# Enhanced Content???



## StL_Don (Dec 10, 2008)

My new HD Tivo keeps grabbing one of the tuners and downloading "enhanced content". 
It is becoming annoying because it does at inconvenient times rather than in the middle of the night.

Questions:
Just what is it downloading? 
How can I make it stop?

Thanks,
Don


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## speedy4022 (Jan 26, 2004)

I don't think you can stop it. I don't what the enhanced content is maybe on demand ppv movies?


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

It is movies, showcases and other things that TiVo's have in them that are available instantly. It should be doing this after 2 hours of inactivity and it will tune to a channel in the 9900 range. Scheduled recordings will interupt the process.


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## StL_Don (Dec 10, 2008)

Shades228 said:


> It is movies, showcases and other things that TiVo's have in them that are available instantly. It should be doing this after 2 hours of inactivity and it will tune to a channel in the 9900 range. Scheduled recordings will interupt the process.


Is there a way to disable this. It has become very annoying. 
Every morning it is taking up a tuner for a couple of hours... just when I like to pop back and forth between news channels.

Would setting up an internet connection make it stop usurping a tuner?

Thanks,
Don


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I do not believe there is a way to stop this.

EDIT: see below.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

TiVo always did this before it was just at a set time frame and you could delay it if your chose but once it started you couldn't stop it then either.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Turns out there is a way to stop this:

Switch to the tuner displaying that message. 
Press the Record button on the remote control
On the screen that is displayed, select Stop the current recording.
That should do the trick.

Apparently this is a known issue and hopefully will be fixed in a future release.


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## BAMCAT (Nov 24, 2007)

There should be a way to opt out of receiving this.
It's constant use of the second tuner denies me the full use of the DVR as I leave the second tuner on another channel that I often watch.
When it takes that tuner and completes what ever it is doing, it doesn't return the tuner to the channel that I had previously set, but puts it on the same channel as tuner 1.
If it returned the tuner to the channel that it was on before it grabbed it, it wouldn't be so bad, but it doesn't. So it is really interfering and denying me the full use of my DVR.
It's not recording anything anyway. The time line is not moving and I get a message saying to "check phone or internet connection to order this program"
Even giving the movie that it is trying to record 3 thumbs down doesn't stop it. 
I have stopped the recording 3 times, and after a short period of time, it was at it again trying to record the same program. Once it took tuner 1, the one that I was viewing and started trying to record a movie.
It has become a big inconvenience. 
D* needs to add a menu option the turn this feature off as we should have a choice, or at least have the tuner returned to the channel that it was on after it does what ever it is trying to do.


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## speedy4022 (Jan 26, 2004)

This had not been a problem for it says hit live tv to stop it and I do.


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## BAMCAT (Nov 24, 2007)

Don't think you understood my post.


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## StL_Don (Dec 10, 2008)

It is really out of hand today. At least 6 times it has pulled the "Enhanced Content" stunt and at least twice on the tuner I was watching!!

This in unacceptable. We pay for this service, including two tuners.

Don


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## codespy (Mar 30, 2006)

Like Stu said, it will stop when you utilize both tuners for your viewing needs.


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## BAMCAT (Nov 24, 2007)

Respectfully codespy, I think that you miss the point.
This interferes with how I use my DVR. 
According to D*, if tuner 2 does not see any activity after 30min, it will take over the tuner to do whatever "Enhanced Content" is trying to do.
If it would do this in the early AM like 0200 hrs instead of anytime around the clock, and put the tuner back to the channel that it found it on, it might not be so bad, but it doesn't. 
When I turn on the TV in the AM, I find that both tuners are on the same channel, I know that the "Enhanced Content" do nothing process occurred again. 
Also, it is very covert about doing it. Although there is no "Red" record lamp lit on the front of the DVR, when you bring up the right arrow banner, the second tuner record light is lit, so you wouldn't even know that it is doing this unless you do a right arrow to see the title of the movie that is on tuner 1. I do a 3 thumbs down on the movie it is recording, but that doesn't help. It just keeps trying to record the same movie again.
Even when you find it doing the "Enhanced Content" and stop it, it will just start it up again. it did it to me 3 times in a row, and didn't wait 30min to try to do it again.
Why doesn't D* just do this type of process when it downloads its service data at 0200 so as to not disrupt how I use the DVR?
I don't think that D* really thought through the consequences of how they do the "Enhanced Content" process.
It is a real pain in the A** to have D* disrupt my use of the DVR.


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## rainydave (May 28, 2006)

Just set a manual daily recording at 30 minutes before your usual expected wake time for the news channel. Have it record for 5 minutes, and keep at most 1.

Then every morning, you should have one tuner set to the right channel with a 30 minute news buffer.


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## Wezel (Jun 17, 2012)

Whatever enhanced content is I never see it so why do I get it? I want it to stop screwing up what I'm wanting to watch. It's probably OK for people with Directv DVRs since they can't use both tuners at the same time anyway. Refined/sophisticated customers (TiVo guys) wring more out of their service than just watching one channel at a time.

I suggest that all who want this to go away call and ask for the Cancellation Department and make your complaint. I've found that it's the Directv section that can and will really help you. Don't threaten to cancel or otherwise get mad at the Rep, just make the case for getting enhanced content eliminated from Directv HD TiVos.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

Wezel said:


> Whatever enhanced content is I never see it so why do I get it? I want it to stop screwing up what I'm wanting to watch. It's probably OK for people with Directv DVRs since they can't use both tuners at the same time anyway. Refined/sophisticated customers (TiVo guys) wring more out of their service than just watching one channel at a time.
> 
> I suggest that all who want this to go away call and ask for the Cancellation Department and make your complaint. I've found that it's the Directv section that can and will really help you. Don't threaten to cancel or otherwise get mad at the Rep, just make the case for getting enhanced content eliminated from Directv HD TiVos.


DIRECTV DVR's can use dual buffers as well so it has nothing to do with that. Even before with TiVo's they received an update nightly which would take away a tuner. Telling a CSR that you don't like the way your TiVo works is pointless as TiVo designs the software for it so they have set it up like this.


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## Wezel (Jun 17, 2012)

While I'm sure you're correct and I thank you for the info, I still hate it, don't understand what it is as I never see it, and want it to stop. How can we all work together to get this done?


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

Wezel said:


> While I'm sure you're correct and I thank you for the info, I still hate it, don't understand what it is as I never see it, and want it to stop. How can we all work together to get this done?


Either work around it or get a non TiVo HD DVR. This is the way it's going to be for these units.


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## Wezel (Jun 17, 2012)

I'm sticking with TiVo but I'm still gonna ***** about it.


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## frankygamer (Jul 1, 2006)

"Shades228" said:


> DIRECTV DVR's can use dual buffers as well so it has nothing to do with that. Even before with TiVo's they received an update nightly which would take away a tuner. Telling a CSR that you don't like the way your TiVo works is pointless as TiVo designs the software for it so they have set it up like this.


If Tivo controls the SW as much as DirecTV swears by, why does the DTV/TiVo agreement have a clause that Tivo can not speak of the thr22 other then it exists? You keep telling people to go to Tivo but they are legally silenced to speak. Add to that, my check goes to DirecTV not Tivo. Its a DirecTV dvr with Tivo. So if anyone has a problem, you go through DirecTV. I've never seen a prime contractor take so little responsibility on one of its products and blame the subcontractor.

DirecTV needs to take responsibility for its products. I don't care what issues they have with their subcontractor. They need to resolve it. If the agreement was nothing more then a no ligation contract, shame on both companies to limp out a new box with no support as some meaningless gesture.


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## Wezel (Jun 17, 2012)

...and I'm still trying to understand what "enhanced content" is. Once it's downloaded where is it? If I never see it and after 2 months of using my two THR-22's I don't even know what it is why in the world do I need to get it?

What say you Shades228?


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## Jacob Braun (Oct 6, 2011)

It's some of the Push Satellite VOD and things like the Showcases. In other words if you go to channel 1000 anything that lets you "Watch Now" (They had a preview of Episodes Season 2 that was already downloaded to the receiver...a lot of it is VOD content).


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## BAMCAT (Nov 24, 2007)

It's nowhere, vaperware, a ghost that can't be found.
I think the D* enabled this on the THR22 to antagonize the people that wanted a TiVo over D* junk. 
I wouldn't mind it so much if:
1) It only tried to do its download at 0200hrs after the service update.
2) It restored the channel it took after it finished its useless job.
3) It's so called download appeared somewhere.
4) It wasn't mandated by D*, but the D* subscriber could opt out in the setup options.

The D* CSR"s Tell me that it only takes the secondary tuner to do the download, but I have had it come in and take the tuner that I was watching when the 2nd tuner was recording a program.
There are a lot of bugs in this software load that I hope TiVo will fix.
The one that is particularity irritating is if you are behind in the buffer watching a movie or program that you are not recording, as soon as that program ends the buffer is dumped and you find yourself watching the next program on that channel.
The HR10 would allow you to watch the program to the end.
Some flunky programer and software tester sure missed that error.
I don't think that D* has any intentions in fixing any of these things as the TiVo is just a D* unwanted stepchild created to appease the subscribers that wanted a TiVo that supported HD.
For my money, D* could have just left the MPEG2 stream on, and let me keep the HR10-250 going. 
I think that the video quality looks a bit better than MPEG4 which is compressed so bad because D* cuts the bandwidth so much in order to squeeze as many channels as they can on the transponders. 
Compressing the signal down was ok back when you were looking at a small screen, but today with the big flat panels, you can see the grain in the pictures if you look closely.
Oh well, D* knows that there isn't any other good choices out there. Dish compresses their signal more than D*.
The only saving grace is the local channels OTH which look so good.
D* has got us, and they know it so there is no motivation for them to improve their service as they are in the most part providing content to people that accepted VHS for years and years, so anything looks better.


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## Jacob Braun (Oct 6, 2011)

Oh I agree it's totally annoying. And yes, it does take both tuners sometimes and leaves my receiver on random channels.
Had I actually paid for my THR22 I would be rather unhappy. But it's free so *I* can't complain. Those who paid for it though...


