50xx stopped chaning channels on DirecTV D10 - Page 3  

This had me confused too, I suspect this won't work. The replayTV's internal channel number is 4 digits, but that's internal. The moment it sends the data out the serial port it's not going to be 4 digits, but 1, 2 or 3 digits (don't know of a 3 digit one but it's possible)

The D10 shouldn't have a way to map to the 1000 range.


Not that it matters, since this is a newer box, but the older boxes gen 1, 2 and 3 still have the locals (on the directv reciever) in the 800-999 range. Your replay also has the channels in this range too, but if your receiver won't accept these channels it won't do anything for you. That's the only way I know to get the replay to send 3 digits every time for a local channel out the serial port.

(I'll say it again)
If this is the case and you're still under some sort of service agreement, I'd look at finding out your legal rights. This might be a way out of the service contract...

I live in Charleston, SC and it hit my receivers Mon night :mad:

Well the DirectTV update finally hit my box last night and my channels no longer can be changed by my HS-2000 replay. To make a long story short I called DirectTV went to the 2nd level help right away. I then explained everything I read here and after they verified with the higher ups that this was a problem and that they are addressing it but do not have a timeframe of when it should be fixed. I asked them what I am supposed to do in the meantime and ended up getting a free Tivo system from them ($14.99 install fee only) and one month service credit ($45.99) spread out to a $5.00 refund each month to cover the $4.99 monthly Tivo cost (since currently I pay no monthly fee for my replay). So basically I got a free Tivo to use for the next 9 months in case it takes DirectTV that long to fix the problem.

Just wanted to let you all know since you all helped me figure out the problem in the first place! Thanks!!

Crista

Shoveler,

It seems you know my setup better than I do! :D

After thinking about it. I actually do have basic cable that is part of my cable modem package running to the replay. I never used those channels, so I forgot they weren't part of the Dtv setup.

So, as an addendum to my previous post. For this to work, service from an alternate supplier will be needed. ;)

Josh

I've been selling this gizmo called the TV Translator for over a year to solve a different problem in hooking up ReplayTV's to DirecTV receivers. Now I've reprogrammed it so it fixes the D10 channel-change problem.

Instead of sending the standard channel-change command on the serial link, for the D10 it sends remote control key commands. It sends three numeral key commands, which the D10 takes as a channel number just as if you'd entered it on the remote.

I've tested it with a D10 I have (which hasn't been upgraded yet, however), and one customer with a "beta" unit has also reported that it's working.

There's more about it on my web site:

http://www.patersontech.com/

I was running late to make a train this morning so I havent looked into it, but it appears that one of my replay 4500/directv d10 combos that was not working yesterday (post upgrade) was functioning properly this morning (with the abovementioned Paterson Tech device). Anyone else experience this?

Shoveler, whom did you speak with at support? I don't know of any official communications with DirecTV about this problem. So, no csr should have been able to tell you that DirecTV said they wont' fix this issue.

If you send me your contact info, I'll lookup your name to see whom you spoke with. Right now, I don't have any information about when or if this issue will be fixed.

Lyndon

I love it...

Had the update pushed down to me in NYC yesterday.
I just spoke to D* about this bug,
and the tech. said I needed to go into the setup of the Replay and
make sure to refresh it so that it sees "ALL CHANNNELS".

huh?

Now I think I can at least workaround it because at least in my market,
the CBS East, NBC East, et al. are my local channels (I think).

I'm not sure if the UPN's or the WB's have corresponding channels though.

If I did purchase one of the the RCA boxen mentioned in this thread,
what would I be missing out on?
Would I lose any functionality?

DosMan ROCKS! You guys who don't have one of these things should think about the $10 or whatever it costs.

Now if we could just get you to make the thing programmable from a PC so we could have a way to remap our channels to the DTV (digital tv) channels... =)

• $10.00 - Firmware Upgrade
• $35.00 - TV Translator (plus $5.00 shipping per order)

Hey Crista thank you for suggesting this, today was my first day with directtv and my replaytv was not working (d10 receiver sucks) so i called and they transferred me to level 2 tech support, and after like 10 mins of telling the rude lady my problem i just told her i wanted to cancel my subscription.
After that she transferred to another person and he was rather nice i think he works for the retentions dept. so i told him that directv deliberately messed up dvrs and that they aren't taking reponsibility to fix something that they broke and that being my first day as a customer i was very displeased, so he offeredd me a DUAL tuner 70 hour w/tivo for 6 months with no extra charges and i told him that if i got 9 months i would stay with direct tv and he gave me the 9 months so thanks to you Crista i got a better deal than you(thank you thank you), thanks a lot for posting what worked with you, i should say that i was still in my grace period with replaytv and that the replaytv kept freezing and the user interface is rather archaic so i'm returning my rplaytv for free to amazon and basically getting free dvr for 9 months. that is my 2 cents.

If your 2 cents thinks the Replay feature set/interface is "archaic" to a DirecTivo you're delusional.

The tivo interface is actuall insulting. Insulting unless you have a constant stream of drool from your mouth...

Agreed as far as interfaces go...

I have both the DirecTV R10 and the Replay55xx. If I could transfer the menuing/nav system and such from the Replay to the R10 - I would have the PERFECT box (Dual Tuners in the R10). Menu and interface on the DTivo is very average.

Spike

I wonder if this was an "accident". Why would they have to mess witht the serial port to begin with? If they did screw up something, why is a fix such a big deal??

And gee, what happens after the X months are up with your "free" Direct PVR. Now, if I believed in conspiracies........

