# I'm not eligible for Whole-Home DVR Service?



## Raiderguy8 (Sep 23, 2007)

If this is discussed elsewhere please point me to the proper thread, but I looked through several pages and didn't see any that discussed this particular issue.

I was on DirecTV's site and when I went to the Whole-Home DVR Service page, in the upper right corner where it should say how much it will cost, I see this message:


> You're not eligible for this product. Please call Customer Service at 1-800-531-5000.


When I call this number I am told that because of my equipment configuration I can not sign up for the service. My equipment is:

SD-DVR80, HR10-250, HR20-700, HR20-100

Two older Tivo models and 2 HR20's. I was told that for someone to be able to get Whole-Home DVR Service they must have at least one non-DVR. The woman admitted in the beginning that she wasn't sure why I wasn't eligible and told me that she was chatting with a support person so this wasn't just her saying this, she was getting this info from someone with more knowledge than her.

She explained that it's purpose is to allow non-DVR receivers to act as a DVR. I told her I understood that but I was wanting to use it so I could watch a recording regardless of the room in which it was recorded. I told her I wanted to give her company more money and didn't understand why they weren't bending over backwards to take it from me.

My question is, has anyone else heard of this or was I given some bad information?


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Raiderguy8 said:


> My question is, has anyone else heard of this or was I given some bad information?


Bad DATA/info
the HR20s will work, while the others won't.
Upgrading to the connected home network would be another way, but costs and would need receiver swaps.
Look at the sticky at the top of this forum about getting MRV with your own network.
It isn't easy, but can be done.


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## Raiderguy8 (Sep 23, 2007)

In the call I was going to arrange for the equipment swap for those that wont work. My main question is the requirement for at least one receiver to not be a DVR. I was going to disable the HR10-250 anyway and just have three receivers so I suppose I could just arrange to replace it with an HD receiver of the non-DVR variety. See if that pleases them I guess.


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## Billzebub (Jan 2, 2007)

Raiderguy8 said:


> In the call I was going to arrange for the equipment swap for those that wont work. My main question is the requirement for at least one receiver to not be a DVR. I was going to disable the HR10-250 anyway and just have three receivers so I suppose I could just arrange to replace it with an HD receiver of the non-DVR variety. See if that pleases them I guess.


You don't need a non DVR. Just deal with the Tech when he gets there.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Raiderguy8 said:


> In the call I was going to arrange for the equipment swap for those that wont work. My main question is the requirement for at least one receiver to not be a DVR. I was going to disable the HR10-250 anyway and just have three receivers so I suppose I could just arrange to replace it with an HD receiver of the non-DVR variety. See if that pleases them I guess.


I've got three DVRS and have it working and they simply gave you the wrong info.
There is a big learning curve going on and not all are completely up to speed.
"the basic package" would be one HD DVR and up to three receivers, so many have gotten the idea that is the only way it works [wrong].


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## Raiderguy8 (Sep 23, 2007)

Billzebub said:


> You don't need a non DVR. Just deal with the Tech when he gets there.


I wish I could do that. She wouldnt even schedule an appointment. There was talk of there being a problem with grandfathered price packages. Do you think that might be the real problem? Ive been with them for 10 years and have had a grandfathered package for a while.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Raiderguy8 said:


> I wish I could do that. She wouldnt even schedule an appointment.


call back and see if you can get someone else.


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## samrs (May 30, 2004)

Call back during the week, during normal business hours.


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## dlvh (Dec 15, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> I've got three DVRS and have it working and they simply gave you the wrong info.
> There is a big learning curve going on and not all are completely up to speed.
> "the basic package" would be one HD DVR and up to three receivers, so many have gotten the idea that is the only way it works [wrong].


Ok...So I currently have 2 HD-DVR's on the main floor of my house ( a HR-21 & a HR-23) and I am finishing off my basement, and I was going to have a third HR-2x receiver put down there when it is finished (in a week or two) being worked on. I have also read in these forums, that I cannot have just all HD-DVR's, for Multi-Room Viewing (MRV or Whole Home DVR (WHD) ), but would need at least one "None DVR". So according to what is being said here, in this trhead, I can have all 3 of my STB's be DVR's and be able to use the Multi-Room Home Viewing? Is this correct?

