NHL-Patrick Roy 4 minute PVR download

[Unthinkable]

Noticed this morning that both of my PVR 501's received a 4 minute Dish Network interview with Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy which ultimately is an ad for purchasing NHL Center Ice. I already subscribe to it so it was probably pushed down to a whole bunch of folks with PVR's last night at 4am on channel 101 (the Help Channel). I didn't really learn anything new about Roy that I hadn't already heard before, but it was still a good way to advertise their new sports packages.

[Unthinkable]

Some of Roy's stats as noted at the tail end of this clip:

NHL's All-Time Winningest Goalie

4 Stanley Cups

3 Conn Smythe Trophies

3 Vezina Trophies

8 NHL All-Star Appearances

Countless other NHL Records...
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That said, Go Martin Brodeur!!!! This should be your year for the Vezina with Pat Burns at the helm.

[LarryH]

Originally posted by The Unthinkable
Noticed this morning that both of my PVR 501's received a 4 minute Dish Network interview with Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy which ultimately is an ad for purchasing NHL Center Ice. I already subscribe to it so it was probably pushed down to a whole bunch of folks with PVR's last night at 4am on channel 101 (the Help Channel). I didn't really learn anything new about Roy that I hadn't already heard before, but it was still a good way to advertise their new sports packages.

Tivo has been doing this for awhile now (and taking a lot of heat for it). I consider this to be like email "spam". I hope that many Dish customers complain so that Dish doesn't do this again. I waste enough time trying to get rid of unwanted email - let's not start the same thing on my PVR!

[tampa8]

I actually don't mind these types of downloads. I have the choice of watching it or not. Since there are no fees for the PVR functions, I find this acceptable. BUT ...... I wonder what happens if you do not protect a program and your hard drive is full when this download happens.

[Halfsek]

Tivo would have it in a special section; so it wouldn't be cluttering up your screen of saved shows. So in a sense, you could think of it as already placed in a 'spam folder' since you never have to access it if you don't want to.
And it would automatically go away after a while.
Tivo claimed it didn't use up any hard drive space saved for your recordings to save these commercials.
I have no idea how it pops up in a Dish box since my 701 hasn't had that yet.

[Mark Holtz]

Originally posted by LarryH
Tivo has been doing this for awhile now (and taking a lot of heat for it). I consider this to be like email "spam". I hope that many Dish customers complain so that Dish doesn't do this again. I waste enough time trying to get rid of unwanted email - let's not start the same thing on my PVR!

Well, it has happened before. When the last two major revisions of the 501 firmware came out, there was also a "new features" training video that was sent down also.

I think a portion of the hard drive is reserved for Dish's use for stuff like this. If you had an event already set up overnight, your "event" would override the video download.

[LarryH]

Originally posted by Z'Loth


Well, it has happened before. When the last two major revisions of the 501 firmware came out, there was also a "new features" training video that was sent down also.

I think a portion of the hard drive is reserved for Dish's use for stuff like this. If you had an event already set up overnight, your "event" would override the video download.

I don't mind instructional videos being downloaded to my PVR (as long as they are specific to my model receiver). I'm just against "commercials" being downloaded to my PVR. The next step (which Tivo is already doing) is to force you to have to watch the video before you can delete it.

[gcutler]

Originally posted by LarryH


I don't mind instructional videos being downloaded to my PVR (as long as they are specific to my model receiver). I'm just against "commercials" being downloaded to my PVR. The next step (which Tivo is already doing) is to force you to have to watch the video before you can delete it.

Don't know about that One Time issue in England (but I'm 99% sure it isn't waht you mentioned) but what you describe has NEVER happened to TiVo in the US. There are no downloads that require you to watch them before you delete them. Some of the commericals will sit on your system for a fixed period of time if you watch them or not and then go away automatically (but they sit on the part of the drive that you don't have access to anyway so it dosen't take anything away from you.) Since it is self cleaning and does not sit in the same folder as your recorded programs it is not the same things as spam. If you ignore it it does go away with no interaction on your part.

[Allamand]

They can't even get the Caller ID to work right, yet they take the time to PUSH ads on me..

GET real people, I paid for the service and paid for the HARD drive that stores the stuff I record.. not what someone picks!

Whats next, you buy VCR tapes, with ads that have to be watched first before they will record???

This whole thing is getting out of hand, and if it keeps going this way, I don't think PVR are going to take off for the masses, cause it is to messed up!

