OK people, We need to organize and push DirecTV for a fix!

[Mark W]

I have been reading the threads here about the freezing/rebooting issues since mine started to go bad. It seems like it's getting worse and worse. We need to organize an effort to get DirecTV to acknowledge the problem, and work on a fix!

My quick story:

I have had DTivos as my sole DirecTV receivers since 2001. Months ago, I started noticing that my HDTivo in the basement that I don't watch often would once or twice a week be frozen with a black screen. Replaced it with an HR20, knowing that I would need it for the new HD anyway. Then about a week or two ago, another one of my DTivos started freezing up, unresponsive. And a week ago the same started happening to my other one. It's so bad now that they are almost unusable. One rebooted twice during The Office last night. A friend I had not talked to for a while called me asking about how to work his new DirecTV DVR. I asked him why he got it, and he said his old one kept freezing up, so DirecTV replaced it with an R15. So I called two other friends I know and they both reported similar problems. 4 for 4 with people I know.

Back to the point. How can we organize and get our message out? The first thing is, if you have not called DirecTV, call them. Ask for the problem to be escalated. If you have friends with problems, make sure they call too.

My next step is to contact them via the website or e-mail. I know they usually get answered with canned answers, but my plan is to try and push for a real response.

What else can we do?

[Mark Griswold]

I'm with you. It's getting way out of hand. After the 6.3e update, I had no problem initially, despite seeing people here complaining about reboots/freezes. About 2 weeks ago, I experienced my first lockup, along with random pixelation (not just on locals either). I've checked the signal strength and everything looks good, except for one transponder on 119 in the 70-80 range. Still, that shouldn't cause the Tivo to reboot.

Since then, I've experienced more frequent random reboots or freezes. 2 days ago it froze up 3 times, and yesterday rebooted at least 6 times, twice each during "The Office" and "ER", and for the first time I started seeing the Tivo revert to B/W (not just for recorded programs, the menus and all are B/W). It spent a few minutes in B/W, then randomly flickered on/off to color, then finally came back to normal. Never saw that before, ever.

I tried the "Connect to DVR service" solution a few people have mentioned on another thread, but that hasn't done anything to help.

I'm tempted to install 6.2 on a spare drive, just to be able to go a day without rebooting. If they can't fix it, they should just download 6.2 back to our Tivos until they can. I intend to call DTV just to raise the issue and ask for a partial refund.

[ebonovic]

FYI...

While you are pushing DirecTV... be sure to also push TiVo, Inc...
As they write the software for the system.

[Mark W]

I notice you're in CT too. Two reboots during The Office, just like me...hmmm... My reboots were at about 3 minutes in, and somewhere in the teens, or maybe about 20 minutes in. Is that where yours were?

I noticed once previously that both of my SD Tivos froze on the exact same frame of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. That's when I knew that it wasn't just a hard drive issue.

[wedgecon]

FYI...

While you are pushing DirecTV... be sure to also push TiVo, Inc...
As they write the software for the system.

Only at the request of DirecTV. Tivo is not allowed to do anything with out DirecTV's permission. All of our attention needs to be focused on DirecTV.

[Mark Griswold]

I notice you're in CT too. Two reboots during The Office, just like me...hmmm... My reboots were at about 3 minutes in, and somewhere in the teens, or maybe about 20 minutes in. Is that where yours were?

I noticed once previously that both of my SD Tivos froze on the exact same frame of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. That's when I knew that it wasn't just a hard drive issue.

Yes, South Windsor. I assume you were watching on WVIT 30 too? Mine rebooted at almost those exact times.

I have a strong feeling (due to the pixelation problems I've seen) that this has something to do with the Tivo choking on some bad data in the sat video stream.

The odd thing is that I've had it reboot while watch from the NPL, but rewatching the same show after the reboot it played just fine.
Of course, the reboot could have been caused by whatever else it was recording at the time (or just from buffering Live TV) if that is indeed what the source of the problem is.

[Dkerr24]

Pretty sad that Tivo and Directv still use their customers as beta testers. Thank goodness I'm running rock solid ver 6.2.

But then, I'm still running Win XP. Refuse to be a MS 'beta tester' for Vista.

[patonenow]

EARL:
While you are correct about DIRECTV and TIVO please don't confuse the 6.3a issue. We all pay our money to DIRECTV and they are the responsible party to complain to. I would hope with some of your connections that you are making them aware as well!
I already asked for an adjustment to my bill for the troubles caused so far but of course they are still"investigating".
You forum members are on the right track so just keep calling and complaining. I also record every conversation with DIRECTV as my attorney says it's legal and you know how they can never find what you told them or better yet they can't seem to remember what they had told you. Bottom line is they are responsible and it's past time they are forced to tow the mark.

[Mark W]

Mark,

Thanks for the info. Based on the fact that ours rebooted at the same times on the same show, and also that I had two of my units that are not networked freeze at the exact same point in a show, it seems to me that there is something in the signal being sent that the DTivos can't handle. I don't understand much about how they work, so take my theory as an uneducated hypothesis.

[Gunnyman]

I guess I should be happy that I still have 6.2 eh? :D

[stlfan62]

Yes, South Windsor. I assume you were watching on WVIT 30 too? Mine rebooted at almost those exact times.

I have a strong feeling (due to the pixelation problems I've seen) that this has something to do with the Tivo choking on some bad data in the sat video stream.

The odd thing is that I've had it reboot while watch from the NPL, but rewatching the same show after the reboot it played just fine.
Of course, the reboot could have been caused by whatever else it was recording at the time (or just from buffering Live TV) if that is indeed what the source of the problem is.

Bizarre ... I'm in CT, too (Harwinton), and my TiVo locked up at about the same time as your first reboot, then rebooted at about the same time as your second reboot! I was not watching "The Office", but I was recording it (WVIT) while I was watching a recorded "Daily Show". Not the first lock-up/reboot issue I've experienced, but it led me to post my first query to this forum (sorry, can't embed the URL until I've reached the 5-post milestone).

This sw version is crapola. The three of us should keep a log of reboots/lockups and see how well they correlate. For the record, my unit also locked up sometime during the night. I turned the TV off about 10:30 PM, and this morning it was frozen again.

[ebonovic]

EARL:
While you are correct about DIRECTV and TIVO please don't confuse the 6.3a issue. We all pay our money to DIRECTV and they are the responsible party to complain to. I would hope with some of your connections that you are making them aware as well!
I already asked for an adjustment to my bill for the troubles caused so far but of course they are still"investigating".
You forum members are on the right track so just keep calling and complaining. I also record every conversation with DIRECTV as my attorney says it's legal and you know how they can never find what you told them or better yet they can't seem to remember what they had told you. Bottom line is they are responsible and it's past time they are forced to tow the mark.


Don't get me wrong...

You have all the right to hold DirecTV over the fire to pressure TiVo, Inc... to provide them with an update.... so they can in turn provide their customers with an appropriate fix.

[Mark Griswold]

This sw version is crapola. The three of us should keep a log of reboots/lockups and see how well they correlate. For the record, my unit also locked up sometime during the night. I turned the TV off about 10:30 PM, and this morning it was frozen again.A log would be a good idea. Anyone know if the Tivo (unhacked) serial port dumps out any logging data when it boots? If so, I might just hook up a laptop to log everything it spits out.

[ttodd1]

I guess I should be happy that I still have 6.2 eh? :D


Me too. ;)

[patonenow]

EARL:
I understand and agree.
My own opinion that would be best for all parties concerned is to just
release the before 6.3e software that most had and let it override the present 6.3e last update. That way things I would hope would be back almost to "normal" and then let them test away as long as they need to. I also think trying to make all software work with all equipments is an almost hopeless task and I think you being who you are probably suspect that already. Or that TIVO was built to reset at almost any glitch and they knew that but decided to go for the "one in all' anyway.
Take care and let's hope that we dont get tossed by the wayside.

[Mark W]

Earl,

How about a CE release to allow those that are having problems to go back to a prior version? Wouldn't that help them pinpoint the problem?

[sjberra]

Only at the request of DirecTV. Tivo is not allowed to do anything with out DirecTV's permission. All of our attention needs to be focused on DirecTV.

But they own the code, they maintain it, they are responsible for failures in the code, not D*. No difference in this as in the PC world where Autodesk is responsible for problems that occur in their application Autocad, not the manufacturer of the PC.

[Naipes]

Something fishy is going on here.

I too am having the same problem. I too live in CT. My Directv Tivo just started freezing too, sometimes the screen goes gray, sometimes the screen just freezes, either way, the Tivo is unresponsive and I have to reboot the TiVo to get it working.

The STRANGEST thing is this, the other day, I turn on my TV and it comes up on the Directv DVR channel! The channel that advertises the Directv dvr. I NEVER watch that channel, who would? It's just a non-stop 24 hour advertisement for the Directv dvr. I thought it very strange, here I am having all this "trouble" with my Tivo and I turn on my TV to see my Tivo tuned to the Directv Dvr channel. Coincidence or conspiracy?

Screw that. I'll dump Directv in a heartbeat if they're messing with my Tivo. I will not be forced into buying a directv dvr. I will go without directv before that happens. I heard that Comcast has a deal with Tivo. What's that all about? Is it available yet? I'm ready to jump ship if this "issue" isn't resolved soon. The whole reason I went for Directv is because of Tivo and the NFL package, but I'll give up the football package for my Tivo any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Directv, are you listening? Probably not, no one cares except the customer that's getting screwed.

[mlctvt]

I'm another CT customer (Essex) who'd been having the same rebooting/locking problem for about 2 weeks on just one of my two tivos. Both are on 6.3e so I'm not sure why only one is having problems.

[ebonovic]

Earl,

How about a CE release to allow those that are having problems to go back to a prior version? Wouldn't that help them pinpoint the problem?

The structure of the TiVo update procedure... doesn't allow a similar "CE" process

[Joey Bond]

Im from New Haven Ct and I have been having the same problems

[nv_flyfisher]

I recently had freeze (2) and random reboot (1) issues here in NV as well. One freeze while recording 'The War,' but, fortunately, I was able to record the same episode later in the week. My DVR had been bulletproof up until about two weeks ago.

[Mark W]

People, make sure you call DirecTV. And when you talk to them, make sure you pressure them into escalating the issue. That's the only way these things get seen as a widespread problem.

[tough joe]

EARL:
While you are correct about DIRECTV and TIVO please don't confuse the 6.3a issue. We all pay our money to DIRECTV and they are the responsible party to complain to. I would hope with some of your connections that you are making them aware as well!
I already asked for an adjustment to my bill for the troubles caused so far but of course they are still"investigating".
You forum members are on the right track so just keep calling and complaining. I also record every conversation with DIRECTV as my attorney says it's legal and you know how they can never find what you told them or better yet they can't seem to remember what they had told you. Bottom line is they are responsible and it's past time they are forced to tow the mark.


Be careful. Many clients have gone to jail because their attorney told them "it's legal." The attorney wont serve time, you will. Recording phone calls is a violation in many locations.

[rbtravis]

Be careful. Many clients have gone to jail because their attorney told them "it's legal." The attorney wont serve time, you will. Recording phone calls is a violation in many locations.
Just tell them at the start of the call you are being recorded. Thats what Charles Schwab does. You also have the recording showing that they were warned by you and they are responsible for what they say. :D

[verchad]

Just tell them at the start of the call you are being recorded. Thats what Charles Schwab does. You also have the recording showing that they were warned by you and they are responsible for what they say. :D

Go right ahead with the fair warning that you are recording the phone call. Lately, more and more, when I have called customer service for many different companies that I have dealings with, they at some point say something like, "to insure accuracy of your request, this portion of your phone call may/will be recorded." We should be able to do the same to insure the accuracy of the statements being made.

