# Which R15 is the least problematic?



## subeluvr (Jan 14, 2007)

With three vendors manufacturing the R15 (100-300-500), which model is proving to have the least problems or, is the most reliable?

I'm not asking about OS and software induced problems but rather, spontaneous reboots, crashes, and hard drive problems.

Without knowing the numbers of 100s, 300s, and 500s it would be nice to know which hardware platform is proving to have less problems built-in.

Does anyone know the timeline of the three R15 models?

Is it R15-500 first (oldest), then R15-300 second (middle), and R15-100 third (newest)?


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## toad57 (Apr 23, 2002)

Unless you own all 3 models, how would you be able to accurately respond to this poll?


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## subeluvr (Jan 14, 2007)

toad57 said:


> Unless you own all 3 models, how would you be able to accurately respond to this poll?


I know what I'm asking but I'm not sure I asked the question correctly.

Rather than asking if your 100-300-500 failed I'm asking if your 100-300-500 has been reliable.

Or, in other words, if you could *choose* an R15 100 or 300 or 500... which one would you want?


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## redram38 (Dec 7, 2005)

500 here and not many problems at all. The only thing I have had wrong is the ff bar would not work right sometimes


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

My 300 was awful, all of the "usual" issues. Formats would help for a couple of days but then the issues would pop back up.

My replacement 100 model has had one issue with series links that quit working but has never required a RBR. I've had it approx 3 or 4 months. Other than the series link issue, it has been working fine.

Both models had identical series links and were using the exact same hookups.


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## paulman182 (Aug 4, 2006)

I do have all three and none of mine have any significant problems.

They have all locked up and required a reboot a couple of times in the last few months. Other than that, all is well with all three.


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## qwerty (Feb 19, 2006)

subeluvr said:


> I know what I'm asking but I'm not sure I asked the question correctly.
> 
> Rather than asking if your 100-300-500 failed I'm asking if your 100-300-500 has been reliable.
> 
> Or, in other words, if you could *choose* an R15 100 or 300 or 500... which one would you want?


Both my -500 and -300 work equally well. Which option should I choose?


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## xtoyz (Apr 13, 2006)

subeluvr said:


> Which model R15 is proving to have the LEAST problems?


An unplugged one


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## evcomp (Nov 19, 2006)

On my second 300 and it is not acting well. I am surprised that Directv has not been the subject of some sort of class action suit. My 300 is locking up, been reformatted twice, had technical support walk me through trying to fix and now DTV says that they would like to have a tech look at my lines. Ha, what a load....the non DVR models work great! My advice would be to find an old Tivo box and stay with that until DTV can figure out why they can't get these issues fixed.


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## wbmccarty (Apr 28, 2006)

My neighbor's?


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

-500 here.

Welcome to the forum subeluvr. Don't worry about your wording in the poll. I have yet to see anyone create a poll that considered the responses everyone wanted to see.


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

subeluvr said:


> Does anyone know the timeline of the three R15 models?
> 
> Is it R15-500 first (oldest), then R15-300 second (middle), and R15-100 third (newest)?


500 came first.
Then the 300
Then the 100

Carl


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## subeluvr (Jan 14, 2007)

Wolffpack said:


> -500 here.
> 
> Welcome to the forum subeluvr. Don't worry about your wording in the poll. I have yet to see anyone create a poll that considered the responses everyone wanted to see.


Thanks for the welcome Wolfpack.

Here's my motive for the poll...

I'm a new DTV customer with an R15-100 in one room and an R15-300 in another. Both have updated to the new software and both were hard drive formatted after the update. The R15-300 has worked perfectly and not skipped a beat.

The R15-100 developed a case of "mad cow" shortly after initial activation. It randomly and spontaneously reboots. Aside from losing the guide data and having to wait for that to repopulate if anything is recording when it reboots the recording is gone. Other than that the R15-100 works OK but I need to replace this R15-100.

Objecting to a refurb R15-500 replacement on a new R15-100 that is essentially problematic out of the box I can go out and get another R15 from a retail source to replace the mad cow R15-100 and work it out with DTV when I activate the replacement.

I have to decide whether to look for another R15-100 (which are very hard to find around here) or an R15-500 (easy to find) or and R15-300 (I know where there is one available).


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

subeluvr said:


> The R15-100 developed a case of "mad cow" shortly after initial activation. It randomly and spontaneously reboots. Aside from losing the guide data and having to wait for that to repopulate if anything is recording when it reboots the recording is gone. Other than that the R15-100 works OK but I need to replace this R15-100.


Well, if DTV would stop grinding up the returned, dysfunctional R15s and feeding those to the new, about to be boxed R15s, maybe they could put a stop to the Mad R15 disease. :grin:


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## wbmccarty (Apr 28, 2006)

I hadn't heard about the mad cow stuff. Which DTV folks have it? How did they pass it on to the R15? Can I get it by using one?

I've now tried the -300 and -500. Nothing but problems so far....


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## Bobman (Jan 3, 2006)

I have 2 500 models. One works well except for recording repeats and the other turned in a problem so I hardly use that one much.

I am planning to send the 2nd R-15 back and not replace it if this next update doesnt fix it.


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## walters (Nov 18, 2005)

I think Earl's R15 is the least problematic.


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## Spicoli (Jun 7, 2006)

I asked a similar question in a post last summer. At the time it seemed more people were happy with the -500 than the -300. So I went to Best Buy and bought a -500 and have not had any hardware problems with it at all. And recently I went back to Best Buy and purchased another -500 because the first one has been problem free. Both receivers are doing well, especially with the new software update!


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## brinkly (Jan 16, 2007)

I work for an un-named technical department of DirecTV. I can say for sure that the R15-500 is less problematic than the other models


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## qwerty (Feb 19, 2006)

So why did they switch to other manufacturers?


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

Production capacity, the need to fill demand. Possibly cost.

Carl


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## Wolffpack (Jul 29, 2003)

Right, nothing to due with quality. :eek2:


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