[tampa8]

As was posted in the "other" DBS site by someone else, when I see some of these posts I have to wonder about the motives behind them. To get so upset over a download that you never have to watch if you don't want to is over reaction. If you were a customer when you bought the 508/501 the cost was $199 and I think a year's commitment to service. Very reasonable. There are no ongoing fees. While I can't say this was some sort of great download, I actually did enjoy seeing it. I just recently started liking hockey. I would have a different opinion if you were forced to watch it. But as it is, well, Jeez, chill out everyone, enjoy your PVR!


To sort of combine topics, to those who have a dishplayer, I think you are the ones with a real beef. I understand that for most of you the agreement was for three years of no fees, and it is up now, so it should be no big surprise, but from everything I have read on the forums, with all the problems you have all had, you shouldn't have to pay anything!

[raj2001]

Originally posted by tampa8
I actually don't mind these types of downloads. I have the choice of watching it or not. Since there are no fees for the PVR functions, I find this acceptable. BUT ...... I wonder what happens if you do not protect a program and your hard drive is full when this download happens.

I don't know about you guys, but here in TiVo land, TiVo has a "reserved" section of space they use for such things, so it will NEVER interfere with your recordings. Maybe DishPVR's have the same thing too.

I personally don't mind the ads being downloaded, as I have the choice not to watch them, and they go away in a couple days. Sometimes you get to see some neat stuff, like the BMW films or some music videos....

[LarryH]

Originally posted by raj2001
I don't know about you guys, but here in TiVo land, TiVo has a "reserved" section of space they use for such things, so it will NEVER interfere with your recordings. Maybe DishPVR's have the same thing too.

I personally don't mind the ads being downloaded, as I have the choice not to watch them, and they go away in a couple days. Sometimes you get to see some neat stuff, like the BMW films or some music videos....

Ok, you guys are talking me into it! I wouldn't mind the commercials if:

1) they use the "reserved" disk space instead of the user disk space
2) they auto-delete after a few days
3) they are automatically placed in a separate folder (so they don't clutter the directory)
4) we aren't forced to watch them

[gcutler]

Originally posted by LarryH


Ok, you guys are talking me into it! I wouldn't mind the commercials if:

1) they use the "reserved" disk space instead of the user disk space
2) they auto-delete after a few days
3) they are automatically placed in a separate folder (so they don't clutter the directory)
4) we aren't forced to watch them

Well 2 and 3 may not be a match.

TiVo will auto delete the recording, I believe in the 50x you have to delete it yourself.

And I don't believe the 50x had a different folder so they will clutter your directory, even at one a week, not much clutter especially if you spend 3 seconds to delete each recording.

[raj2001]

Originally posted by LarryH


Ok, you guys are talking me into it! I wouldn't mind the commercials if:

1) they use the "reserved" disk space instead of the user disk space
2) they auto-delete after a few days
3) they are automatically placed in a separate folder (so they don't clutter the directory)
4) we aren't forced to watch them

TiVo does all of the above.

for #3- they usually appear as a yellow star in the "DirecTV central" (formerly TiVo central on combo units), and they also appear in the "showcases" menu instead of "now playing".

[Allamand]

Point is, Maybe they should fix the software and make it as the Tivo, so that it isn't a BIG deal.

I just wonder what would of happened if I was recording softhing I wanted to, when that comand came down to record the INF ad?

And anyways, not like there isn't enough Ifo shows on the TV anyways, like I need more, ...

My TIME is worth.. well gee.. MY TIME... That is simply as I see it..

Yet, after having the 508 for less then a month, and I paid $300, I have had the caller ID work twice, and then nothing. The 301 is twice as fast going through the guide, and yet it has no HD.

So why would they worry and take the time to send this ad to me if they can't fix the software.. that is all.. maybe then it wouldn't be a BIG deal..

[gcutler]

Originally posted by Allamand
Point is, Maybe they should fix the software and make it as the Tivo, so that it isn't a BIG deal.

I think the reason that TiVo SW is soo good is because of the Monthly charge (or the lifetime payments of $199-$249). Because they have the money to devote to the programming they can make the SW more stable (oh, and they do beta test, which Dish does not seem to do).

As long as the 50x is inexpensive, they will probably not put much effort into making it like a TiVo (as that costs extra money). Question is, for the expensive 721, is there developer costs built into the price or is it a very sophisticated product with not enough resources to maintain the code.

What I would find acceptable is like TiVo, the 3rd part commercials also subsidize the costs, I would put up with a weekly commercial if it meant that bugs were fixed quicker. it is like a chicken and the egg, one has to come first. And I believe that 3rd party commericals as subsidy will have to come before they 50x would ever get TiVo like.

What Dish should have done is at most halved the PTV costs but used that existing money to try and make the DP stable. This way when the price went back to normal there wouldn't be the backlash.