In the past few years, the advent of recordable TV has changed our viewing habits beyond all recognition. There’s no longer any need to make sure you stay home on a Tuesday night to catch your favourite documentary or to see who’s being thrown out of the latest reality show, because you only have to press a button or two and you’re good to go.

For many viewers, the Sky+ box is the gateway to an improved television experience, and a growing number of people are relying on their handy little gadget on a daily basis. The best blockbuster movies, those all important football matches and the regular dramas of soap-land can all be recorded and watched at a later date.

However, the standard Sky+ box only has a limited capacity, so it’s important to get the most from the unit. There are a few ways to ensure you don’t fill up the memory too soon, though, so it pays to be vigilant. It’s always annoying to miss out on your favourite show, so make sure you’re using the box efficiently. Here are three tips for keeping it usable.

Keep HD recording to a minimum

It’s a known fact that high definition recording takes up significantly more memory than the standard version. HD recording is always impressive, but sometimes it might not be necessary. Top sporting events and spectacular movies always look good in HD, but more regular programming may not need the improved quality. Therefore, you should keep the HD stuff to a manageable minimum.

Scan the Recordings List Regularly

If you’re one of those people who record a lot of TV shows in any given week, you may end up surprised at just how quickly the memory becomes congested. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to scan the recorded programme list on a regular basis. It may be that one member of the family has recorded a show in the recent past, watched it at a later date and then forgotten to delete it. At some point, whenever everyone in the family is in the living room, it would be smart to go through the list and see if anything can be removed.

Keep an eye on series links

The series link feature is one the Sky+ box’s most impressive, but it can also lead to a problem with memory overload. These days we have many +1 channels, so if you’re recording a show on series link, an individual episode may be recorded twice on some occasions. Because of this, the series links could be having an effect on the capacity.

David Showell lives in the south of England and is a big fan of his trusty Sky+ box. He works for a company that provides the best car rental Athens visitors are ever likely to find.