# Can I watch recordings on a deactiated r16-500?



## jxsilicon9 (Jun 3, 2008)

I keep going to the manage recording menu but I only see to do list,history,etc


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

If the R16 was connected to the satellite dish when you had it deactivated, and it got the deactivation command, there is no way to watch the recordings that were on it. It is essentially no longer a DVR.

If you disconnected it from the dish before calling for deactivation, try pressing EXIT then MENU and see if you can get to your recording list. Given that you are getting to the menu, I don't think you've got a chance of recovering the recordings (unless you reactivate the DVR).


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## jxsilicon9 (Jun 3, 2008)

Well Direct service technician came and replaced it with another DVR. So I think he deactivated before disconnecting it.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

What happens if you press LIST


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## jxsilicon9 (Jun 3, 2008)

peds48 said:


> What happens if you press LIST


Its says "DVR service is not activated on your account."


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Sounds pretty definitive to me. You could re-activate it for a month or two, no?


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

jxsilicon9 said:


> Its says "DVR service is not activated on your account."


If you want to watch the recordings you'll need to reactivate it. You may find a another way around it but honestly is it not worth $6/month to watch all the rest of the shows on that dvr?


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## jxsilicon9 (Jun 3, 2008)

CCarncross said:


> If you want to watch the recordings you'll need to reactivate it. You may find a another way around it but honestly is it not worth $6/month to watch all the rest of the shows on that dvr?


That is ridiculous. I remember when Directv had Tivo DVR's. Those were great and there was none of this ridiculousness.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

HD requires a lot more than SD ever did, and a lot of features—not all of them wanted by many— adds complexity. 

But it's hardly ridiculous that a DVR is unusable once it's been de-activated.


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## jxsilicon9 (Jun 3, 2008)

Laxguy said:


> HD requires a lot more than SD ever did, and a lot of features-not all of them wanted by many- adds complexity.
> 
> But it's hardly ridiculous that a DVR is unusable once it's been de-activated.


I don't mind it being deactivated but you should still be able to watch your recordings. What is that going to hurt?


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

jxsilicon9 said:


> I don't mind it being deactivated but you should still be able to watch your recordings. What is that going to hurt?


You do not OWN the content. The content is rented to you by DirecTV, the expiration date is the day you deactivate the receiver.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

jxsilicon9 said:


> I don't mind it being deactivated but you should still be able to watch your recordings. What is that going to hurt?


Someone could sign up for service use on demand and such to record everything they want and then shut it off. Get all their programming in a month instead if over say six months. People will work the system.

Also with mrv your talking about shutting off part and not all if it. If it could playback it's own recordings it'd be able to play back others if it could stay connected and thus circumvent the extra fee per location.


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## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

Almost every type of subscription-based hardware ceases to function if the subscription isn't maintained. In the case of devices which can be of some use without the subscription, when they get that "disable" command from whatever network they are on they cease to function.

In the old days before the lease program began, the software in the DVR's let you watch the shows you had recorded as long as you wanted to IF you disconnected it from the satellite before it got the shutdown command. Almost all of the current DirecTV receivers have a built-in timer which needs to be reset by a "refresh" signal from the satellite in order to allow it to keep functioning. Depending on when it got the last "refresh" signal, you could watch recordings for some time after the device is disconnected from the satellite but not indefinitely.


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