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## BAMCAT (Nov 24, 2007)

You have every right to complain as their actions deny you full use of your TiVo DVR.

I leave my 2nd tuner set to another channel intentionally so I can go to it at times and review the news. If D* had this software working right, it would have returned the tuner back to the channel that was there when finished doing its non download.


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## BAMCAT (Nov 24, 2007)

This Enhanced Content crap has been plaguing me all morning. 
It was going at 0630hrs, and it was still coming back at 1030hrs, just on and on and on. Wonder if there is any recourse about this?
This is beyond reasonable need by D* to provide service.
And on top of it all, it isn't doing anything as it states in the banner," To Order This Program, call ex 736" so it isn't really recording or doing anything in the first place!
It is just a way of D* to harass and kick the TiVo people in the A** to get them to use their DVR's and dump TiVo. 

Definition of Harass:

Verb (used with object) 1. to disturb persistently; torment, as with troubles or cares; bother continually; pester; persecute. 2. to trouble by repeated attacks ...


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

im thinking that its not harassment since you and like one other people have reported this.....call and get a replacement


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## frankygamer (Jul 1, 2006)

If DirecTV doesn't admit its a problem, it will cost him $50 and a 2 year re-up. So your screwed either way.


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## Jacob Braun (Oct 6, 2011)

"BAMCAT" said:


> And on top of it all, it isn't doing anything as it states in the banner," To Order This Program, call ex 736" so it isn't really recording or doing anything in the first place!
> It is just a way of D* to harass and kick the TiVo people in the A** to get them to use their DVR's and dump TiVo.


It is recording the stream, but all you see is the 736 message. It's not D* harassing TiVo users, it's just a rather poor implementation of something the HR2x DVRs have always done (using a tuner to record Cinema titles...except on this case it sometimes uses both tuners and is not transparent about it like the HR2x).

And the only way a replacement would fix this is if you whined enough and they replaced it with an HR2x.

Hopefully we'll get a software update that fixes this but considering the THR22 is still using the same software it originally shipped with eight months ago I'm not getting my hopes up.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

frankygamer said:


> If DirecTV doesn't admit its a problem, it will cost him $50 and a 2 year re-up. So your screwed either way.


What are you talking about?



frankygamer said:


> If Tivo controls the SW as much as DirecTV swears by, why does the DTV/TiVo agreement have a clause that Tivo can not speak of the thr22 other then it exists? You keep telling people to go to Tivo but they are legally silenced to speak. Add to that, my check goes to DirecTV not Tivo. Its a DirecTV dvr with Tivo. So if anyone has a problem, you go through DirecTV. I've never seen a prime contractor take so little responsibility on one of its products and blame the subcontractor.
> 
> DirecTV needs to take responsibility for its products. I don't care what issues they have with their subcontractor. They need to resolve it. If the agreement was nothing more then a no ligation contract, shame on both companies to limp out a new box with no support as some meaningless gesture.


I have no idea if a clause exists or not in the contract. I can tell you that TiVo is one of the most secretive companies in existance. In their NDA's you're not even allowed to state you have been given an NDA at any time from them. So who knows if that's even true or if it's just something that they do because it's how they run their business. I'm not saying it doesn't exist I'm just saying that TiVo themself are more closed about information than any other company I've seen that was not in a seurity environment.

DIRECTV doesn't have an issue with the contractor or an issue with the product. The current product is working as it's designed to work. You don't like how it's designed but that is an opinion rather than a problem. Before this box even came to be it was stated what it was going to be. It was going to be a Series II with HD capabilities. The old Series II used to make daily calls and lock a tuner as well at night. It's been years since I've had one active so I can't remember if it stayed on the channel or not but many nights I would get interupted because of this. Later software versions could have changed this but not when I had them.

As a consumer I wouldn't touch this TiVo box for one simple reason. TiVo demands a premium fee for their product but deliver an inferior product. It's been clear since day 1 that this was never a top priority to them and they even had issues with their top priority, the premier UI, which was focus number 2. Their primary focus as a company has been litigation for many years. Their lack of innnovation is astounding. Which is why I compare RIM to them now. I loved my TiVo's when I got them,for nostalgia I would like to have one, however I would never use it because it's just not what a DVR should be now days to meet my needs.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

"Wezel" said:


> While I'm sure you're correct and I thank you for the info, I still hate it, don't understand what it is as I never see it, and want it to stop. How can we all work together to get this done?


Is there not ads still on those machines you can access via the menu? Also don't they load pushed ppv movies to the tivos as well? Thats usually what the enhanced content is.


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## frankygamer (Jul 1, 2006)

Shades228 said:


> What are you talking about?
> 
> I have no idea if a clause exists or not in the contract. I can tell you that TiVo is one of the most secretive companies in existance. In their NDA's you're not even allowed to state you have been given an NDA at any time from them. So who knows if that's even true or if it's just something that they do because it's how they run their business. I'm not saying it doesn't exist I'm just saying that TiVo themself are more closed about information than any other company I've seen that was not in a seurity environment.
> 
> ...


Head over to DirecTV's facebook page. People are complaining daily that they are being charged and re-up for equipment replacements.

And how can you say TiVo provides a inferior product? The Premiere Elite or XL4 or whatever you want to call is far better then the HR34. It already has Pandora and You tube works. Show streaming and show moving. Add Hulu, Netflix, Amazon etc and you have the best DVR in the market. All the HR34 has is one more tuner BUT half the hard drive space. Who made that brilliant decision.

If it wasn't for TiVo I would say the HR34 and HR2x are great DVR's but TiVo sets the bar and your as blinded by DirecTV as I could ever be by TiVo.

The reason TiVo has put little effort into the THR22 is because they aren't being paid for putting any effort into the THR22. It funny how one minute DirecTV Reps say the THR22 features were set from day one then the next minute you claim Tivo has some sort of control or investment in the product beyond that set feature set. Pick a story and stick to it. The features were set a long time ago or Tivo has invested nothing into the THR22. You don't get it both ways.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

"frankygamer" said:


> Head over to DirecTV's facebook page. People are complaining daily that they are being charged and re-up for equipment replacements.
> 
> And how can you say TiVo provides a inferior product? The Premiere Elite or XL4 or whatever you want to call is far better then the HR34. It already has Pandora and You tube works. Show streaming and show moving. Add Hulu, Netflix, Amazon etc and you have the best DVR in the market. All the HR34 has is one more tuner BUT half the hard drive space. Who made that brilliant decision.
> 
> ...


I can't stand the TiVo interface, it's way to restrictive and limited. I can easily call it inferior for my uses. I also don't mind if you disagree, but you should also do the same, and respect that people have their preferences. The last replaytv made was better than today's HR34 and TiVo, from an interface perspective, IMHO. The HR34 may be inferior for how you like to use and be treated by a dvr,but it's not an inferior product.

As for your other point, why do you think it can't be both. The features where set for the initial launch years ago, but there is nothing to stop TiVo from advancing it and giving it some more features as long as they fall within certain guidelines. Why is that not impossible to believe? I seriously doubt they would ever have begun trying to get any more features on the unit that required major work until they got at least the base ones they originally planned on getting out working so they could launch it. Oh their incentive is if they have more features, they could sell more and therefore make more money off DIRECTV subscribers. What more incentive should they need?


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## frankygamer (Jul 1, 2006)

inkahauts said:


> I can't stand the TiVo interface, it's way to restrictive and limited. I can easily call it inferior for my uses. I also don't mind if you disagree, but you should also do the same, and respect that people have their preferences. The last replaytv made was better than today's HR34 and TiVo, from an interface perspective, IMHO. The HR34 may be inferior for how you like to use and be treated by a dvr,but it's not an inferior product.
> 
> As for your other point, why do you think it can't be both. The features where set for the initial launch years ago, but there is nothing to stop TiVo from advancing it and giving it some more features as long as they fall within certain guidelines. Why is that not impossible to believe? I seriously doubt they would ever have begun trying to get any more features on the unit that required major work until they got at least the base ones they originally planned on getting out working so they could launch it. Oh their incentive is if they have more features, they could sell more and therefore make more money off DIRECTV subscribers. What more incentive should they need?


Yes, interface is always subjective so it comes down to features although I would be curious what you find restrictive on the TiVo interface that the HR34 does better. I'm sure there are some but day to day the favorites matrix is about all I prefer on the HR34/HR2x from an interface perspective.

From a functional perspective I would put lack of Hard Drive Space, lack of 3rd party streaming options, lack of archiving and moving programing all more restrictive because they flat out are not there. We can argue about who lead the way (ReplyTv, TiVo, XYZ) in DVR technology but its a fact it is not DirecTV. DirecTV struggled for years to get the HR2x to have features of the HR10. Just recently the moved passed the HR10 will Whole Home and Pandora but it's still behind where TiVo is today on their Premiere Series. I remember DirecTV saying they would never have dual buffers. A single buffer on the active tuner was enough. But they had to give in because of what the HR10 could do and the HR20 could not. From there is was payoff TiVo and copy away.

The reason you can't have it both ways that the THR22 feature set was there from day one, yet TiVo had open reign to expand on those feature is just plan logic. You said it yourself, the better product the THR22 is, the more sales it will get and the more money Tivo will get. So why is TiVo not doing this? DirecTV's Answer = TiVo is lazy. OK lets say they are lazy. Let's check, TiVo's not rolling in the money so if there was an opportunity to make more they would jump at it, right? Or would they sit on their hands and do nothing? Logic says TiVo wants/needs the money but there is not a business case to invest in the THR22. The business case says TiVo does not feel they can compete with the HR series of DVR's. That is either from a "what TiVo can do" perspective or "what are they allowed to do". No matter how much one hate's TiVo, you must admit they can compete with the HR2x on an open playing field. DirecTV is still adding features TiVo has had for years so no, DirecTV has no way leaped into the future with their DVR technology. So what reason is left for TiVo not to put a significant effort into the THR22? There are none, so there must be something else. That something else is DirecTV calling the shots on the features on the THR22 just like they did on the DTiVo Series 1 and DTiVo Series 2. People forget the original DirecTV Tivo was actually supported by TiVo. If I had a problem, I called TiVo. It was when DirecTV pulled the TiVo boxes under their umbrella did things start to change.

