Got my "replacement" HR10-250 today

[GadgetJunkies]

As I have mentioned in another thread, I had called DTV to complain about the constant rebooting and audio dropouts on my HR10-250 after receiving the 6.3 update. After several calls they said they would send out a new HR10 which I received today. Arrived in a new, sealed DTV box with a new access card. I called to activate the unit and they said that this new unit would be on a $0 cost lease. I said hold on, "you want me to send back the unit I purchased from you and then put me on a lease for this new unit?" Yes sir. My problem with this is that if I ever leave DTV I will have to return this new unit and be out my purchase price of my old unit. Does anyone else see the problem with this?

[GreyGhost00]

Are you on the replacement plan?

[Sir_winealot]

Yeah, I see the problem and I don't like what they're doing. The D* apologists will say "but it won't work with anything but D*, so it's no good to you if you leave."

But If I leave, I could always sell it and recoup some of my initial costs!

[GadgetJunkies]

Are you on the replacement plan?
If you mean the monthly service plan, then no, however, this is a software issue not a hardware iisue.

[Lee L]

I would not agree to those terms. I would just send the new one back and say that yours started working again.

[hiker]

If you activate the new unit with the old access card as a "replacement" there should be no lease. I have done this several times both using a new unit I purchased and with a refurbished unit sent by D*. But use the new access card and they will ask for a lease.

I would just put the old card in the new unit, go thru Guided Setup (if you haven't done so already) and call and tell them you are activating a replacement on card xxxx (old card id). If they say anything about a lease, say no thanks, and call back to try another CSR.

[GadgetJunkies]

If you activate the new unit with the old access card as a "replacement" there should be no lease. I have done this several times both using a new unit I purchased and with a refurbished unit sent by D*. But use the new access card and they will ask for a lease.

I would just put the old card in the new unit, go thru Guided Setup (if you haven't done so already) and call and tell them you are activating a replacement on card xxxx (old card id). If they say anything about a lease, say no thanks, and call back to try another CSR.
I tried that. They had me activate the new access card. Couldn't I just swap out hard drives?

[ShiningBengal]

As I have mentioned in another thread, I had called DTV to complain about the constant rebooting and audio dropouts on my HR10-250 after receiving the 6.3 update. After several calls they said they would send out a new HR10 which I received today. Arrived in a new, sealed DTV box with a new access card. I called to activate the unit and they said that this new unit would be on a $0 cost lease. I said hold on, "you want me to send back the unit I purchased from you and then put me on a lease for this new unit?" Yes sir. My problem with this is that if I ever leave DTV I will have to return this new unit and be out my purchase price of my old unit. Does anyone else see the problem with this?

Don't you still have the old one? Replace the drive and sell it on eBay. You will recoup your "investment."

Don't know what an HR10 brings in these days, but I would think you would do as well now as ever.

[GadgetJunkies]

Don't you still have the old one? Replace the drive and sell it on eBay. You will recoup your "investment."

Don't know what an HR10 brings in these days, but I would think you would do as well now as ever.
They are requiring me to send the old one back. If I don't I'll get charged $450 for it. I have 14 days to send it back.

[GalenMD]

They are trying to pull a fast one on you.

The new unit is yours, not a lease. Tell them that. They are replacing a unit that you own and they damaged. They do not have a choice. If they want your old unit back. Say "OK. How much will you be paying me for it?" If the old unit is worth $450 to them, ask them to give that amount to you.

[GadgetJunkies]

On the phone with them now. They have offered $200 instant credit on my account + $10/mth credit for 12 months on my TCP package + $10/mth credit for my HD package for 4 months + $10/mth credit for HBO for 6 months + Free Showtime for 4 months. This equates to about $520 in credits. I'm taking that deal. Now my problem is how to get around not having to plug the phone line in. In the initial setup it is trying to make a test call with my phone line unplugged. I can't use the DVR functions unless it makes that test call. If it makes that test call it's gonna pull down the 6.3 software and I'm back where I started.

[GalenMD]

Seems like a good deal.

I think if you make the test call before it gets the data download from the satelitte, you should be OK. The data stream gets sent around 2 a.m..

[GadgetJunkies]

Did the test call. I don't think it grabbed the 6.3 update.

