# Multiple R15 versions?



## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

There is a post on the DirecTV forums that indicate there are two different manufacturers for the R15, and that the DVRs have a different software level. Following is the exact post:
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The problem with the software version is that there is two versions of the R15 
one with the manufacturer code of 500 whose current software version is 0x109A 
and one whos manufacturer code is 300 whose current software version is 0x102b 
so you have the current software version for you model. 
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Anyone have more information on this? It does not make sense to me that there would be two different current software versions for a given model of dvr. This might also help explain why some users appear to have many more problems with the R15 than others, if in fact they have a different product from a different manufacturer with different software.

Carl


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## Stuggernaut (Jan 31, 2006)

carl6 said:


> There is a post on the DirecTV forums that indicate there are two different manufacturers for the R15, and that the DVRs have a different software level. Following is the exact post:
> -----------------------
> The problem with the software version is that there is two versions of the R15
> one with the manufacturer code of 500 whose current software version is 0x109A
> ...


Mine is the 500 version....not really many problems yet. But haven't really strained it at all.


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## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

Well I have a 500 and I got mine within like 3-4 days of it even being on the market. So I wonder who has this 300 box?


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Carl... can you give me a link for that thread.

There are two vendors for the R15... but I didn't think the 2nd one had actually gotten up to production speed yet (per Robert for VE posts in the past).

Only guess is that maybe the 300 vendor where some pre-mass production models.

102 would be a very old software version, since these started with 108 (post the first update you get when setting it up)


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

ebonovic said:


> Carl... can you give me a link for that thread.


Well I went and looked for it, but am not able to find it at the moment. I think the poster was "mavrick", and it was a reply within a thread - he was not the original poster.

My original software version was 1044, and the only update I got was to 109a. I have a 500 manufacturer version.

Carl


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

Found it. Name of the thread is "R15 Recording Playback Freezes", original post by malvens on Jan 31. It is in the tech support and troubleshooting forum.

http://forums.directv.com/pe/action...read?rootPostID=10126356&returnExpertiseCode=

Carl


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## Mavrick (Feb 1, 2006)

I have 4 R15 that are the manufacturer code 300 that were all purchased at Wal-Mart in the last month. The original software version on this model was 0x100 and has upgraded on the 1/26/2006 to ox102b and after seeing posts on here about the 0x109a software I called and talked to a CSR at D* and they were totaly confused which did not suprise me at all I finally talked to a supervisor and he told me that the 0x109a software was for the r15 with the manufacturer code 500 but the r15 with the manufacturer code of 300 current software version was 0x102b. If someone knows different please let me know so that I can try to get the software updated on my R15's

This said the problems that alot of people have been posting that they are having with their R15's I have not noticed with mine. They have recorded everything I have scheduled and so far have not missed a beat. Knock on Wood  I do not know if the reason that I may not be having these problems is that mine is are R15-300 and people that are having the probelms have R15-500 are not this is just a guess on my part.

Mavrick


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## Bobman (Jan 3, 2006)

Just restart one of your R-15's and the second you see the "Hello" screen press 02468 and wait to see what happens. Dont press any other keys. See what software is downloaded.


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## Mavrick (Feb 1, 2006)

Just tried it and it downloaded the 0x102b again.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Hmm...

I think I will be sending an email to my contact on the inside.

Earl


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## Bobman (Jan 3, 2006)

I think with the R-10 there were also two different makers but the software was always the same. Not sure why the R-15 would have two different software versions unless the internal hardware was different or something like that.


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

The Series 2 Dtivos had many manufacturers. But once you opened it up there all were pretty much the same main board and insides. Yes, they also all ran the same software versions with minor differences. For example Hughes HDVR2s software versions would end with 151 (6.2-01-2-151). There were also 101, 131 and others I think. But I'm not aware of any functional differences between them.

Anyone care to "crack" open a box and post some pics of the two versions?


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## Mavrick (Feb 1, 2006)

Does anyone know you the manufacturer of the 500 is? I know that the 300 is made by Phillips.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Then the 500 would probably be Humax


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## techNoodle (Nov 15, 2005)

From what I am told, the 0x109a (on the R15-500) and 0x102b (on the R15-300) are equivalent. If you know anything about software revisions, it seems that Philips got to their current release quicker than Humax.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

But it would make little sense to have the same "model" have different version numbers. That would get EXTREMELY confusing for end users, and support people.

Take a look at the 6.1 on an R10 and the 6.2 on all the others.... At least once a week at TCF, someone wonder's why their R10 doesn't have 6.2 yet.... And those are not even the same model system...


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Ahh... Some followup...

I just got a call from my guy at DirecTV... He pretty much confirmed what techNoodle stated earlier... 

The functionality of the two units in general should be identical. There are chances there are difference, after all they are built by different vendor.

Similar in the sense when we had the different vendors for the TiVo DVRs... The core logic is the same, with just minor differences for the different vendors of the boxes.

So going forward... when asking for a software version of other posters.... 
Be sure to ask for manufacture code as well... aka: 300-102b; 500-109a

Earl...


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

Hey man, my R15 is an Aries, what's yours?


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Wolffpack said:


> Hey man, my R15 is an Aries, what's yours?


It is probably a Leo... but could be a Virgo depending on how LATE in the month...


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## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

Or did you mean Aries as in Aries K car? lol


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

LOL!!! Hey, my folks had one of those K-cars that wouldn't die. I used it for a few months when I totaled one of mine. 4 speed floor shift, bench seat, if nothing else, it was a car that ran!!!!

Wasn't that one of the cars that saved Chrysler?


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## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

Yes indeed it was, nothing great to look at but they ran forever with very little upkeep. Every once in a while I still see one roaming around.


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## gdenton61 (Feb 11, 2006)

After reading alot of posts it seems that most people think the -300 (Philips?) model is less buggier than the -500.
Is there any indication on the carton as to which model it is?
Thanks


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

gdenton61 said:


> After reading alot of posts it seems that most people think the -300 (Philips?) model is less buggier than the -500.
> Is there any indication on the carton as to which model it is?
> Thanks


There is no difference... It just seems that way, since there are less Philips versions out there.

The underlying code base is the same for both units.
If there is an indicator, you would see it as Manufacturer code: 300 for Philips 500 for Humax


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## bjflynn04 (Jul 27, 2004)

So far the only place that I have seen that sells the R15-300 is Wal-Mart. I have been to two Wal-mart's within the past week and both had the 300s.


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## AppliedAggression (Aug 16, 2003)

If there's different software for the 300 and 500, then most certainly there are differences between both units. The "logic" can all be the same, but they can run very differently. We'll see which one is better in the coming months I'm sure.


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