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Programming a video recorder is—allegedly—easier these days, but it’s only possible when the owner is there to do it. The BBC has been working on a way to programme videos remotely over the Internet (GB 2 363 894). The broadcaster posts programme schedules on a website, and the viewer accesses the site to select a programme to be recorded. The site then generates a trigger signal with a unique identity tag for your digital TV receiver, and the signal is transmitted with the programme as it is broadcast. The code is recognised only by the viewer’s receiver, which sends infrared signals to the recorder, setting the channel and switching it on and off at the right times.