# DirecTV Cloud - When?



## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

With Clouds popping up everywhere, when will DirecTV have one for our Series Manager List, ToDo List, Saved Recordings, etc. that can be access from any STB, PC, Smartphone, etc.?


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## WestDC (Feb 9, 2008)

As soon as NSA Utah Branch is fully open


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Maybe within the next 12 months it seems

http://www.dbstalk.com/topic/210773-can-i-transfer-dvr-content-from-hr21-to-genie/?p=3231724


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

Drucifer said:


> With Clouds popping up everywhere, when will DirecTV have one for our Series Manager List, *ToDo List, Saved Recordings*, etc. that can be access from any STB, PC, Smartphone, etc.?


If they set it up for Series Managers in the cloud there is no need for the to-do list as it will take care of itself. Saved recordings though? I have 3 HR2x models with 2TB externals, noone is going to give that kind of cloud storage for saved recordings nor should they. That would be ridiculous, if everything was available for your saved recordings in a cloud, there would be no need to even have a dvr.


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## lucky13 (Nov 27, 2006)

CCarncross said:


> If they set it up for Series Managers in the cloud there is no need for the to-do list as it will take care of itself.


Not everything on the ToDo list is necessarily from a Series Manager.
Some of us use the ToDo list to check or remind us what we've scheduled to record.


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## yosoyellobo (Nov 1, 2006)

Something along the line of a personal cloud would be nice.


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## toobs (Oct 10, 2012)

CCarncross said:


> If they set it up for Series Managers in the cloud there is no need for the to-do list as it will take care of itself. Saved recordings though? I have 3 HR2x models with 2TB externals, noone is going to give that kind of cloud storage for saved recordings nor should they. That would be ridiculous, if everything was available for your saved recordings in a cloud, there would be no need to even have a dvr.


I think that you are looking at this the wrong way. Like vod, Directv will have everything recorded on their servers and there will be no need for dvrs anymore. You just select the shows that you want to watch on your stb and Directv will record and saved on their end and you access the shows on the cloud. If you are thinking the other way around, record the shows on your dvr and then upload it the cloud, that will never happen because of bandwidth.

Backing up the Series Manager onto the cloud would be nice though. Let's say that you get a replacement dvr, instead of creating series manager again, you just need to download them back to the fresh box.


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

toobs said:


> I think that you are looking at this the wrong way. Like vod, Directv will have everything recorded on their servers and there will be no need for dvrs anymore. You just select the shows that you want to watch on your stb and Directv will record and saved on their end and you access the shows on the cloud. If you are thinking the other way around, record the shows on your dvr and then upload it the cloud, that will never happen because of bandwidth.
> 
> Backing up the Series Manager onto the cloud would be nice though. Let's say that you get a replacement dvr, instead of creating series manager again, you just need to download them back to the fresh box.


They have to negotiate that with the channels. They cannot do indiscriminate VOD. And then you wind up with no FF, no skipping commercials. No thanks.

What I want is cloud backup of my series manager and to do lists. Dynamic, automatic backup so I can move it from one DVR to another or go back in time to get something I deleted. Not the recordings, just the lists.


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## Tubaman-Z (Jul 31, 2007)

tonyd79 said:


> They have to negotiate that with the channels. They cannot do indiscriminate VOD. And then you wind up with no FF, no skipping commercials. No thanks.
> 
> What I want is cloud backup of my series manager and to do lists. Dynamic, automatic backup so I can move it from one DVR to another or go back in time to get something I deleted. Not the recordings, just the lists.


+1

And in the meantime....let me backup the Series Mgr and To Do lists to a USB stick. Please.


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

Tubaman-Z said:


> +1
> 
> And in the meantime....let me backup the Series Mgr and To Do lists to a USB stick. Please.


That would be a fine alternative.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

CCarncross said:


> If they set it up for Series Managers in the cloud there is no need for the to-do list as it will take care of itself. Saved recordings though? I have 3 HR2x models with 2TB externals, *noone is going to give that kind of cloud storage for saved recordings nor should they*. That would be ridiculous, if everything was available for your saved recordings in a cloud, there would be no need to even have a dvr.


DirecTV is a business, so I would believe there would be caps on stored recordings and a fee for extra..


