Sending timers to 50x/721/921 via the web

[Mark Holtz]

Hmmmm..... I wonder if this is feasable, or would it cause more confusion than it solves?

I work a not-so-normal schedule, so sometimes I hear about programs that are airing that night. Unfortunately, I can't get home in time. Wouldn't it be great if I could log into Dish Network's web site, then send a timer command to my PVR to do the following:

Remote One-Time Recording
Channel: 101
Date: 3/10
Start time: 6:00 PM
End time: 7:00 PM
[]Override existing timers
PVR Password: ****

Of course, there are a couple of shortcomings:
* There should be a toggle to turn on/off web programming of the PVR.
* There would be no feedback if the command got executed.
* There would be no way to resolve conflicts.
* There would be a time lag between the time was submitted and when it was send down the datasteam.
* It would have to be intergrated with the normal Current/Next Program datastream.

Hmmmm..... would it work?

[Hopper27]

That will happen someday, I'm sure...

The problem is not the technology, it is how many customers will this really help, and how much trouble would it be?

Most of your users probably would have more problems getting this setup than would really be helped by it. That is just a guess and I could be wrong.

Another issue is cost. How much would this cost, and would the money be better spent on this, or other things?

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for it. This is one of the many benefits of having network connected stuff.

Jason

[toddjb]

Z'Loth...

...amazing. I was literally JUST logging on to the group to post that EXACT feature idea/request. I'm not kidding!

I lost out on my Survivor recording this week because I was on a business trip and the presidential speech came on. I had internet access and would have loved to just log onto a Dish website and "send" an event to my 50x.

I actually think this would be pretty easy to implement as long as they kept it simple. Don't worry about arbitration with other timers on the box, just let the user set one choice "Remote Timer Overrides Local Timer? Y/N"


Sure...ideally it'd be nice if I could see all my timers on the web and interact with them dynamically...but that's a pipe dream or at least a 721/921 future feature. Sending an event, one way communication, to a receiver should be easy.

I can only hope....since we don't have event based recording, this happens more often than I'd like (recordings get moved or delayed).

-todd

[P Smith]

I don't see any problem for implement the feature. We knows Dish send firmware update to our PVRs by serial number - it's much complicated task to change whole system and keep working a receiver ( I can't image how I could change BIOS in my PC and keep reading DBSforum :) ).
I see only one problem - it's proprietary sofware and only Dish decied what they want to implement - Open Source style will be much productive for us - customers !

[Chaos]

This is possible. UltimateTV did it for a short time on the beta for version 3.1 of their software. Unfortunately, Microsoft pretty much scrapped UTV and didn't want to spend the money maintaining the web site for the function.

[BobaBird]

They are already able to insert commands in the authorization stream to add/drop programming and set the clock offset. I wonder if there could be problems with granting the public access to this stream.

[Ken]

ReplyTV offers this feature (myReplayTV). I have used it while on work travel and vacation. The ReplayTV process only updates your web requests once daily (during the nightly guide update), so if you don't place your programming requests far enough in advance (like 24 to 36 hours) they are not used.

[me_hahah]

you know how dish isnt 100% on targeting irds's, how can they be 100% when overwriting timers :)


imagine your recording some history channel program and someone else's www recording recorder 496 overwriting yours because its not 100%

[TomCat]

Originally posted by Ken
...The ReplayTV process only updates your web requests once daily (during the nightly guide update), so if you don't place your programming requests far enough in advance (like 24 to 36 hours) they are not used.

Which would not apply to the E* units, where the guide is updated by satellite 6 times a day. Of course this would mean more baggage in the download. If only 10,000 users per day (a tiny percentage of DISH PVR owners) updated a single timer it might make the download significantly longer, and that is probably the reason we'll never see this feature without it being tied to broadband service somehow.

[DRJDAN]

If the the 721 has a network connection, it could be done over the internet directly to the unit. DN needs to but an a web interface into the reciever just like routers and access point have in them.

[DishDude1]

In the late 80's Panasonic made a VCR you could call home and program, much like an answering machine. You plugged it into a phone jack, and after 10 rings the VCR would answer and you would key in the start time, stop time, and channel!

[raj2001]

Originally posted by Chaos
This is possible. UltimateTV did it for a short time on the beta for version 3.1 of their software. Unfortunately, Microsoft pretty much scrapped UTV and didn't want to spend the money maintaining the web site for the function.

Standalone TiVo's with the new Home Media Option and a home LAN connection can do remote scheduling too I believe.