Also, if I am reading similar threads on the subject of MRV, I can use my own Home Network to access MRV? When I do get all 3 of my DVR's setup to display that, which I don't yet have (only one TV has an ethernet connection to allow the family access to On Demand) but would be considered Unsupported? and is there a time frame in which I would have to do the Unsupported MRV by?

Just trying to get some things straightened out here.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

dlvh said:


> Ok...So I currently have 2 HD-DVR's on the main floor of my house ( a HR-21 & a HR-23) and I am finishing off my basement, and I was going to have a third HR-2x receiver put down there when it is finished (in a week or two) being worked on. I have also read in these forums, that I cannot have just all HD-DVR's, for Multi-Room Viewing (MRV or Whole Home DVR (WHD) ), but would need at least one "None DVR". So according to what is being said here, in this trhead, I can have all 3 of my STB's be DVR's and be able to use the Multi-Room Home Viewing? Is this correct?
> 
> Also, if I am reading similar threads on the subject of MRV, I can use my own Home Network to access MRV? When I do get all 3 of my DVR's setup to display that, which I don't yet have (only one TV has an ethernet connection to allow the family access to On Demand) but would be considered Unsupported? and is there a time frame in which I would have to do the Unsupported MRV by?
> 
> Just trying to get some things straightened out here.


The "HD non DVR" is BS.
Unsupported is a backdoor loophole and who knows how long it will last [it could be here a long time] :shrug:


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Raiderguy8 said:


> I wish I could do that. She wouldnt even schedule an appointment. There was talk of there being a problem with grandfathered price packages. Do you think that might be the real problem? Ive been with them for 10 years and have had a grandfathered package for a while.


I think there is a problem with the Choice Xtra with HDDVR package. Check out Doug's second post here.
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=177090
As for one needing to be a non DVR, as others said that's not true. The only thing you can't do with only DVRs is set recordings from a different box. From a non-DVR, you can set a recording on a DVR. You can't do that from DVR to DVR. Not saying that won't be added later, but that's the limitation now.


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## dlvh (Dec 15, 2006)

dpeters11 said:


> I think there is a problem with the Choice Xtra with HDDVR package. Check out Doug's second post here.
> http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=177090
> As for one needing to be a non DVR, as others said that's not true. The only thing you can't do with only DVRs is set recordings from a different box. From a non-DVR, you can set a recording on a DVR. You can't do that from DVR to DVR. Not saying that won't be added later, but that's the limitation now.


Ok...So I am going to have 3 DVR's soon. One in the Living Room (LR), one in the Bedroom (BR) and the final one in the Basement (BM). You are saying that I CANNOT set my BM DVR to record a program that I set up from my LR DVR? (or any other similar variant... BR to LR etc...) ?

"The "HD non DVR" is BS.
Unsupported is a backdoor loophole and who knows how long it will last [it could be here a long time]"

Ok..so totally untrue, good to hear/read! But we don't know how long this window will stay open. I suppose I can change it from Unsupported to Supported by giving them a call and telling them...something like, I want to have the DECA system installed? If for some reason I'd want to do that.

Also, if I only have one of my soon-to-be 3 STB's hooked up via ethernet now, eventually, when I get to the other 2 STB's hooked up, I'd have full MRV access to all my STB's? So what again is the advantage of being SUPPORTED?

Lastly, if I do decide to go Uunsupported, I better make sure that my NEW, upcoming DVR is NOT a HR-24 because I cannot hook that up with CAT5 ethernet wiring...correct?

More curiosity


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

dlvh said:


> Ok...So I am going to have 3 DVR's soon. One in the Living Room (LR), one in the Bedroom (BR) and the final one in the Basement (BM). You are saying that I CANNOT set my BM DVR to record a program that I set up from my LR DVR? (or any other similar variant... BR to LR etc...) ?
> 
> "The "HD non DVR" is BS.
> Unsupported is a backdoor loophole and who knows how long it will last [it could be here a long time]"
> ...


The HR24 has DECA internal, but also an ethernet connection [either/or use].
Supported [DECA] means any issues with MRV working means you can call DirecTV, where unsupported means you're on your own.
I'm fairly sure if you started "unsupported" and then moved to DECA/connected Home that they'd change your status.


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## azarby (Dec 15, 2006)

dlvh said:


> Ok...So I am going to have 3 DVR's soon. One in the Living Room (LR), one in the Bedroom (BR) and the final one in the Basement (BM). You are saying that I CANNOT set my BM DVR to record a program that I set up from my LR DVR? (or any other similar variant... BR to LR etc...) ?


