# disable suggestions for specific channels



## fairythere (May 21, 2006)

TiVo suggestions can sometimes pick up some shows that interest me, but many times it will record shows from channels I really will NEVER watch... i.e., the cartoon network  , sports channel etc. Often times I will check out the suggestions folder in the morning and see 2 or 3 shows I think I might watch if I have the time later, but when I come back several hours later to view the show, new suggested programs will have automatically erased the ones I'm interested in. Usually the shows I wanted to view have been replaced with shows from the channels I am not interested in. 

Disabling TiVo suggestions for specific channels would really help the TiVo hone in more accurately on what I am really interested in. I watch Most Haunted and a few other "haunting" shows on the Travel channel and the History channel, all rated 3 thumbs up of course, but when any show on the cartoon network has "ghost", "demon", "haunt" or other related keywords in the description it gets recorded as a suggestion. Eliminating the suggestions for these cartoon channels would go a long way toward making suggestions truly useful. 

I would not like to disable recording for these channels exclusively, just eliminate recording suggestions from them. For instance, I occasionally will record a Sunday morning talk show on CNN, but in gerneral I don't want to record that type of show as per suggestions. 

Perhaps being able to choose what type of show suggestions records would also be useful. A checkbox that tells it to never record cartoons or cooking shows unless I specifically tell it to would help?


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## jlb (Dec 13, 2001)

> Often times I will check out the suggestions folder in the morning and see 2 or 3 shows I think I might watch if I have the time later, but when I come back several hours later to view the show, new suggested programs will have automatically erased the ones I'm interested in.


When you view the suggestions list that first time, consider saving it. Perhaps you can just say "save until....(one day hence, or whatever)". Or just do a normal save and it will keep until space is needed. Or you could "keep until I delete".



> Disabling TiVo suggestions for specific channels would really help the TiVo hone in more accurately on what I am really interested in. I watch Most Haunted and a few other "haunting" shows on the Travel channel and the History channel, all rated 3 thumbs up of course, but when any show on the cartoon network has "ghost", "demon", "haunt" or other related keywords in the description it gets recorded as a suggestion. Eliminating the suggestions for these cartoon channels would go a long way toward making suggestions truly useful.


IMHO, this would not be a good way to do this. If you disable suggestions by a channel, you eliminate the possibility of getting anything else on that channel as a suggestion. If you don't want cartoons, anytime you get one, give it 3 thumbs down. I did this for news programs (after once explicitly recording a news/documentary program).

Also, be careful about giving 3 thumbs up unless you really want to try and receive something as a suggestion every time it is on. If I sort of like something, I give it 1 thumb up. If I really like something, I'll give it 2. I rarely give 3 up.

I guess the same sort of goes for the downs.



> For instance, I occasionally will record a Sunday morning talk show on CNN, but in gerneral I don't want to record that type of show as per suggestions.


In this situation, consider giving a thumbs down to news shows, but then create a Season Pass for the show you like and just make sure you put it at the bottom of the SP list.



> Perhaps being able to choose what type of show suggestions records would also be useful. A checkbox that tells it to never record cartoons or cooking shows unless I specifically tell it to would help?


Again, 3 thumbs down pretty much does this. It might take a few thumbed down shows to fully register, but it will work.


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## megazone (Mar 3, 2002)

I very strongly recommend AGAINST 3 thumbs down. This *will* screw up the suggestions engine over time. One thumb down is plenty, TiVo will *never* record anything with a negative rating as a Suggestion. One thumb is all it takes to kill a show.

Thumb ratings apply to that show, any categories the show is in, the director, actors, etc. So three down can be very strong poison and because of the connections between completely different types of shows you can poison a lot of content. For example, many 'named' actors have done work as voice actors on cartoons. If you gave one of their cartoons three down, you would likely prevent any of their live action work from recording.

It is better to just be patient and give shows one down as they get recorded. It *will* learn in time. More data points are better than a handful of 'heavy' points. The more shows you rate overall, up and down, the better the Suggestions should be.

If you like to record a type of show now and then but don't want it influencing the suggestions - simply remove the thumb up it gets by default. Zero it out and it nullifies the rating.


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