[wedgecon]

But they own the code, they maintain it, they are responsible for failures in the code, not D*. No difference in this as in the PC world where Autodesk is responsible for problems that occur in their application Autocad, not the manufacturer of the PC.

DirecTV took over the control for the DirecTivo's, they do all of the support and farm out the upgrades to TiVo when they want something. Tivo employees are forbidden to even acknowledge the exsistence of the problem with out DirecTV's permission. Even if they wanted to no developer could even do any "prep" work with out permission from DirecTV. This is a one way relationship, Tivo can not and will not have any say in the fix for this problem.

[dtvtivouser_9292]

If Tivo, Inc has any brains, they'd be monitoring forums like this one... heck, this one included and they should already be talking with DirecTV about how to address the issue.

You know, I used to be a 100% Tivo supporter but with lousy "upgrades" like this my loyalty to Tivo is diminishing. While that could be DirecTV's ultimate goal, they should know that I hold them BOTH responsible for this mess.

[BHyde]

I called DIRECTV again today, which is the fourth time in less than a week, because my three DTIVO's (two Samsung and an R10) have been freezing or rebooting a couple of times a day. I am also experiencing temporary losses of sound or color. Yesterday, a tech support rep walked me through unplugging and replugging cords on one of the machines, and had me clear and delete everything on the other two. But since then the problem has continued. SO I called again today. The first tech rep offered to replace the machines with new DTIVOS, but then I was later told that none are left and all they had were their own DVRs, which I told them I would not accept. So now they are sending out someone next Sunday to examine my system. I am not very optimistic.

From everything I read on all the different blogs on this forum dealing with this problem, no one has found a fix. Buying a replacement DTIVO from Weaknees is expensive, and there is no guarantee the problem will be fixed. Weaknees doesn't allow returns after you've activated DTV service, so there's a significant risk factor involved.

It seems as though DTV doesn't really have or care about a fix for this problem. A year or so ago there was a problem with losing Season Passes that DTV eventually acknowledged after the press picked up the problem, and then DTV found a solution. But apparently not this time. Anyone have any idea why?

The only silver lining is that at least TIVO has a promotion going on now, so that I can get new TIVO's at a reduced price. But I would very much miss Sunday Ticket and Setanta Sports, both of which are only available thru DTV. (The new HD offerings don't really interest me, since DTV does not offer the local public television station in HD, and most reports about HD sets say that SD doesn't look that great. So I planned to stick with an SD set to watch the UCONN women's basketball team games broadcast on our public TV station. THis would be a second benefit of going to Comcast, which does have CPTV on HD.)

[gshumaker]

I have been waiting some sort of response from DirecTV from all of this and after 6 weeks of random reboots, freezing screens, disappearing season passes, etc I finally called tonight to register my issues.

After being transfered to Tech Support and being told that she has seen their logs with some issues with this upgrade and has no estimated fix date.

She gave me one option to replace the unit as a possible fix but I told her that I doubt all 3 of my tivo units which are all different makes and models would all start acting up the day after they all got the "upgrade"....she concurred!!

I asked for some compensation for all the troubles and she offered to give me credit for the 5.99 dvr fee. I asked for it back to August when all this started and further credit until it is fixed and she said I'd have to call back when it is corrected and they would do that and she would note it on my account.

We shall see how this all ends up???

[Dad440]

This is bizarre to read this thread because I live in New London, CT and have been having daily lockups sometime between 4am and 9am for the last 7-10 days on my R-10 which I upgraded 13 mos ago to a 250GB HD from Weaknees.

It seems to be displaying a local CT channel....maybe like the morning news, but hard to be sure. I have reset it by unplugging power, as remote was not working, but I didn't think to use the TIVO menu button to try the menu restart.

I called Directv tonight and talked to the escalated service, since I have a support contract service. He claimed that there has been solar flare activity from Oct 2 - Oct 10th which is one possible explanation.

He claimed that the 6.3e upgrade was started Aug 2nd, and completed Aug 22nd. I have not been having problems with freezing that long, so I'm not sure what to think....but I asked him to fill out an escalation report which he did.

[Mark W]

Keep calling people! Has anyone tried the written route via their website? I would try it, but I can't access their site at work. I had multiple lock ups and reboots last night.

[Mark W]

Earl,

Do you have any information about what DirecTV knows or is doing about this issue? Thanks.

[tivoupgrade]

I have been reading the threads here about the freezing/rebooting issues since mine started to go bad. It seems like it's getting worse and worse. We need to organize an effort to get DirecTV to acknowledge the problem, and work on a fix!

My next step is to contact them via the website or e-mail. I know they usually get answered with canned answers, but my plan is to try and push for a real response.

What else can we do?

I would suggest getting as many people to respond to the poll (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=367809) as possible, and then include a link to it in any correspondence you have with DirecTV. That way, every single communication is backed by some numbers...

[ping]

The structure of the TiVo update procedure... doesn't allow a similar "CE" process

Actually it allows something quite a lot better than the CE process. It allows individual machines to be targeted as opposed to anyone and everyone who happens to update during a time window.

[stlfan62]

It seems to be displaying a local CT channel....maybe like the morning news, but hard to be sure.


YES! Check out the message I just posted to the "Since 6.3e, Tivo's freezing" topic:


This is going to sound a little far-fetched, but I've been keeping a log of my reboots and lock-ups over the past week, and I've noticed a specific commonality across each one: One (or both) tuners tuned to a local channel.

I kid you not, I went almost the entire weekend with no reboot/lock-up issue, and never once tuned to a local channel. Sunday night, my wife set the unit to record off our local ABC affiliate, and the unit was frozen when we woke up. I restarted it, then tuned both tuners to "cable" channels (TBS and Comedy Central). Everything was fine all day yesterday until my wife switched to a local channel to watch "Dancing w/Stars", and it rebooted within 10 minutes. After the reboot, she continued watching on a non-TiVo TV, and I reset the tuners to TBS and Food, this time. It ran all night, successfully recorded "Daily Show", and is still running. Since I've been tracking this, all of my other reboots/lock-ups occurred when we were watching (or had the other tuner tuned to) our local NBC or CBS affiliate.

If you're in CT, I strongly urge you to try to track this the same way, if possible. It's a little tricky: you have to remember to set the other tuner to a non-local channel (especially after a reboot), and you have to recognize when you are recording from one of those channels. I'd be curious to hear some results.

I know there are going to be replies that I'm nuts, and I would agree that this may be entirely coincidental. There are too few data points so far to draw any conclusions. But I've yet to encounter a reboot or lock-up when both tuners are set to "cable" channels.

I think it could be a local channel issue, but I'd like to get more data points.

[pbod153]

YES! Check out the message I just posted to the "Since 6.3e, Tivo's freezing" topic:



I think it could be a local channel issue, but I'd like to get more data points.


Wow, I think your both right. Last night I was on a local when it locked up and this morning I was watching the weather on a local when it happened.

[m17_jeff]

I've seen my lockups with recorded and live and none of them were locals...
I think it just does it when it wants to...

[chuckg]

Actually it allows something quite a lot better than the CE process. It allows individual machines to be targeted as opposed to anyone and everyone who happens to update during a time window.

I have no idea what a "CE process" is but I do know 6.3e was activated about a week apart on each of my units. And each started "Welcome. Powering Up..." very soon thereafter.

[speed_phreak]

If it's any consolation, I have a hacked DTivo that rebooted a couple times yesterday evening. Around 8:00pm pacific. This unit is stuck at 6.2 (I will not upgrade, I use MRV). Looking through the logs, it looks like it rebooted about 4 or 5 times last night, just after midnight. This is reminiscent of the old corrupt guide data issues...

[J Dudash]

Hi folks,

Just FYI, I have had the same issues you have and am in Texas. I had a TIVO and thought it was a box issue since it was older. I called Directv and was told I could no longer get a TIVO with a Directv receiver, but that they could lease us one of theirs.

Here's the fun part. The Directv dvrs are having issues as well. They are less reliable than the TIVOS. We have had two and they are shipping a third. I am extremely frustrated... thus, the research that led me here.

Sorry, I digress... anyway, the issues with Directv don't seem to be isolated to a particular state, nor are they just with TIVO's. Interesting. My tech knowledge is extremely limited, but you'd think they could have found a remedy by now or at least acknowledged a problem, but I can't seem to get them to. I even wrote an e-mail and cc'd them certified mail asking that we handle this is writing. They said I had to call.

Hope it works itself out. I really preferred my TIVO. Is it true you can no longer buy a TIVO that is a Directv Receiver? What about one that can record multiple shows at the same time? Thanks in advance for any info.

[Dad440]

I just bought the InstantCake and burned it to CD.

Before I start going through all that, does anyone know if it allows you to save your programmed shows, or does it essentially reformat your entire Hard Drive, while installing ver 6.1 on R-10's, and 6.2 on other Directv Tivo DVR's?

[pbod153]

I just bought the InstantCake and burned it to CD.

Before I start going through all that, does anyone know if it allows you to save your programmed shows, or does it essentially reformat your entire Hard Drive, while installing ver 6.1 on R-10's, and 6.2 on other Directv Tivo DVR's?

No it does not. It creates a new tivo harddrive.

[lmd]

I just called DTV again to moan about this rebooting/freezing issue. I gave some poor supervisor named Jonathan a real ration of sh*t. He claims that they know about the problem and are working on it. Not sure I believe that part of what he said. However, I did believe him when he said that they are getting lots of calls.

So keep the pressure on them. Call and complain. And while you are at it ask for your monthly rate to be refunded.

[Mark W]

I just tried to call again to try and get somewhere and the CSR told me I had to call Tivo :rolleyes:. When I told her that they won't speak to DirecTV customers, she read me the instructions they have. It was talking about standalone Tivos. I tried to explain that to her, but she basically just told me that all the information they had. I didn't push it, it's no use. I'll call back again later.

[rbtravis]

Please go into User CP and add your Location. I have noticed that the majority of people who are posting are from CT. Perhaps one of the spot beams is causing problems. It would be nice to see if the majority of problems are in one area. Just a suggestion, to see if it is software or delivery. :confused:

[huskerbear]

Don't know if this is related or not but I have 2 R10 Tivos that have been locking out lately, (Picture still rolling on screen but remote does nothing) end up pushing the reset button.

My question is, people are talking about problems since the software update? Is this update done thru phone lines? I haven't had a phone line hooked up in over a year. Are they updated thru the dish?

I actually found this site looking for info on HR10-250 Dtv Tivos. I have several R-10 units in the house but I upgraded the main unit too the HR20 unit last year when we bought a new main tv that was HD. I didn't like the HR20 unit so I also run an R10 unit at the main tv location for everyday viewing in addition to the HR20.

Since I'm having trouble with the R10s, and they are finally releasing all those HD channels I was thinking of switching the main tv r10 to an Hr10-250 to get at least most HD channels with it plus have more recording time and be able to stay with the Tivo format, except when I have to flip over to the HR20 to get a paticular channal.

Am I on the wrong path???----------------thanks

[dtremain]

I'm not sure what to respond to here, so let me start with what I understand. If you don't have a phone line hooked up, you have not installed a software update.

Just to hit upon the obvious, have you tried new batteries in the remote?

[dtvtivouser_9292]

No, it isn't just CT.