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## toobs (Oct 10, 2012)

Drucifer said:


> DirecTV is a business, so I would believe there would be caps on stored recordings and a fee for extra..


Hidden fees for all.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

toobs said:


> Hidden fees for all.


I doubt the fee for more storage would be hidden, nor I suspect cheap.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

Tubaman-Z said:


> +1
> 
> And in the meantime....let me backup the Series Mgr and To Do lists to a USB stick. Please.


Just have a "copy settings to USB", which would be all the configuration settings, like dish, settings, etc....plus the Series Manager and to-do list. That would be perfect.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

CCarncross said:


> Just have a "copy settings to USB", which would be all the configuration settings, like dish, settings, etc....plus the Series Manager and to-do list. That would be perfect.


I have no notion of programming, but I have to ask, would allowing a user to copy these settings open the "back door" to "hackers" to copy some other stuff that probably DirecTV does not want you to copy?


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## patmurphey (Dec 21, 2006)

Settings and timers are backed up to the remote with a Hopper. :rolling:


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I have reason to believe you will see something like this sooner than later, but I cannot be more precise.


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## toobs (Oct 10, 2012)

peds48 said:


> I have no notion of programming, but I have to ask, would allowing a user to copy these settings open the "back door" to "hackers" to copy some other stuff that probably DirecTV does not want you to copy?


Not all subscribers are thieves. Many of the drv's are already online anyway and I have yet to hear someone being hack. It's always possible though.


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## unixguru (Jul 9, 2007)

peds48 said:


> I have no notion of programming, but I have to ask, would allowing a user to copy these settings open the "back door" to "hackers" to copy some other stuff that probably DirecTV does not want you to copy?


No. They control exactly what is copied if they provide a button to initiate it. Export/Import to/from USB should be trivial. Hopefully a standard FAT formatted drive with a single XML file.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

toobs said:


> Not all subscribers are thieves. Many of the drv's are already online anyway and I have yet to hear someone being hack. It's always possible though.


and I am not saying that. But the way I see (saw it) is like leaving your front door closed but unlocked. 100 folks will pass by without knowing, but there i stat ONE that will try and find that is open. SO the question was, by DirecTV allowing this, it may create a vulnerability for those who know.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

CCarncross said:


> Just have a "copy settings to USB", which would be all the configuration settings, like dish, settings, etc....plus the Series Manager and to-do list. That would be perfect.


And simple. Let's not forget what we went thru with the change to the HD Guide. Putting more than 10 million people on a cloud might be beyond their abilities.

Rich


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## GBFAN (Nov 13, 2006)

I don't need or want a cloud.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

GBFAN said:


> I don't need or want a cloud.


All I ever wanted was something better than a VCR. Got plenty of HRs that are better. I'm satisfied and agree with you.

Rich


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

Stuart Sweet said:


> I have reason to believe you will see something like this sooner than later, but I cannot be more precise.


I have used words very much like that on this site in the past. Thanks for the info.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

GBFAN said:


> I don't need or want a cloud.


What do you do with Series that go on hiatus?


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

tonyd79 said:


> They have to negotiate that with the channels. They cannot do indiscriminate VOD. And then you wind up with no FF, no skipping commercials. No thanks.
> 
> What I want is cloud backup of my series manager and to do lists. Dynamic, automatic backup so I can move it from one DVR to another or go back in time to get something I deleted. Not the recordings, just the lists.


Yes. Yes. Yes.

Cloud storage has a current ring to it, but many people are- or soon will be- strapped for bandwidth and by caps.


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## JimAtTheRez (May 9, 2008)

I would like to be able to set up Series Recordings, and manage them from my laptop. Also, delete programming, etc. In other words, a full control panel for all of my DVR's that are set up on Whole-Home. Am I dreaming here?


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

JimAtTheRez said:


> I would like to be able to set up Series Recordings, and manage them from my laptop. Also, delete programming, etc. In other words, a full control panel for all of my DVR's that are set up on Whole-Home. Am I dreaming here?


Not entirely. You can set up recordings on your laptop now, but not delete nor view ToDo's. I think it will come one fine day.

And, really, it was Disraeli who said that!!


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

Laxguy said:


> Not entirely. You can set up recordings on your laptop now, but not delete nor view ToDo's. I think it will come one fine day.
> 
> And, really, it was Disraeli who said that!!


