Post by dkennedy on Jun 14, 2005 4:53:12 GMT -5
DirecTV Update Sparks TiVo Tizzy
June 13, 2005
By Katie Dean, Wired News
A recent software upgrade to DirecTV receivers has infuriated TiVo users who say the change disabled their beloved digital video recorders -- and has sparked conspiratorial theories that DirecTV disabled them on purpose.
The problem mainly affects DirecTV customers with D10 receivers and a stand-alone TiVo, and who use a serial cable to control the satellite box. DirecTV DVRs that have TiVo functionality built-in are working fine.
Normally, the stand-alone TiVo will use the serial connection to change certain channels on the satellite receiver when a scheduled recording is about to begin. But because of a recent DirecTV upgrade to the D10 receivers, the satellite box no longer recognizes the TiVo's commands.
The TiVo thinks it has changed channels, but hasn't, and viewers are ending up with recorded programs they don't want to see, and missing their favorite shows, said Thomas Woellhaf, a DirecTV subscriber in Los Angeles.
"It worked for a long time just perfectly. Why fix something that is not broken?" Woellhaf said. "Now (DirecTV is) just causing more problems and making life miserable for TiVo owners."
Said one TiVo Community Forum poster who missed several shows due to the problem: "Just think if this mess had happened in the middle of the prime time season. Oh, man ... the rage."
Several ReplayTV users reported similar problems.
The situation has prompted some forum members to wonder if DirecTV was deliberately sabotaging their TiVos to get them to sign up for DirecTV DVRs.
"Absolutely not," said Jade Ekstedt, a DirecTV spokeswoman. "I can absolutely say this is not a tactic to get people to switch over to another receiver."
DirecTV is pursuing a fix but there is no estimate for when the problem will be solved, Ekstedt said.
"There was a download that occurred and there are some customers experiencing problems due to that download," she said.
Still, members of the TiVo Community Forum reported that DirecTV customer service representatives remained unaware of the problem.
DirecTV is upgrading the D10 receivers to receive "interactive content," Ekstedt said, which is causing the problem. On certain channels, the D10 boxes can display up to six programs at one time, and viewers can watch all six or switch between them.
Ekstedt said that DirecTV began rolling out the download to different markets in early May, and the company became aware of the problem shortly after the roll-out began. Complaints on the TiVo Community Forum started May 25, and have continued as more people receive the upgrade.
She said that despite the glitch, the company will continue the rollout through the end of June, while working to fix the problem.
The easiest fix is to use an IR blaster -- an add-on infrared channel switcher -- rather than the serial ports, but TiVo fans say the IR blaster has many disadvantages. It's slower, unreliable and clunky, not to mention just plain ugly, Woellhaf said.
"It's a little plastic thingy in front of your satellite receiver box and it's not very attractive to look at."
June 13, 2005
By Katie Dean, Wired News
A recent software upgrade to DirecTV receivers has infuriated TiVo users who say the change disabled their beloved digital video recorders -- and has sparked conspiratorial theories that DirecTV disabled them on purpose.
The problem mainly affects DirecTV customers with D10 receivers and a stand-alone TiVo, and who use a serial cable to control the satellite box. DirecTV DVRs that have TiVo functionality built-in are working fine.
Normally, the stand-alone TiVo will use the serial connection to change certain channels on the satellite receiver when a scheduled recording is about to begin. But because of a recent DirecTV upgrade to the D10 receivers, the satellite box no longer recognizes the TiVo's commands.
The TiVo thinks it has changed channels, but hasn't, and viewers are ending up with recorded programs they don't want to see, and missing their favorite shows, said Thomas Woellhaf, a DirecTV subscriber in Los Angeles.
"It worked for a long time just perfectly. Why fix something that is not broken?" Woellhaf said. "Now (DirecTV is) just causing more problems and making life miserable for TiVo owners."
Said one TiVo Community Forum poster who missed several shows due to the problem: "Just think if this mess had happened in the middle of the prime time season. Oh, man ... the rage."
Several ReplayTV users reported similar problems.
The situation has prompted some forum members to wonder if DirecTV was deliberately sabotaging their TiVos to get them to sign up for DirecTV DVRs.
"Absolutely not," said Jade Ekstedt, a DirecTV spokeswoman. "I can absolutely say this is not a tactic to get people to switch over to another receiver."
DirecTV is pursuing a fix but there is no estimate for when the problem will be solved, Ekstedt said.
"There was a download that occurred and there are some customers experiencing problems due to that download," she said.
Still, members of the TiVo Community Forum reported that DirecTV customer service representatives remained unaware of the problem.
DirecTV is upgrading the D10 receivers to receive "interactive content," Ekstedt said, which is causing the problem. On certain channels, the D10 boxes can display up to six programs at one time, and viewers can watch all six or switch between them.
Ekstedt said that DirecTV began rolling out the download to different markets in early May, and the company became aware of the problem shortly after the roll-out began. Complaints on the TiVo Community Forum started May 25, and have continued as more people receive the upgrade.
She said that despite the glitch, the company will continue the rollout through the end of June, while working to fix the problem.
The easiest fix is to use an IR blaster -- an add-on infrared channel switcher -- rather than the serial ports, but TiVo fans say the IR blaster has many disadvantages. It's slower, unreliable and clunky, not to mention just plain ugly, Woellhaf said.
"It's a little plastic thingy in front of your satellite receiver box and it's not very attractive to look at."