[rock_doctor]

No, it isn't just CT.
It is pretty wide spread across the country. The CT thing is just a potential trigger i.e. a poor signal (a digital stream containing errors) and it *may* trigger a reboot. Which is possible as we had a *major* rainstorm last night here in NJ and my tivo rebooted twice while I was watching a recorded show. I know it was not power related as it is running off a 1400va ups.

mark

[rbtravis]

No, it isn't just CT.
I did no say it was as so many people are having problems I was just attempting to ascertain what areas are having the most problems. I am in Colorado and not having any problems. My dish points due south indicating it does not have as far to go as it would to Ct. Directv uses spot beams to various parts of the country. If one of these beams is going bad they could switch to another of their 5 Satellites. After all I was not asking for your address only the state you live in to see if there is a pattern of this happening or if it is spread country wide. Why are you objecting? don't you want the problem fixed? Directv has to determine the cause of the problem before they can look for a fix. Remember their are a lot more Tivos working than the 102 reported bad in tivoupgrade's poll. :)

[snetrich]

Another CT reader.... Seymour, the local channel might be something to look into... Mostly seems to reboot when watching a show, but I know the other tuners are probally recording a local. I also still get west coast ABC,CBS,NBC and such (have had DTV for 10 years) I will swap my recordings over to them to see. I am also calling DTV to see what's up.

[gworkman]

I've got a feeling the tactic of locking your system down to a previous version is not going to work for long. Remember, this all started back in December when DirecTV was working on "enhanced guide data". This update made all Tivos go crazy and DirecTV removed the ehancement while waiting for Tivo to "fix" it.

Some keys to remember....
Tivos are going to have "remote booking"
MRV code was removed from the latest update
Old Tivo software does not like the new DirecTV guide structure
Something appears to, once again, be amiss with guide data

At some point, you'll have a choice between enabling MRV and having a working Tivo. It will no longer be an option to keep the old software because it will be unable to process the guide data.

Hacked Tivos have been tremendous for me and I will certainly miss the functionality. I just fear that we simply won't have a choice in the near future.

[Mark W]

Well, I have an old Hughes SD-DVR40 with the 3.11xxx software that I just activated. I will run that along with the SD-DVR80 with the 6.3e software to see if they both lock up.

[yy4u]

Sounds like the same crap moneysoft is pulling F up your software with upgrades blame your hardware offer to sell you new stuff. Wonder if there is a law against this.

[kzapa]

This is my first post here, but I've been lurking for years...I should have come here and looked...I was convinced that my old hughes DTivo HDD had gone bad and was told they had leftover Tivo's in my area. They supposedly ordered one for me, but when it came it was the new DVR plus thing. I explained exactly what the rest of you have been talking about with freezing, crashing, pixelation and rebooting and the CSRs all claim to have never heard about this...i was told that I should look to get another Tivo...I did so, I bought a R10, set it up had issues and was finally helped by someone in customer support, but then the new tivo started to reboot over and over again...I figured it had something to do with the same issue as before. I got disconnected from the CSR, but worked my way through the issues and haven't had any more issue this evening/morning. I will say this, that after I read about all of the issues especially in CT, I called DTv back and they told me they didn't know anything about common issues with freezing, and rebooting. She told me that I needed to have someone come out and check the cable between my house and the dish...so she then tried to sell me the protection plan so it would only cost 14.95 for them to come out instead of 70 dollars.

I agree about things being fishy. Either they want to sell you something else or make you go over to the DVR Plus system....I am tired of waking up to a black frozen screen or the middle of a reboot every couple of days since the whole thing started...it was about 2.5 weeks ago.
I have never been so angry with a customer support/technical support group I was told that I need support services and since it was put into my account notes, and that I said I didn't want to do that right now if I call again that is all they will tell me.

All they want is more money....it is getting old.

[icktheslick]

I have a Philips Series2 DSR708 with version 6.3e firmware.

My recent recording of "The Office" was recorded in 3 fragments. I presume that the unit self-rebooted twice during the episode.

The main symptom is an outright lockup, accompanied by a freezeframe, requiring a manual power cycle.

When the problem began to occur, I called DTV, and they sent me an R15. I activated it. The next day, the R15 complained about not recognizing the card. DTV told me they could send me a new card, and it would take 5 days to receive. This was not an acceptable solution for me.

Meanwhile, a co-worker of mine suggested that possibly my hard drive was fragmented. That night, I went into the "System" section and reformatted it. Initially this seemed to help, but the problem did return shortly after we reestablished all of our "season passes." At this point, thinking that our hard drive was probably dead, I order a 300gb replacement through weaknees. It's due to arrive today (10/11).

In the meantime, I have learned that this may be a firmware and/or signal delivery issue. I have been on the phone with DTV. I have asked that they downgrade my firmware to 6.2. I have asked for a refund. The only thing they would offer is the R15 solution.

I hope that the new drive comes preloaded with 6.2. I hope they figure this out quickly, and we could all just move past it.

If we can't get this resolved within a week, I guess I'll be forced to get cable. (Of course this had to happen during the MLB postseason.)

[huskerbear]

I'm not sure what to respond to here, so let me start with what I understand. If you don't have a phone line hooked up, you have not installed a software update.

Just to hit upon the obvious, have you tried new batteries in the remote?


Sorry perhaps I wasn't clear. I was:

1. trying to decide if I was having the same problems with my R10 recievers as everyone else here or if it was something else?


2. Hoping someone here could advise me on whether purchasing an HR10-250 to replace the R10 at the main TV would do what I want it to as explained in my earlier post.

Batteries are not the problem. When these 2 R10s have a problem, When you turn the TV on, whatever channel you were previously on is up and going just fine. You dont know theres a problem until you try to use the remote to change channels or anything. As you push a button on the remote, the light blinks on the Reciever (its getting the signal) but is unresponsive. At this point you hit the reset button and after it runs thru set up everything is fine again. This has happened 15 or so times in the last 2-3 weeks.

The only time it was different than described was on the main tv I turned on 1 day and found it stuck on the (Welcome powering up screen) had to reset it. I have never had a problem while watching tv, I always find it that way later.

[pbod153]

I'm not quite ready to put my tin foil hat on yet. I don't think this was all planned as a way to kill the Tivo units. Having dealt with hundreds of firmware upgrades in the auto industry, I know they release these things thinking there will be a few issues that can be "worked out". In reality, what usually happens is that the "few issues" becomes tens of tousnads that they didn't forsee and they are caught off gaurd. What usually occurs next is panic.
First, blame the customer, second blame the technician and then fix the issue (several tries later). Then say "were sorry" a lot and finally givaway a bunch of free service to make up for the issue. It will be worked out if we keep calling and complaining to anyone who will listen. then once a few media outlets get a hold of it, DTV will get hot on a fix. Get you free stuff now while supplies last.

[dtremain]

Having dealt with hundreds of firmware upgrades in the auto industry... then once a few media outlets get a hold of it, DTV will get hot on a fix. Media outlets would not find this as quite the "hot" story that an auto industry story would be.

No one's life is at stake. :)

Some DVR's re-booting is not exactly headline news, I'm afraid. Even though we think it's important.

[tivoupgrade]

Media outlets would not find this as quite the "hot" story that an auto industry story would be.

No one's life is at stake. :)

Some DVR's re-booting is not exactly headline news, I'm afraid. Even though we think it's important.

I guess it depends on how slow things are and what outlet we are talking about. Unfortunately, its pretty slim pickings here in Chicago; see here (http://cbs2chicago.com/entertainment/entertainment_story_283213311.html).

[pbod153]

Maybe not the NYT but what about CNET or the other electronics media outlets.
here is the email for the cnet editor.
mailbag@cnet.com
if enough people email maybe they will do a story.
Every little bit helps

[CTjon]

In CT also isn't that strange that we are all having this problem.
My sd dvr hangs at least once a day now. My Directv DVR doesn't have a problem. When the DVR hangs I have to unplug it and plug it back in to re-start it no commands work. Then when it comes up it says it can't find the sat on tuner 2 and I have to do a second restart with the contoller to bring back tuner 2.

I have to call Directv and get them to replace this device my wife is driving me nuts.

[Sean M]

My restarts started about 2 1/2 weeks ago. I called and complained a few times. They sent me a new receiver on Monday, haven't set it up yet because I have to reprogram my RF remote to use it. After reading the posts, I'm not going to waste time installing the new one just yet.

The freezing / restarts have been mostly on local ct channels. I just sent an email to dtv tech support.

Sean

[Mark Griswold]

I have to call Directv and get them to replace this device my wife is driving me nuts.

I tried, but they refused to replace her. They did offer me a sweat deal on a Directv Plus DVR though :D

[CTjon]

So why is this happening so much in CT? Is it a signal from a local (30) that triggers this event?

[Mark W]

So why is this happening so much in CT? Is it a signal from a local (30) that triggers this event?

We don't know. From other reports, it certainly isn't exclusive to CT, but there sure have been alot of Nutmeggers showing up in this thread. My total GUESS is that there is something that is more prevalent in the CT locals data stream that triggers the problem. As I said before, all 4 people that I know here in CT that have DirecTV Tivos are having the same problem. If the rest of the country was having problems at this rate, I would think they would know the problem immediately when you would call to report it.

[snetrich]

Update.... As of yesterday I moved all my local season passes to the 380's instead of the locals and no reboot in over 24 hours. I have been making sure that the tuners are not on the locals. We will continue to watch and see.

[Dad440]

Update.... As of yesterday I moved all my local season passes to the 380's instead of the locals and no reboot in over 24 hours. I have been making sure that the tuners are not on the locals. We will continue to watch and see.

Check my post and more sleuth work here. Avoiding local channels ON BOTH TUNERS so far is resolving freezing. (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=5590867&&#post5590867)

I also now realize from reading other posts, why I thought my remote was crapping out, and I took a spare that was unused to try and fix the poor response issue.

Here is a good way to figure out if one of your units rebooted that you didn't see. It will wipe out your Select-Play-Select-30-Select shortcut.

[Mark W]

Since I activated my old DTivo with 3.1.1 software two days ago I have had no lockups on that box, and two lockups each on the two other DTivo boxes with 6.3e.

[Mark W]

There is a similar lengthy thread over in DirecTV's own forums. You would think that they would at least read their own forums for issues.

http://forums.directv.com/pe/action/forums/displaysinglethread?rootPostID=10298546&returnExpertiseCode=

[wags12360]

it looks as if there is connection between the freeze ups and local channel use.

Thurs. night ran locals from 8-10 without a problem (however a good portion was interrupted due to heavy rain). over night no problems with the tuners on non locals. this morning ran locals for a couple of hours and the freeze up started. system wasn't back up for more than 2 minutes and the pixelating started. quickly changed BOTH tuners to non local and the pixelating went away. been running on non locals all day without any problems.

I called DTV again today. I was told that they are aware of the problem, certainly a switch form yesterday when they claimed they had no knowledge of the problem, and that DTV is in touch with TIVO and working on it.
maybe if we all continue to bug the hell out of them it will light a fire under them.
when i called i got a PIN number so when i place my next call i will not need to re explain.
i am also from CT.

[meadoel]

I've had the same problems other CT people have as well. I hope that they've really found the source of the problem.

[Dad440]

I posted more updated data here, and believe it is the HD signal or encryption checking being sent during local shows. (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=5593607&&#post5593607) It is definitely related only to when I have a tuner on local channel. If I keep one of my three on HBO & Fox News, it has not frozen or rebooted for many days now, while other two have.