With geniego, you can watch most programming and delete shows from your dvr. About all you can't do now is look at and manage the todo list/series manager.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

GBFAN said:


> I don't need or want a cloud.


Neither do I


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

Drucifer said:


> What do you do with Series that go on hiatus?


They get lowered in priority in my Series Manager.


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## GBFAN (Nov 13, 2006)

I have 3 HR24's. 150 series links is plenty.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

tonyd79 said:


> With geniego, you can watch most programming and delete shows from your dvr. About all you can't do now is look at and manage the todo list/series manager.


this seems to suggest that any remote control of the DVR may require a GenieGo.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

RunnerFL said:


> Neither do I


This is getting upsetting. We should keep the DLB and HD Guide fiascoes (huh, I had no idea the plural of fiasco was fiascoes) in mind. Everything is running well and that alone should give us pause to reflect upon what a cloud will do and what we will go thru to get it right. Unless I'm seeing things wrong, a cloud is really nothing more than a bunch of servers. Do we really need that?

Rich


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

Drucifer said:


> What do you do with Series that go on hiatus?


Nothing, leave them right where they are....I get about 200-250 SL's on a regular HR2x model using boolean ARSL's......there are easy ways to never have to prune your Series Manager unless shows actually end for good.


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## toobs (Oct 10, 2012)

CCarncross said:


> Nothing, leave them right where they are....I get about 200-250 SL's on a regular HR2x model using boolean ARSL's......there are easy ways to never have to prune your Series Manager unless shows actually end for good.


But aren't there limits on how many shows that you are allow to have in the Series Manager?


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## longrider (Apr 21, 2007)

toobs said:


> But aren't there limits on how many shows that you are allow to have in the Series Manager?


You are limited to 50 on the HR2x series and 100 on the Genie. However using booleans you can combine several into one. For example I record a lot of motorcycle racing. I dont have an issue with number of SLs so there is one for Motorcycle Racing on FS1, one for FS2, one for my local CBS, NBC, etc. Using booleans I could combine all those into one.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Rich said:


> This is getting upsetting. We should keep the DLB and HD Guide fiascoes (huh, I had no idea the plural of fiasco was fiascoes) in mind. Everything is running well and that alone should give us pause to reflect upon what a cloud will do and what we will go thru to get it right. Unless I'm seeing things wrong, a cloud is really nothing more than a bunch of servers. Do we really need that?
> 
> Rich


I think in this sense a cloud would simply be like a backup I out settings kind of like how apples iCloud backs up your iOS device. You never even know about it unless you are replacing an iOS device or something I that nature.

I see that as a good thing since it would be for the most part completely transparent.


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## toobs (Oct 10, 2012)

I do the same thing for Motorcycle Racing, but had to setup another SL for CBS because it doesn't record the Supercross Specials, but they are title differently. 

Can you booleans for shows?


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## longrider (Apr 21, 2007)

As long as the show has some part of the title the same. For example a boolean for "Law & Order" would get all the variations - Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, etc.


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## toobs (Oct 10, 2012)

Ahhh, I should set it up for American Greed. Why are we limited to 50 - 100 SL's on Directv?


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

peds48 said:


> this seems to suggest that any remote control of the DVR may require a GenieGo.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


It may. But it is a one time purchase with no associated fees. You just buy the hardware (a network appliance) and you are done.


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## Diana C (Mar 30, 2007)

Well, the rest of the television delivery industry seems to be heading towards cloud DVRs. Cablevision here in NJ is currently deploying a cloud-based DVR service that allows you to "record" up to 10 things at once. Obviously, if 500 people schedule "The Following" to record they are not going to make 500 copies, they will record it once and add it to the playlists of the 500 subscribers. Even TiVo is working on porting their product to a Cloud-based service. I think this is the wave of the future. Just as there is speculation that the Roamio may be TiVo's last physical DVR, it may well turn out that the HR44 is DirecTV's last physical DVR. However, the delivery process is easier for cable operators that have a relatively fat pipe going into every subscriber's home. Satellite's big pipe is much bigger, but delivers to regions of, if not the entire, country. They don't have the ability to stream a program to a given STB very easily (at least not to millions of subscribers in real time).


