# Can you give me a reasonable timeframe for new software arriving for R15-300 E time Z



## audispartan (Sep 26, 2006)

I'm in the Eastern Time Zone, Michigan to be exact. I've been given the following dates for the arrival of the new software, which I was told would improve my R15-300, which is basically useless right now. 

The dates: 
December 14, 2006
December 24, 2006
December 31, 2006
January 9, 2007
January 11, 2007
Sometime between January 11 and January 16, 2007

As you can see, time has come and gone... 
Can anyone give me a true date?


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## kingwhick (Jan 10, 2007)

Are they not willing to give you another box if your current one is locked up or unusable?


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## audispartan (Sep 26, 2006)

kingwhick said:


> Are they not willing to give you another box if your current one is locked up or unusable?


In all honesty, why should I take that risk? I've been told the software will fix most/all problems, I don't know what I'm getting with a replacement (might even be another 300), and it might even be a re-furbished machine, which I find unacceptable to step down to from a machine that worked perfectly until the software starting releasing in mid-December. 
Plus, I'd lose all of my recordings, which are the only things that work consistently on my current machine.


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## rlambert7 (Feb 7, 2006)

audispartan said:


> ... Can anyone give me a true date?


I seriously doubt that there is anyone on this forum who would be so bold as to say that they could. The new version is definitely in the process of distribution (I got mine on 1/10/07, but I'm on the West coast).

Just sit tight, DON'T hold your breath. You will eventually get it automatically. You'll know when you have it because your MyVOD will say MyPlaylist.

You could try to "force-a-download"*. That will always give something, either the same version you have, or the new version. If you do try that, and you just end up with the same version you currently have, wait a few days [at least] before you try it again, because everytime you reboot/reset or try to force a download, you lose the contents of The Guide. It will start to repopulate immediately, but will take about 24 hours to fully populate.

Another note - DTV will ALWAYS tell you that your problems will be fixed in the next release of the S/W. Another thing they will tell you is to do a "reformat". That actually does help some customers' situtation sometimes, but be aware that you will lose all of your recorded shows if you do that.

*see elsewhere on this forum for instructions on how to do that


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

Earl posted in another thread that the -300 software won't go nationwide until next week. It is now being distributed on the west coast. I got it automatcially last night.

However, I would not go so far as to say the software upgrade will be the silver bullet that fixes all problems. If you have not done a reformat, that may still be needed, but certainly wait for the software upgrade if you have programs you don't want erased (the reformat will erase everything). If after you get the update you still have problems, then you need to do a reformat, and if that doesn't help, request a replacement box.

Carl


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## YogiMomNJ (Jan 17, 2007)

I am on the East Coast, called Directv customer service last night, and they gave me a date of "by Jan 24" 

**sigh**


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## cobaltblue (Feb 22, 2006)

YogiMomNJ said:


> I am on the East Coast, called Directv customer service last night, and they gave me a date of "by Jan 24"
> 
> **sigh**


YogiMomNJ,
The one thing I have learned is patience with updates. I have had my R-15 since December 2005. Updates seem to be forever coming and take that long for the full rollout. Please keep in mind there are many more units in operation since I first started with the R-15. I know the wait is not the greatest but know it's coming. Take the dates and info that you get from CSR's with a grain of salt. Good luck....


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## audispartan (Sep 26, 2006)

carl6 said:


> Earl posted in another thread that the -300 software won't go nationwide until next week. It is now being distributed on the west coast. I got it automatcially last night.
> 
> However, I would not go so far as to say the software upgrade will be the silver bullet that fixes all problems. If you have not done a reformat, that may still be needed, but certainly wait for the software upgrade if you have programs you don't want erased (the reformat will erase everything). If after you get the update you still have problems, then you need to do a reformat, and if that doesn't help, request a replacement box.
> 
> Carl


Carl,
Not to be critical, but you advocate reformats frequently. If after my software comes, do you consider it mandatory to do a reformat, or would a red button reset and/or a pulling of the power plug be the first step. And has anyone had success with these lesser resets? I'm not in the mood to lose my recordings since they are the only thing that still works. 
For the record, some of my problems:

No buffer in live TV
Not able to record
Total lockup
Channel lock (only banner changes, not channel)


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

I do advocate reformats a lot. The reason is because it has been demonstrated repeatedly that doing one will in fact resolve a lot of problems.

There have been a variety of posts that suggest the R15-300 is suffering more problems than the others. There is a poll that clearly reflects that, and at least one CSR has posted on these forums someplace that the R15-500 is much less trouble prone than are the -100 and -300.

Based on the types of symptoms that people are having, especially with the -300, you could surmise that perhaps some of them at least have some type of disk formatting problem (the manner in which they freeze up, and the fact that these problems seem to be exclusive to certain manufacturers. If there is a problem of that nature, a reformat will correct it, whereas lesser measures won't.

I am really not trying to be a broken record, and I'm not trying to mimic telephone CSR's (reset, reformat, replace). However given the magnitude of some users problems, there really are not too many other options to explore.

I am going to suspect that DirecTV might be trying to incorporate something in the -300 upgrade that would preclude a reformat, based on the fact that it has undergone at least one additional software revision than the other two boxes, and that the -300 software is just now rolling out, weeks after the other two. Given that, if you have recordings of value, I would certainly wait for the next upgrade and see if it resolves your problems without a reformat. If it does, wonderful. If it doesn't, then a reformat would still be in order.

Please don't misunderstand, in no way am I trying to argue that the current condition of the R15 is acceptable, nor do I think DirecTV believes that. They appear to be working to identify and resolve the problems, and I hope they do. I have an R15-500 an an R15-300, and I have also had to do the reformat, losing recordings. I appreciate the frustration you and others have with the unit not working as it should.

Good luck with the update, I hope it helps.

Carl


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## wbmccarty (Apr 28, 2006)

carl6 said:


> I do advocate reformats a lot. The reason is because it has been demonstrated repeatedly that doing one will in fact resolve a lot of problems.


Unlike Carl, I've had--and continue to have--ongoing, serious problems with the R-15. But, I join him in asserting that RBRs and reformats tend to clear up problems. What's merely implicit in his recommendation, and therefore may lead to unnecessary disagreement, is that such improvements may be only temporary. Such has been my experience. But, others have enjoyed long, sometimes indefinitely long, periods of relatively trouble-free operation subsequent to an RBR or reformat. If you continue to experience problems, you can certainly reduce their frequency by doing a reformat and then regularly doing RBRs. But, even then, performance and reliability may not reach satisfactory levels. :nono2:

Clearer? 

Cheers,


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## wbmccarty (Apr 28, 2006)

You'd expect these sorts of defects to lead to catastrophic failures more often than merely affecting functional operation in relatively subtle ways. Still, it could happen. Clearly, something's going on. And, whatever it is, some folks are much worse affected than others.

Cheers,


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