Our Ultimatte TV box died...

[Analogvideo]

Greetings,

After more than five years of continuous service our DWD490RE died. I strongly suspect a HDD failure, but I'd like the collective wisdom of this forum before I sending it to a landfill or recycling.

Upon power up it goes to the WebTV connection page, although we don't (and never had) WebTV service. It tries to handshake with a modem (over the telephone line) and stays in that loop. The smart card (number 4?) has been installed since about 2002, we have not received any further replacements.

Previously we've had a few issues each year with the box overheating. I've blown the dust out of the innards. Looks like some one at the factory added a fan but didn't bother to add an air filter...

Are there any other known failures (cables, PSU?) that I can try to resolve?
Can the programming on this HDD be recovered (assuming the HDD itself has not crashed) or digitally copied to another drive?

According to DirecTV we should expect a replacement DVR by FedEx in a couple of days. Also, the monthly fee drops from $9.95 to $4.95. Why? Does the replacement box have less capability? Have we been paying for services that we have not needed? I'll be asking DirecTV for a refund on unused service fo this month, not sure how easy that will be, but it's the principle.

As you can tell I'm a firm believer in not fixing what isn't broken. The box and the service have met our needs and we have slipped behind the leading edge of DBS technology.

Comments Welcome!

Peter

[rickaren]

Peter

You might want to check the UTV section at AVS Forum
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=41

You could have your unit repaired / exchanged or buy a used one. I just dropped one off at my local Goodwill Store that worked fine with only one turner, when I was told it may be worth about $20.00. I moved on to TiVo about two years ago, and now moved to the HD DirecTV Tivo. I see that you can now have the hard drive up graded too, by Weakness. I have two 240 hour SD Tivo units from them.

[Analogvideo]

Rick, you said:

"You might want to check the UTV section at AVS Forum " (The automatic quote thing seems to be broken on this site, I had to hack your quote to get past the auto checking...)

Thanks for the pointer. That forum appears to be pay-per-use, I don't have posting privileges there. Did I miss something?

Peter

[greywolf]

You just have to register to post. Payment gets you more priveleges and freedom from some ads but is not required.

[jonaswan2]

Greetings,

After more than five years of continuous service our DWD490RE died. I strongly suspect a HDD failure, but I'd like the collective wisdom of this forum before I sending it to a landfill or recycling.

Upon power up it goes to the WebTV connection page, although we don't (and never had) WebTV service. It tries to handshake with a modem (over the telephone line) and stays in that loop. The smart card (number 4?) has been installed since about 2002, we have not received any further replacements.

Previously we've had a few issues each year with the box overheating. I've blown the dust out of the innards. Looks like some one at the factory added a fan but didn't bother to add an air filter...

Are there any other known failures (cables, PSU?) that I can try to resolve?
Can the programming on this HDD be recovered (assuming the HDD itself has not crashed) or digitally copied to another drive?

According to DirecTV we should expect a replacement DVR by FedEx in a couple of days. Also, the monthly fee drops from $9.95 to $4.95. Why? Does the replacement box have less capability? Have we been paying for services that we have not needed? I'll be asking DirecTV for a refund on unused service fo this month, not sure how easy that will be, but it's the principle.

As you can tell I'm a firm believer in not fixing what isn't broken. The box and the service have met our needs and we have slipped behind the leading edge of DBS technology.

Comments Welcome!

Peter

About you paying more question, since it was manufactured by Microsoft, Microsoft controled how much you payed.

With the Tivo you are getting less functions, but it's not that bad. If you want something that's probably going to be more familiar, your going to want to wait out for the DirecTV Plus DVR.

[Ric]

Yes - check with the group at AVSforum as they have helped me in the past. I did just get an HDTivo (still have my UTV as a secondary) and really miss all of the UTV features. Maybe I just still need to figure out how to use it but specifically, searching for a certain show at a certain time seems to be a pain. Upgrading the hard drive (or in your case possibly replacing it) is not that hard - all the instructions are at AVSforum. If it doesn't work you still have a hard drive you can put back in your computer - everyone can use extra space so you wouldn't be out much trying that first.

[Sea bass]

What were the great features on UTV that Tivo doesn't have? Just curious. A friend of mine has 2 new, still in the box! I think they are RCA brand. If they are better, maybe I'll get one from him.

[TheRatPatrol]

If you're serious about repairing and keeping the unit, I highly recommond CCS Corporation. http://www.ccscorporation.net/index.htm

I sent them my unit a few years ago and they replaced both tuners and upgraded my HD. They do excellent work.

[jonaswan2]

What were the great features on UTV that Tivo doesn't have? Just curious. A friend of mine has 2 new, still in the box! I think they are RCA brand. If they are better, maybe I'll get one from him.

There are many, you'll definately get a response from the AVS forum if you need that answer. You'll also find some features that are unique to the TiVo as well so let me stress that. Also UTV is more expensive that DirecTV's traditional DVRs. Bottom line, if you have never used UTV, then you won't miss it.

[Ric]

Biggest things I like about UTV:

You can see how much space you have left for recordings. I have no idea with Tivo, with UTV I can see my HD is 50% full.