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

toobs said:


> Ahhh, I should set it up for American Greed. *Why are we limited* to 50 - 100 SL's on Directv?


It never been explain why by DirecTV,


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

Drucifer said:


> It never been explain why by DirecTV,


We've been told in the past. Performance issues


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

RunnerFL said:


> We've been told in the past. Performance issues


A one word answer is not an explanation.


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

Diana C said:


> Well, the rest of the television delivery industry seems to be heading towards cloud DVRs. Cablevision here in NJ is currently deploying a cloud-based DVR service that allows you to "record" up to 10 things at once. Obviously, if 500 people schedule "The Following" to record they are not going to make 500 copies, they will record it once and add it to the playlists of the 500 subscribers. Even TiVo is working on porting their product to a Cloud-based service. I think this is the wave of the future. Just as there is speculation that the Roamio may be TiVo's last physical DVR, it may well turn out that the HR44 is DirecTV's last physical DVR. However, the delivery process is easier for cable operators that have a relatively fat pipe going into every subscriber's home. Satellite's big pipe is much bigger, but delivers to regions of, if not the entire, country. They don't have the ability to stream a program to a given STB very easily (at least not to millions of subscribers in real time).


The day thus becomes the norm is the day I quit. I have yet to see a good cable based on demand system (which is really what you are describing). The latency is horrible.

Btw, I lost track. Did this stand up to copyright challenges? I thought they had to make the copies unless they had a contract to digitally distribute the program (on demand rights).


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

The more the processor is stretched, as in adding more SLs to sort through, the more overall performance takes a hit.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

Drucifer said:


> A one word answer is not an explanation.


"Performance Issues" is 2 words and is also an explanation. It's a better explanation than we received for most everything else.


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## Diana C (Mar 30, 2007)

tonyd79 said:


> The day thus becomes the norm is the day I quit. I have yet to see a good cable based on demand system (which is really what you are describing). The latency is horrible.
> 
> Btw, I lost track. Did this stand up to copyright challenges? I thought they had to make the copies unless they had a contract to digitally distribute the program (on demand rights).


I don't know what the copyright issues are, or how they were resolved. I can only say that Cablevision is promoting the thing like crazy around here.


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## Jason Whiddon (Aug 17, 2006)

toobs said:


> I think that you are looking at this the wrong way. Like vod, Directv will have everything recorded on their servers and there will be no need for dvrs anymore. You just select the shows that you want to watch on your stb and Directv will record and saved on their end and you access the shows on the cloud. If you are thinking the other way around, record the shows on your dvr and then upload it the cloud, that will never happen because of bandwidth.
> 
> Backing up the Series Manager onto the cloud would be nice though. Let's say that you get a replacement dvr, instead of creating series manager again, you just need to download them back to the fresh box.


This is what Id like to see...


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

inkahauts said:


> I think in this sense a cloud would simply be like a backup I out settings kind of like how apples iCloud backs up your iOS device. You never even know about it unless you are replacing an iOS device or something I that nature.
> 
> I see that as a good thing since it would be for the most part completely transparent.


That I wouldn't mind. But the path there kinda scares me. Another 6 or 7 month ordeal to get there? I would mind that.

Rich


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## mrdobolina (Aug 28, 2006)

I don't see the DTV set top box going away anytime soon. The satellite delivery of their signal is one of the big differentiators of their service - the ability to cover the entire country, even if the customer doesn't have access to broadband internet or a cable pipe. 

However, I can see DirecTV being able to implement a kind of "cloud" based service, possibly even for customers that only have their DVRs connected by phone line. Just like Amazon or Apple "re-sell" content, so can DirecTV. Instead of just renting "Man of Steel" on a Friday night, DirecTV could also offer the option to purchase the movie outright for whatever the going rate is for digitally delivered content. From then on, the purchase is tied to my account. When I buy it, it downloads to the DirecTV controlled portion of my DVRs hard drive. Then, if my hard drive ever fails, DirecTV knows that I have purchased "MoS" and can redeliver it my new receiver upon activation. If my box is internet connected the movie can be delivered that way. If not, (and this is the part that I am unsure of being possible), DirecTV's servers can push the movie to my DVR via the satellite. This can be done with movies, TV show episodes or any other content that content producers want to sell digitally. Being owned instead of PPV, the content can then be moved to your devices either via GenieGo or via download to device from DirecTV's website, much like when you buy something on Amazon and push it to a Kindle. . 

