How to Use & Manage Your DVR (FAQs)
With your Sling TV subscription, you have access to our DVR! Record your favorite shows, movies and events with ease and watch whenever you want. Plus, this is available on all devices!
Check out our most commonly asked questions in the FAQ below. This should provide enough clarity to get you recording in no time!
GENERAL QUESTIONS
(Click on questions below to view content)
DVR Free and Unlimited DVR are both cloud-based services, so they are available on all devices. Your DVR recordings follow your login, so whether you use a browser on your computer, or the Sling TV app on a smart TV, mobile app or Roku device, your favorite recordings are always available wherever you Sling!
DVR functionality is available for all live content, except for the following channels and streaming content that cannot currently be recorded:
- Local Now & FOX Freestream Locals
- ABC & ESPN3
- ACC Network Extra
- SEC Network+
- discovery+ channels
- Some International programming
- Pay-Per-View (PPV)
- On-demand programming
<Other exceptions may apply>
Great News, you can record an unlimited number of shows or movies simultaneously, up to your DVR recording capacity of 50 hours for DVR Free and unlimited hours for Unlimited DVR.
Experience conflict-free recording and break free from tuners by recording as much as you'd like at one time.
Unlike the cable company's DVR, Sling DVR is cloud-based so you don't need special equipment to store recordings, and because there are no tuners, there's no limit to how many channels you can record at the same time.
On DVR, you sure can! However, you can’t do this while live-streaming. Once a recording is complete, you can save time with the freedom to pause, rewind or fast-forward recorded content, including commercials.
Note: You have the ability to pause and then rewind or fast forward through paused playback on most live streaming channels as well. This is a separate feature from your DVR, but you cannot skip ads on live streams, even if fast-forwarding after pausing. You can only fast-forward through commercials on DVR recordings, which are accessed from the DVR menu.
CAPACITY & STORAGE
(Click on questions below to view content)
We'll make sure that you always have enough room for your favorite programming by automatically deleting the oldest-watched recordings when you reach capacity. If there is no more watched content left to delete, the oldest un-watched content will be deleted next.
You can also LOCK recordings to protect your favorite shows from being deleted with DVR Free.
With DVR Free you can choose to LOCK recordings to protect them from being auto-deleted if you reach your storage capacity.
With DVR Free you can choose the option to LOCK when selecting a program to record, or anytime you'd like to protect a recording from the DVR menu.
All recordings expire after 9 months, even if locked, as the LOCK feature does not extend their lifespan.
Unlimited DVR with unlimited hours of recording capacity is available for an additional $5/month for your Sling TV account.
If you decide to remove DVR Plus from your account and you have used more than 50 hours of storage, recordings will be deleted by oldest to youngest to get your recorded capacity down to 50 hours by the end of your billing cycle.
HOW TO RECORD & USE DVR CONTROLS
(Click on questions below to view content)
After choosing Record, you can select from the following options:
Record All Episodes
This Series recording option will record ALL future episodes of the show selected, including repeats
Record New Episodes
This Series recording option will record only NEW future episodes of the show selected, excluding repeats
Record This Episode Only
This will record only the selected event
Unless you've selected the option to protect a recording, DVR will automatically delete the oldest-watched recording when additional space is needed.
If you'd prefer to choose which recordings to delete, select DVR from the navigation panel on the left side of the guide home screen to get started.
Once you are in the DVR menu, select a recorded show to load the options menu. From the options menu you will be able to:
- Modify RECORDING OPTIONS
- DELETE ALL recordings for the selected show
- Review SERIES INFO about the selected show
- DELETE individual recordings within a series
- LOCK individual recordings
(Click on the following link for instructions on how to Watch and Manage DVR Recordings from a browser).
For standard programming events, like shows or movies, your DVR will record an additional 2 minutes as a buffer beyond the window for most programs.
For new live sporting events (not replays), the DVR will automatically add 45 minutes to the recording if the event is scheduled for 2 or more hours.
For special events such as award shows or sporting events that last shorter than 2 hours, we currently recommend recording the next program in the guide as well, just in case the event runs longer than expected.
If you're trying to fast-forward through a show, game or movie that you are currently recording and don't see any available player controls (pause, rewind, fast-forward), you are probably watching the playback from having paused a live stream.
Exit playback mode by navigating to the DVR menu on the left panel of the guide home screen. Find the recording you want to watch and play your programming from there, where you'll have access to player controls. Select the option to "Play from start"
Local channels are available in select markets when you subscribe to Sling Blue or Sling Orange & Sling Blue.
If local channels are available on Sling in your area, you'll be able to record them with your DVR as long as the channels are showing in the on-screen guide.
Local channels received through an AirTV device over-the-air (OTA) with an antenna can be recorded with an external storage device.
Click Below for Related Articles:
Not finding what you're after?
- Our Chatbot can solve many problems 24/7. Click the Chat icon on your screen to begin.
- Visit our Troubleshooting & Technical Issues page to find answers to FAQs and solutions to common problems.
- For even more comprehensive viewing guides and sports schedules head over to sling.com/whatson.
Was this article helpful?