is excluded from the PVRs last I checked, with the rationale being "why use a VCR when you have a PVR?" Thus you don't have this option.

VCR Timers on the DCT by itself can be used to automatically change to certain programs at certain times - precisely the functionality that you want.

Hope this clarifies.

-ShawTSR