[housedoc]

I am new to the forum and have tried to catch up on some HR10-250 issues. I have been a DTV customer since 1998 and currently have 4 receivers. I have one stand alone sony tivo and the HR10-250. I own all of my equipment. Occasional glitches during playback were just acceptable as the price you pay with a hard drive. Just today with abc (since June I receive my locals through DTV) the HR10 has frozen twice and had to be unplugged to get restarted. What is the deal? Is it new software or more likely a hardware issue, HDMI, etc. Should I just try to be patient and wait for software update?
As I own the equipment if this persists do I contact Hughes, DTV or Tweeter where I purchased this device? I would prefer not to dump all the programs that I recorded to clear the memory and restart just to find out that it still freezes. It is just like Dell telling you that you have to wipe your hard drive clean and reinstall everything before someone agrees that the DVD drive really is defective.
Any troubleshooting advice/updates would be appreciated.
James

[redfiver]

My hr10-250 was having audio drop outs when i was at 3.1.5 for quite a while. I was hoping the update to 6.3 would fix that problem so I hadn't called D* to complain. I've had this unit since the intial roll out a couple of years ago. I replaced the hard drive on it about 6 months or so ago as it finally went bad.

Anyway, last week i called D* complaining about the issue. They were going to replace the unit, and put me in a 2 yr commitment and lease me the new unit at no cost. I wasn't happy about this, complained (not even a lot), and they said they'd send me a new unit for free, no lease, and not require a 2 yr commitment. They said they were doing this since they knew they had problems with the 6.3 update.

I installed the new unit last night, this morning it said "pending restart" and i was up to 6.3 this morning. No audio drop outs, no problems at all. I know that people are having problems with 6.3, so I feel lucky.

[andystj]

Housedoc,

I don't have any technical advice for you, but I would offer practical advice. If your DVR seems to be getting flaky, I would go ahead and sign up for DirectTV's Equipment Replacement Plan. At $8 per month, it may be worthwhile.

I was occassional freezes starting last winter on one of my 2 HR10-250's. It just died, and DTV sent its replacement right out. Since I was on the replacement program, I still own the box and I didn't have to sign up for a new contract. Plus I convinced them to credit $75 to my account to cover the lost programming. I paid the $8 for 10 months before using it, but the service credit almost covered that expense.

On the performance side, the unit that died was still running softerware Ver 3.X. I allowed the other to upgrade to 6.3a, and I have been VERY happy with the increased speed. So far, I've had one little audio drop, but overall the performance is GREATLY improved.

Good luck,
Andy

[hiker]

...
If your DVR seems to be getting flaky, I would go ahead and sign up for DirectTV's Equipment Replacement Plan. At $8 per month, it may be worthwhile.
...
It's $5.99 now. I was still being charged $7.99 back in April when the price changed and I had to drop the DPP and add it back to get the $5.99 price. If you do this, be aware that the plan won't be in effect for 30 days but you won't be charged for 30 days either.

[GreyGhost00]

Did the test call. I don't think it grabbed the 6.3 update.
The 6.3 authorization isn't part of the test call (thank goodness). It's included in the Nightly call.

[iweinreb]

It's $5.99 now. I was still being charged $7.99 back in April when the price changed and I had to drop the DPP and add it back to get the $5.99 price. If you do this, be aware that the plan won't be in effect for 30 days but you won't be charged for 30 days either.

I'm sure glad you mentioned this. I just checked the DTV website, and sure enough, I'm still being charged $7.99. :mad: I called them, and at first the person tried to convince me that the price was $5.99 for those who leased their equipment, and $7.99 for those (like me) who owned the equipment, because for the people leasing equipment, the protection plan wasn't needed to cover (leased) receivers. That made no sense, because the DTV website page on the Protection Plan specifically states that it covers all your receivers for $5.99 (without drawing any distinction between leased and owned equipment). After the guy checked the website himself (and put me on hold three times), he agreed to give me the $5.99 monthly price. I asked him for a $12 credit to cover the at least six months I had been overcharged, and he gave me a free month of Showtime (which was ok with me). Thus, I now have the $5.99 price, with no lapse in coverage, and a free month of Showtime to cover the past overcharge.

Quite a racket DTV has going on with this - - lower the price but continue to charge everyone the old, higher price until they notice and complain. Reminds me of the old people you hear about every once in a while who are still paying their phone company a few bucks a month for the old rotary phone they used to lease 25 years ago!

[SkersR1]

2 weeks ago my Hard Drive failed. I called DTV and they would not give me a replacement. They told me I had to go to the $0.00 lease as well as renew my 2 year commitment. I tried about 4 CSRs, but none of them would budge. My receiver is just under 1 year old as well.

[redfiver]

under 1 year? doesn't it have a 1 year warranty on it? They quickly let me get another unit for free, with no lease and all that, and my unit is a couple of years old.