# It finally happened . . . R15 has driven me NUTS.



## judegirl (Aug 13, 2006)

Okay. So, this morning, I'm watching the movie The Island, for the first time ever.

I paused it to go get a drink of water. When I came back, everything was fine, it continued playing, everything was cool . . . . until the last 5 minutes of the movie. 

It suddenly froze solid in the middle of playback, and would not respond:eek2: 

So, being my patient self, I reset the box.

Naturally, as you would expect, I lost the last 5 minutes of the movie.

So I looked it up, and it was starting again at 2:30.

I set the box to record the next showing. Everything seemed to record fine . . . 
until . . . I was watching a totally different show on a different channel, and when it got near to the end of the recording time, the box froze up AGAIN. :nono2: 

I reset AGAIN. The recording disappeared.
There was one more showing, at 5:30.

I set the box to record and turned everything off and went out to a REAL movie.

When I came home, everything appeared fine. The Island appeared in the list, as though it had completely recorded. I selected it, the info screen came up, and when I hit select to start playback, the screen went dead and black. I could do anything I wanted, except actually watch the movie . . . even just the last 5 minutes. I tried designating is as a keeper, and then resetting the box for the third time.

POOF!

The recording disappeared.

History (very helpfully  ) shows that the movie was not recorded.

I feel like tying my dvr to my waist and jumping into the river. GRRR


----------



## nneptune (Mar 30, 2006)

that's why I paid the price of cutting my contract short, switched back to DISH, and couldn't be happier with the incredible Vip622 HD DVR.
The one receiver actually goes to 2 TVs!
I've never missed a recording, the PQ is excellent, and the machine is technically superior to anything D* CURRENTLY has out.
I'm not putting down all of you long-time Directv customers.
I know you guys were probably ahead technologically before the whole R15 thing started,
The fact that there are SO many problems, and. as far as I know the new HD Dvr isn't even out nation-wide yet, is really making D* look bad
I wish you all the best of luck.


----------



## rlambert7 (Feb 7, 2006)

It looks like "The Island" will be shown at least a few more times over the next several days. If you haven't already gone out, and rented it, just for the heck of it, try this. Pick one of the scheduled showings, and set it up to record as you usually do, but also do this. Set up a manual record for that same show, but have it start 15 minutes before the end, and run it for a duration of 15 minutes. Then, first see if you can view, without incident, the one that is only 15 minutes long. If you can't, try the other one (you can skip to near the end by pressing, and holding, the "advance" button (the one just to the right of the "stop" button. Then, back up 10 or 15 minutes).

NOTE - during the time that the manual record is running you will have two shows recording, so you won't be able to do anything else during that time except watch something from your MyVOD.


----------



## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

rlambert7 said:


> Set up a manual record for that same show


The R15 won't let you over lap two recording on the same channel. (I should be able to do this but I won't let you.)


----------



## rlambert7 (Feb 7, 2006)

cabanaboy1977 said:


> The R15 won't let you over lap two recording on the same channel. (I should be able to do this but I won't let you.)


Well, I've done it at least a couple of times*. I've even successfully set up and recorded something using two manual records on the same channel. I've even set up two, "one time" manual records for the same channel, time, and durartion. I've even set up two "recuring" manual records for the same channel. They just have to be slightly different, like one minute difference in the starting time (and maybe one minute difference in the duration).

*add one more to that. I just powered up the TV and R15. This was about 10:23a. Went into the Guide, and scrolled to the first half-hour show that had started at 10a, and pressed "R" to start it recording. Set up a manual record for the same channel starting at 10:27a and a duration of 3 minutes. Waited until 10:30. Pressed "List". They're both there, I viewed both. They both have the same content for the last 3 minutes.


----------



## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

rlambert7 said:


> Well, I've done it at least a couple of times*. I've even successfully set up and recorded something using two manual records on the same channel. I've even set up two, "one time" manual records for the same channel, time, and durartion. I've even set up two "recuring" manual records for the same channel. They just have to be slightly different, like one minute difference in the starting time (and maybe one minute difference in the duration).
> 
> *add one more to that. I just powered up the TV and R15. This was about 10:23a. Went into the Guide, and scrolled to the first half-hour show that had started at 10a, and pressed "R" to start it recording. Set up a manual record for the same channel starting at 10:27a and a duration of 3 minutes. Waited until 10:30. Pressed "List". They're both there, I viewed both. They both have the same content for the last 3 minutes.