[mlctvt]

I'm a CT user with two Directv tivos but I've been only experiencing lockups on one, both units are on V6.3 software. The Local channel connection sounds very feasible. The unit that has never locked up is in our basement workout room and it only has season passes on non local channels. The unit that locks up has many local channel season passes. I'll reconfigure and see what happens.

[NomadJeep]

Damn,,,, What the hell is up with CT.


Deep River checking in :rolleyes:

[jrock]

I'm in Old Saybrook CT and I have 2 HR10-250's, 2 HDVR2'2, and one R10. After reading about the locals I set up a season pass each night at 11pm to record 5 minutes of HBO and Showtime. The HR10-250 I did this on has still locked up twice since then. The other forums have it happening to people in other states to so I don't think it's just us. The new HD channel stream causing it seems more feasible. Last winter many people including myself had the same problem with all of them locking up and they found it was something in the guide data stream. They where all locking up in December 06 - Jan 07 and finally they fixed the stream and it stopped but it's back now. Many people then where blaming 6.x or whatever version but it ended up being DirecTV's fault.

-Joe

[Rich584]

D* can only complain to TiVo about the software problems. Seems as if something happened prior to or on the 10th of this month. I have not had a reboot since then on any of my six TiVos. I know this because the 30 second skips have not had to be reset on any of the units since the 10th.

I've had Ultimate TV DVRs and TiVos since 2002 and have never had a problem like this. I have two dishes, so I know the problem isn't with my dishes, the rebooting was taking place on SD TiVos on both dishes. Replaced multiswitch and various cables and splitters. Purchased a large HD from weaknees.com. Spent about ten hours on the phone with D* CSRs. All of a sudden the rebooting stops.

I hope everyone realizes that the first person who answers a call at one of D*'s call centers probably knows less about DVRs than you do. Be polite and ask for a supervisor. If you get a nasty supervisor, hang up and start again. Sooner or later, you will get a supervisor who knows what he's doing or if you keep saying "I have a complaint" to the CSRs you might get really lucky and get a "resolution specialist". They usually know what they are doing. Just be prepared for a long ordeal when you pick up the phone and be polite. Even if you get hung up on, be polite.

I have been reading the threads here about the freezing/rebooting issues since mine started to go bad. It seems like it's getting worse and worse. We need to organize an effort to get DirecTV to acknowledge the problem, and work on a fix!

My quick story:

I have had DTivos as my sole DirecTV receivers since 2001. Months ago, I started noticing that my HDTivo in the basement that I don't watch often would once or twice a week be frozen with a black screen. Replaced it with an HR20, knowing that I would need it for the new HD anyway. Then about a week or two ago, another one of my DTivos started freezing up, unresponsive. And a week ago the same started happening to my other one. It's so bad now that they are almost unusable. One rebooted twice during The Office last night. A friend I had not talked to for a while called me asking about how to work his new DirecTV DVR. I asked him why he got it, and he said his old one kept freezing up, so DirecTV replaced it with an R15. So I called two other friends I know and they both reported similar problems. 4 for 4 with people I know.

Back to the point. How can we organize and get our message out? The first thing is, if you have not called DirecTV, call them. Ask for the problem to be escalated. If you have friends with problems, make sure they call too.

My next step is to contact them via the website or e-mail. I know they usually get answered with canned answers, but my plan is to try and push for a real response.

What else can we do?

[Rich584]

I don't think it has anything to do with what channel you have the tuners on. One of my TiVos has never been tuned to a local station. Most of the time all six of mine would reboot at the same time. This 6.3e is used by both SD and HD Tivos and you might be right about the encryption thingee or whatever signal is being sent or received by the units. The sat feed is definitely causing the reboot. Disconnect the feeds and you can watch every program on the HD and not get a reboot. Did just that. Not one reboot in about 150 hours of shows. Has to be the software.

I haven't had a reboot since the 10th. Maybe it's fixed.

I posted more updated data here, and believe it is the HD signal or encryption checking being sent during local shows. (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=5593607&&#post5593607) It is definitely related only to when I have a tuner on local channel. If I keep one of my three on HBO & Fox News, it has not frozen or rebooted for many days now, while other two have.

[gtfurman]

Tom in Colchester CT here. The thread on Direct TV's forum, Hughes Sd-DVR40 freezes / reboots is mine. I found this GREAT site from a link in a reply. Same issues as most others here. I was given 2 months free showtime and am waiting for a worthless service tech to show up this thursday, which will result in everything being fine here and an offer of a replacment receiver. No way Jose! I'm not trading in my Tivo units.
Amazing amount of info here, wish some of you were running things at DTV!!! Just wanted to chime in................
Thanks, Tom in CT

[Mark W]

Well, I got a call back yesterday from an e-mail that I had sent them, but I was not home, there was just a message on the machine to call them back. I doubt that I would get to someone who knew the situation. Also got a e-mail back just saying "sorry you are still having problems, let us know if it is still happening."

I also have not had any freeze ups or reboots in about 3 days. It does seem like they fixed something. I hope so. Maybe they just fixed the CT issue.

[Mark W]

People, please put your location in your profile! Go to the top of the page and click User CP, then edit profile, and fill in the "your location" field.

[Rich584]

Well, I got a call back yesterday from an e-mail that I had sent them, but I was not home, there was just a message on the machine to call them back. I doubt that I would get to someone who knew the situation. Also got a e-mail back just saying "sorry you are still having problems, let us know if it is still happening."

I also have not had any freeze ups or reboots in about 3 days. It does seem like they fixed something. I hope so. Maybe they just fixed the CT issue.

I posted this last night on DBStalk.com:

NUTZ! The TiVo my wife is watching just rebooted. And the TiVo I'm using is still working. I think I will try to contact TiVo Monday. I have talked to a couple of "supervisors" at D* and they put the blame squarely on TiVo and the downloads it provides.

I have a feeling that until the next release comes out we will have to put up with these problems. That's not to say we shouldn't complain to both D* and TiVo. The more complaints, the quicker the fix, hopefully. Perhaps the folks at TiVo will be more receptive.

[Rich584]

I posted this last night on DBStalk.com:

NUTZ! The TiVo my wife is watching just rebooted. And the TiVo I'm using is still working. I think I will try to contact TiVo Monday. I have talked to a couple of "supervisors" at D* and they put the blame squarely on TiVo and the downloads it provides.

I have a feeling that until the next release comes out we will have to put up with these problems. That's not to say we shouldn't complain to both D* and TiVo. The more complaints, the quicker the fix, hopefully. Perhaps the folks at TiVo will be more receptive.

I'm sitting here watching the Jet's game and the Samsung TiVo reboots. This is really ridiculous.

[Rich584]

I'm sitting here watching the Jet's game and the Samsung TiVo reboots. This is really ridiculous.

Decided to activate an R15 to replace the Samsung TiVo. I give up. Wrecked the Jet's game for me. D* wins. I lose.

[jeffjob]

Jeff here in CT.

My series 2 has stopped re-booting by itself! No re-boots in about 4 days.

I had the re-boots bad when they were here. And lock-ups as well.

Hopefully a fix has been sent and everyone gets it.

[doxie]

My TiVo R10 had been stuck in the "powering up" yellow glow mode for the past three days!

Last night, I bit the bullet & called D*TV. A very nice CS person told me that she was aware of the the problems that people have been having with their TiVos. Guess they must be getting an earful of complaints. But will it matter?

So, with a heavy heart, I disconnected my TiVo and had her reactivate my old RCA receiver.
Funny, how that 7 year old receiver still works like a charm....

Yup. D*TV got me to cry uncle, too.

(In the greater scheme of things: It's only TV and this too shall pass.)

[MikeF]

Someone in CT should consider "moving" to someplace else to see if the Freezes / Lockups stop. After a week or so at teh "new location" you could "move" back to your home (or stay "moved" to avoid the issue if it does go away).

Just let them know for personal reasons you have to temporarily "move" but the bill can continue to come to your real home address. That way you will switch locals to the new location and away from the ones that supposedly are causing the problem. Then after you complete the test, you can call to "move" back. Easy (and instant) process and may help bring more light to this issue since the same equipment would be used on different locals and see if the problem stops or not.

[MikeF]

Jeff here in CT.

My series 2 has stopped re-booting by itself! No re-boots in about 4 days.

I had the re-boots bad when they were here. And lock-ups as well.

Hopefully a fix has been sent and everyone gets it.
Post your exact version numbers of the software so we can see if you got some type of update or something.

[Mark Griswold]

My series 2 has stopped re-booting by itself! No re-boots in about 4 days.

Same here. Haven't seen a reboot in a few days. Haven't checked to see if Tivo got an update. I'll check and report back.

[BHyde]

I'm in Connecticut also. My DTivos haven't rebooted since Thursday.

Does the problem seems to have disappeared for other people?

DirecTV told me today that Tivo has sent out a software "update," which he said isn't a full-blown software upgrade, addressing the rebooting problem. He says it comes in via the phone line.

I have a Samsung and an R10 with the original hard drives.

Unfortunately, I'd already replaced one of the hard drives (on the other Samsung) with a new, larger one from WeaKnees. At least I've got more hard drive space now. But the DirecTV guy suggested I wait a few days before plugging the telephone line back in on this set to make sure the problem seems to be gone permanently from my other two DTivos.

[Rich584]

Post your exact version numbers of the software so we can see if you got some type of update or something.

Mine is 6.3-01-2-381. I had no reboots until three days ago and yesterday. I went thru all my wiring and found that only one of my TiVos is hooked up to the 5 LNB dish. And that one had not rebooted since the last national release for the Hi Def HR20s.

So I went up on the roof and connected all of them to the 5 LNB dish. This is absolutely the last thing I can do with hardware. If this does not solve my problem, it HAS to be the software.

Just checked and I received a Service Data Download last night.

[Mark Griswold]

Checked my DTivo yesterday. Still running 6.3e-01-2-151. Haven't had a reboot in 3 or 4 days.

Oddly, I did notice alot of "Press Thumbs up to record" popups lately. In fact, had one that persisted for about 10 minutes until I got fed up with it, went back to NPL and restarted the show from the beginning, then it disappeared.

Also, still have been having alot of pixelation and audio dropouts, but I think thats more of a signal strength problem. I've got a tree in the front yard that I think has grown tall enough to cause me some trouble.
Hopefully when the leaves drop it will get better, but I think I'm going to have to get the chainsaw out this spring.

[rbtravis]

Checked my DTivo yesterday. Still running 6.3e-01-2-151. Haven't had a reboot in 3 or 4 days.

Oddly, I did notice alot of "Press Thumbs up to record" popups lately. In fact, had one that persisted for about 10 minutes until I got fed up with it, went back to NPL and restarted the show from the beginning, then it disappeared.

Also, still have been having alot of pixelation and audio dropouts, but I think thats more of a signal strength problem. I've got a tree in the front yard that I think has grown tall enough to cause me some trouble.
Hopefully when the leaves drop it will get better, but I think I'm going to have to get the chainsaw out this spring. :eek: Haven't you heard Al Gore's message?
Save a Tree - Move the Dish! :D

[Mark Griswold]

:eek: Haven't you heard Al Gore's message?
Save a Tree - Move the Dish! :D

LOL. Would if I could.

Sadly the tree would have to come down sooner or later so I can widen my driveway.
Heck, the way I've been driving over the roots, I'm surprised it hasn't died yet.

