Buy and Record PPV channel 99

[roberb]

Has anyone been able to set up a recording for War of the Worlds on HD PPV channel 99?

I have been trying for the last several days and even though I can find the movie by doing a search by title, when I go to get pricing info and record, it tells me that the information is not available and I should check again within 24 hours of the showing.

I emailed DTV support and they told me to schedule it on channel 187. I came home tonight and tried it and channel 187 doesn't even show up on "all channels". So I spent nearly an hour on the phone with tech support and they said that the schedules on channel 99 are very fluid and that they may change frequently, so I that's why I can't set up a "buy & record" in advance. Can you believe this garbage for an answer?

So I am supposed to remember at 6 am in the morning on the 2nd of March so that I can set up a recording for the 6:30 showing - Yeah right!

They are advertising the hell out of this movie and when I go to buy it I have to jump through all these hoops?

I reminded the people that I spoke with that DTV service has gone to hell and that if they keep this up, they could lose a customer that's been paying them over $100 / month.

In the past, when I have made a call to their support group, I have received a follow-up call from them asking me if the issue I called about has been resolved.

I don't really expect to get a similar call this time.

I told them "in the customer support business One Awsh*t wipes out a hundred attaboys!" and their response was "Huh?"

RB

[roberb]

So ... has anybody been able to buy and record anything on Channel 99 HD PPV?

RB

[btwyx]

So ... has anybody been able to buy and record anything on Channel 99 HD PPV?I have, I recorded Madagascar a couple of weeks ago. I've recorded a few others before that. I've done it with the remote and on the website.

The latest was with the remote as the website was screwed up and didn't have a buy button.

[roberb]

Thanls for the reply.

I just tried again. I could get the info on The Man, but not on War of the Worlds.

Go Figure.

RB

[videojanitor]

I bought and recorded it last week. However, I was getting the same message as you were, right up until a few hours before it was scheduled to start -- then suddenly it became "available" to purchase and I was able to set the recording.

[btwyx]

For what its worth, I just got to "Buy & Record" for this afternoon's showing at 2:30 (Pacific). I think I've occasionally hit the "not available" message which is when I usually go look it up on the web site. Usuaully I don't think about these things too far in advance though.

[roberb]

Interesting experience this channel 99 is turning out to be.

This morning about 22 hours before air time on Thursday morning, I tried and got the same info not available message. Then I did a search and found the 2:30 pm showing today and Iwas able to set it up to record. Tonight I checked and it did record it at 2:30.

Go Figure ...

RB

[DAS37]

I have the same issues trying to record PPV soccer events on channel 121 and even matches for the English Premier League package which I have paid for the whole season. I want to schedule recordings for these well in advance, not have to wake up in the middle of the night to schedule a recording for 7am PT. At least I can use the website for the former but that won't help me with the latter. I have already paid for the season package and I should be able to schedule recordings for matches as soon as they appear on the program guide. They really need to address the whole recording of pay per view items.

[roberb]

Their excuse is that because the schedules on channel 99 (and apparently others, too) are "changable" they don't want us to set up a recording too far in advance and then end up recording the wrong thing because they changed the programming and get mad at them.

It seems to me that scheduling a PPV movie and sticking with that schedule is not rocket science. And when you look at the guide, there are so many gaps in the schedule that ... I just don't understand what they're thinking.

RB

[moonman]

Their excuse is that because the schedules on channel 99 (and apparently others, too) are "changable" they don't want us to set up a recording too far in advance and then end up recording the wrong thing because they changed the programming and get mad at them.

It seems to me that scheduling a PPV movie and sticking with that schedule is not rocket science. And when you look at the guide, there are so many gaps in the schedule that ... I just don't understand what they're thinking.

RB
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One reason might be because D* uses(read steals) the bandwidth from ch. 99
on Sat/Sun, and part of Mon. as well, in order to provide CDUSA in H/D over
the weekend on ch.101. If you notice, PPV movies are not available during this
timeframe.. :(

[tomthumb]

I have had the same problem with ch.99, in that when I go to record something in advance- I'll get the message that the program is not available.
Later I found out the PPV HD cost is $4.99 so I passed on recording it anyhow.

Another ch.99 I have is that it keeps disappearing from my 'favorties' channel list.
Why would that happen?

[Ed Campbell]

DAS37 -- the way I worked around it when I used to sub to the EPL package was to setup manual season passes for either of the 2 channels they used to use. It would only be a problem for the 1st weekend in the season because the channels wouldn't even exist in All Channels until they turned them on for the season.

But, then, as package subscriber, the manual recordings by channel always worked.

Now, I've taken less than that amount and subscribed to Setanta. And that's month-by-month; so, I turn it off for a few months in the summer. Frankly, the Championship and lower down can be as much fun as the EPL sometimes [think Middlesbrough or West Brom] and I get a bunch more UEFA goodies.

[DAS37]

Yeah, manual recording is the way to go on that. For the FA Cup PPV matches, I can just buy those online then set up manual recordings. I have Setanta too and do the same thing in the off months by turning it off. They show a lot of Champions League stuff and international friendlies that you just can't get anywhere else in this country. If you are a supporter of a club that gets promoted/relegated a lot or just never makes it to the EPL, it could really come in handy.

[Ereth]

Hmm. I just tried to order War of the Worlds at 4 am tomorrow morning on 99 and couldn't do it. So as a test I tried to get the pricing info for Madagascar which starts in about a half hour. Can't get THAT either.

I guess they make it hard to encourage us to not order PPV?

[slydog75]

I had the same issue with The Island.. you'd think with the increased price (which I must admit is worth it for HD) that they 'd want to encourage us to order by making it easy, not beat us into submission by making it impossible.

[jspencer]

I never see anything available to record but their email response to me was 24/7 availability. Its a shame you can't even get a straight answer lol

[ayrton911]

I don't see anything being sold on channel 99?

[drewcipher]

I had this problem for a movie recently and I could get data for some movies, but not others. I tried to order through the web interface as well and it would not allow it. I called a CSR and they ordered it for me and removed the extra charge for phone service. I have 3 HR10-250s and everyone of them acts exactly the same on 99. I don't get complete guide data as I once did. I might show 8-12 upcoming movies, but they aren't necessarily the next 8-12 movies. There is sometimes an 6 or more hour gap between 2 listed movies. There is no TBA in between either. The funny thing is each of the 3 Tivos will have the exact same movies listed, and half of them I can't order.

Maybe if everyone starts calling to order and demanding that they not be charged, they will address this problem. They told me this was not a reported problem when I taked to them.

[ayrton911]

Must be my problem. No movies are listed on channel 99. :( I don't see them listed on my online directv guide either.

[TyroneShoes]

What happens if you set a SP for a PPV movie? When it becomes available, Tivo should then know, but will it automatically record a PPV?

[Sir_winealot]

Must be my problem. No movies are listed on channel 99. :( I don't see them listed on my online directv guide either.

Same here...