# Will DirecTV still activate a DirecTivo?



## Phil T (Mar 25, 2002)

I have three DirecTivo's that were deactivated from my account about two years ago. My daughter is moving back and I need a SD DVR for her room. Will DirecTV still activate one? I would put it on an old legacy dish, but don't want to go to the trouble if they won't.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

We have been told that DirecTV has a new policy of not activating old legacy receivers of which the DirecTivos would be included. You can give it a try. The worse they will say is no.

If at that time you don't want to lease a new receiver from DirecTV and reset your commitment, you can look at purchasing an owned R15 or R16 via ebay or Craigslist. Prior to making a purchase, get the Receiver ID and verify with the Access Card Team at DirecTV that the receiver is owned and that it can be activated. You would also need to get new Access Card for $20.

- Merg


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

I thought the prohibition was on activating legacy receivers that did not have a RID? This would include most of them but IIRC the R10 does have a RID.

I may be wrong.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

Herdfan said:


> I thought the prohibition was on activating legacy receivers that did not have a RID? This would include most of them but IIRC the R10 does have a RID.
> 
> I may be wrong.


You might be right about that. I can't remember the exact definition that was used for legacy receiver.

- Merg


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## codespy (Mar 30, 2006)

The Merg said:


> You might be right about that. I can't remember the exact definition that was used for legacy receiver.
> 
> - Merg


I thought legacy was a receiver that did not have the Advanced Program Guide? Those no longer can be activated.


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## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

My understanding is that the official policy is that receivers without RIDs can't be activated unless they were active on the account before the new policy, and that receivers with RIDs are still good to go.

I say official policy because a member said he activated a RID-less receiver a few days ago, and to be honest, I have no doubt that it still can be done.

Nevertheless, since they are on your account already, just call in and play dumb. "Hi, I would like to turn on one of my receivers please. The RID is xxxx yyyy zzzz. Thanks, goodbye." Don't confuse the CSR by asking questions and you will be fine.


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## Phil T (Mar 25, 2002)

Sounds like there is no guarantee that they will activate it. I may just order a new receiver from them or go for a H24 from Solid Signal. She would have to schedule recordings on other receivers with her Iphone and watch them on MRV. At least she would be HD ready. Thanks for the replies!


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## paul91 (Sep 28, 2006)

If they were activated on your account before they can be reactivated. But receivers with no RID can not be activated for the first time on an account. Most tivos have rid numbers with the exceptions of the first gen phillips dsr6000 and dsr7000, hughes gxcebot, rca dvr39. HR10's are cheap enough and have 200 hours of std recording time.



Phil T said:


> I have three DirecTivo's that were deactivated from my account about two years ago. My daughter is moving back and I need a SD DVR for her room. Will DirecTV still activate one? I would put it on an old legacy dish, but don't want to go to the trouble if they won't.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

Phil T said:


> Sounds like there is no guarantee that they will activate it. I may just order a new receiver from them or go for a H24 from Solid Signal. She would have to schedule recordings on other receivers with her Iphone and watch them on MRV. At least she would be HD ready. Thanks for the replies!


Actually, she can set recordings via the H24. Since it is a receiver and not a DVR, it will prompt her which DVR to record the show on.

- Merg


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

DirecTV will activate TiVos.

BUT... there is a problem with the TiVo servers that allow the DVR service to be activated. Right now, there is no way to successfully activate the TiVo DVR service because the TiVo cannot properly complete the call to TiVo, due to these server issues. Presumably they will be resolved at some point, but who knows when?

DirecTV isn't all that interested in fixing the problem, apparently, and neither is TiVo.


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## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

BattleZone, have you tried?

I have an HR10-250 that I reset. Of course it couldn't call in so I called D*. They told me they would set it up, it would authorize in a few days, and if not, call back. Between that and what I read on the Tivo forum, leaving it hooked up to satellite and phone and calling D*, they will authorize it "manually."

I did and after a couple days it worked all on its own. This was a little over a week ago.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

Hmm... perhaps they have implemented a work-around. But the normal "call out to the TiVo servers" isn't working, and hasn't been for at least a couple of months.


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## RMichals (Sep 28, 2008)

The work around exists, it is to find a local access number from the tivo website and enter it as a dialing prefix.


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## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

BattleZone said:


> DirecTV will activate TiVos.
> 
> BUT... there is a problem with the TiVo servers that allow the DVR service to be activated. Right now, there is no way to successfully activate the TiVo DVR service because the TiVo cannot properly complete the call to TiVo, due to these server issues. Presumably they will be resolved at some point, but who knows when?
> 
> DirecTV isn't all that interested in fixing the problem, apparently, and neither is TiVo.


According to posts at Tivo Community, including posts from Weaknees, that problem was fixed last week.


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## rwmair (Nov 16, 2006)

So, I've just been offered a HR10-250 and a DVR39 by a friend who no longer uses them, and I think has not had his D* account for quite some time.

It sounds like the DVR39 wont be activated, but the HR10-250 is prob OK?

I assume, these days with MPEG-4 HD, the HR10-250 will simply function like a R10 but with a 250 GB HHD instead of 80 GB. If that's correct, I might swap it out for our current R10!

Thanks


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## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

Yep, the HR10 acts like a SD DVR now.


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## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

litzdog911 said:


> According to posts at Tivo Community, including posts from Weaknees, that problem was fixed last week.


Confirmed, just now, that it is working again.


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## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

rwmair said:


> I assume, these days with MPEG-4 HD, the HR10-250 will simply function like a R10 but with a 250 GB HHD instead of 80 GB. Thanks


Plus it will pickup and record OTA HD.


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## Phil T (Mar 25, 2002)

Update: I was able to activate my HR10-250 without any issues Thursday. It seems to be working fine, although I am using it for SD only.


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## Phil T (Mar 25, 2002)

Update with bad news. Although it was activated fine it says the DVR service is not active, just as other have posted here. It will pause, rewind and play old recordings, but will not record. Since I have no phone line I cannot force a software download to see if that would fix it. Two DirecTV CSR's said the only option was replacement. I just bit the bullet and ordered a new receiver from DirecTV. Should get it tomorrow.


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## codespy (Mar 30, 2006)

I've had that happen several times in the last 3 years. Swap Access cards and no ability to record. Get a new (or differerent) access card, re-marry and it should work fine.....it has for me, again on several occasions.


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## Phil T (Mar 25, 2002)

I ended up with a H24, which is what I wanted!


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