Seems to have worked for me, too. I have a receiver that already had favorites set (using Custom1) and it does not have the screensaver problem. I never bothered to define favorites for the receiver hooked to my 3060 since I turned off the junk channels via my Replay's menu. This one did have the screensaver. I added favorites to it tonight and so far so good, although I don't know how long you need to leave it on a channel for the screensaver to kick in. But if it's still ok in the morning then that would be enough proof for me :p

Well, the screen saver is still there on the receiver I added favorites to, so adding favorites after the fact may not solve it. :mad:

Since this is the one hooked to my Replay, I am gonna swap it with the one that doesn't have the screensaver issue.

Since the screensaver is a software implementation with no customozable settings, I strongly suspect that all D-10 receivers with the new software will encounter the screensaver issue. It is merely a question of knowing what inputs will cause the screensaver to appear and disappear. In the absence of any release notes of change description, it is a guessing game. I just missed out on another recording due to the screensaver.

Please call DTV tech support each and every time that this new software negatively impacts your use of their product.

My roomate uses MythTV. And had a script to fix the changing channels issue.

He is using a D10 like me. And the TV translator seems to provide an answer. So this means that the serial port is still working.. So why can't replaytv send a new software update down to us that fixes the problem.

The serial port is working.. It just needs to know how to send the correct signals to the reciever.

Cheers,
ed

Ford doesn't fix GM's mistakes.

I'm still puzzled why they would put a SS in...

If you are watching TV that's the same as a SS. If you have a menu up, sure that would be good. But it sounds like they are doing it if you're tuned to a channel?!?!?

If this is really the case whoever came up with this plan should be fired. It really make no sense.


So to "fix" the problem DNNA would just need to rev the software to always output 3 digits on the serial bus. Not sure that's a good thing to do, there's a lot of other boxes out there that may not like that.

Apparently Directv has some really bad firmware engineers...

I disagree.
While DTV altered the functionality of their own box, it does still function.

I got hit with this bug just like everyone else,
and while I am hoping and praying that DTV fixes, or restores, the
serial cable to how it functioned before, I'm not going to bet the farm on it.

Neither should Replay.

Based on DosMan's post, it is possible to still correctly control the D10-100
externally via the serial port. I know Replay's resources are minimal, but this is starting to sound like a new dataset is needed for the *new* d10-100 receiver.

Maybe they can reverse-engineer DosMan's work (If it's legal of course,
or if he'd permit it).

While D*TV threw the grenade in this case, I think it might be Replay's job to jump on it.

All, I'm saying is that.

- The serial port is not disabled. The code sequences (for lack of a better description) for local channels are just different.
- There is a hardware fix (TV translator)
- There is a software fix (MythTV, SageTV)

So its a software issue.

If DTV is not willing to resolve this quickly. Then ReplayTV should just step in and reprogram the section of code that does the channel changing.

Does not matter who does what. I just want a resolution and it seems the people that can resolve it the quickest is replayTV

Cheers,
ed

We've been screwed for a couple weeks now (Chicagoland area), and I'm pretty much ready to dump DTV at this point, despite having time left on our agreement (no way I'm paying a penalty since they broke their own hardware).

However, don't any go thinking that Replay is on the clear on this issue. That they don't even have IR codes to fall back on (as the Tivo users appear to) is laughable. I've got to say, after being a ReplayTV advocate for several years now (at least 1999), and spending $1000 on new 5508s and lifetime subs, I'm extremely unhappy with their support regarding this issue. I don't even know what they've done recently in terms of updating ANYTHING. I knew I should've given up after the horrific time I had setting up the 5508s to begin with (completely non-working phone line setup, had to get wireless bridges before I could even use the thing for the first time).

I guess there's a reason everyone calls PVRs Tivos now. At least those guys seem to get software updates occasionally.

You're half somewhat right, and half dead wrong.

In terms of the low speed data port, this is a feature that DirecTV never advertised as being available for customer use. RTV and TiVo used a serial command set that was available and worked quite well. The fact that DTV eliminated a portion of that command set, while a distinctly questionable business decision, is probably well within their legal right. But to say that it "does still function" is not quite correct. It can be made to function by modifying the serial commands to emulate individual IR button signals. So yes, if DTV decides to be bullheaded about the issue, it may very well be up to RTV to provide a resolution, if any is to be provided.

Where you are dead wrong is wrt the screensaver. When the screensaver becomes active, my D-10 is no longer "functioning", nor can it be made to function. This is the case for RTV users, for TiVo users, and for VCR users. There is nothing in my agreement with DTV that limits my rights to only viewing "live" program content. They are contracted to provide program content for my use, and that use may include recording for my own use at a later time. The screensaver is an alteration to the receiver, implemented and introduced to the mix by DTV, that causes the receiver to no longer function.

I can understand an instinctual reluctance on the part of RTV to "fix" this problem, as it will cost them to design and implement the fix, and there is nothing to stop DTV from inserting yet another minor change to their command set in the next software download. Once RTV provides a fix for this, we will expect continued support from them, and DTV will be able to inflate their operating cost if they choose to. Since DTV is the point of origination for this problem, it would be unwise for RTV to provide a SW fix. It would be nice if they would provide a code so that the IR blaster could be used, but I wouldn't expect them to rework their implementation of the serial port interface.

Read your contract ... you'll notice there is no penalty if you send them all their equipment back (unless that's changed in the past few months).

So you'll have to pay for shipping but no big deal.

Just got off the phone with DTV, amazingly they said they had no information on these issues!

Went through all the normal troubleshooting problems to no avail, as I figured.

After being on hold for a few minutes the rep came back advising he was going to send me a replacement receiver. I informed him that this solution would most likely not work if they sent me another D10, mentioning all the problems reported here. But, according to his research nothing had been reported on this so it HAD to be specific to my receiver.

At any rate the problems were noted according to him, and I am getting a new receiver free of charge, hopefully not another D10, although I informed him I WOULD be calling back when this new receiver developed the same problems!!