I don't see locally recorded content being a part of this cloud at this point. However, an internet connected DVR could upload its settings, SLs and To-do list to the cloud to be used by an app such as the DirecTV App for iPad or for Android. Then you would have control over all of the DVRs in your house via the app. The other bonus being that if one of your DVRs dies, settings and SLs can be restored via the cloud.


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## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

I'd love to see a cloud for your settings, favorites, SL's, todo, etc.. Shift some of that processing into the cloud and free up the SL processing on the HR's themselves. Then maybe it will eliminate the 50 SL limit. Also you could access this data in a variety of ways, such as the tablet or mobile apps. Even logging into your account at directv.com may allow you to manage via point and click, all of your favorites lists, series priorities, links, get a gauge on hard drive space, etc... Maybe even non DVR's on your MRV acct like H25's and H24's could access this data. We know they can access the internet now through TV Apps, so getting information from afar is not unrealistic.

As far as recording to the cloud, I don't see that happening. Unlike Cable, who has full control of the pipe, DirecTV has no control over the end user's connection. They don't know their caps, their speeds, their latency, etc.. Even now sometimes on demand can be hiccuped due to connection between you and DirecTV's servers. It works ok for Cable since they control the entire pipe. Comcast is trialing RS-DVR in Boston on their X1 platform. You can choose to save content locally or in the cloud. Eventually they will roll that out nationwide. They will also roll out small XiP set tops that run the full X1 interface and DVR since everything is in the cloud. It's just a MoCA IP box that talks to your gateway (a glorified eMTA with QAM tuners for transcoding and a minimum of 16 channel DOCSIS 3.0 bonding). Also as pointed out Cablevision has RS-DVR today.

I'd like to see some sort of cloud to keep everything in sync... DVR's, non-dvr's, mobile, tablets, pc, etc... But I understand it may not be the full gamut of what the Cable operators can push.

That and a speedier interface would be nice. Maybe if the HR's don't have to continually loop through your series list looking and managing the ToDo's, more CPU cycles could be put to better use. Though non internet connected systems would still need to have the ability to do internal stand-alone DVR processing as they do today.


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## Beerstalker (Feb 9, 2009)

I think they should get rid of some of the advanced program data that they added in a while back, that seems to have been a big part of what slowed everything down. I don't need instant access all the time to a complete cast and crew list of every show/movie, as well as those people's biography and list of shows they were in, when they are on, etc. Pull that stuff back out of the guide data and just have it available to people who have their systems hooked up to the internet. Then you can still offer that information and just have it looked up as needed from the internet, rather than having it stored locally on the DVRs all the time and slowing stuff down.

This is just my theory and possible solution though, I'm not 100% sure that I am right or that it would help.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

Well how about a DirecTV Cloud in the home of the customer? A DirecTV approved storage device.


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## mrdobolina (Aug 28, 2006)

I really like that idea, Drucifer!


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Drucifer said:


> Well how about a DirecTV Cloud in the home of the customer? A DirecTV approved storage device.





mrdobolina said:


> I really like that idea, Drucifer!


Hmm, so a "storage device" that you can normally get for cheap, now "sky rockets" because one is "DirecTV approved" and two has DirecTV brand on it... :nono2:


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## Beerstalker (Feb 9, 2009)

Drucifer said:


> Well how about a DirecTV Cloud in the home of the customer? A DirecTV approved storage device.


I believe that is called the Genie.

Think about it, the Genie was meant to be one central box that did all your recording, held all your settings etc (in other words the cloud). The client boxes connected to it to borrow tuners, watch recording, etc. and could copy their settings from the Genie, or you can set them up on each individually.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

It really should be a backup system that is stored on directvs web site via your account. Just have it backup all settings once a day and keep the last 2 days, one from one week ago, and one from 1 month ago. Then have a simple system that lets you download from any one of those dates to ANY dvr you chose.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

peds48 said:


> Hmm, so a "storage device" that you can normally get for cheap, now "sky rockets" because one is "DirecTV approved" and two has DirecTV brand on it... :nono2:


Yep a HDD with an Access Card.


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