[rbtravis]

Do it quick - You will probably need firewood for next winter - remember it takes a year of being stacked before it is dry enough to burn. :)

[gtfurman]

I haven't had my Hughes SD-DVR40 or my R10 freeze or reboot in the past couple days. I took a quick look last night and thought there was some pixelation. I'll take a much closer look tomorrow and get the software numbers and the dates I got them. At least it's progress.....
Tom in CT.

[robpickles]

I haven't replaced the drive in my R10 yet with the one I bought from Weaknees.

I still get the "buffer" problem from time to time but have not noticed any recent reboots.

I don't know if i am just catching it in time before a reboot occurs or not or if it is happening when I am not home. Haven't seen any "partial" recordings or "split" recordings either that some people say they get when their unit reboots.

My HDVR2 with the new drive with 6.2a is working perfectly.

Rob :)

[c9house]

I have also stopped having reboot issues and I also have been getting more thumbs up messages on the screen. :up:
Version # has not changed.

[gtfurman]

Things seem better now. No more freezes or reboots for a couple of days now. Just checked the software and latest "Service data download" dates. My Hughes SD-DVR40 is running 6.3e-01-2-151 with a download of 3:00am today (10/17). My R-10 is running 6.3e-01-2-521 downloaded today at 3:05am. So far it's working normal it seems, hope this dosent change!!!!!

Tom in CT.

[gtfurman]

Oh by the way...just checked my notes here, the above software version numbers are the same ones I had on 10/9 when I finally called DTV support. I'm not much of a tech guy, so maybe those of you who are would know, but was DTV able to send some kind of a "PATCH" that fixed things yet not change the software version number?
Just wanted to put the info out there, and of course i'm curious about the fix.

Thanks,
Tom in CT

[dtremain]

Oh by the way...just checked my notes here, the above software version numbers are the same ones I had on 10/9 when I finally called DTV support. I'm not much of a tech guy, so maybe those of you who are would know, but was DTV able to send some kind of a "PATCH" that fixed things yet not change the software version number?
Just wanted to put the info out there, and of course i'm curious about the fix.

Thanks,
Tom in CTI've seen improvement as well. My belief, looking at everything (and I've only suffered two actual reboots on one unit and no problems at all on another), is that the problem is based, at least partly, on something that has happened to the actual data stream of programming from the satellites.

I had experienced pixelation and then temporary black screens which would recover within seconds. Then, it escalated on 10/9 to a hard reboot (where I had to restart the unit myself) and, an hour later, a soft reboot (where the unit restarted itself). Since then, I have had no more re-boots, but still the brief pixelation and black screen effect. That seems to have declined in severity and occurrence until it is almost non-existent.

In any case, it has only occurred when the unit was tuned to a local channel.

I see similar trends in other messages.

I am concluding then that the problem may well involve 6.3e since that's when it seems to have begun. It also may involve the movement of channels to afford the new hi-def channells (I am an SD subscriber, and get my only hi-def signals over-the-air), but also clearly has something to do with the actual signal, particularly of local channels.

Perhaps, they have begun to fix whatever was causing the problem in the local signal. They have not updated the software since 6.3e, but things clearly are getting better but are not totally resolved.

By the way, the differences in your software numbers only indicate the two different model DVR's you are using. They indicate exactly the same software version.

[CTjon]

Mine hasn' t frozen in several days now (probably will be when I get home). There is part of me that wishes this would continue so I could justify a HD replacement to the boss (while we are changing lets head to the future or some such thing that she really won't buy anyway).

[HellFish]

I've got a feeling the tactic of locking your system down to a previous version is not going to work for long. Remember, this all started back in December when DirecTV was working on "enhanced guide data". This update made all Tivos go crazy and DirecTV removed the ehancement while waiting for Tivo to "fix" it.

....

At some point, you'll have a choice between enabling MRV and having a working Tivo. It will no longer be an option to keep the old software because it will be unable to process the guide data.

Hacked Tivos have been tremendous for me and I will certainly miss the functionality. I just fear that we simply won't have a choice in the near future.
This was posted way back on 10/10/07 (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=5586493&&#post5586493), but I haven't seen anyone comment on it.

The reboots of December/January were the result of the data stream not being compatible w/ 6.2. Since then, we now have 6.2a, which may have had more changes then just the DST issue. It's possible that 6.2a also has the fix, so we may be able to use 6.2a for quite some time without worrying about our Tivo no longer working with the new data stream.

If you notice, no one that still has 6.2a installed (like me) is experiencing the same problems as those with 6.3e.

It is worth mentioning I also used this (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=4699868&&#post4699868) work around on 6.2 which edited the syslog.conf file, and I still currently have that line commented out on my Tivo. So I don't know if this will have any impact later down the road.

[lmd]

I am in CT too - along the shoreline. My TiVo has not rebooted or frozen in several days.

I was scheduled for a service call last Saturday - at DTV's insistence. When the local service company called to confirm, they said that this was a known problem in CT and that there was nothing they could do, but that they would come out anyway. So I called DTV and asked if they were finally admitting to the problem. The rep checked and said that they knew about the problem and that the tech bulletin said "absolutely no service calls." I cancelled the visit because I knew it was useless anyway - who wanted to spend a nice Saturday waiting at home for a repair guy who could do nothing! What an outfit.

But, bottom line, so far so good.

[Mark W]

I have had no re-boots or freeze ups in about a week either. It looks like they fixed something. I wish we knew what.

[rbtravis]

I have had no re-boots or freeze ups in about a week either. It looks like they fixed something. I wish we knew what.They sprinkled nutmeg on the Satellite. :rolleyes:

[milo99]

i had a couple of reboots over the weekend, and one again last night. Seems like Wednesdays at 7-7:30 pm EST it happens. although last week it didn't. Luckily, it's not happening during primetime recordings...

[chuckg]

I have had no re-boots or freeze ups in about a week either. It looks like they fixed something. I wish we knew what.

Something in the CT spot beam(s) obviously. Probably Guide data as it is highly unlikely Local Channel Guide Data is downloaded on national channels.

I have no personal knowledge as to how Guide Data is actually downloaded.

[robpickles]

Well...

I had a few of those "partial recodings" this weekend.

A couple of shows got chopped at the end. Was this due to a reboot? I have to assume it was. I wasn't watching it when it happened, but I know I still get the "buffer" problem from time to time so it must be forcing a reboot when the buffer gets all jerked up.

Rob :)

[retrodog]

I've been getting partial recordings for about two months now. It's about every 5th or 10th recording. I'll lose the last 1/2 or 1/3 of the show. This is getting old. I'm ready to kick someone's ass over it. Who does that need to be?

[RichJBJ]

I am in Colorado and I'm about to miss Rocktober-fest (Rockies in the World Series) because DirecTV decided they don't want me to have a Tivo receiver anymore.

It's probably not a conspiracy, but I'm not really sure how they could have tested the latest "upgrade" without stumbling upon this hard drive malfunction.

They totally botched my Tivo... and to make it worse, they want to replace my Tivo with their custom DVR C R A P! No thanks... this is Shady business practice! I'll join the class action suit if anyone wants to spear head it.

I am expecting a Manager/Director call from DirecTV within 24 to 72 hours to discuss the issue. I will be asking him to credit my account the $99.99 it will take for me to purchase a new Tivo from Circuit City.

The only reason I joined DirecTV was for my Tivo... so sayonara DirecTV if this is your business practice.

RichJBJ

[dtremain]

I will be asking him to credit my account the $99.99 it will take for me to purchase a new Tivo from Circuit City.
Huh?

The DVR that Ciruity City is selling for $99.99 (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/DIRECTV-R15-Receiver-Digital-Video-Recorder-Equipment-Leasing-R15/sem/rpsm/oid/133621/catOid/-12877/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do)

is the very same "CRAP" that Directv is offering you.

Yeah!!! That'll show them.

[robpickles]

I am expecting a Manager/Director call from DirecTV within 24 to 72 hours to discuss the issue. I will be asking him to credit my account the $99.99 it will take for me to purchase a new Tivo from Circuit City.

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that call.

Last time DirecTv said they were going to call me back over an issue - they never called.

Rob :)

[pbod153]

Well I fixed my tivo 2 weeks ago and have not had an issue since. I bought the instant cake software and installed the hard drive into my tivo. I unplugged the phone line so the software would not update to 6.3e. went from many freeze ups and reboots daily to not a single one for two weeks.
upgrade while your at it. I picked up a 320gb maxtor drive from staples for about $70 shipped and have been smiling since. :)

[NYG8OR]

I am in New York (Long Island) and the past few days this problem has gotten worse, not better. The picture going black (w/ sound) now lasts approx 10 seconds as opposed to the 1-2 seconds previously. Additionally, there are now some picture freezes without sound that last a few seconds and when the pictures returns it is with very odd colors which last a few seconds. I have noticed this begin to happen a few days ago.

It is interesting that those in Connecticut seem to have gotten better, while my issue has gotten worse. I am going to call DTV in the next few days.

Any others getting worse and not better?

[Naipes]

...I picked up a 320gb maxtor drive from staples for about $70 shipped and have been smiling since. :)

Wow, that's a good deal on a HD!

To my knowledge, my DirecTiVo has been working well, without rebooting or locking up, for about a week now. Maybe they got it fixed :) , or maybe they're through collecting data in our area :eek: , or maybe something else :confused: , but whatever it is, I'm glad it's finished :D . "Knock on wood"

[NYG8OR]

As mentioned above, I am still having the picture issues with freezing and pixelation lasting a few seconds. Well, I called DTV last night.

They first offered to send a tech. After I indicated that it might be a software issue, the rep put me on hold to "read up". She came back on the phone and stated that the known software issues relate to freezing up of the Tivo hardware and not the picture problems I described. She offered to either escalate the issue to their engineers or to send a tech at a cost of $70. I told her I thought the problem was on their end and did not want a tech at a cost of $70 if the problem was theirs. She also offered to replace all 3 of my units. I said I would take a tech, but if the tech found no problem with my setup and that it was their issue, I was not going to pay the $70. In the end, it has been escalated to engineering (presumably this is the first call on the picture issues and not freezing) and that it would be investigated and someone would email me within 72 hours. I am not holding my breath for that email.

As she stated that there are no known engineering problems related to the picture issues, I would suggest anyone else who is still having these picture issues to call.

[LacyinTX]

I haven't read this entire thread, but add me to the list of folks with problems with freezing, audio loss and color issues. I thought my Dtivo was dying. I am glad (and not glad) to hear it isn't just me.

The color issues have been getting more frequent. The audio has only happened once or twice. The freezing happened for the first time last week during "The Contender". At least that is a show that replays all the time, so I caught it at the second showing.

I am very frustrated, but I am not giving up on my DTivo. I don't have the option to switch to cable because I live out in the country. I don't want to trade Dtv for Dish. So I guess I will call and complain and then wait and see. *shrug*

[Naipes]

Yeah, I spoke too soon. I came home from work today and my DirecTiVo was frozen. Required a reboot to get things going again. Grrrrr :mad: Figures...

[Mark W]

I had a reboot on at least one of mine yesterday afternoon too. First one in a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed...

[Rich584]

I had a reboot on at least one of mine yesterday afternoon too. First one in a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed...

I called TiVo's customer support technical line just a few minutes ago. D* reps have been blaming TiVo for the rebooting and freezing picture problems on software version 6.3e... every time I have called.

TiVo's tech assured me that TiVo does NOT send out software upgrades to Series 2 D* TiVos.

The D* people have been blatantly lying to me for months. They always blame TiVo.