If you think TiVo is just rolling in the dough and turns down money making opportunities, it makes no sense. Add to that looking under the hood of the THR22 you don't find a Series 2.5/HR10 architecture or even a a Series 3. It's the Premiere partitioning running new SW. features that we are being said Tivo can enable at their will are at minimum in the code base used for the THR22. Like I said in the other thread, I'm sure some TiVo developer already has Multi Room Viewing on the THR22 working. Just as an article stated there was a Tivo2Go option presented and rejected by DirecTV. The only reason Tivo has no enthusiasm for the THR22 is because all they are doing is re-adding satellite functionality and disabling every other feature DirecTV can't do.

It's interesting you speak highly of replayTV who couldn't stay in business because they were busy trying to make the perfect commercial skip against the wishes of Big Networks. It's funny reading the replayTV wiki and see no mention of TiVo in their demise but some company called DirecTV came in and bought what IP was left in 2007. I'd think you'd be more open to fair competition after seeing Replay ran out of business but I'm guessing you'd be more then happy if Tivo followed the same path and DirecTV picks the scraps. For all the crap TiVo gets on the DirecTV forums, the DirecTV DVRs would never be as good as they are without Tivo setting the baseline with the DirecTivo's much less the Premiere series. Like I said before, let the FCC do the equivalent of cable cards to satellite providers and things would be interesting again in the satellite DVR market. Until then it's fight for survival for Tivo or any 3rd party DVR company.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

frankygamer said:


> Head over to DirecTV's facebook page. People are complaining daily that they are being charged and re-up for equipment replacements.


I don't do FB anymore but there are enough instances of people on here that say they ordered an upgrade instead of a replacement due to either them thinking they'll get a newer model, or because an agent didn't do the right thing. However with that said if it's done properly then there isn't a charge other than D&H or nothing if they have the protection plan.

Terminology can be key so without specifics who knows if it's people upset about not getting free equipment or if it's legit issues with having a replacement done. Either way what you posted is incorrect.



> And how can you say TiVo provides a inferior product? The Premiere Elite or XL4 or whatever you want to call is far better then the HR34. It already has Pandora and You tube works. Show streaming and show moving. Add Hulu, Netflix, Amazon etc and you have the best DVR in the market. All the HR34 has is one more tuner BUT half the hard drive space. Who made that brilliant decision.
> 
> If it wasn't for TiVo I would say the HR34 and HR2x are great DVR's but TiVo sets the bar and your as blinded by DirecTV as I could ever be by TiVo.
> 
> The reason TiVo has put little effort into the THR22 is because they aren't being paid for putting any effort into the THR22. It funny how one minute DirecTV Reps say the THR22 features were set from day one then the next minute you claim Tivo has some sort of control or investment in the product beyond that set feature set. Pick a story and stick to it. The features were set a long time ago or Tivo has invested nothing into the THR22. You don't get it both ways.


I'm not blind to TiVo. I think that at one point TiVo was a very innovative product that set the bar. However now I think that they're more interested in litigation then attempting to really be a leader. If you like TiVo then great but to say that they're the best thing is just an opinion and we all have one of those.

The THR22's features were chosen long long ago and if TiVo chose to want to update them they have the ability to do so. TiVo does get paid to do so that's why THR22 customers pay $5 more a month than other DVR's, even series 2 TiVo's, so I'm not sure why you think they aren't paid.

The real issue is that I don't think either company has any real interest in it at this point. TiVo didn't care enough to put the unit out in a time frame where it would be competitive because they were spending all of their resources on lawsuits and attempting to roll out their new UI.

You mention online access, which I have on about 6 other devices, and larger HD space, my HR34 never gets above 30% full, makes the 34 inferior? None of the items you mentioned in the XL would matter to me as a consumer. Now add in the fact I would have to use a cable company and that makes it even worse as the local cable company we have here is not competitive at all in services.

So you can keep bringing up items that don't matter for the THR22 but it doesn't change the fact it's an inferior product by a company that has shown time and time again that they don't really prioritize is it as something that is a focus.

If you really think that a satellite cable card technology would save TiVo you're mistaken. If it was true then TiVo would be selling huge numbers to cable companies and FIOS customers because they have the ability to do that already.

I get brand loyalty but you're focusing your effort in the wrong area. If you really wanted them to be successful you should be calling them out on their business decisions.


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## frankygamer (Jul 1, 2006)

Shades228 said:


> I don't do FB anymore but there are enough instances of people on here that say they ordered an upgrade instead of a replacement due to either them thinking they'll get a newer model, or because an agent didn't do the right thing. However with that said if it's done properly then there isn't a charge other than D&H or nothing if they have the protection plan.
> 
> Terminology can be key so without specifics who knows if it's people upset about not getting free equipment or if it's legit issues with having a replacement done. Either way what you posted is incorrect.


Why should I have the protection plan on something that is not mine and the damage is not related to anything other then normal use? If I don't have the protection plan is there an option to replace the unit without a renewal?

As usual the end result is always the same, it's the customers fault and not DirecTV's. You said the agent may have screwed up? Is that still the customers fault? Those are the complaints I'm reading. People are still in their base contract and are paying for hardware returns. If my leased cable modem smokes, I don't pay for a new one why is the DVR different?

Yes, terminology is key and it is all slanted to DirecTV. This was fine when agent and supervisors had the ability to use common sense if there was confusion but DirecTV has gone to a "tough #$%#" approach to Customer Service.



Shades228 said:


> I'm not blind to TiVo. I think that at one point TiVo was a very innovative product that set the bar. However now I think that they're more interested in litigation then attempting to really be a leader. If you like TiVo then great but to say that they're the best thing is just an opinion and we all have one of those.


So you think the XL4 just fell out of the sky? Streaming support came from the lawsuit with Dish? Amazon, Netflix, and hulu Plus service just appeared in the code base because of lawyers.

If TiVo is so focused on litigation, how do they have the DVR with the most features on the market? Whether YOU like or need them is irrelevant.

It's funny you talk about focus on litigation. How is what TiVo is doing then what DirecTV does against Satellite pirate? Both are protecting their product. why is everything OK for DirecTV to do but not anyone else?



Shades228 said:


> The THR22's features were chosen long long ago and if TiVo chose to want to update them they have the ability to do so. TiVo does get paid to do so that's why THR22 customers pay $5 more a month than other DVR's, even series 2 TiVo's, so I'm not sure why you think they aren't paid.


This is total speculation on your part. You have your opinion on TiVo's control and I have mine. Unless someone reads the contract and tells us, both theories are completely valid. Whether you based your theory on hallway talk and I based mine on logic and past history, neither of us really knows. And without knowing that, one can not say whether it is or is not worth TiVo's time and money to work on the unit. $5 a month isn't going to pay for a lot of engineering time if DirecTV just shoots down the implementation. Maybe the contract says tivo can design above and beyond the minimum requirements but DirecTV has final say what goes in the box. Why does DirecTV continue to distance themselves from this box. It IS A DIRECT DVR with TiVo. DirecTV calls the shots. Subcontractors don't call the shots on prime contractors.



Shades228 said:


> The real issue is that I don't think either company has any real interest in it at this point. TiVo didn't care enough to put the unit out in a time frame where it would be competitive because they were spending all of their resources on lawsuits and attempting to roll out their new UI.


 Like I said above Tivo still leads the way in features regardless of litigation. If these features are pointless to you and most why is DirecTV putting Pandora and You Tube on the HR2x and HR34? Someone much like these features.



Shades228 said:


> You mention online access, which I have on about 6 other devices, and larger HD space, my HR34 never gets above 30% full, makes the 34 inferior? None of the items you mentioned in the XL would matter to me as a consumer. Now add in the fact I would have to use a cable company and that makes it even worse as the local cable company we have here is not competitive at all in services.


 So DirecTV should have put a 500 GB drive in the HR34 based on your usage? More is better and i give the HR34 credit for a 5th tuner. I could say I never have 5 conflicts like you would say but i won't. The HR34 wins there. My cable company isn't great but DirecTV's prices are out of control and customer service has gone downhill. Hell of a good product but they have lost their way. Luckily for them Dish is even more inept so they will continue to lead the way for satellite.



Shades228 said:


> So you can keep bringing up items that don't matter for the THR22 but it doesn't change the fact it's an inferior product by a company that has shown time and time again that they don't really prioritize is it as something that is a focus.


There is a business case why they don't prioritize this box. The TiVo is lazy argument just doesn't make sense for them. If the contract provided them a way to make money off the box, why wouldn't they spend the time and money? They aren't rolling in the dough. Oh yeah, their busy with litigation blah blah blah.



Shades228 said:


> If you really think that a satellite cable card technology would save TiVo you're mistaken. If it was true then TiVo would be selling huge numbers to cable companies and FIOS customers because they have the ability to do that already.


 All I'm saying is give all DVR manufacturers a fair playing field and you'd see more competition. Cable cards have proved this and opened many doors for TiVo that weren't there before.



Shades228 said:


> I get brand loyalty but you're focusing your effort in the wrong area. If you really wanted them to be successful you should be calling them out on their business decisions.


Again this is all based on you hallway talk with your DirecTV buddies. You don't know Tivo's business on the THR22. But either way the THR22 is a DIRECTV DVR with TiVo. If DirecTV doesn't support their DVR, whether it's TiVo's issue is not, I have every right to complain to DirecTV.

In the end I have a DVR from DirecTV that hasn't had a single firmware update in 6+ months. Either TiVo developed the perfect DVR (pretty good for a company focused on litigation) or DirecTV has made the THR22 a zero priority for a 6 month old box and has no communication with their sub.

Yeah, we will never agree as since we each give different companies the benefit of the doubt. So discussing who to blame is pointless. All I know is if look under the hood of the THR22 (specifically the log files) I see references to Tivo features that are not enabled. You'll say it's dead code, I'll say the box is ready to do more then DirecTV will allow. Anyway I'll go away and let the tivo blame game continue. I'm just one customer and DirecTV won't miss me.