Can review all upcoming recordings, see the conflicts (Big red "Conflicts" message beside the recording entries) and resolve them myself. Tivo has you rank all of your season passes and it records the highest ranking ones if there is a conflict.

UTV has folders so all recording of the same show are under one entry.

I can continue watching a show while still in most of the UTV menus. Shows stop once in the Tivo menu

For me the search for shows feature are by far much easier to use. I can search on a show, it will then give me all the possible matches on one screen, I can then click Record once to record just that showing or click twice to set up a season pass. With Tivo, you have to go through several menu items to do both. Then get back to you search (ie search for the category Movies from 2000s, which I can't even do with Tivo, the UTV will give me all the upcoming movies made in the 2000s, I scroll through, highlight and click record on each one I want without having to go through several menus each time I record one)

UTV is much better at padding the recordings so that if it starts slightly early or late, it picks up the changes.

The Upcoming recordings and past recordings menus just seem to be much easier to navigate - everything in its expected place and easy to get to.

Caller ID is nice as well.

UTV has 30 second skip although there is a backdoor code to make Tivo have this. In my case, the code doesn't work and I just use the fast forward but prefer the 30 second skip if I had it.

Drawbacks to UTV (all in my opinion)

-$5 more a month than Tivo
-You lose Suggestions which is where Tivo can recognize what you like and record similar items. I actually have this turned off anyway because I am afraid I will lose recordings I have planned. Maybe once I upgrade the Tivo harddrives to get more space I will use it and like it. Instructions state it will always delete its suggestions before not recording one of my shows but I am afraid to test it. I have all my UTV shows set to not erase them automatically and Tivo won't let me do that as it tells me not enough space to record future shows so forces this one to stay as an upcoming deleted show.

-UTV does not record HD. D* has the HDTivo (what I have)

-UTV is obsolete and will never be back so you get what you get. I have no problem with this as all the menus etc seem to be perfect.

Similarities
-Both have recordings of Wishlists - by actor, category, title etc. UTV just calls it Autorecord.


In the end, if UTV (or hopefully D* new system) would record HD and have the same software, I would continue paying the extra $5 a month for Utv.

I also found this over at AVforum so you can probably go to the TivoCommunity and search for the original. I haven't been active in the Tivocommunity yet.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=588858&highlight=utv+vs+tivo

[Karl Foster]

I currently have three Ultimatetv boxes and one Tivo box. The Tivo box is hooked up to the home theater, and I'm the only one who uses it. My wife and daughter can't stand the interface, and choose to use the UTV in the Family Room on the small tv.

One thing I miss about UTV that I thought wouldnt' be a big deal is the on-screen caller ID.

Ric - the Tivo has folders as well - they call it grouping, and it works very much like UTV.

So far, the Tivo is o.k.and it is better than watching live tv, but I believe M$ bailed out on UTV way too soon.

[TheRatPatrol]

UTV has PIP (which is good for sports and allows you to see whats recording on the 2nd tuner) and has a stop button, which Tivo doesn't. :D

The new D* DVR looks alot more like the UTV interface.

[CCarncross]

I have an idea, but what I cant understand is the UTV boxes were the best of the best in terms of software..Why did they get discontinued? I know it was an MS venture, but you think that D* would have been able to make some deal to buy the technology, or SOMEONE would have...


Of course my hunch is the world full of cheapskates not willing to pony up for the better UI, cos they werent inexpensive, but thats just my guess..

[weirdude2304]

Yeah the new directv dvr will have most of these features supposedly like folders and such. The only thing I might get a ultimatetv for is the ability to do picture in picture unless directv put this in the r15. You can get a used ultimatetv for $20 and a new one for $30 on ebay if you look.

[Analogvideo]

Greetings again,

The replacement box arrived yesterday - it's a Hughes with TiVo influence. I'm not far along the learning curve but so far I'm not at all happy...

The user interface appears to be 'dumbed down' from what I had with the UlimateTV box that died. The flavour seems to be for sports fans or movie theatre fans and as I'm a geek I find it very demeaning. A lot of very useful info (to me at least) has been either hidden or placed behind daisy-chained menus. Why do the menus fly onto the screen? Why are the sounds effects so childish?

Perhaps I'm an old dog that can't be re-programmed with new tricks? Perhaps we had it really good with four plus years of UltimateTV and should just grin and bear it?

I'm currently asking DirecTV for a refund for the week long blackout (the box that died was our only TV, and we don't have a roof top aerial for local channels). I also think they should give us credit for the 33 programs that we recorded and never watched (due to the death of the box). It was 82% filled, rarely less than 75% filled at any time. It hurt to loose episodes of shows we'd enjoyed watching this season, plus a few one time only shows saved from last summer.

How do I see the amount of free disk space on this new box? I've turned off the silly sound effects, now how do I turn off the lame flying menus?

Comments Welcome!

Peter

[CCarncross]

Unless you had some sort of repair plan like E* has-does D* even have a monthly maintenance plan like E*?-, you own your equipment, and if it breaks, D*, isnt responsible for lost programming or lost ability to watch tv. Its not like your cable went out, the service was still there, your equipment was broken, not their responsiblity at all.

That would be no different than your tv failing and expecting them to credit you for the days b4 you replaced or fixed your tv...