I urge everyone who is having these problems to call D* and complain and complain and complain...

[wedgecon]

Tivo writes the updates for DirecTV, but after that is not involved in the process. DirecTV then downloads them to the receivers and is responsible for all support. TiVo provides no support for DirecTivos.

[Rich584]

Tivo writes the updates for DirecTV, but after that is not involved in the process. DirecTV then downloads them to the receivers and is responsible for all support. TiVo provides no support for DirecTivos.

I asked the tech if they were writing the updates and the reply was "no". They stated that TiVo has no connection with D* for updates or anything else. I rephrased that question several times and got a negative response each time. Who to believe?

[RichJBJ]

:( well, I finally canceled.... after 3 wonderful years... what a bummer. It's almost like losing a family member. I was told last Sunday that a manager or director (basically someone higher than a supervisor) would contact me personally within 24 to 72 hours, which didn't happen.

I am so depressed. What kind of company/monster has DirecTV turned into? First they break my Tivo, then they pretend it's not their fault, then they try to peddle their crappy DVR on me, then they show me just what they really think of me as a customer by making a call back commitment and then not following through....

There are just way too many choices in Denver, CO to let DirecTV to treat me like this. Good luck to the lot of you... I hope your service goes better than mine. Hopefully this isn't goodbye........... :(

RichJBJ

PS... I will be double posting at: Since 6.3e, Tivo's freezing

[Rich584]

:( well, I finally canceled.... after 3 wonderful years... what a bummer. It's almost like losing a family member. I was told last Sunday that a manager or director (basically someone higher than a supervisor) would contact me personally within 24 to 72 hours, which didn't happen.

I am so depressed. What kind of company/monster has DirecTV turned into? First they break my Tivo, then they pretend it's not their fault, then they try to peddle their crappy DVR on me, then they show me just what they really think of me as a customer by making a call back commitment and then not following through....

There are just way too many choices in Denver, CO to let DirecTV to treat me like this. Good luck to the lot of you... I hope your service goes better than mine. Hopefully this isn't goodbye........... :(

RichJBJ

PS... I will be double posting at: Since 6.3e, Tivo's freezing

One thing you can count on: If someone at D* tells you they will call you, they very rarely follow thru on that promise.

[wedgecon]

I asked the tech if they were writing the updates and the reply was "no". They stated that TiVo has no connection with D* for updates or anything else. I rephrased that question several times and got a negative response each time. Who to believe?

The techs have no more knowledge than you do. You could call them right back and get a different tech with a different story.

DirecTV reps are just contracted out to third party service centers, they do not know anything about your problem, they just try and help as best as the scripts they have tell them.

Do not count on a tech at the DirecTV support to help you with anything remotely complicated, they just cant.

[robpickles]

The techs have no more knowledge than you do..

I know...or in most cases i know way more than them.

I love when you call Tech Support and they read off their list of problems and I keep telling them....

Did that....did that.... did that... did that.... Can you send me to a level 2 tech now please?

Rob :)

[BHyde]

After a couple of good weeks one of my DTIVOs also rebooted yesterday. But the one with the new WeaKnees drive is working beautifully and I'm not letting it near a telephone line.

[llurgy]

Our boxes had been behaving themselves over the last few weeks with only about 3 freezes between the two of them.
Fast-forward to this last Tuesday and both of them have have had at least one lock up a day where I have to unplug because everything is frozen :(

Lockups are happening inbetween the hours of 4pm and 8pm and I am in Southeast Ohio.

Mandy

[Rich584]

The techs have no more knowledge than you do. You could call them right back and get a different tech with a different story.

DirecTV reps are just contracted out to third party service centers, they do not know anything about your problem, they just try and help as best as the scripts they have tell them.

Do not count on a tech at the DirecTV support to help you with anything remotely complicated, they just cant.

I agree, but if you keep escalating or call "Retention" you will get something done. Technically, very little, but as far as free stuff to keep you as a customer, it sometimes is worthwhile to spend an hour or two in D*Hell. For instance I have 5 Hi Def HR20s that I paid less than $300 for. That price is for the five of them, not each.

[Rich584]

After a couple of good weeks one of my DTIVOs also rebooted yesterday. But the one with the new WeaKnees drive is working beautifully and I'm not letting it near a telephone line.

What software is that running? You might want to try digitalrecording.com next time you need a large HD. They guarantee the HDs for 3 years.

[Rich584]

The techs have no more knowledge than you do. You could call them right back and get a different tech with a different story.

DirecTV reps are just contracted out to third party service centers, they do not know anything about your problem, they just try and help as best as the scripts they have tell them.

Do not count on a tech at the DirecTV support to help you with anything remotely complicated, they just cant.

That was a "resolution specialist" I was talking to. Took me a half hour to reach that level. Got two different stories from TiVo and D*. At least they are aware of the problem and are supposedly working together to resolve the problem. Do I believe that? Yes, kind of. Don't trust them tho. Been at this for 6 years now and while I don't think they are corrupt, they certainly are liars and poorly trained liars at that. And most of the first line CSRs are dumber than dogs.

If any of you think the rebooting and freeze ups are terrible problems, you should have seen what we went thru for the past year with the Hi Def D* HR20s. I usually hang out at dbstalk.com and do not have many posts on this forum.

[NYG8OR]

I just got off the phone with DTV retention rep, after I did not get a call from engineering last week as promised. I fully expected this call not to come. The retention rep insisted that:

1) There is no software issue
2) The only thing they can do is send a tech, but could waive the $70 fee
3) There is no such thing as a rep escalating to engineering. There is no such department and the only thing a rep can do is send a tech first. if the tech does not find anything then they move to the second step. She couldn't tell me what step 2 was.

I was tempted to take her up on a tech even though it would not do anything, but I am not yet ready to waste my time.

I told her that while I was very happy with the service and the DTV units, etc. etc, I was completely unhappy with their customer service. In that phone calls are never returned as they say they will, they never have any answers, and I often know more than the person who answers the phone, etc.

I also stated that even though I was very happy with the tv service overall, their customer service had me very close to trying out one of the local competitors (FIOS or cablevision) who are insisting that they have upgraded their service. She did not care. This is a person in retention who did not care. It is amazing that their customer service can be this bad.

I was not close to switiching because of all I have invested in hardware, but after this call, I am more willing to listen than every before.

[Rich584]

After all this time, all this aggravation, I will not switch. I will continue to fight. I will accept the fact that there is no software problem, it is my imagination. I will look forward to every visit from their "techs" in the hope they can resolve the software issue that does not exist. I will continue to pay my two hundred a month bill.

And pretty soon, I'm going to go find a vicious young lawyer who will help me resolve this problem to my satisfaction. This is not an idle threat, but a truth. My payments are sent in on time and in coin of the realm. I fulfill my part of the bargain by doing that. I truly believe that D* has failed miserably to hold up their part of the bargain.

It's bad enough to have faulty equipment (must be the equipment, can't be the software) but to have such a poor customer service group is unconscionable.

And blatantly lie to you and me (so many times) about call backs. God...

I just got off the phone with DTV retention rep, after I did not get a call from engineering last week as promised. I fully expected this call not to come. The retention rep insisted that:

1) There is no software issue
2) The only thing they can do is send a tech, but could waive the $70 fee
3) There is no such thing as a rep escalating to engineering. There is no such department and the only thing a rep can do is send a tech first. if the tech does not find anything then they move to the second step. She couldn't tell me what step 2 was.

I was tempted to take her up on a tech even though it would not do anything, but I am not yet ready to waste my time.

I told her that while I was very happy with the service and the DTV units, etc. etc, I was completely unhappy with their customer service. In that phone calls are never returned as they say they will, they never have any answers, and I often know more than the person who answers the phone, etc.

I also stated that even though I was very happy with the tv service overall, their customer service had me very close to trying out one of the local competitors (FIOS or cablevision) who are insisting that they have upgraded their service. She did not care. This is a person in retention who did not care. It is amazing that their customer service can be this bad.

I was not close to switiching because of all I have invested in hardware, but after this call, I am more willing to listen than every before.

[newswatcher]

The techs have no more knowledge than you do. You could call them right back and get a different tech with a different story.

DirecTV reps are just contracted out to third party service centers, they do not know anything about your problem, they just try and help as best as the scripts they have tell them.

Do not count on a tech at the DirecTV support to help you with anything remotely complicated, they just cant.

I called tech for some help on the R15 which replaced by beloved Hughes SD DVR40 and she didn't know what "buffering" was: I had to explain. I asked if they supported DTV TiVo owners and she said "yes" but that she didn't know anything about "TiVo's". Amazing. I told her that as a rep you should know about "buffering" and "TiVo's". She hung up on me...

I'm about to ditch DTV after 3.5 wonderful years with my various TiVos. They certainly don't deserve that J.D. Power award for customer service; years ago, yes, now, no.

[robpickles]

It is always wise to get the names of the people you deal with on the phone.

Especially when you have nasty, non-caring reps who are not doing there job.

Rob :)

[rock_doctor]

I called yesterday and she said they know and are working on it. She said they get hammered every time there is a sports game. Trust me they may tell you they never heard of it but they are well aware there is a problem. In fact, she actually groaned when I reminded her there was a football game the same night. Just keep calling and document the frequency of problems. (IMHO) DTV use to be a good company and that ended under Murdoch's parasitic 'leadership'. Now that he is gone I suspect things will improve.

mark

[wedgecon]

Don't bother with getting the names, they appear to have no way to ever find that person again even if you know the name. I suspect the names they give you are not real.

[Rich584]

I've been wondering about that for years. I got Angelou (phonetic spelling) the other day and said "What a pretty name, how do you spell it?" Took her a while, to answer me and she never did spell it. Too many Tanyas and Jacobs. No use in names or employee numbers, but a recording might be useful. For "quality purposes" of course.

Don't bother with getting the names, they appear to have no way to ever find that person again even if you know the name. I suspect the names they give you are not real.

[spepi]

I have been having the Ol' freeze frame...rebot issue myself, for about 2 weeks now. I thought the TIVO was getting full, and it was it's way of saying ...:Hey...clean it up a little, but after finding all these posts, I checked my version, and sure enough.....i got the crappy one.....I dont suspect any fixes coming out anytine soon, but I dont have any other choice in my tv prgramming to get the NFL ticket...its a real bummer that DTV is dropping the ball on this one....

I may call and say...Hey, you guys didnt test this befoe you rolled it out, and now my Tivo is screwed up...I want a new DTV DVR, but HD now for all my problems......anyone try this? Or are you all against DTV and thier DVR's?

[rock_doctor]

...I want a new DTV DVR, but HD now for all my problems......anyone try this? Or are you all against DTV and thier DVR's?

I suspect they will happily trade you your SD tivo for a HD DTV PVR. They get rid of an old unit, get the monthly leasing cost and $9.99 more a month from you. If you have an HD tv and small investment in TiVos go for it just make sure you get a new dish in the process.

mark

[spepi]

I called DTV, spoke to Judy. at first she said that they dont provide the updates, then she talked to someone and apoligized they DTV does supply them. Her fix was to reset the entire box, which will lose everything, and it could take about 3-4 hours. I told her no way, that it has been tried and it doesnt work...No offer of any upgrade. Just as I started to type this, the DTV Tivo froze, and rebooted....what a pain in the A**

[rbtravis]

I called DTV, spoke to Judy. at first she said that they dont provide the updates, then she talked to someone and apoligized they DTV does supply them. Her fix was to reset the entire box, which will lose everything, and it could take about 3-4 hours. I told her no way, that it has been tried and it doesnt work...No offer of any upgrade. Just as I started to type this, the DTV Tivo froze, and rebooted....what a pain in the A**Please give Manufacture name, Model Number, Software Version, we cannot give advice if we don't know that info.