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## frankygamer (Jul 1, 2006)

PS i hope someone appreciates I learned "multi-Quote"


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

frankygamer said:


> Yes, interface is always subjective so it comes down to features although I would be curious what you find restrictive on the TiVo interface that the HR34 does better. I'm sure there are some but day to day the favorites matrix is about all I prefer on the HR34/HR2x from an interface perspective.
> 
> From a functional perspective I would put lack of Hard Drive Space, lack of 3rd party streaming options, lack of archiving and moving programing all more restrictive because they flat out are not there. We can argue about who lead the way (ReplyTv, TiVo, XYZ) in DVR technology but its a fact it is not DirecTV. DirecTV struggled for years to get the HR2x to have features of the HR10. Just recently the moved passed the HR10 will Whole Home and Pandora but it's still behind where TiVo is today on their Premiere Series. I remember DirecTV saying they would never have dual buffers. A single buffer on the active tuner was enough. But they had to give in because of what the HR10 could do and the HR20 could not. From there is was payoff TiVo and copy away.
> 
> ...


I prefer Directvs one touch record, record defaults settings, and other things of that nature. They don't force you to walk though steps to do certain things, they let you use shortcuts. I prefer the PIG, and other little things of that nature. I have heard some of those thing may be on the new premiere editions, but to little to late for me, that's just catching up as far as I am concerned. There is nothing from a day to day use on the tivo that is better for me than whats on any hrxx. The tivo seems to treat me like I have never used a dvr before, every time I use it. I feel that's silly. One of the other things I like about the Directv. You can turn their hints on and off, the ones that actually create pop ups for new people trying to learn how to do things. That's smarter.

I can't call any dvr with 100 hrs of HD recording space lacking in hard drive size, I don't care who the manufacturer is. Most people don't even need that. I need more, but not most, and you have to look at costs at some point. And they do give you esata, so you are not limited.

3rd party streaming options is based on the provider, Directv won't let a competitor have a front row in their own system, that's just common sense, and tivo and hr34 are equal on that ground in their Directv dvrs.

The lack of archiving or moving from one unit to another when you know a unit is about to die, yeah, that's the biggest lacking thing the HRxxs have going against it IMHO. However, that doesn't make up for all the other deficiencies in the way tivos operate to my liking, since that is something that happens so rarely in general. I and my folks both have some original HR20s that where picked up the month they hit the market, and still work perfectly to this day. I also think at some point, we will see that all change, I just would like to see it soon rather than latter.

I won't get into the why it took so long for DLB to hit the hrs, but it had nothing to do with paying tivo, they don't have any patents on that. HR20 had lots of issues when it came out sure, but its been beyond an hr10 for years as well. I don't think they have been copying tivo at all. The general concept and design philosophy has remained consistent, much to my dismay. Yes, there are things I would like to see them change a lot, but they are things that tivo does not do either... I never said Directv invented this stuff. The only thing they have invented is how they want their actual platform to operate. Replaytv and tivo both invented the general concept and workings of DVRs, and I much preferred the design philosophy of ReplayTV over anyone else I have seen. I think they payment for tivo was to extend what they already had in place for patents on how they accomplish things, not so much on whether they could do them. Now that they own replaytv, Tivo has very little leverage when the next deal comes up though.

And behind the tivo premiere, not sure, haven't played with one lately. Last I looked tivo hadn't even delivered all they said they would on that platform. If they cant even get their own platform to where they say it should be, then how can you expect them to get something that is more difficult to do further along with any real speed.

If you had a feature set, and where struggling to get it launched, would you try and redo half of it or more or add more complex abilities when you haven't even been able to get the basics working yet?

Tivo has a history of not deleivering on just about everything they promise, so yeah, sorry, I blame Tivo for their lack of moving forward with the platform of the thr22. The reason is simple tivo isn't investing more, they don't want to spend the money, or they don't want to follow guidelines on how things can operate per Directv. Directv has specific things they do because of their technology and contracts with their broadcasters. I have zero doubt that some of that has an influence on how Directv designs their dvrs, more so than any other provider. And I have no clue what Tivo does that is leaps and bounds ahead of Directv, I can't think of one thing. 3rd party apps do NOT count, they make no sense on any platform running Directv, unless they are complimentary, like pandora and youtube.

I have never once said that Tivo can't compete. IN fact that is the point, they can all compete. No question there. And when it comes down to it, its the interface that makes a big difference, and tivos is poor for me, and great for others.

Tivo is the one doing the support on the thr22, whether its direct or indirect, I don't know, but I would think it would be indirect. Directv should field the issues and move them to tivo. Make the experience seamless for the customer. Customers don't want to be told by Directv, well it may be a directv dvr, buts its software is done by tivo, so go bug them. That makes sense. If you have ever worked in reatil you will fully understand this. People didn't come back to my store with a defective $5000 tv and figure I would tell them to call Sony, they expected me, the one who sold it to them to work with them on fixing it.

I think tivo has little money so they pick and choose which projects they think they can make the most money on, and directv isn't one of them right now, because they don't want to spend the time and money on something that can not operate just like their other platforms, because of the delivery mechanism involved (satelllite). Heck, they ditched building firmware for comcast cable boxes, and completely changed that deal because they obviously just couldn't get it done on another platforms guidelines. This is no different.

How do you know they are running premier? I thought that was flashed based? Another possibility, Directv says it has to work a specific way, and tivo says we want to do it our way. In the past, tivos way was not secure enough for directv, end of story. Its our method or none at all, and tivo didn't want to spend the time and money to do it their way. Who knows, maybe they are right now and we just don't know it yet? That's their problem, not Directvs. Directvs is to their broadcasters, and I don't think broadcasters where to happy with the old HR10s.... Directv can not afford to allow anything they feel isn't completely secure on the market.

And as a simple example of how Tivo isn't all that good at meeting anything when it comes to Directv, their first Directvtivo didn't have the second tuner active for months after it launched. And the hr10, it was almost a year late from when they said it would ship, they had so much trouble getting it to work right, for several reasons. (that I do know for fact)

For fun, look into how Directv fried a ton of illegal cards in one big operation just before the super bowl many years ago. They are more concerned with security than tivo is, IMHO. That why Tivo 2 go doesn't work. Contracts Directv has with broadcasters may limit what they are allowed to offer, and what mechanism is allowed to be used to do so. We just don't know the details. Cable cards are a whole different animal that don't have to really deal with the same things... Or to put it another way, you assume Directv can't do it because they can't program it, I believe, and on some instances am sure, they don't do some things the way tivo does because of competition and contracts. Very different reasons, and are things Tivo is not used to having to deal with at all.

Who says I am not for fair competition. I love that Tivo is out there and in the real world. I don't want to see tivo go under ever. I hope they continue to make better and better products, just as I hope Directv, Dish, and everyone else does as well. More competition and better offerings is good for everyone. I just think its sad people think Directv is the one here that's holding back the tivo, when tivo has proved that time and again the number one thing that keeps their progress slow and their lack of certain achievements is themselves.

Replaytv just didn't have the money backing to survive, period. Had nothing to do with the commercial skipping... Their backers felt they could do it all with technology, in terms of gaining market share, where as you need to have both technology and marketing to gain market share. Tivo was brilliantly marketed. They took the bose approach. Doesn't matter what tech you use, you have to market the heck out of it, and people will buy it because it will be perceived as being better, even if its the same or not as good. Although Tivo is also a lot better than a lot of other offerings out there (unlike bose), so they have that going for them as well.

The only baseline that Tivo set for Directv DVRs is the general concept of dvrs and how they operate in the first place. But that was really done by both replaytv and tivo when they first launched and hit the market anyway. I think Directv actually took more of Ultiumate tvs design philosophy than they did tivos, and it has worked very well for them overall, after some initial really big bumps. Tivo just refuses to play by the same rules Directvs dvrs play by, and therefore they lack many things they should have that Directv DVRS do, most notably, WHDVR. I see no reason why Directv would ever stop them from integrating WHDVR so that a tivo could see the playlist of a directv dvr, and vise vera, but I seriously doubt Tivo would want to spend the time or money to do that.

Here's a simple question. If the new directv tivo is built on premiere, and has all these other features that simply need to be turned on, then why on earth isn't pandora and youtube on them? There is no way Direct would tell them they can't have those two things right now today. I just don't think any of it is in there. I believe they had to rebuild from the ground up almost to make this new product happen, and that it was a lot harder than they thought it would be.

I am interested to see in a year or two how and what all the new Premiere system with a four tuner box and clients is working for them. If I where them, I wouldn't bother touching the THR22 as I would want access to the hr34 platform to move that platform of theirs over to. That would be very intriguing.

This is way to long of a post..


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## codespy (Mar 30, 2006)

inkahauts said:


> ..................This is way to long of a post..


That post was longer than my longest book report back in high school. Waaaaay too many words.


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## Wezel (Jun 17, 2012)

inkahauts said:


> Is there not ads still on those machines you can access via the menu? Also don't they load pushed ppv movies to the tivos as well? Thats usually what the enhanced content is.


Since those are things I'm not at all interested in I can now understand why I never see them...and won't see them.

Hey TiVo/DirecTV...Give the THR22 folks the ability to decline "Enhanced Content" or put in back to 2:00am like it was for my SD TiVo's! It screws up our use of the two tuners!


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## fraaboak (Nov 16, 2010)

I received my THR TIVO unit two weeks ago today. The unit keeps grabbing a tuner for enhanced content. This morning at 7:00 am It was recording on the Western channel. I was watching the Fox News channel when it said it would switch channels to record enhanced content. My choice was cancel what I was using or to cancel my scheduled recording. I had an H 10 and would always record their info around 2:00 AM. This needs to correctd by D


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## ndole (Aug 26, 2009)

fraaboak said:


> *I received my THR TIVO* unit two weeks ago today. The unit keeps grabbing a tuner for enhanced content. This morning at 7:00 am It was recording on the Western channel. I was watching the Fox News channel when it said it would switch channels to record enhanced content. My choice was cancel what I was using or to cancel my scheduled recording. I had an H 10 and would always record their info around 2:00 AM. *This needs to correctd by D*


The only thing that Directv can really do for you is swap your THR for a better HDDVR. They didn't write the software, they can't fix it.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

ndole said:


> The only thing that Directv can really do for you is swap your THR for a better HDDVR. They didn't write the software, they can't fix it.


