[Wolffpack]

This has been a problem since the R15 was released (or maybe a little after) but I understand it's a DTV wide problem (all receivers). Earl, do you know when we might expect the problem with our receivers/DVRs correctly displaying and using channels we receive versus all channels offered by DTV?

Seems funny my R15 knows what channels I receive as it prevents me from seeing them, yet it isn't smart enough to exclude them from searches I perform or from excluding them automatically from my guide or even trying to record them.

What's the problem here and when will it be fixed?

 

[Phroz]

See, I don't understand how this could be too much of an issue.

My old Hughes receiver can still manage this just fine, so why can't any of the newer DirecTV boxes?

 

[Wolffpack]

See, I don't understand how this could be too much of an issue.

My old Hughes receiver can still manage this just fine, so why can't any of the newer DirecTV boxes?

I think it has something to do with getting an update. My SD DTivo units look ok but my HR10s are screwed up along with my R15. With the 6.3x updates each of my HR10s list every channel in my "Receive" list. I'm hoping Earl can provide an update and maybe shed more light on why this is evolving into a problem that has existed for almost a year now.

 

[daytoday]

When I was talking one of the more experienced CSR yesterday, he mentioned that this function was operating correctly. He said the reason D* does not hide the channels is because D* wants those stations shown to customers so that the customer may decide to order those stations that they do not receive. He mentioned that it was some marketing idea so that customers would buy more programing.

I set up the favorite channels and this does the job when flipping through the channels, but noticed when you press the guide button on the remote and then it takes you "Channel Categories". It still shows the (Channels you do not get) in the listings!

He mentioned something about marketing? Not sure if this is correct, but if it is... then it sounds like D* will not be changing it?

 

[Wolffpack]

There was some bug that appeared soon after the R15 when RSNs were programmed. On DTivo I think searches and scheduling will ignore channels you don't receive once you set them. The R15 doesn't take this into account and will allow you to search all channels and will schedule recordings for those channels.

If it's a marketing ploy it's stupid. I have no desire to receive all of the Jade channels or other foreign language channels. I go through and remove them every time they appear. I just don't see why they have to keep re-appearing nor do I understand why the R15 can't bypass the channels I don't get while searching for programs or scheduling programs.

 

[morgantown]

It's not a marketing ploy, it is a "feature."

 

[Stuart Sweet]

Seriously --

I think this is a very important feature for R15s and HR20s. With the HR20 at least (I don't have an R15), searches and autorecords are essentially useless as they return results on channels you don't have. I'm pretty sure this a big source of recording issues on the HR20, and as it is a feature that's already in the menus and is turned off, I'm surprised more people aren't as annoyed about it as I am

 

[daytoday]

It's not a marketing ploy, it is a "feature."

A feature for who? The customer or for D*?

I'm not interested in flipping threw tons of channels that I do not receive.

 

[islesfan]

A feature for who? The customer or for D*?

I'm not interested in flipping threw tons of channels that I do not receive.

You can solve this problem through favorites, but you cannot with autorecord. Autorecord is useless withouth being able to remove channels you do not receive. Therefore, this is not yet a DVR, but a glorified VCR.

 

[morgantown]

A feature for who? The customer or for D*?

I'm not interested in flipping threw tons of channels that I do not receive.

A "feature" in the same sense that Microsoft reports some if it's bugs as "a feature -- not an issue."

 

[HD AV]

Actually, the problem is not solved with a favorites guide. I still get channels I do not receive when using the filters. If I pick the HD filter, I get ALL the HD channels D* has, plus it lists some XM business stations. These channels include the National ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX feeds and my LIL D* channels to which I do not subscribe. It's a real pain in the ***. This should be a simple fix that has existed for over a year. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS! This affects ALL of D*'s customers with the H20 and HR20. As has been pointed out, it defeats a feature of the DVR and negates the full utility of the guide. I have called and inquired several times as to when this will be addressed and FIXED. I have yet to hear anything other than "I can not answer that, it's up to the engineers. I'm sure they are working on it" or similar remarks. You would think that this would, at least, have been addressed and an answer provided for their customers, even if it was "We don't care about piddley problems".

 

[Wolffpack]

Actually, the problem is not solved with a favorites guide. I still get channels I do not receive when using the filters. If I pick the HD filter, I get ALL the HD channels D* has, plus it lists some XM business stations. These channels include the National ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX feeds and my LIL D* channels to which I do not subscribe. It's a real pain in the ***. This should be a simple fix that has existed for over a year. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS! This affects ALL of D*'s customers with the H20 and HR20. As has been pointed out, it defeats a feature of the DVR and negates the full utility of the guide. I have called and inquired several times as to when this will be addressed and FIXED. I have yet to hear anything other than "I can not answer that, it's up to the engineers. I'm sure they are working on it" or similar remarks. You would think that this would, at least, have been addressed and an answer provided for their customers, even if it was "We don't care about piddley problems".

If you create a favorites channel list (custom 1 and 2 to start with) and then you select that favorites list as your channel guide, then when you choose a filter it does work correctly.

Now, to clarify I'm referring to the behaviour of the R15 in this instance. If you have any other DTV receiver DVR I cannot say that will work as it seems that the R15 and HR20 don't have the same features or common user interface (as I believe was the stated purpose for dropping Tivo). It seems to be that the only commonality between DTV's DVRs are currently a limit of 50 SLs and limits to history and the TDL. Beyond that I'm not sure what's common between the R15 and HR20.

 

[Sneezy]

If you create a favorites channel list (custom 1 and 2 to start with) and then you select that favorites list as your channel guide, then when you choose a filter it does work correctly.

Now, to clarify I'm referring to the behaviour of the R15 in this instance. If you have any other DTV receiver DVR I cannot say that will work as it seems that the R15 and HR20 don't have the same features or common user interface (as I believe was the stated purpose for dropping Tivo). It seems to be that the only commonality between DTV's DVRs are currently a limit of 50 SLs and limits to history and the TDL. Beyond that I'm not sure what's common between the R15 and HR20.

I can't get it to work for me unless I manually choose the channels one by one and add them to the list. It's driving me crazy!

This is one area where Dish was way ahead of DTV. I had to ditch Dish because they can't provide the distant networks out of NY to me anymore and the allamericandirect.com offering was second rate at best. With the Dish guide button, one push shows all channels, a second shows only the ones you get and then 3rd & 4th can be custom guides. The Dish software is so much more user friendly than the DTV.