[spepi]

Sorry....

RCA DVR80 Series 2 version 6.3e

[thommygeenh]

I called yesterday and she said they know and are working on it. She said they get hammered every time there is a sports game. Trust me they may tell you they never heard of it but they are well aware there is a problem. In fact, she actually groaned when I reminded her there was a football game the same night. Just keep calling and document the frequency of problems. (IMHO) DTV use to be a good company and that ended under Murdoch's parasitic 'leadership'. Now that he is gone I suspect things will improve.

mark

Absolutely...I noticed the customer service, and overall everything with the service went way down hill when he took over. So glad he is finally gone...can't wait to see what he does to the Wall Street Journal!

[thommygeenh]

I called tech for some help on the R15 which replaced by beloved Hughes SD DVR40 and she didn't know what "buffering" was: I had to explain. I asked if they supported DTV TiVo owners and she said "yes" but that she didn't know anything about "TiVo's". Amazing. I told her that as a rep you should know about "buffering" and "TiVo's". She hung up on me...

I'm about to ditch DTV after 3.5 wonderful years with my various TiVos. They certainly don't deserve that J.D. Power award for customer service; years ago, yes, now, no.

I wouldn't be surprised if they bought and paid for that J.D. Power Award!

[robpickles]

Don't bother with getting the names, they appear to have no way to ever find that person again even if you know the name. I suspect the names they give you are not real.

Well if you get a nasty rep and they give you a phony name then you have something even better to complain about.

All i know is that i have discovered that if you bitch loud and often enough about some things people will eventually do something about it.

Rob :)

[rbtravis]

Sorry....

RCA DVR80 Series 2 version 6.3e That is the same version I am using and I am not having any problems. What state are you located in? Is your Hard drive the original? If not how many years do you have on it? The average drive lasts between 3 and 5 Years. if it is an RCA unit my 80's had Western Digital 80GB drives one with a JB (for DVR's) and one with a BB (for Data). Which is yours? On my drives the part number is right above the second bar code. It says:" WD P/N: WD800BB-00BSA0" what about yours? Thanks for the info we are trying to track down the cause of this problem. :)

[llurgy]

My hughes box is now freezing every afternoon. It freezes to the point where I have to unplug it.
The one in the bedroom is freezing on average once every three days.
I am in Ohio

[rbtravis]

My hughes box is now freezing every afternoon. It freezes to the point where I have to unplug it.
The one in the bedroom is freezing on average once every three days.
I am in Ohio
How old are your hard drives? The average life is between three and five years. Could that be the problem? Have you tried Kickstart 57 & 58
"While booting the power light will change from green to yellow as the line 'checkpanic' in the rc.sysinit gets executed. This happens a few seconds before the screen changes from the startup image to "almost there" and it's your cue to hold down a button (use pause) on the remote to trigger a panic. When the record light changes yellow, key in one of the following sequences:

0 - emergency call to tivo, touchtone dialing
1 - emergency call to tivo, pulse dialing
9 - emergency call to tivo, touchtone w/ 9 prefix
-- I suggest not doing any of these unless explicitly instructed


52 - emergency reinstall
-- this will act like you've received new software but will reinstall the existing software on the alternate root partition and boot it, particularly useful so you don't have to go trolling for backup images when your hacks fail.

56 - software install

57 - MFS check
58 - perform MFS cleanup
-- both of these will cause the green screen and various MFS checks" from a previous post by Gunnyman :)

[spepi]

That is the same version I am using and I am not having any problems. What state are you located in? Is your Hard drive the original? If not how many years do you have on it? The average drive lasts between 3 and 5 Years. if it is an RCA unit my 80's had Western Digital 80GB drives one with a JB (for DVR's) and one with a BB (for Data). Which is yours? On my drives the part number is right above the second bar code. It says:" WD P/N: WD800BB-00BSA0" what about yours? Thanks for the info we are trying to track down the cause of this problem. :)

Im in MASS. Its the original HDD. Just about 4 yrs old. I wont be able to crack it open for a few weeks.

[rbtravis]

Im in MASS. Its the original HDD. Just about 4 yrs old. I wont be able to crack it open for a few weeks.Try 57 & 58 kickstarts :)
"While booting the power light will change from green to yellow as the line 'checkpanic' in the rc.sysinit gets executed. This happens a few seconds before the screen changes from the startup image to "almost there" and it's your cue to hold down a button (use pause) on the remote to trigger a panic. When the record light changes yellow, key in one of the following sequences:

0 - emergency call to tivo, touchtone dialing
1 - emergency call to tivo, pulse dialing
9 - emergency call to tivo, touchtone w/ 9 prefix
-- I suggest not doing any of these unless explicitly instructed


52 - emergency reinstall
-- this will act like you've received new software but will reinstall the existing software on the alternate root partition and boot it, particularly useful so you don't have to go trolling for backup images when your hacks fail.

56 - software install

57 - MFS check
58 - perform MFS cleanup
-- both of these will cause the green screen and various MFS checks"
From a previous post by Gunnyman :)

[spepi]

I'll try it, but last night, I called DTV, and complained to them that this was a huge screwup on thier part, that thier testing should have been more thorough before releasing this version. I asked for a free upgrade to an HD DVR...well, they couldnt upgrade me for free, and I didnt really expect them to, but they did give me th eunit for 199.99, in 2 payments, Free install with upgraded 5LNB dish.....plus, they are waiving the HD DVR service monthly fee of 9.99 for 1 year....so thats about 119.88 savings there, so I am really paying 80.11 for my HD DVR....I really couldnt pass this up. I had to do another 2 year contract, but that didnt really matter to me...I like the programming they offer, and my wife likes the NFL ticket.

[robpickles]

I really couldnt pass this up. I had to do another 2 year contract, but that didnt really matter to me...I like the programming they offer, and my wife likes the NFL ticket.

Another victim falls to the con game that DirecTv is running.

Rob :)

[Rhughes]

I have been watching this thread off and on for a while. I have two DirecTivo's. Both Series 2. One DSR708. One R10. Both have updated hard drives less than a year old. Both started the freezing, etc. on the SAME day, several weeks ago. One thing that may be a little different is that I don't get any rebooting. Just freezing, color smears, pixelization, black and white screen, etc. Lasts for 3 or 4 seconds each time.

I have noticed something that may have some bearing on the 6.3 problem. Maybe not. I have been paying very close attention to the problem for a couple of weeks. What I see is that it happens ONCE for EVERY program. Any channel. Any time of the day. Pre-recorded or not. It ALWAYS happens once, never more than once. This is so consistent it must be an indication of something.

[dtremain]

I have noticed something that may have some bearing on the 6.3 problem. Maybe not. I have been paying very close attention to the problem for a couple of weeks. What I see is that it happens ONCE for EVERY program. Any channel. Any time of the day. Pre-recorded or not. It ALWAYS happens once, never more than once. This is so consistent it must be an indication of something.I agree that it happens once a show. I'll bet it only happens on local channels as well. Is that correct?

[snoop]

We've got three R10's, one original and two with new HD's from weaknees. All three operated perfectly prior to the upgrade. All three share some odd symptoms since the upgrade and all three reboot periodically. I removed one of the upgraded drives and reinstalled the original disk that was only in use for about a week. Transplanted the "maybe bad" disk from the tivo into my desktop machine. The problems surfaced on the R10 with its barely used and originally well functioning disk. The "maybe bad" disk ran surface test patterns and smart tests for a week without a blip.

Symptoms:

- Progressive slowing of response to the remote control
- Blooping and blinking the light when I hit a remote key but not actually doing the action
- Slower and slower at displaying 'now showing' and 'to do list'. I've hit the tivo button twice quickly and gotten both "bings", then a long pause, then two and a half lines of Now Showing, and it'll pause there for 3-4 seconds or more, then display the rest
- Paging or down arrowing in the To Do list gives me a BONG and the cursor wont move. Then a while later it'll let me move down a few shows or a page, then hold up a while. Seems like its still trying to fill out the list and something is slowing it down. But even if I put up the To Do list and then wait a couple of minutes, I still get random bonging. It gets worse a day or two prior to the sudden reboot. After the reboot, for a day or so I can skip through the To Do list with no issues.

My observation is that the problems didnt start immediately after the software upgrade, but a little while after, and it hit all three boxes at once as all started giving symptoms. If I manually reboot about once a week, we have no problems.

I thought it was just me, but my wife almost immediately commented that the remote control wasnt working right and that the tivo seemed slow.

Figure out what they changed shortly after the new version upgrade (new data stream? some new additional things going on that the new version enabled?) and you have your problem.

Absolutely zero chance that a disk problem hit all three of my machines simultaneously, two of the three with disks < 1 year old and one with a 2 year old did, and caused the same identical symptoms. I'm also pretty sure I've never seen random reboots due to disk problems solved by periodic reboots. My transplantion experiment also tells me that the disks are just fine.

Theres a memory leak, some kind of severe error condition, or something else fairly displeasing going on, it has something to do with the new software, and something else that happened after the upgrade triggered it.

My two series/1 tivo's with the same brand disk drives operating in the same conditions under similar usage patterns, with 5 year old disks...no problems whatsoever.

[Rhughes]

I agree that it happens once a show. I'll bet it only happens on local channels as well. Is that correct?Nope. I don't get local channels per se, I get the national networks, but it happens on any channel.

[dtremain]

Nope. I don't get local channels per se, I get the national networks, but it happens on any channel.Ah-ha. But so-called "national networks" on Directv are really local channels from either LA or NYC (I get NYC locals). If one of them is on either tuner when the breakup occurs (not necessarily what you are recording), I wouldn't be surprised.

[NytOwl666]

Not sure if you're implying you know something particular about this issue.

From what I've seen the reboots & freezes occur anytime one of the tuners is watching or recording a channel with an overlay. Note that the tivo is always recording at least the buffer so just being on the channel is enough.

So, local channels have spotbeam overlays. The new HD channels are also overlays - if the channel has a high-def and a SD and you have a new DIRECTV box plus the new dish, then the HD is overlaid over the "normal" channel. I don't know whether they are using spot beam to do the non-local HD overlays - I suspect not if they require the new dish.

I have also seen the problem when I'm busy deleting recorded programs. It gets real slow and then boom.

I've also noticed that the TiVo struggles when both tuners are on high-def channels and you pull up the listing or try to watch something recorded at the same time.

It really sounds like D*TV/NDS only tested their proprietary boxes and left out a significant part of their installed base.

[chademe]

What does the 57 and 58 kickstart do exactly? Will it affect my previously recorded programs? How will it fix the supposed software problem?

[Joe Jensen]

I read somewhere here that the power supply was marginal and over time the power would drift enough to cause random reboots. I replaced the power supply board ($49) and all reboots stopped. Suggest those dedicated to Tivo spring for a new board...joe

[hellghoti]

According to D* support...

The software download has detected a defect in the hard drive that is why it is resetting. Reverting to the prior software will not resolve the problem with the hard drive. The resettting occurs only when the receiver is attempting to write to the defective part of the hard drive.

I told them I was not interested in a R15, and they told me I could buy a R10 on eBay. Gee, thanks.

I very much doubt the hard drive is defective based on the experiences I have read about on this forum and in others like the D* customer forums.