DVRs cannot schedule recordings on other DVRs. Only receivers can schedule recordings on the connected DVRS. DVRs can play back recordings made on other DVRs.


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## dlvh (Dec 15, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> The HR24 has DECA internal, but also an ethernet connection [either/or use].
> Supported [DECA] means any issues with MRV working means you can call DirecTV, where unsupported means you're on your own.
> I'm fairly sure if you started "unsupported" and then moved to DECA/connected Home that they'd change your status.


So the HR-24 does have a traditional Ethernet (RJ45) hookup that works the same way as the other HR-2x series DVR's in a home network? and can be used without using the DECA system?

Ok...I unserstand now that DVR's cannot schedule recordings on other DVR's, but each DVR's recordings CAN be watched on other DVR's via the MRV...correct?

Still leaning as this stuff.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

dlvh said:


> So the HR-24 does have a traditional Ethernet (RJ45) hookup that works the same way as the other HR-2x series DVR's in a home network? and can be used without using the DECA system?


Correct. Most receiver have to be "backwards" compatible.


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## dlvh (Dec 15, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> Correct. Most receiver have to be "backwards" compatible.


...And my daughter asks, "Does each DVR use it's own internal Hard Drive when viewing through the MRV system, no matter what program/show it was recorded on?" In other words, if I recorded a show/program on the LR DVR and view it in the Bedroom, is it actually BASED/Anchored to the LR's Hard Drive?

Getting a little more understanding, thanks to all your help guys!


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

dlvh said:


> ...And my daughter asks, "Does each DVR use it's own internal Hard Drive when viewing through the MRV system, no matter what program/show it was recorded on?" In other words, if I recorded a show/program on the LR DVR and view it in the Bedroom, is it actually BASED/Anchored to the LR's Hard Drive?
> 
> Getting a little more understanding, thanks to all your help guys!


Each DVR is a server to a client. All the recordings stay on the server, but can be viewed from the clients. One DVR can only feed one client at a time.
If you have 3 clients and one server, the server can be used to watch it's recording [locally] and one client can watch recordings remotely, but the other two clients are SOL until the first client is done.
Change this to all DVRs and each DVR can watch its recording locally and feed one DVR remotely.
"Now" these two can also be sending out one recording [each] and also be receiving a recording [each]. So if DVR 1 has what the user at DVR 2 want to watch, and the user at DVR1 want to watch what's on DVR 2, they both can at the same time.
Have I got you completely  yet? :lol:


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## redram38 (Dec 7, 2005)

I also saw this message but it is to late to call right now. I have 4 HD DVR's and one H21-200. The HD DVR's are 1 HR20-700, 2 HR21-700 and one HR21-100. I have been using MRV for months using my network and the CE program. I was on the Choice+ HD DRV package so maybe that is why, but I switched the package on-line to the new version that added 1.00 to my bill, but I still see the I am not eligible. On the my account part it tells me to call to activate so I guess I will call Sunday and see if they can take care of this. I cannot see any reason why I would not be able to get MRV with my current set of receivers and if the want to install the new Deca that is fine also.


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## Richard L Bray (Aug 19, 2006)

I paid my $150 and had the deca installation last weekend. Everything was working great until yesterday.

Yesterday, I received the "end of beta" message and called DTV. The system now says I'm ineligible for MRV. Worked with tech rep for around an hour. He couldn't resolve the issue and sent msg to the "engineers" asking that they resolve my issue. Said it should be fixed in 24 hours; but it's now been 20 hours and DTV site still says I'm ineligible.


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## Smuuth (Oct 4, 2005)

FWIW, I have 6 HD DVRs and no non-DVRS. Whole Home DVR service works fine.


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## dlvh (Dec 15, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> Each DVR is a server to a client. All the recordings stay on the server, but can be viewed from the clients. One DVR can only feed one client at a time.
> If you have 3 clients and one server, the server can be used to watch it's recording [locally] and one client can watch recordings remotely, but the other two clients are SOL until the first client is done.
> Change this to all DVRs and each DVR can watch its recording locally and feed one DVR remotely.
> "Now" these two can also be sending out one recording [each] and also be receiving a recording [each]. So if DVR 1 has what the user at DVR 2 want to watch, and the user at DVR1 want to watch what's on DVR 2, they both can at the same time.
> ...


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