HR20: PPV Bug

[AlbertZeroK]

I have confirmed the existence of a bug with PPV on the HR20.

If you purchase a PPV item off the internet, and you don't watch it, after X amount of days, you will no long have the rights to view the movie and will have to re-purchase it.

I'll be reporting this to direcTV. Although, I think I'll get more mileage from posting here.

The interesting thing is that if you watch the program on your HR20, it won't expire and you can watch it whenever. For example, I recorded Material Girls last week and Deja Vu this weekend. I watched Deja Vu a day after I recorded it and it worked fine. But We went to watch Material Girls last night and it wanted to charge us 3.99 to watch it (when we had purchased it and recorded it the same day about a week ago).

[DrZ]

I don't think your charged for PPV movies until you watch the 1st few minutes. It will then ask you if you wish to pay for it at that time. I think this is a new feature of the HR20

[AlbertZeroK]

I don't think your charged for PPV movies until you watch the 1st few minutes. It will then ask you if you wish to pay for it at that time. I think this is a new feature of the HR20

The key here is that I'm ordering the movie on the DirecTV.com website. This way it's available to all my receivers. I don't (and can't) order using a remote on any of my DVR's, I always order over the internet.

And yes, I've paid for the movie already, it's even on my recent account activity on my bill on DirecTV.com

[Sander]

The key here is that I'm ordering the movie on the DirecTV.com website. This way it's available to all my receivers. I don't (and can't) order using a remote on any of my DVR's, I always order over the internet.

And yes, I've paid for the movie already, it's even on my recent account activity on my bill on DirecTV.com

When you order online, can you download on both receivers for the same cost? I'd like to do that so I can begin watching a movie in my den and then continue watching it in my bedroom, if I want. With the old TiVo-to-Go, I was able to copy movies from one TiVo to the other.

[AlbertZeroK]

When you order online, can you download on both receivers for the same cost? I'd like to do that so I can begin watching a movie in my den and then continue watching it in my bedroom, if I want. With the old TiVo-to-Go, I was able to copy movies from one TiVo to the other.

Yes, but you have to order it, then goto the recievers and then hit record on the movie, you can't just order it online, you must manually goto each receiver and record that showing then.

[bigben7]

I have confirmed the existence of a bug with PPV on the HR20.

If you purchase a PPV item off the internet, and you don't watch it, after X amount of days, you will no long have the rights to view the movie and will have to re-purchase it.

I'll be reporting this to direcTV. Although, I think I'll get more mileage from posting here.

The interesting thing is that if you watch the program on your HR20, it won't expire and you can watch it whenever. For example, I recorded Material Girls last week and Deja Vu this weekend. I watched Deja Vu a day after I recorded it and it worked fine. But We went to watch Material Girls last night and it wanted to charge us 3.99 to watch it (when we had purchased it and recorded it the same day about a week ago).

I just had the same thing happen last night. I went to watch a movie I puchased online a week ago and they wanted to charge 3.99 again. It doesn't make sense especially since it shows an expiration date in July. Did you contact Directv about it? If yes what did they say? I'm calling them today.

[AlbertZeroK]

I just had the same thing happen last night. I went to watch a movie I puchased online a week ago and they wanted to charge 3.99 again. It doesn't make sense especially since it shows an expiration date in July. Did you contact Directv about it? If yes what did they say? I'm calling them today.

I'm curious to know what they said. For me, they were idiots. They couldn't even understand what I was saying or grasp the concept. I called 3 times then gave up. I never got my 3.99 credit to my account either.

Someone was suppose to give me a call back, but never has.

[bigben7]

I'm curious to know what they said. For me, they were idiots. They couldn't even understand what I was saying or grasp the concept. I called 3 times then gave up. I never got my 3.99 credit to my account either.

Someone was suppose to give me a call back, but never has.


Well I called and had no luck either so I sent an email. Here's the response:

..... "please be assured that you're not being charged twice for the pay per views that you have ordered and recorded. You can watch these movies without thinking about your bill".

We'll see what happens, at least I got something in writing from them so hopefully it won't be a problem.

[sspencer43]

I have emailed D* support as well. The first response I got they had said I probably ran out of disk space the DVR just deleted the movie to make space for something else. I then replied back and stated no, that was not the case since I had only used about 25% of my hard disk space. I explained to them the say scenario that I went to watch a PPV and it played for about 2 minutes and then stopped. It said it could not find the rest of the movie. I have also noticed that now you pay for your PPV when ordering with a remote at the time of "viewing". You no longer pay for it at time of "recording". After this reply, I had heard back and they said it was sent up another level of support. I have heard back from that level and his explanation really was not that clear as to why PPVs are expiring.

I still need to dig into it a little further. Just thought I would add my 2 cents worth.

[AlbertZeroK]

I've heard unofficially, that this is a known bug, but I do know the right people now know about it.

[StangLuver]

I called for the same issue this morning and was told that no one else had reported that problem and that I would not be charged twice. The aggrevating part of it is if you record something and wait a while to watch it. In the mean time, it expires and is deleted and is not scheduled to come on again for a while. This is definitely 1 thing I miss about my Tivo.

[fiveputts]

While y'all are on the topic of ordering PPV online ... I've always ordered PPV via my remote, but my wireless phone line quit working and I can't figure out the problem. Meanwhile, my kids want to see a PPV movie and I went online to order. The movie is an all-day ticket ... do I order it then go to the tv and pick any time I want to record it? Can I record it on two different receivers? At the same time or at different times?

[Blurayfan]

The online ordering bug is a known issue. I posted a workaround to this issue on a recent CE release. If you see this issue go ahead and Buy the program with your remote the PPV will not be charged again. The HR20 will display This pay per view is set to purchase. You won't be billed until you tune to it. I verified this on 2 recordings I've not been charged again and even after viewing the entire program the purchase history reads Not Viewed.

[Blurayfan]

While y'all are on the topic of ordering PPV online ... I've always ordered PPV via my remote, but my wireless phone line quit working and I can't figure out the problem. Meanwhile, my kids want to see a PPV movie and I went online to order. The movie is an all-day ticket ... do I order it then go to the tv and pick any time I want to record it? Can I record it on two different receivers? At the same time or at different times?

The best feature of online ordering is all your mirrored receivers will receive the PPV without being charged more than once. After you order you may record the program on any of your DVRs just as any ordinary recording. The box will verify you've ordered the PPV and display You are authorized for this program.

[sspencer43]

AlbertZeroK>>>>> Any update on the status of getting this bug fixed? With PPV expiring.

Thanks,

[AlbertZeroK]

no updates. There is not even an "official" problem and only the development team knows of the issue. I doubt there is much push to have the issue resolved either.

It's hard to get an update on this bug when it does not "offically" exist. Heck, most of the $7/hr phone people can't even understand it.

[TheRatPatrol]

I don't (and can't) order using a remote on any of my DVR's, I always order over the internet.
Will D* ever enable PPV ordering over the internet connection on the HR20? E* boxes will be able to do this soon. Some of us don't land lines.