The DVR is my favorite spring-time tool

The farmer in me gets very excited when the weather turns warm and the animals and plants start to re-emerge from their winter slumber. The baseball fan in me gets very excited when the boys in pinstripes return to the field on Opening Day. The pet owner in me gets very excited when the warm breeze meets my face and the sun stays up well past quitting time at work so I can take my daily walks with my pooch. The TV Critic in me isn’t as excited.

Spring is a great time for being outdoors. Families remember what fresh air smells like, kids find their bikes and the weekend warriors return to exterior chores. I’m all for the return to the great outdoors in the warmer months – but it’s a very difficult time to be away from the world of TV.

April starts the time where television networks make the decisions on what current shows will live on to see another season, or will go to the great canceled graveyard. New show pilots are created and cast. Going into May, the networks announce what their fall schedules will be like.

Also in the spring come the finales of the shows we’ve all been following since last September. It’s not as drastic in years past, summer television programming has become quite good (especially thanks to the USA network), but still, we’re looking at a bit of vacation from our favorite shows, or possibly our final goodbye.

So, how does a farmer, sports fan, pet owner and TV critic balance it all? D-V-R.

The Digital Video Recorder is one of the best tools I have. Sure, these days I could watch many shows online, on demand, or even on my smart phone. However, to have the luxury of sitting on my couch – on my time – and watch my favorite programs is a gift. Not to mention the ability to whiz right by those pesky commercials.

During the busy months, my DVR records between 3 and 6 shows on any given night. Thursdays are usually the worst. On a Thursday night my DVR picks up any combination of Community, 30 Rock, The Office, Parks and Recreation, Up All Night, The Big Bang Theory, Person of Interest, Scandal (coming to ABC this week), Touch and Awake. Add in a Yankee night game – and my television is ready to explode.

The invention of the DVR gives us all the gift of time. No longer do we have to think twice about going out if the cliffhanger is going to be solved or if the debut of a new great show is going to air or if the winner is going to be revealed. We don’t have to wait for summer repeats or the set to arrive on DVD in the store. We are afforded the ability to watch whenever it fits into our lives. We finally can make TV work for US and not the other way around.

Problems do exist of course. Some DVRs don’t have smart sense to know when a football game goes overtime or if the President decides to address the country. We lose some or all of an episode in these cases. On a busy night, some DVRs can only record two programs. As an example, tonight at 9:30 I’ll be wanting to watch baseball while recording Person of Interest, Touch AND Up All Night – my current DVR system is going to force me to make a choice. Don’t fret; they will all be online within a few hours or days.

I guess if we all live in a world where missing an episode of a television program is our biggest concern, that’s a good thing. TV shows are like the old slogan from Doritos – “Crunch [watch] all you want, we’ll make more.”

With the majority of homes having a DVR device – what shows do you still make time for to watch live? Any? Do you use any other method for watching shows you miss while busy living life? Head over to the comments and get the conversation started.

You can follow KP and all his TV-related exploits on Twitter, Facebook or at KPonTV.com.