Don't bother it's like trying to tell an Apple person that a 3.5" screen is too small until Apple tells them it is.


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## midas69 (Jan 30, 2008)

The thing that really upsets me about this enhanced content is that I don't need it. It's recording PPV movies so you can watch them instantly. OK, but I've been a DTV subscriber for 12 years and have never bought a PPV movie. I don't intend to ever buy a PPV movie. It's a waste of a tuner to even attempt to download a PPV movie. I will cancel it every time I see it, even it's not really interfering with what I'm doing.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

ndole said:


> They didn't write the software, they can't fix it.


You can bet that if there were a problem with PPV billing in anyone but DIRECTV's favor, it would be fixed within days.

Because DIRECTV is on the hook to market these units and meet certain minimum subscription numbers (or pay cash to make up the difference), it is surely in their best interests to advocate for fixes (unless their goal is to sour people on TiVo once and for all).


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

harsh said:


> You can bet that if there were a problem with PPV billing in anyone but DIRECTV's favor, it would be fixed within days.
> 
> Because DIRECTV is on the hook to market these units and meet certain minimum subscription numbers (or pay cash to make up the difference), it is surely in their best interests to advocate for fixes (unless their goal is to sour people on TiVo once and for all).


Or they would just disable the system from letting it happen on those receivers which wouldn't require a software update to the receiver. However it's nice to know that you also are aware of the contractual obligations of the marketing and sales rate side of the contract between DIRECTV and TiVo.

Considering that if DIRECTV had to meet a specific number of units in the field they could easily just ship them for free to customers and I'm sure it would make up any fees they would have to pay. They haven't so clearly they're either selling at an acceptable rate to TiVo or you're just blowing smoke. I'll say it's the latter.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Shades228 said:


> Considering that if DIRECTV had to meet a specific number of units in the field they could easily just ship them for free to customers and I'm sure it would make up any fees they would have to pay. They haven't so clearly they're either selling at an acceptable rate to TiVo or you're just blowing smoke. I'll say it's the latter.


You're assuming that they could give the THR22s away. Several (including some formerly pious TiVotees) have emphatically stated that they wouldn't accept such an offer.

The renewed 24 month commitment, the extra $5/month and the functionality that the TiVos do NOT share with the HR2x is a pretty significant hurdle to widespread acceptance.


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## skylonder (Sep 19, 2012)

I'm with BAMCAT and others who feel that this enhanced content downloading is outrageous.

I ordered and pay for Tivo service that has two channels *always* recording. I like to watch two channels at once, switching between them at commercial breaks. I set up my tuners for the two channels I want to watch and then I find that DTV has taken over the channel I was not watching at the time and taken away the program that I was watching. And this happens so frequently in prime time! 

As far as I am concerned, DTV is depriving me of the service that I pay for and expect. I would be in favor of a class action suit.


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## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

skylonder said:


> ...
> 
> As far as I am concerned, DTV is depriving me of the service that I pay for and expect. I would be in favor of a class action suit.


Right. Let us know how that works out for you.


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## ndole (Aug 26, 2009)

skylonder said:


> I'm with BAMCAT and others who feel that this enhanced content downloading is outrageous.
> 
> I ordered and pay for Tivo service that has two channels *always* recording. I like to watch two channels at once, switching between them at commercial breaks. I set up my tuners for the two channels I want to watch and then I find that DTV has taken over the channel I was not watching at the time and taken away the program that I was watching. And this happens so frequently in prime time!
> 
> As far as I am concerned, DTV is depriving me of the service that I pay for and expect. *I would be in favor of a class action suit.*


I don't care who you are, that's funny right there!


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

skylonder said:


> I'm with BAMCAT and others who feel that this enhanced content downloading is outrageous.
> 
> I ordered and pay for Tivo service that has two channels *always* recording. I like to watch two channels at once, switching between them at commercial breaks. I set up my tuners for the two channels I want to watch and then I find that DTV has taken over the channel I was not watching at the time and taken away the program that I was watching. And this happens so frequently in prime time!
> 
> As far as I am concerned, DTV is depriving me of the service that I pay for and expect. I would be in favor of a class action suit.


No Directv Tivo receiver has always had two channels recording 24/7 content for whatever channel you set. I know you might think so, but nope, never has happened.

They have always downloaded enhanced content on one of the tuners at some point, usually at around 2am.

If they aren't doing it at that time for you right now, then likely tivo screwed up and its trying to grab the content at the wrong times of day.

But good luck with your lawsuit against tivo, since they are the ones that are actually doing all the coding of these boxes and obviously cant get it to work right.


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## BAMCAT (Nov 24, 2007)

IF D* only did the download at 0200 like after they complete the download of the schedule update, that would be fine. But that G.D. Enhanced content interruption to my use of the DVR occurs at any time day and night, and in prime time. 
I could be switching between tuners, checking on what else is going on, then all of the sudden that dam Enhanced content grabs the tuner.
It wouldn't be so bad if when the download is complete, it would put the tuner back on the channel that it found it on, but it doesn't It mirrors the other tuner.
D* doesn't care about supporting the THR22, nor do they care about the customers that are using it. If they did, they would have fixed the known problems with an update by now.
Every other DVR that D* has had out has had a software update well within a year of the initial release of the unit, but here we are more than a year out, and not a hint of an upcoming update. 
Too bad that the THR22 is an unwanted stepchild of D*.


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## ndole (Aug 26, 2009)

Directv doesn't write or service the firmware. I don't understand why that isn't sinking in.


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## BAMCAT (Nov 24, 2007)

Don't understand why people don't understand that D* controls the purse strings and has the say so on weather anymore updates or upgrades are done to the THR22.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

"BAMCAT" said:


> Don't understand why people don't understand that D* controls the purse strings and has the say so on weather anymore updates or upgrades are done to the THR22.


Sorry, but I'm not buying that at all. DIRECTV paid a fee for them to have service for a given amount of time and for TiVo to keep their boxes software working right. You might have an argument if you we're talking about adding new features, but that's not the issue here. Fixing a problem is not something DIRECTV would need to pay more for or give the ok for them to do, no one would sign a contract like that. If anything the contract would force TiVo to fix the issue.


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## sbl (Jul 21, 2007)

DirecTV owns the problem, whether or not they write the firmware. TiVo is just a subcontractor to DirecTV here.


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## Wezel (Jun 17, 2012)

I guess I just don't understand why DirecTV, on the one hand, markets the THR22 with glowing, enthusiastic advertising, but, with the the other hand seems to say to those of us customers who use it, "F*** You, you should be using one of our other receivers".


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## ndole (Aug 26, 2009)

If you purchase a TIVO from BestBuy, is it your cable company's responsibility when your tivo craps out? Is it their responsibility when TIVO writes crappy software that doesn't work right?
What's the difference here? That the box that TIVO designed is BASED on an IRD that Directv designed years ago?


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

The entire device was a miserable failure by TiVo. Anyone who followed its progress knew that. DirecTV was waiting for them to produce the thing for a long time and everyone expected something better than what was delivered. TiVo screwed the pooch both with their hardware and software choices for this DVR.


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## CaptBobH (Dec 14, 2012)

Hoosier205 said:


> The entire device was a miserable failure by TiVo. Anyone who followed its progress knew that. DirecTV was waiting for them to produce the thing for a long time and everyone expected something better than what was delivered. TiVo screwed the pooch both with their hardware and software choices for this DVR.


From everything I have read, the box itself is a D* box with TiVo software....so how can TiVo be blamed for the hardware ? ? ?


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

"CaptBobH" said:


> From everything I have read, the box itself is a D* box with TiVo software....so how can TiVo be blamed for the hardware ? ? ?


...look at which receiver they chose to use.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

"sbl" said:


> DirecTV owns the problem, whether or not they write the firmware. TiVo is just a subcontractor to DirecTV here.


Ah, no. TiVo wanted a deal with DIRECTV to be able to sell their service to DIRECTV customers. DIRECTV has to market it, and TiVo was fully responsible for all the firmware and making it work.

Claiming TiVo is simply a sub contract is a falsely, since they are the ones that are responsible for making the machine work, and its their name brand on the sticker not he box, I don't care who engineered the actual hardware years ago.


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## sbl (Jul 21, 2007)

There's nothing wrong with the hardware. It was the current platform at the time TiVo started work on the port. That it took them so much longer than initially promised is most likely no one's fault but TiVo's. The hardware supports all of the features of the HR2x series DVRs - I have an HR21 which is the identical hardware (except for disk drive size.)

It is a DirecTV box with TiVo software. You lease it from DirecTV. DirecTV owns the customer relationship. We as users have no direct relationship with TiVo.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

"sbl" said:


> There's nothing wrong with the hardware. It was the current platform at the time TiVo started work on the port. That it took them so much longer than initially promised is most likely no one's fault but TiVo's. The hardware supports all of the features of the HR2x series DVRs - I have an HR21 which is the identical hardware (except for disk drive size.)
> 
> It is a DirecTV box with TiVo software. You lease it from DirecTV. DirecTV owns the customer relationship. We as users have no direct relationship with TiVo.


So you don't see the TiVo logo on it? You don't pay an additional fee to TiVo every month as a specific line item for the usage of the TiVo driven firmware DVR? Come on, this is a TiVo box and they make sure you know it, so saying its all DIRECTV is spinning it to not blame tivo for their shortcomings. Heck,I doubt TiVo would even let DIRECTV touch the software in the box, I doubt they have the rights to that in the first place. You are specifically paying TiVo for the right to use a TiVo box with DIRECTV built in. Yet you think its all dtvs fault. That doesn't follow.


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## sbl (Jul 21, 2007)

I don't pay any fee to TiVo. My payment goes to DirecTV. I know they pass on some of that to TiVo, but that's a matter between those two companies.