Interesting, if they R15 can do that why would it have issues with padding two shows that overlap on the same channel? I would have thought logically that if it can't pad on the same channel that it wouldn't be able to do two manual records that overlap on the same channel. I wonder if this has something to do with the mystery of not being about to watch the manual record while it's recording?


----------



## rlambert7 (Feb 7, 2006)

cabanaboy1977 said:


> Interesting, if they R15 can do that why would it have issues with padding two shows that overlap on the same channel? I would have thought logically that if it can't pad on the same channel that it wouldn't be able to do two manual records that overlap on the same channel. *I wonder if this has something to do with the mystery of not being about to watch the manual record while it's recording?*


Well, I've never had a problem playing a manual recording while it was still recording.

However, if you set up TWO manual records to be recording at the same time, when they start, you'll get a very itimidating message that takes over the entire screen: "A manual recording is in progress. You can display Live TV again when it is finished." (I don't think those are the exact words, though).

There will also be options to cancel either of the two manual records in that screen. It looks like you have no choice, but to wait, or cancel one of the recordings. However, if you just press "List', you'll see the two manual recordings in MyVOD, and you can play either one of them.


----------



## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

rlambert7 said:


> However, if you set up TWO manual records to be recording at the same time, when they start, you'll get a very itimidating message that takes over the entire screen: "A manual recording is in progress. You can display Live TV again when it is finished." (I don't think those are the exact words, though).


That's right, I forgot that they changed that at some point.


----------



## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

Here it is from the manual. (we all know how useful that is)

"I want to watch a program, but all I get is a black screen. When I go to the Guide or another screen, the TV window is black.
4 If you schedule two programs to record at the same time (using the time-based Manual recording feature), you cannot watch either of
them while they are being recorded. Cancel one of the recordings, or wait until a recording is complete."

Why that was ever there is a mystery to me. I can't see a logical reason for that.


----------



## dsstalkcom (Oct 14, 2006)

nneptune said:


> that's why I paid the price of cutting my contract short, switched back to DISH, and couldn't be happier with the incredible Vip622 HD DVR.
> The one receiver actually goes to 2 TVs!
> I've never missed a recording, the PQ is excellent, and the machine is technically superior to anything D* CURRENTLY has out.
> I'm not putting down all of you long-time Directv customers.
> ...


DISH is not superior to DTV. 1 receiver goes to 2 TVs is a negative. divide the recording into 2 and have less recording time. how does 2 people use the same remote?

Did you checkout the HR10, HD DVR? This is better than DISH. Also the new HR20 is quite stable.

if you think DISH has better PQ, you are smokin somethin man. lol :lol:


----------



## paulman182 (Aug 4, 2006)

dsstalkcom said:


> DISH is not superior to DTV. 1 receiver goes to 2 TVs is a negative. divide the recording into 2 and have less recording time. how does 2 people use the same remote?
> Did you checkout the HR10, HD DVR? This is better than DISH. Also the new HR20 is quite stable.if you think DISH has better PQ, you are smokin somethin man. lol :lol:


I'm glad to see you point this out, dsstalkcom. One receiver feeding two rooms would also make it impossible for each to watch something while something else was recording. Two tuners are two tuners, however they are distributed.

Equipment now from D* is free or nearly so. I have 4 DVRs, including one for HD, and paid about $39. Why would we want one DVR to feed two rooms? That's costcutting on E*'s part, not a feature, IMHO.


----------



## nneptune (Mar 30, 2006)

dsstalkcom said:


> DISH is not superior to DTV. 1 receiver goes to 2 TVs is a negative. divide the recording into 2 and have less recording time. how does 2 people use the same remote?
> 
> Did you checkout the HR10, HD DVR? This is better than DISH. Also the new HR20 is quite stable.
> 
> if you think DISH has better PQ, you are smokin somethin man. lol :lol:


I've had both D* and E*, and the PQ on the 622 is better, in my opinion.
Also, you have the option with a simple button push to make the DVR work with 2 TVs or one. Single mode or dual mode. When I want to watch something different than my wife, we switch to dual mode. In single mode, the same program and DVR functions can be used on 2 TVs, and you'll see the same thing. There are 2 RF remotes, so you don't have to use one remoteat all. It works out perfectly.
Anyway, sorry.
I didn't want to come here to start any type of flame war. I'll slink away.
Take care.


----------



## Bobman (Jan 3, 2006)

paulman182 said:


> Why would we want one DVR to feed two rooms?


