# Season Pass problems related to R15/HR20 Software update



## madaur (Nov 15, 2006)

Not sure if anyone noticed but the season pass problems we have been experiencing started to happen about the same time Directv updated there software on there on dvr recorders.

I think that they changed something in the guide information to fix a problem that they were having with there own Season pass on there dvr, and this change has affected all the Tivo units. Now if this is the case, will we see an update to our software to fix this, due to the fact that Directv no longer has a contract with Tivo wants everyone to change to there units instead. If there is someone working on a fix who would it be, The guys from Tivo or those at Directv. I don't think either of them will be working very hard to fix this problem.


----------



## jdspencer (Nov 8, 2003)

I believe this was alluded to on the Tivo forums. There are now a whole bunch of threads there, so to find the particular reference would be difficult.

It has also been conspired that DirecTV did this on purpose to force TiVo users to their in-house DVR. I don't subscribe to this conspiracy.


----------



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

DirecTV does still have a contact with TiVo... till 2011 actually. 
The portion of the contract that expires soon, is the ability to sell DTivos.

As of right now.
DirecTV does not have access to the TiVo source code.
DirecTV doesn't have the ability to debug the TiVo systems.

So with that... DirecTV has formally requested TiVo, Inc to look into the issue... As they have checked what is on their end...

As for the guide data... the guide data is primarily controlled by TMS.
DirecTV does ultimately beam down the data to the DTiVo's... 

And if you think DirecTV...wants 2+ million DirecTivo customers to be pissed off... are you kidding? Out of those 2+ million, how many would just go else where? If DirecTV wanted to eliminate the DTivos... all they would have to do is set a date, announce it... and then turn them off.

So again... DirecTV has seen the posts... and they have asked the appropriate parties.. TiVo, Inc... to investigate it.


----------



## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

jdspencer said:


> It has also been conspired that DirecTV did this on purpose to force TiVo users to their in-house DVR. I don't subscribe to this conspiracy.


I don't think it was done on purpose but I do believe it has something to do with a change in the guide data, maybe an attempt to fix R15/HR20 problems. This isn't just happening on the new release 6.3/6.3a/6.3b. It's also happening on 6.1 and 6.2 units which have not received any new software at least a year.

The shows are in the guide, but the SPs are not adding them to the TDL. Everyone of my units did this about a week ago and then fixed themselves overnight after a reboot. When I rebooted them 3 units, running 6.2, kept sticking at 9-10% while downloading the guide data. I ended up powering those down 3-4 times before they got through the guide download. All are running fine now.


----------



## spanishannouncetable (Apr 23, 2002)

Wolffpack said:


> ... This isn't just happening on the new release 6.3/6.3a/6.3b. It's also happening on 6.1 and 6.2 units which have not received any new software at least a year.
> 
> The shows are in the guide, but the SPs are not adding them to the TDL. Everyone of my units did this about a week ago and then fixed themselves overnight after a reboot. When I rebooted them 3 units, running 6.2, kept sticking at 9-10% while downloading the guide data. I ended up powering those down 3-4 times before they got through the guide download. All are running fine now.


This is also happening on Series 1 units. My DSR6000 has 3.5, but 3.1 units are also vulnerable.


----------



## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

I have 2 HR10's, each of which failed to record season passes today.

Amazingly unprofessional.

If this happened where I work (in software design and development), people would be fired.


----------



## Cmmsh (Jan 2, 2007)

Earl Bonovich said:


> And if you think DirecTV...wants 2+ million DirecTivo customers to be pissed off... are you kidding? Out of those 2+ million, how many would just go else where? If DirecTV wanted to eliminate the DTivos... all they would have to do is set a date, announce it... and then turn them off.


You don't think 2+ million customers would be just as pissed off if they told them D* was forcing you to shut off your TiVo? I think that would be much worse than just changing the way guide data is sent, screwing things up for TiVo owners. And I doubt you can convince me that D* doesn't have SOME sort of control over TiVos, which means they can make them screw up just about any time they want to. Then, at least, they can tell you we can fix it by giving you our HR20s. Some will take the offer, and some won't.

I don't buy it.

Personally, it would take a lot to make me ditch DirecTV, but if they told me I couldn't use TiVo anymore, I'd seriously consider it.


----------



## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

I believe this is to be temporarly fixed this weekend and then permanatly fixed with a software update later. I believe Earl has more info on this.


----------



## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

Wolffpack said:


> I believe this is to be temporarly fixed this weekend and then permanatly fixed with a software update later. I believe Earl has more info on this.


My two just want crazy today for the first time....

But playing software engineer, I recall that this is the first time in a long that that I haven't been forcing calls daily trying to get 6.3b installed.

Obviously, I'll be doing forced calls multiple times per day till we hear that the problem's been resolved.

We'll get there...

(and I still think the Head of QA for DirecTV should be replaced - and quickly!)


----------



## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Here's an article about the problem from CNET: http://earthlink.com.com/2100-1038_3-6150142.html?part=earthlink


----------



## untouchable (Jun 24, 2006)

I can tell you this, my HR10-250 hasn't made a daily call in over a month and I'm not experiencing these problems, but with my R10, DSR708, and SIR-4080R, the problem is happening...This leads me to believe that the problem stems from TIVO and not D*. I tried to fix the phone line in the room with the HR10, but no go, so it's still working...all of the service data downloads, and daily calls go and come from TIVO, not D*...I wouldn't go blaming this on D* just yet

added note: also, just to mention, the 3 DTivo's that have phone lines have began to randomly reset themselves...my HR10 is just fine...no resets, no missed recordings..I do believe that these two problems are linked to one another.


----------



## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

untouchable said:


> I can tell you this, my HR10-250 hasn't made a daily call in over a month and I'm not experiencing these problems, but with my R10, DSR708, and SIR-4080R, the problem is happening...This leads me to believe that the problem stems from TIVO and not D*. I tried to fix the phone line in the room with the HR10, but no go, so it's still working...all of the service data downloads, and daily calls go and come from TIVO, not D*...I wouldn't go blaming this on D* just yet
> 
> added note: also, just to mention, the 3 DTivo's that have phone lines have began to randomly reset themselves...my HR10 is just fine...no resets, no missed recordings..I do believe that these two problems are linked to one another.


From what I've read, DTV has already admitted they did something that made the Tivo go south. They turned that something off a couple of nights ago and the log files stopped filling up. There's suppose to be a patch for maybe all DTivos coming out at some point to fix the problem so DTV can turn this thingy back on.

I hope Earl gets some more definite info on this topic.


----------



## untouchable (Jun 24, 2006)

What I am saying, is that yes the guide data problem is a D* problem, but the other issues (resetting itself) is not a D* issue...to me I've noticed everyone has began to have these problems if their receivers are making daily calls...which would make it a TIVO problem and not a D* issue...that's great what Earl knows...but I'm just stating the obvious...my HR10 has 6.3a, and has not made the daily call in almost 2 months, so at some point it is a TIVO problem..


----------



## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

And what I'm saying is that DTV should have tested any guide data change they planned on making before implementing that change. Since the log files grow by ~ 14 log entries per second, it would be REAL easy to spot this problem and hold off on the implementation until they checked with Tivo.

Making the daily call has nothing to do with this.


----------