I am well aware that TiVo created the software and required that their logo go on the box. But I am not TiVo's customer. DirecTV has complete responsibility to YOU, the subscriber, for the box. TiVo has zero responsibility to you.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

"sbl" said:


> I don't pay any fee to TiVo. My payment goes to DirecTV. I know they pass on some of that to TiVo, but that's a matter between those two companies.
> 
> I am well aware that TiVo created the software and required that their logo go on the box. But I am not TiVo's customer. DirecTV has complete responsibility to YOU, the subscriber, for the box. TiVo has zero responsibility to you.


False. This is TiVo's blunder. You don't appear to understand the relationship between the two companies in regards to this device.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

sbl said:


> DirecTV owns the problem, whether or not they write the firmware. TiVo is just a subcontractor to DirecTV here.


IIRC, from the redacted contract, DIRECTV is responsible for hardware selection, programming APIs for said hardware and DIRECTV in general, promotion and sales services. TiVo is responsible for the rest.

To assume that TiVo was somehow going to be a "way out" of the DIRECTV Plus HD DVR mire was not a reasonable assumption to make in view of the HR10 situation as well as DIRECTV's own travails with the well established (and decidedly mediocre) hardware platform.

That the TiVotees had to go to great lengths and notable sacrifice to choose the platform in the first place is not DIRECTV's doing.


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## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

Do we really need to repeat this debate yet again?


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## Wezel (Jun 17, 2012)

litzdog911 said:


> Do we really need to repeat this debate yet again?


Yes, damn it! As customers we deserve better!


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## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

Wezel said:


> Yes, damn it! As customers we deserve better!


That ship has long sailed


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## sbl (Jul 21, 2007)

Hoosier205 said:


> False. This is TiVo's blunder. You don't appear to understand the relationship between the two companies in regards to this device.


I understand the relationship quite well, thank you. You apparently do not. Yes, TiVo screwed up in many ways. But we, the subscribers, don't have a relationship with TiVo to channel our concerns. We have to deal with DirecTV.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

"sbl" said:


> I understand the relationship quite well, thank you. You apparently do not. Yes, TiVo screwed up in many ways. But we, the subscribers, don't have a relationship with TiVo to channel our concerns. We have to deal with DirecTV.


They didn't produce the TiVo DVR.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

"sbl" said:


> I don't pay any fee to TiVo. My payment goes to DirecTV. I know they pass on some of that to TiVo, but that's a matter between those two companies.
> 
> I am well aware that TiVo created the software and required that their logo go on the box. But I am not TiVo's customer. DirecTV has complete responsibility to YOU, the subscriber, for the box. TiVo has zero responsibility to you.


Really? You don't pay any extra. For the TiVo DVR on your account? I thought it was an extra $5 a month. When did this change?

Either way your still wrong. Sure you tell DIRECTV of the problem, but they pass it to TiVo to fix, and its up to TiVo to fix. Its tivos responsibility. Not dtvs. DIRECTV can't force TiVo to work faster, my goodness did everyone not see how long it took TiVo to get this thing out in the first place? Their history for all their other products delivery is they take forever to deliver anything, and half the time they deliver it poorly.

If you want a better DVR, get the hr44 when it come out. TiVo doesn't compare at all.

Frankly all TiVo should do is keep that current one up to date and nothing else, and if they really want in on DIRECTV business, they should ask for permission to build their software for a hr44 and rvu. Then they would have something worth getting for many people.

Still not me, I hate TiVo GUI in general, but I get why some love it. But in the end, its ability to function right is a TiVo problem. DIRECTV doesn't code the software at all.

Funny, people used to complain to Sony when they had Sony DIRECTV boxes, etc, but for some reason, if its a TiVo box, its DIRECTV s fault.


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## sbl (Jul 21, 2007)

Why do you two keep misrepresenting what I wrote?

Hoosier205, DirecTV is the manufacturer of record of the THR22. You "buy" it from them. It is the "TiVo® HD DVR from DIRECTV". Yes, as I said, TiVo developed the software (but not the hardware) for the THR22 box. But they did this as a subcontractor to DirecTV. As I keep writing, you, the THR22 user, have no business relationship with TiVo.

inkahauts, I said I don't pay any money to TiVo. I don't. I pay $5/mo to DirecTV for the "privilege" of using a THR22. You also misunderstand the nature of the customer relationship. Yes, if anyone is to fix the many bugs in the THR22 software it would be TiVo - as a subcontractor to DirecTV. Is this so hard to understand?

We don't know what TiVo's current contractual responsibility is for the THR22. It may be that once they delivered something that passed DirecTV's tests, they were "done", and anything else would require either a new contract or additional payments. Whatever it is, that there have been NO software updates in a year tells me that DirecTV isn't interested in resolving THR22 issues.

For the last time (and I am now done with this thread), THR22 users are not TiVo customers - they are DirecTV customers. As for comparing the THR22 with the HRxx series, I will be the first to admit that the HRxx series has many areas of superiority. I have an HR21-700 and like it a lot. So why did I get a THR22? Because my wife cared more about the TiVo UI than anything else. She would have stuck with the HR10 in SD otherwise rather than use the HR21 (though nowadays she does use it, griping all the time.) I will probably upgrade the HR21 to an HR44 when I can. If I can convince my wife to ditch the THR22, I'll do so happily. But for now, it does what she wants (mostly) and that's good enough.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

"sbl" said:


> Why do you two keep misrepresenting what I wrote?
> 
> Hoosier205, DirecTV is the manufacturer of record of the THR22. You "buy" it from them. It is the "TiVo® HD DVR from DIRECTV". Yes, as I said, TiVo developed the software (but not the hardware) for the THR22 box. But they did this as a subcontractor to DirecTV. As I keep writing, you, the THR22 user, have no business relationship with TiVo.
> 
> ...


Ok, one simple question. If someone bundles their AT&T bill with their DIRECTV bill, and it all comes from AT&T, should they complain to AT&T about DIRECTV service and expect them to fix it?

For the life of me I can't imagine why your wife has trouble using a hr, other than she's probably always hitting the wrong buttons because she going back and forth between the two. Get an hr44 as soon as realistically possible and dump the rest. Then you will be happy.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

There really isn't any point. Nothing changes the fact that the issue is with TiVo, not DirecTV.


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## skylonder (Sep 19, 2012)

inkahauts said:


> No Directv Tivo receiver has always had two channels recording 24/7 content for whatever channel you set. I know you might think so, but nope, never has happened.
> 
> They have always downloaded enhanced content on one of the tuners at some point, usually at around 2am.
> 
> ...


I had a SD Tivo with Directv for many years before getting the THR-22 and I never ever saw one of my tuners taken over by "enhanced content".

Maybe that's because they were doing it at 2:00 AM instead of right in the middle of prime time.

So who is responsible for taking away my receiver's functionality that I pay to receive? It must be Directv. That's who I would sue if I could. It's not "Tivo enhanced content" that is the culprit.

What can be done to get them to stop doing that?


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

skylonder;3167087 said:


> I had a SD Tivo with Directv for many years before getting the THR-22 and I never ever saw one of my tuners taken over by "enhanced content".
> 
> Maybe that's because they were doing it at 2:00 AM instead of right in the middle of prime time.
> 
> ...


TiVo does that even with their stand alone products. And DIRECTV does it with theirs to, but in the middle of the night. And you are correct, they all, including tivo, used to do it at 2am, when it should be done. So evidently its TiVo that can't get it to work right time wise. Don't know why you think DIRECTV is at fault if the only receiver that can't figure out how to time collecting enhanced data when you are not using the receiver is the one who's software was developed by TiVo, that DIRECTV can not alter.


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## skylonder (Sep 19, 2012)

inkahauts said:


> TiVo does that even with their stand alone products. And DIRECTV does it with theirs to, but in the middle of the night. And you are correct, they all, including tivo, used to do it at 2am, when it should be done. So evidently its TiVo that can't get it to work right time wise. Don't know why you think DIRECTV is at fault if the only receiver that can't figure out how to time collecting enhanced data when you are not using the receiver is the one who's software was developed by TiVo, that DIRECTV can not alter.


I've seen all the opinions about who is responsible when a Tivo malfunctions. Tivo may have developed the software, but DTV provides the service and collects the money from me. I ordered a DVR that records two channels *all the time*. That's not what I am getting. If I'm not getting what I paid for, I should be able to withhold payment until I do. If DTV is not getting from Tivo what it paid for, DTV should withhold payment from Tivo until Tivo fixes the problems. I don't believe that Tivo "can't figure out how" to fix it. These are just bugs that can be fixed if DTV wants to make it happen.


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

skylonder;3167643 said:


> I've seen all the opinions about who is responsible when a Tivo malfunctions. Tivo may have developed the software, but DTV provides the service and collects the money from me. I ordered a DVR that records two channels *all the time*. That's not what I am getting. If I'm not getting what I paid for, I should be able to withhold payment until I do. If DTV is not getting from Tivo what it paid for, DTV should withhold payment from Tivo until Tivo fixes the problems. I don't believe that Tivo "can't figure out how" to fix it. These are just bugs that can be fixed if DTV wants to make it happen.


There seems to be a difference between how you want the scenario to work and how it actually works between DirecTV and TiVo. You can try withholding payment, but I doubt that will work in your favor.


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## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

skylonder said:


> .... If I'm not getting what I paid for, I should be able to withhold payment until I do. .....


Let us know how that works out for you.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

skylonder;3167643 said:


> I've seen all the opinions about who is responsible when a Tivo malfunctions. Tivo may have developed the software, but DTV provides the service and collects the money from me. I ordered a DVR that records two channels *all the time*. That's not what I am getting. If I'm not getting what I paid for, I should be able to withhold payment until I do. If DTV is not getting from Tivo what it paid for, DTV should withhold payment from Tivo until Tivo fixes the problems. I don't believe that Tivo "can't figure out how" to fix it. These are just bugs that can be fixed if DTV wants to make it happen.


Why do you think DIRECTV can fix this? I mean give us a real technical reason please. They have zero ability to code the TiVo DVR or write any updates for it, so I juts don't see how you could think they can change it.