Cost. I have one R-15 connected to three TV's. I dont want to pay another $10 ($5 x 2 receivers) a month to put a receiver on a TV (kitchen and basement) I use maybe an hour a day. I wish the R-15 could split feeds so two different shows would be on two different sets.


----------



## paulman182 (Aug 4, 2006)

Ok, that makes sense. As long as D* would keep its policy of letting us get as many as we want, cheap.


----------



## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

paulman182 said:


> I'm glad to see you point this out, dsstalkcom. One receiver feeding two rooms would also make it impossible for each to watch something while something else was recording. Two tuners are two tuners, however they are distributed.
> 
> Equipment now from D* is free or nearly so. I have 4 DVRs, including one for HD, and paid about $39. Why would we want one DVR to feed two rooms? That's costcutting on E*'s part, not a feature, IMHO.


In addition to what was posted by someone else, Hooking up the OTA tuner will let the 622 record three things in HD at once or one OTA HD + two satellite channels to put it another way. the second remote is UHF to work from another room.

Total rcording time is the same, IOWs 200 hours of SD or 30 Hours of HD or a mix. It isn't split. The beauty of that is you can record in single mode on your HDTV. Press the button to go to Dual mode, Go to the bedroom and continue watching what you recorded. Or watch what you recorded on 2 Tvs, 2 different recordings. At the same time you are watching two different rcordings you could be recording 3 other things. Feed two TVs without paying a second receiver fee. a second use for feeding two Tvs off of one DVR, you can watch a HD recording on your HDTV, feed the TV2 output to a DVD recorder and record something else to the DVD recorder. A DVD recorded off of a HD Channel looks pretty good, Still 720 by 480 but pretty good.

Or to put it another way while recording a dvd of Lon Chaney movie off of Monsters HD live or DVRd you can be watching a music concert on Rave HD.

Hope that clears up why a 622 is kind of neat. True it doesn't have the capacity that 2 seperate DVRs could have but I've always found that recording I might watch tend to build up to more or less fill whatever space I have no matter how much space I have.

Cheers


----------



## cabanaboy1977 (Nov 16, 2005)

TBoneit said:


> In addition to what was posted by someone else, Hooking up the OTA tuner will let the 622 record three things in HD at once or one OTA HD + two satellite channels to put it another way. the second remote is UHF to work from another room.


That's cool that you can record 3 things, wish the HR20 or the HR10-250 did that.


----------



## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

dsstalkcom said:


> how does 2 people use the same remote?


Each "TV" has its own remote. The TV2 remote is RF, so it doesn't need to be LOS to the receiver. It works fine within the three recording at once limitation.


> Did you checkout the HR10, HD DVR? This is better than DISH.


First off, with the latest software release, the HR10 is less stable than it used to be. Secondly, it is MPEG2 which will render it a whole lot less useful within a year. Third, they are hard to come by anymore.


> Also the new HR20 is quite stable.


You don't read the headlines here at DBSTalk, do you. The HR20 has numerous issues. Chief among them is that the ATSC tuner is not active. Many have reported problems similar to the R15 with respect to failed recordings and an anoying habit of not recording football.


> if you think DISH has better PQ, you are smokin somethin man. lol :lol:


Most people who have access to both say that Dish is better.

DirecTV still has a couple of things going for them: NFLST and a large base of customers who are willing to wait for what they have said that they will deliver next year (and the year _before_ that).

Their current hardware offerings are not among their big attractions.


----------



## Andrew_J_M (Feb 11, 2005)

If there are too many receivers tuning in to the same signal the satellite will fall down.:lol:


----------



## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

cabanaboy1977 said:


> That's cool that you can record 3 things, wish the HR20 or the HR10-250 did that.


I can't think of any reason either of those shouldn't be able to record from OTA HD signals as long as they have a ATSC tuner. Of course with the HR-20 first they need to get OTA working.

One possible reason they might not is that then the people complaining about dual buffers would want triple buffers?


----------



## nx211 (Aug 17, 2006)

judegirl said:


> Okay. So, this morning, I'm watching the movie The Island, for the first time ever.
> 
> POOF!
> 
> ...


I just hate it when it does that "POOF!" thing.

You may want call retention and ask them to send you an R10. It never does that "POOF" thing. Last I heard, they still have some in stock. It might just give you some peace of mind. The R10 has a fully matured, stable programming guide that never lets you down.

nx211


----------

