[CodeWhisperer]

A few months back we decided that our old UltimateTV was, after 4 years or so, getting a little long in the tooth and that it was time to upgrade.

What a mistake. Of course, DTV was pushing their R15 and we really could not have been more deeply disappointed by it. Simple things we took for granted (like the fact that the USB keyboard worked for the UltimateTV, but not for the R15) weren't supported, but we learned to live without those.

If it were just reduced functionality, I could live with it...but this R15 is the buggiest piece of software I've ever seen -- and I work for Microsoft! As someone who has made their living writing software for the last 20 years, I can easily see that this is the buggiest piece of hardware I have _ever_ seen. It's astonishingly bad in ways that, honestly, I don't even have words to express.

I waited a few months, but I seem to have the latest version (0x104B on the R15-300) going back to August...the bizarre thing is that it is manifesting NEW bad behaviors. Today the thing just started hanging, needing a reset to get out of it...3 times in 4 hours after not happening at all for 10 weeks. Another new behavior: when recording 2 shows, sometimes one will fail leaving nothing to view...and when you delete the failed one, it deletes the successful one as well!

Is there any hope that this machine will be fixed, or is it time to call up DTV and have them re-activate the UltimateTV? (Can I still do that?)

It's sad that a 4 year old box so COMPLETELY decimates one produced just recently...and it's a sad statement regarding the software development behind the R15 hardware. It is so far from production quality code that I have to imagine that either a) there was zero testing, or b) it was intentionally released with the full knowledge that it was buggy like crazy -- and apparently even with a year to work on it they couldn't fix it.

Astonishing, just astonishing. And it only cost me $100. What a bargain! >sigh<

-cw

 

[Slyster]

Just bite the bullet and get the HR20. Works VERY good. Do you have an HDTV?

 

[Earl Bonovich]

Yes, the R15 has a significant update that is in the testing phase.
So as soon as it clears, you should hopefully see a "NEW" R15

 

[BetaTester]

Wanna bet? I submit that the next "significant update" will introduce more problems
than it fixes. Every update since I purchased my 2 units in December have done the same. I now have 2 R15's that will not even record and playback as reliably as they did when I purchased the units. This optimism of "next release will fix it" has gotten tired for me and I've given up and gone with used R10's from Ebay.

 

[Wolffpack]

Just bite the bullet and get the HR20. Works VERY good. Do you have an HDTV?

Do you have a different HR20 than the one that is being discussed on the HR20 side of this forum? To me it sounds like a repeat of the R15, back around February time.

 

[ApK]

A few months back we decided that our old UltimateTV was, after 4 years or so, getting a little long in the tooth and that it was time to upgrade.

You got rid of a functional, reliable DVR just because it was old?

Maybe your kids will take the same attitude toward you someday.

The R15 is your instant karma payback

 

[carl6]

Do you have a different HR20 than the one that is being discussed on the HR20 side of this forum? To me it sounds like a repeat of the R15, back around February time.

It sure does appear to be that way, doesn't it. At first, we thought that the HR20 was going to be a really solid product, but as time passes, it appears to be experiencing many of the same (or similar) problems as the R15.

We were advised that the HR20 was different in that D* built the R15 software on top of an NDS foundation, but that the HR20 was built from the ground up so it would not suffer the same problems. The underlying software foundation and OS may or may not be different, but it appears that the higher level software suffers many of the same problems, or same type of problems.

Both units appear to have widely varying performance characteristics. One person can have a unit that works very well for a long time, while another has consistent problems with multiple units.

I've got two R15's, which for the most part have worked well. But they have had their problems, and it is very frustrating when they do. Nor am I confident that problems won't recur. I really am looking forward to the next software upgrade, and I hope it does address most/all of the issues on the R15, but I won't be very surprised if it doesn't.

I am holding off on an HR20. I thought about getting one, but at this point in time it makes no sense to do so. I'll wait until (a) OTA is enabled, AND (b) indications are that it is a more stable unit than it is right now.

From what Earl has posted, both R15 and HR20 should be getting software upgrades over the next month or so that are expected to resolve many/most/all of the problems the units are experiencing. I sure hope they come through on this.

Carl

 

[ISWIZ]

From what Earl has posted, both R15 and HR20 should be getting software upgrades over the next month or so that are expected to resolve many/most/all of the problems the units are experiencing. I sure hope they come through on this.

Carl

:eek2: <- Me, holding breath for almost a year.

Yes, in painfully slow dribbles the R15 is improving. Foolishly we expected better.

 

[mrb]

:eek2: <- Me, holding breath for almost a year.

Yes, in painfully slow dribbles the R15 is improving. Foolishly we expected better.

Go Skins.

 

[ISWIZ]

Go Skins.

Yeah, they too are slowly improving.:lol:

 

[mrb]

Yeah, they too are slowly improving.:lol:

Was at FedEx on Sunday...I can't agree they're improving. Miserable loss to the Titans. If we have to wait as long for this unit to gel as we've had to wait for the R15 to function like it's supposed to we're in trouble. Nooooooooooooo!