And by the way, again, that's like saying if you bundle your service of DIRECTV through AT&T, you should beagle to withhold your payment to AT&T till they fix something with your DIRECTV service. Not how it works.


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## StL_Don (Dec 10, 2008)

Hoosier205 said:


> There really isn't any point. Nothing changes the fact that the issue is with TiVo, not DirecTV.


I disagree. TIVO had no dog in the enhanced content hunt. If they put the EC code there it is because D* told them to do it making it D*'s problem.

Don


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## technojunkie (Jul 4, 2007)

I have noticed the same issue with "Enhanced Services" being downloaded at 7:00 AM. I believe I may have cancelled it enough times to teach the TiVo to stop trying to do that at 7:00 AM. There is a solution, and that is to set the TiVo to record the show you are looking for with a season pass. I elected to wait through the process and kept pressing "select" and cancelling the recording. In the past few days I have noticed it is recording "Suggested" content instead.


On to the bigger question. What is the latest version of software? I am not certain mine is running properly as I never seem to have more than 50% of my storage capacity being used. No other annoying issues.

FWIW I have noticed more advertising for the THR22 of late which I find interesting. In fact I received a DTV email this morning pushing it. Funny that it has taken a year for DTV to start advertising the product. Seems to me there maybe too many in the warehouse.


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## sbl (Jul 21, 2007)

DirecTV has been advertising the new TiVo on and off for a year. Must be part of the contract.

As for latest version of the software, there have been no updates since national release a year ago.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

StL_Don;3184825 said:


> I disagree. TIVO had no dog in the enhanced content hunt. If they put the EC code there it is because D* told them to do it making it D*'s problem.
> 
> Don


That's completely false. Every TiVo ever made has had pushed enhanced content to it. Period. Its just a different delivery system and different content with DIRECTV vs some of the others, but its always been there, even since their first stand alone unit.


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## StL_Don (Dec 10, 2008)

The last three days "enhanced content" has been out of control. Practically non-stop. More than once it has grabbed the active channel away from me if I'm not quick enough to tell it no. And if I do cancel it just comes back in a half hour or so and does it again. 

For all those blaming Tivo I'm calling BS. DTV is pushing this content, not Tivo. 

For those saying this has always been going on... it NEVER happened with my SD Tivo.

Don


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

The last three days "enhanced content" has been out of control. Practically non-stop. More than once it has grabbed the active channel away from me if I'm not quick enough to tell it no. And if I do cancel it just comes back in a half hour or so and does it again. 

For all those blaming Tivo I'm calling BS. DTV is pushing this content, not Tivo. 

For those saying this has always been going on... it NEVER happened with my SD Tivo.

Don


Well my hr10 always got pushed content. I'm not saying something isn't broke as TiVo shouldn't be grabbing it while you are watching tv but TiVo has always grabbed junk. Shoot my hr10 used to have showcases of new cars and crap on it. TiVo needs to fix when it chosen to pull. What happens I you leave I alone and just let it pull the data? Maybe ten it would stop trying to. 

And by the way the reason you never saw it in your old units is it pulled it when it was supposed to which is when you aren't using the thing. 


Sent from my iPhone using DBSTalk mobile app


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## Wezel (Jun 17, 2012)

Just saying again that I hate it, hate it, hate it!


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Just saying again that I hate it, hate it, hate it!


I don't care as long as it doesn't interfere, but since its interfering with the tivos right now, its sucks. TiVo needs to update their dang software already.


Sent from my iPad using DBSTalk mobile app


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## Wezel (Jun 17, 2012)

inkahauts said:


> I don't care as long as it doesn't interfere...


...and it interferes big time!


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## DogmanK9 (Sep 9, 2013)

Just spent the day watching football and fighting "Enhanced Content?" downloads. After reading all of the posts, one thing hasn't been mentioned. There are two different downloads that happen. 1."TiVo Service data" which does happen at 2-3AM and does return the tuner to its previous channel. 2. "Enhanced Content" (EC) which happens whenever it wants and whether you are watching the tuner or not.

Blaming TiVo doesn't work for me as there is no guaranteed positive outcome for them unless you believe they are trying to drive customers to the D* DVR. Note: We have both a TiVo and a D* DVR. With the exception of EC, the TiVo unit is the superior unit. IMHO, I believe that this is working exactly as D* nts it to work. I could be wrong but they have tried to get me to switch the TiVo to their product. When I said no and asked if they would prefer if I canceled my service, they said I was welcome to do that but I still would have to pay for the whole term of the contract. Another annoying issue is the snails pace of the software in locating programs under the "Find Programs" function. My old TiVo provided options letter by letter. The TH22 doesn't catch up until stop typing after one or two words. Despite multiple phone calls and emails over the past many months, they have done nothing to address/fix the issues.

As far as not holding D* responsible and saying this is a TiVo problem. IMHO D* is the direct provider of hardware and service to the customer and are therefore responsible to customer for the total product. I based this on over 25+ years of International customer service and our customers would have thrown us out if we had suggested to them that it wasn't our problem because a 3rd party was providing the problem part/software.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

DIRECTV DVRs get enhanced stuff all the time and they don't have the issue of pulling it during the day so its not because dtv doesn't know how to setup pushed content to DVRs. 

TiVo used an older hardware so that may be part of the reason it's slow. The other part is directv guide data is so much more complicated now an who knows what all TiVo did with it. It's not going to be the same as a stand alone TiVo. 

And yeah I agree dtv should pressure the heck out of TiVo but in the end dtv can not fix the issue. It's got to be solved by TiVo. They are the ones who coded it all and are responsible for it. 



Sent from my iPhone using DBSTalk mobile app


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## BAMCAT (Nov 24, 2007)

Over the last week or so, The hijacking of one of my TiVo's tuners for Enhanced content downloads has really been bad.
At all times of the day, it was grabbing a tuner.
It really interferes with the way I use my TiVo. 
I was watching on one tuner while recording on the other and all of a sudden Enhanced content grabbed the tuner that I was watching! Dam that is so irritating.

DIRECTV....ENOUGH ALLREADY!!
PUT AN OPTION IN THE SETUP MENU SO WE CAN OPT OUT OF THIS AS THIS REALLY INTERFERES WITH THE WAY I USE THE TiVo!

DIRECTV, If nothing else, Please Please have Enhanced Content do its down load after the DVR update is done at 2AM and not all through the day.
Also have TiVo people write a new software routine or correct the TiVo firmware so the when the Enhanced content down load is done, it restores the channel that the tuner was on before it grabbed it. Than would help a lot.

I wish that I was one of the hacker gurus that had the talent to go through and read code like reading a book.
I would go in and block channel 9981 and delete the partition where the enhanced content is stored!


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Hit Record on the live show to block it out, assuming the other tuner is also recording.


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## BAMCAT (Nov 24, 2007)

I compare Enhanced content interruptions of my use of the TiVo the same as denial of service attacks on servers in the internet.
Must be something that can be done about it.


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## Wezel (Jun 17, 2012)

BAMCAT said:


> I compare Enhanced content interruptions of my use of the TiVo the same as denial of service attacks on servers in the internet.
> Must be something that can be done about it.


I agree.

Somebody please send me some serious help. I've actually entertained the idea of switching to cable and buying the really good TiVo's. I assume the "Enhanced Content" problem is only with DTV.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Why don't you guys record everything you watch? Won't that solve the issue as a workaround till TiVo gets off their butts and puts out an update?




Sent from my iPhone using DBSTalk mobile app


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Wezel said:


> I agree.
> 
> Somebody please send me some serious help. I've actually entertained the idea of switching to cable and buying the really good TiVo's. I assume the "Enhanced Content" problem is only with DTV.


Sorry, we cannot send trained psychiatrists, nor even psychologists, to those entertaining such dark thoughts as you described.....


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## sbl (Jul 21, 2007)

Regular TiVos have been doing this for years. The usual response is the same - if you're watching something live you don't want to be interrupted, press Record.


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## codespy (Mar 30, 2006)

Why don't you guys record everything you watch? Won't that solve the issue as a workaround till TiVo gets off their butts and puts out an update?Sent from my iPhone using DBSTalk mobile app


Their won't likely be another update for the THR22 , and DirecTV is the one who authorizes TiVo to do the work if another update is justified enough. DirectTV has always been in charge of the set list. DirecTV will not waste and pay TiVo unnecessary expenses to do a fix on one item, because alpha and beta testers have to test it, which costs time and money. Heck, DirecTV will not fix the power light on the AM21's connected to the HR34 receivers. 

The SD DirecTiVo's and the HR10 did not have Enhanced Content like today's IRD's since current HR22's and other HR2x's have hard drives that are partitioned for on demand content, both from ch's 9981 and 1100. Pre-THR22's had TiVo Service Data downloaded at 2am, then Showcases which usually downloaded between 3 and 5am, like you see on current channel 574. Never did my programs get cut-off like today's scenarios..

Why did TiVo use the "old" HR22 hardware? That's what DirecTV gave them to use at the time of the announcement of the proposed Broadband TiVo! Luckily for me the THR22's run faster than the HR22's!


The enhanced content has been an issue for a long time but did not get fixed for a reason, and TiVo was very aware


Sent from my iPad using DBSTalk


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## BAMCAT (Nov 24, 2007)

D*, enough all ready!!
That dam tuner grabbing enhanced content has been really annoying for the last few days.
Every time I change tuners, there it is. It even grabbed the tuner that I was watching as the other tuner was recording.
Why Didn't they provide a method for opting out of this. It denies me the full use of my THR22, I should get a rebate from then for the great inconvenience and annoyance it causes me.
D* please provide a menu allowing us the option to not receive this!


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

I'd suggest you read or re-read this thread you posted into over two years ago: Others have gotten around the issue.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

BAMCAT said:


> D*, enough all ready!!
> That dam tuner grabbing enhanced content has been really annoying for the last few days.
> Every time I change tuners, there it is. It even grabbed the tuner that I was watching as the other tuner was recording.
> Why Didn't they provide a method for opting out of this. It denies me the full use of my THR22, I should get a rebate from then for the great inconvenience and annoyance it causes me.
> D* please provide a menu allowing us the option to not receive this!


press the RECORD button. done!