Joe Jensen - where did you get the replacement power supply? Please keep us posted if the reboots should come back.

Jason

[Joe Jensen]

According to D* support...

Joe Jensen - where did you get the replacement power supply? Please keep us posted if the reboots should come back.

Jason

Weaknees, a supporter of this forum sells replacement parts. They charged $49...joe

[zdude1]

Yesterday I was watching the Broncos-Bears game OTA, and in about a 2 hour timeframe, my stock HR10-250 spontaneously rebooted 3 times. I need to pay attention to it more, as it seems to be rebooting about every 45 minutes or so...

[tivoupgrade]

Yesterday I was watching the Broncos-Bears game OTA, and in about a 2 hour timeframe, my stock HR10-250 spontaneously rebooted 3 times. I need to pay attention to it more, as it seems to be rebooting about every 45 minutes or so...

This could be a slightly different issue than the one being discussed here; there are two different scenarios:

1) SD units which HAVE updated to 6.3e and are experiencing instability issues

2) HD units (like yours) which are experiencing instability issues

Unless I'm mistaken, HD units which HAVEN'T updated to 6.3e (whether stock or not) appear to be more unstable than HD units which HAVE. And conversely, SD units which HAVE updated to 6.3e (whether stock or not) appear to be more unstable than units which haven't (ie are still running 6.2a).

What is your unit running on it?

More info in the two sticky threads here (http://www.dvrupgrade.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=15) and also a discussion here at TCF (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=372083) that sounds like it may be the problem you are having.

After monitoring what has been going on here, and with customer units, I do not think this a problem likely to be solved by replacing a hard drive or a power supply. It is difficult to say as 'marginal' hardware is always a possibility when the software changes, but we just don't know enough (and DIRECTV isn't acknowledging anything, officially).

[mmallory]

No they aren't acknowledging anything, typical these days.

Have all of you with problems called DTV? They are telling me they haven't heard of the problem. This almost made be blow a gasket yesterday. DTV tells me that at least "5" people need to call in, with the same model DVR, to get a response. They should call and ask to speak to, get this, "upper management".

Both of my Hughes units have the random pauses. A new drive didn't fix it, but I didn't know to stop the upgrade so I have the dreaded 6.3e.

Mark

[rbtravis]

No they aren't acknowledging anything, typical these days.

Have all of you with problems called DTV? They are telling me they haven't heard of the problem. This almost made be blow a gasket yesterday. DTV tells me that at least "5" people need to call in, with the same model DVR, to get a response. They should call and ask to speak to, get this, "upper management".

Both of my Hughes units have the random pauses. A new drive didn't fix it, but I didn't know to stop the upgrade so I have the dreaded 6.3e.

MarkBuy Instantcake from DVRupgrade it will install in less than 30 minutes, bring you back to 6.2a after the first call to connect to DVR service under settings disconnect the phone line. If you want to order PPV service do it by the web. Wait for 1 month after the next upgrade (Jan I believe) to see if it is working. Well worth $19.99 :)

[Naipes]

Bump...they're doing it again.

[Dkerr24]

Bump...they're doing it again.

uhh... who is doing what?

[Dan the TiVo Man]

I just reactivated an HR10-250 that I've had sitting around for a year and a half or so. It still has 3.1 software and I have a feeling it will update to the newest version tonight. Is there any way to prevent the update from happening?

[ForrestB]

I just reactivated an HR10-250 that I've had sitting around for a year and a half or so. It still has 3.1 software and I have a feeling it will update to the newest version tonight. Is there any way to prevent the update from happening?

Unplug the phone line

[Dan the TiVo Man]

Thanks ForrestB for the info

I'll leave the phone unplugged.

[tallgntlmn]

Ahhhh, confirmation. Mine started freezing and rebooting again. Trying to watch Sportscenter this morning and it kept freezing when Coach Knight was trying to talk.

It rebooted sometime between the end of the Nascar race and 10:15 tonight. Both tuners on ESPN and no power outages.

I was watching UT beating LSU and it was happening. Now I am watching History and it's going on. In fact, my SD-DVR40 just rebooted. GRRRRRRRR. CAN'T THEY FIX THIS CRAP? Running 6.3f-01-2-151 here.

[Naipes]

My box is rebooting now too. It stopped for a few months and now it's doing it again. Pisses me off no end. I should not be the person "diagnosing" what is wrong with my DirecTiVo box. Something was downloaded to my box and now my box is screwed up, AGAIN! It randomly freezes or reboots. I'm SURE I'm not the only person with this problem. So screw all the fan boys that want to blame the messenger or tell me it's my hard drive or tell me it's this or that... just fix the thing and LEAVE IT ALONE!

You know what I would like to see? I would like to see the option to accept or refuse "upgrades" to my TiVo box like Microsoft does with Windows or Ubuntu does with Linux. If it works and I'm happy with it, why do I need an "upgrade" that ultimately screws things up? I'm sick of new software being pushed to my box that affects my viewing, ESPECIALLY when it screws up watching LIVE TV. That is an intrusion I'm not ready to accept. For uninterrupted "live" viewing, I'd be better off without the TiVo and yes, I do watch "live" TV, commercials and all. It really pisses me off when all of a sudden, in the middle of my show, my TV doesn't work because the damn TiVo box freezes or reboots.

[tallgntlmn]

Mine just rebooted again...in the middle of a recording. And go figure, took about 4 minutes to reboot. If there weren't others seeing this too, I'd think it was hardware. Twice in one week, reboot in the middle of Idol. Granted, I can read the recap online but I actually enjoy fast forwarding through the commercials and hearing some singing.

Timed it...7 minutes from reboot till the recording picked back up. How ironic was it that Seacrest said "we'll find out, after the break" and my break was 7 minutes due to a reboot. LOL!

[codespy]

Looking back at past history.....When many are all of a sudden having issues....usually means another update....or slices of.... are 'in the air'. My .02 cents.

[thebigd]

I also had this problem and gave up, had direct tv replace my tivo box with one of theres so I could watch tv again, they (direct tv) has no idea of when or if when a fix will be put in place to fix the software upgrade problem. When I talked to tech, they know there is a problem and have no idea when it might be fixed, so they would not replace my box for that. I had to complain to customer service and tell them I was going to cancel service and go to cable before they would send me a free replacement. This replacement works fine now and has no reboots or signal problems. I hope the rest of you have better luck with your tivo boxes.....

[Rhughes]

Looking back at past history.....When many are all of a sudden having issues....usually means another update....or slices of.... are 'in the air'. My .02 cents.It's difficult to figure out what is going on. My 3 Series 2 DirecTivo's all started having problems of pixelization, black and white picture, video freezing, blank screen, etc. several months ago. Then the 6.3f software started being downloaded, but a couple of weeks prior to that my problems stopped. Then all 3 Tivo's got their 6.3f update, but nothing changed as I wasn't having problems by then. Note that I have never had the infamous reboot problem.

However, in the last few days I'm starting to see video freezing, black screens and pixelization again. When all of my Tivo's start having problems at the same time I know it's not the Tivo's. It's all getting pretty annoying.

[kingwart]

I just want to add that I had TWO DirecTV with Tivo units set to record "Bones" earlier this week. Both units crashed simultaneously. No way this is a problem with my hardware.

[501EIA]

I have had the same problem over the last few days, multiple reboots required. Things were running fine and then all of a sudden...... I pay good money for this service the least I should be able to do is set up recordings and not have to worry if they'll get pick up or not recorded because my box froze up before the recording was scheduled. This is happening on my SD units and more recently on my HD units as well.

[cjbdude]

I have the latest update 6.3f and I'm still getting lots of freezes and reboots. For a few weeks it behaved but this week is terrible. In in the Raleigh area and I did hear that it may be related to the local channels sending something in the data stream that Tivo is not liking...

Calling DirecTV is worthless - they relize there's a bug out there and gave me a $5 credit for 3 months. But when I push them on it, they said I must have $79 service call in which they will tell me I need a new DVR and they will replace it with a DirecTV one and not a Tivo. And from the feedback, I've heard the DirecTV DVR is terrible in comparison to Tivo.

I feel my only option is to give up and go to Dish Network and use their DVR which is highly rated... It's too bad Tivo and DirecTV can't get their act together - I will miss the Tivo...

[Mark Griswold]

It's difficult to figure out what is going on.

I don't think it's at all difficult to figure out. Here's the chronology

July 2007 - DTV announce new features coming in 2008 - Remote Scheduling etc.

"Say, George, lets try adding that Remote Scheduling data to the satellite stream to see if it works."

Aug/Sept 2007 - Reports start coming in about random reboots, freezes, pixelation.

"Oh crap. Tech support says a whole bunch of people are pissed because their DTivos keep rebooting. Gee I wonder if that sat stream data could have something to do with this?"

Oct 2007 - Magically, people start experiencing day after day of reboot free TV goodness.

"Phew.... glad that fixed it. Maybe we should ask Tivo to fix their software"

Dec 2007 - DTV rolls out 6.3f. Yay!

"Alright, *THIS* time its going to work"
"Hey, lets make sure we wait a few months, so everybody gets the update"
"Good thinking George!"

Apr 2008 - Reboots start all over again.

"DAMMIT TIVO, I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU FIXED THAT BUG!"

What really sucks is that there are enough technical people here to help DTV/Tivo figure this out, but I don't see anybody asking for our TSNs like they have in the past. How about it Tivo?

[danwenz]

For what it's worth, Directv and Tivo did reach out late last week to several users to help troubleshoot this problem.

[mmallory]

Dan, I'll believe it when I see the problem resolved. I wish there was a competitor with the same features. I want to leave Directv now but I don't want to lose my units. Personally, I don't want any "free" stuff. I just want the darn things to work the way they did when I bought them.

And, no, I won't call them. I can't afford to have my blood pressure go up talking to those.... well you all know the deal.

[habsman]

Like others, I have been experiencing similar tech problems with DTivo, and similar frustrations with Tech Support.

If DTV would only acknowledge the problem, and put a plan in place (i.e. we are aware, and we are creditting accounts until the problem is fixed, once fixed we will address those affected. etc....).

Unfortunately, they haven't, instead choosing the 'Deny Existance' rational.

My patience has been pushed far enough....

As such, as a paying subscriber with a contract, I have gone ahead and filed a complaint with the NYS Attorney Generals office, here in NYS. It's clear that DTV is not paying attention to its customers, and their support response (i.e. buy another unit with a 2yr commitment) is possibly illegal.

If anyone reading these forums is interested:

NYS Consumer Protection Board
Attn: Consumer Assistance Unit
5 Empire State Plaza
Suite 2101
Albany, New York 12223-1556

Fax: 518-486-3936

or electronically a complaint can be submitted to:
https://www1.consumer.state.ny.us/cpb/CauComplaintForm.html

non-NYS subscribers will need to contact their respective state agency.

Cheers....

[DirecTivoBliss]

My R-10 is about 3 years old and since about January, it reboots about 2-3 times a day. At first I thought it was because I activated the 30 second skip, but I didn't enter it in last night and it did it again this morning. Also, it doesn't matter if the phone line is connected. It reboots with or without it.

[skipw]

What version is your R-10 running and what area do your local channels come from?
In Raleigh,NC area they have acknowledged the problem with version 6.3f and although I don't know if it's fixed or not, I have not had a problem for about a week now.
The problems were happening here mostly during prime time and would happen on multiple receivers at the exact same time. This pointing to a software issue and not a hard drive issue. You need to document the times that it happens and make sure that you call it into DTV.