 

[Wolffpack]

Was at FedEx on Sunday...I can't agree they're improving. Miserable loss to the Titans. If we have to wait as long for this unit to gel as we've had to wait for the R15 to function like it's supposed to we're in trouble. Nooooooooooooo!

Oh WAAAAA! Try being a Lions fan. :lol: That's truly painful! Born in MI = Love the Lions, Live in AZ = Support the Cardinals. We all know what the Cards did last night. At least I've got the Tigers right now.

 

[MercurialIN]

I am throughly disgusted with the R 15 I have tried so hard to believe that this unit is fixable. Right now I am all out of hope. Since last week the R 15 has been totally ignoring my number one auto record in the prioritizer although it had been picking it up before that. And it is back to ignoring the Colts games, unless it picks them up from the NFL Sunday Ticket channels, and I don't get NFL ST. I use a custom favorites list. It ignores the games on my local channels and tries to schedule them from the NFL ST channels anyway. I realize I can do a search for Colts, sports, football and manually schedule the games, it doesn't take long. But dog gone it, I shouldn't have to!! What is the point of a series link or autorecord if the darned machine ignores them anyway.

I have to babysit the TDL each and every single day more then once a day to be certain my shows, my series links are still on the TDL or that they've even been placed there in the first place. And if I don't put the R 15 in standby each and every blessed time I leave the room for two seconds, I come back to a locked up unit. I am beyond frustrated and beyond tired of this nonsense. There is NO excuse for a DVR that won't even function at the very basic level, which is to record user scheduled shows in a reliable manner. I have truly had it with this thing. Sorry but I just needed to vent, I am just really fed up. I had no quarrel with D* until the good ole blue eyed monster darkened my door. I just want it gone.

But yet I don't want to leave D*, I actually like D* believe it or not but I want/need a reliable DVR, the HR 20 is not an option for this set because it is a standard definition set and they won't authorize an HR 20 for a non HDTV. I know the HR 20 is far from perfect, but so far it (I have one for my other TV which is a HDTV) is recognizing and scheduling my series links and auto records a far cry from the R 15, although admittedly it too places NFL ST games on the TDL also, ignoring my custom favorites list of channels.

FYI, I have tried deleting everything from the prioritizer and starting from scratch, I've tried numerous red button resets and even unplugging, still the R 15 ignores programs it was picking up just two weeks ago. It is also dumping some of my series link recordings just arbutrarily, (spelling incorrect I know, sorry), like it will list General Hospital for Monday not list Tuesdays episode or Wed. but list it again for the following Monday, and this is a good 48 hours after a red button reset when the programs are listed in the program guide but not on the TDL. Or it picks up only repeats of a show I have set for first run ONLY. There is no sense to any of that.

 

[Wolffpack]

Mercurial,

Have you tried the Down Arrow/REC reformat? It wipes EVERYTHING and folks usually get good results. Try that and when that's complete do a Reset Everything which will run you through the guided setup again.

 

[MercurialIN]

Mercurial,

Have you tried the Down Arrow/REC reformat? It wipes EVERYTHING and folks usually get good results. Try that and when that's complete do a Reset Everything which will run you through the guided setup again.

Thanks Wolff, actually I haven't tried the Down Arrow/REC reformat since June when advanced Tech Support promised me it would solve all lock up/freezing with the unit. I gave up about 15 or so movies to do the reformat and the unit locked up again within 24 hours, so I have been loathe to try that again at least until I clear some movies again. I will probably try it just for "giggles" but I don't have much faith that anything will help this stupid piece of junk at this point. But again, thanks for the advice.

 

[irmolars]

If this next update fixes anything, It's because D* finally fired their software team and hired some others that knew what they were doing!:lol:

 

[fu_paladins]

Yes, the R15 has a significant update that is in the testing phase.
So as soon as it clears, you should hopefully see a "NEW" R15

I can't wait. Bring it on and let me QA it some. I won't stress it too hard but we'll know if it fixes up the basic issues. I just wish someone would give me some idea of a timeframe. October? November? December? I had planned to donate my VCR to get a tax write off this year but can't seem to cut the cord until I know my R15 is up to the load.

 

[Wolffpack]

If this next update fixes anything, It's because D* finally fired their software team and hired some others that knew what they were doing!:lol:

IMO, taking into account my history in this area, I'm 99% sure the problem is not with the coders or development team so much as it is in management.

 

[FLWingNut]

You got rid of a functional, reliable DVR just because it was old?

Maybe your kids will take the same attitude toward you someday.

The R15 is your instant karma payback

If Ultimate TV service was 5.99 instead of 9.99, I'd reactivate my UTV. But I'm not paying an extra 4 bucks a month.

 

[cabanaboy1977]

If Ultimate TV service was 5.99 instead of 9.99, I'd reactivate my UTV. But I'm not paying an extra 4 bucks a month.

That was only 1/2 my issue. One of the two UTV's was having overheating issues so It would stay on. If I could find two other UTV's and had some way to make sure that they wouldn't overheat or have tuners go out I think I'd go back too. It was so nice to be able to just drop in a new HD and have it autoupgrade. No limits, Channel 1020, (almost) no missed recordings, autopadding, PIP, switching buffers, ~137GB of HD space just for me (with upgraded HD)...... Ahh, memories.