DIRECTV-TiVo Trouble?

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DIRECTV-TiVo Trouble?
A popular TiVo message board is overflowing with complaints about the DIRECTV-TiVo DVR, including the HD DVR.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (January 3, 2007) -- DIRECTV has experienced several major issues with its new HD DVR. However, owners of DIRECTV's TiVo DVR say they are now having problems as well.

At the TiVo Community Forum, a popular message board for TiVo owners, complaints about the DIRECTV-TiVo recorder have filled more than seven pages in just two weeks. Posters say the device is failing to record shows and mysteriously deleting programs previously recorded.

The problem seems to be affecting all DIRECTV-TiVo recorders, including their HD DVR (HR10-250).

"Tonight my HR10-250 states it deleted Cold Case on TNT HD early to make space for another program. The kicker is, it did not record the program it supposedly deleted and the only program scheduled to record was Cold Case," says a poster named lmk911.

DIRECTV-TiVo owners are not smiling today.

DIRECTV and TiVo yesterday did not return calls and e-mails asking for a comment on the apparent problem. The TiVo Forum posters say that DIRECTV's customer service has informed them that they are working to resolve the issues.

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"The (Customer Service) rep said unequivocally that they had NOT as yet identified the specific cause of the problem, nor even the general area causing it," said a poster named mxyztplk. "The rep said that, since they had not even identified the cause, they have no estimated date for it to be fixed."

Several DIRECTV-TiVo owners speculate that the satcaster is purposely sabotaging the device to force them to switch to DIRECTV's new HR20 HD DVR, which does not include TiVo's recording software.

"We have called on this 3 times and the first 2 times DIRECTV acted like our TiVo was broken and that we should consider replacing it," said a poster named "Hexerott."

However, DIRECTV's HR20, which was launched in mid-August, has had its own issues. In some boxes, the high-def recorder also fails to record certain shows and it has experienced problems with its Pause, Fast-Forward and Rewind buttons as well.

DIRECTV decided in 2005 to stop marketing its TiVo DVR and instead launch a new in-house recorder. However, the companies have signed an agreement ensuring that they will continue to provide service for existing DIRECTV-TiVo boxes.

The Internet posters say the problems with the DIRECTV-TiVo DVRs began in mid-December.

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Phillip Swann is president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in dozens of publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN, Fox News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times, The Associated Press and The Hollywood Reporter. He can be reached at swann@tvpredictions.com or at 703-505-3064.

Click TVPredictions.com to read more news and features on TV technology.

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