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## Dbozz (May 7, 2015)

I tried posting this on the Direct TV Technical Forum re Enhanced TIVO Content, but the moderators won't allow it to appear. So much for freedom of speech.

I have periodically followed discussions on various forums about Enhanced TIVO Content changing the tuner on the secondary channel to download new material. Nothing mentioned has ever worked to stop this happening to me during prime time viewing, which is infuriating. NO, I do not want to have to put one channel on 'record', thank you. I flip around often and don't want to have to go through the steps required to stop a recording and then get back to watching something. 

Downloading Enhanced TIVO Content during prime time seems to have gotten worse these past few months. As others have mentioned, I often watch 2 channels at the same time, freezing one in order to later bypass commercials. If it remains frozen well past the end of the commercial and TIVO Content overrides what I was watching, I lose much, if not all of the program I had on hold. Not fair, I say. I'm paying Direct TV for 2 tuners and don't want to give up one for them to hijack whenever my back is turned. Nor do I want to have to play watchdog! 
Recently, my umpteenth phone call to a supervisor at DTV got me access to the office of the president (actually Ed Balcerzak, VP of Customer Care), to whom I emailed my complaint. I received a call back from someone named Tammy from their office, who told me there was nothing that could be done about it because the "system is designed that way". (Huh? Of course it's designed that way. That's what I'm calling you about!) 
Clearly Tammy has no place in the 'Customer Care' department. She does, however, have a place in the sales department because when I suggested they redesign their system only to download during off hours, she was dumbstruck for an answer but immediately started selling me an upgrade to their Genie DVR with more tuners which, (surprise!) incurs a monthly fee and a new 2 year contract. What a clever way for them to tie me up for two more years at a higher price. I declined.
Apparently they intend to do nothing about alleviating this annoyance for their customers who are plagued with it. Customer care, indeed. They want to 'sell' upgrades to their Genie.
I think if enough people with this problem begin to email this the VP of Customer Care about it, they might rethink what they're doing. Here are the steps the supervisor gave me to get to Ed Balcerzak:
>www.directtv.com
>Investor Relations (all the way down, 2nd line from the bottom)
>Corporate Governance
>Elected Officers
>Executive Customer Care Contact (in orange)
>>link to Ed Balcerzak
I'd really like to hear what response others who have this problem get if you email Ed a complaint. I think if enough of us do it, it might get them to offer some real customer care.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

First off I believe the fee for the TiVo and genie come out the same. Buy an owned one and theres no two year commitment either. 

It puzzles me why they do that as well but I have a feeling it's a 24/7 kind of thing.

And I think TiVo and DIRECTV don't want to spend any money on this since they fee it works now anyway. I doubt many are paying the extra TiVo fee for it. Especially with the genie available. 

honestly I fail to see how recording the one show you keep in the background while you are channel flipping is an issue. Can't you still use the down arrow or even prev to flip between the tuner that's recording and the live tuner? 

Of course I record everything I watch period so I never rely on a buffer that can be dumped by a cat walking over a remote. 



And IMHO getting a genie is a solid solution to something designed ten years ago. 

Have you tried complaint to TiVo about the issue? Maybe hounding their customer service will help?


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

There might be a difference, can you have lifetime service on the THR or does that only cover the TIVO fee and not the receiver and DVR fee?

I agree with Inky, I'd go with a Genie over a THR. It may be different if it wasa Roamio. I don't think either company really cares much about the THR.

And it's really beside the point, but free speech doesn't apply.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

My two bits:

People chose (and pay considerably more for) TiVos so they didn't have to spend time picking and choosing programming to record. If you're going to use it like a VCR, there is little point in paying extra for the automated services.

I agree that the extra stuff is a major hindrance but I suspect that it would be much less of a hindrance if the box were allowed to do its thing rather than being micromanaged.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

How do you figure a TiVo makes it so you don't have to chose what you want to record over any other DVR?


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## sbl (Jul 21, 2007)

The general advice that applies to any TiVo, and for that matter, any DVR, is that if you're watching a live program and don't want to be interrupted, take half a second and press Record. This is not restricted to the THR22 - I see similar complaints all the time in the TiVo Community forum and the answer is the same.

Complaining to DirecTV is a waste of effort - the THR22 was abandoned at birth and nothing is going to change.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

inkahauts said:


> How do you figure a TiVo makes it so you don't have to chose what you want to record over any other DVR?


Suggestions. At least that was the theory.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Well then he should be happy to know DIRECTV genies have genie recommends which is every bit the same thing.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

inkahauts said:


> Well then he should be happy to know DIRECTV genies have genie recommends which is every bit the same thing.


Does Genie Recommends work and in a way that might make a TiVotee happy?


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

While it isn't too bad, it isn't anywhere near as good as Tivo Suggestions imo.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

lparsons21 said:


> While it isn't too bad, it isn't anywhere near as good as Tivo Suggestions imo.


I disagree. I have actually found genie recommends did a better job than TiVo ever did. Granted I'm not a fan in general but it did better. But it Definitely could piece together shows I'd like better.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

inkahauts said:


> I disagree. I have actually found genie recommends did a better job than TiVo ever did. Granted I'm not a fan in general but it did better. But it Definitely could piece together shows I'd like better.


We can agree to disagree, I won't mind! 

For me the Tivo does much better but I use the 'thumbs' a lot!


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

Agree, I've always turned the Genie recommends off because most time it would pick , what would seem just random programs, not really pertaining to anything I acually watch.

I think the Tivo is more right on and more accurate. 
But Directv is nothing more then a guess based off your recordings, Not actual human input.

But in all honesty, I really could care less if either Tivo or Directv recommend anything. 
I have a Guide and search functions that's good enough for me.


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## codespy (Mar 30, 2006)

Dbozz-

I also am very aware of the issue you are having. I went back and used my old THR22 a couple weeks ago that I gave my parents to use, and forgot how annoying the enhanced content thing was. TiVo did do a software update earlier this year, which took the software from x01B5 to x01BA edition. From what I understand, there were minor cert/date updates to the IRD's.

DirecTV will not do anything to fix this, and unless it is a widespread issue complained about by many users, TiVo will likely not spend anymore time on it either.

My only suggestion would be to contact TiVo at the link below, and have them direct your issue to TiVoJerry.

http://tivoproduction.force.com/Support/apex/CreateCaseFromSupport

Good luck, and let us know if you hear anything.


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## Dbozz (May 7, 2015)

Thanks Codespy,

I'll give your suggestion a try.

What's just started happening now, however, is that they (whoever 'they' are) have stopped calling their downloads on my hijacked tuner 'Enhanced TIVO Content'. They don't call it anything and there is now no indication at all of what they're actually doing on that tuner, but it is, indeed, quietly recording their content without telling me what it is. Just as with ETC, if I try to change that channel, I'll get a message saying, 'This program is already being recorded" but it doesn't tell me what the program is that's being recorded! Worse, there are now no instructions on how to stop it by pressing record, etc. In other words, if I didn't already know how to stop the enhanced content from downloading, as a new user might not, I'd just have to give up that tuner until they were finished doing what they wanted with it. Curiouser and curiouser.

_"DirecTV__ will not do anything to fix this, and unless it is a widespread issue complained about by many users, TiVo __will likely not spend anymore time on it either."_

That is precisely why my original post spelled out the exact steps to do so.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

If this unit has an EoL past 2015 I'd be impressed. Honestly if someone complained enough I bet the solution would be to a: get a HR to replace it at no cost or b: cancel without a fee (assuming it's within the original 2 years it was leased).


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

I suspect eol is sometime in 2017 because as I recall the deal with TiVo is through then. Just sayin.... 

But even then if they still have new ones left to sell I suspect they'll sell them till they are gone.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

inkahauts said:


> I suspect eol is sometime in 2017 because as I recall the deal with TiVo is through then. Just sayin....
> 
> But even then if they still have new ones left to sell I suspect they'll sell them till they are gone.


Pallets upon pallets of the depreciate every year and DIRECTV writes it off. Once EoL is up it's one less sku and unprofitable headache to remove.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Shades228 said:


> Pallets upon pallets of the depreciate every year and DIRECTV writes it off. Once EoL is up it's one less sku and unprofitable headache to remove.


If it's old for sure. But what if it's still new in the box? Can they take hits on it even when it's new and never used? I have no idea myself on that one.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

inkahauts said:


> If it's old for sure. But what if it's still new in the box? Can they take hits on it even when it's new and never used? I have no idea myself on that one.


For consumer electronics, just sitting around means decreasing in value. Depreciation is how that is accounted for.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

inkahauts said:


> If it's old for sure. But what if it's still new in the box? Can they take hits on it even when it's new and never used? I have no idea myself on that one.


Harsh is right about the depreciation. Also available are write offs, kind of an accelerated depreciation.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

They could have made it a compelling product and at least a minor success. But I'm not sure either of them was really interested in that. How many would have one if it was closer to a Roamio?


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

dpeters11 said:


> They could have made it a compelling product and at least a minor success. But I'm not sure either of them was really interested in that. How many would have one if it was closer to a Roamio?


At the time that the THR22 was being developed, DIRECTV didn't offer a hardware platform anywhere near a Roamio. TiVo released the Premiere shortly before the THR22 became available.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

harsh said:


> At the time that the THR22 was being developed, DIRECTV didn't offer a hardware platform anywhere near a Roamio. TiVo released the Premiere shortly before the THR22 became available.


Fair enough. Or how about if it more closely matched the Premiere?


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

dpeters11 said:


> Fair enough. Or how about if it more closely matched the Premiere?


We know from history that it took TiVo up to five years to develop and OEM platform like those for Comcast and DIRECTV.

TiVo started with what was the flagship DIRECTV DVR (validly argued by HR20 users) at the time the agreement was made (September 2008). The HR23 began testing a little later but was not a significant technical improvement and DIRECTV's HMC would still take another three years to materialize.


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

dpeters11 said:


> How many would have one if it was closer to a Roamio?


I would still be a Directv customer today. 
So that's 1 .


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