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TiVo Bug Shuts Out Many Series 1 TiVo Owners?

Posted by simoniker on from the life-blood-seeping-away dept.

Didion Sprague writes "A bug in recently released DirecTv/TiVo software is allegedly causing major chaos with many TiVo users -- forcing many users over the past few days to upgrade their Series 1 Tivo boxes to newer, Series 2 models (which retail for $79). Apparently lots of folks on the TiVo Community forum and DBS forums are frustrated and angry. The bug has apparently been reproduced and causes the video stream to freeze when a combination of factors are met. DirecTv has been offering users who complain a $79 credit -- but hasn't admitted the problem, let alone offered up a timetable for a fix. The problem only occurs with the DirecTv TiVo boxes -- not the standalone models."

8 of 166 comments (clear)

  1. More Sales! by mfh · · Score: 4, Funny

    > A bug in recently released DirecTv/Tivo software is allegedly causing major chaos with many Tivo users -- forcing many users over the past few days to upgrade their Series 1 Tivo boxes to newer, Series 2 models

    Now there's a bug they'll rush to fix! /bender

    --
    The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
  2. Huh by iamdrscience · · Score: 5, Funny

    A bug that causes old users to pay to upgrade? Doesn't sound like a bug at all, sounds more like a business strategy.

  3. Damn! by wurp · · Score: 5, Funny

    Somebody hire that guy!

  4. Re:Not as big a deal as story suggests by ePhil_One · · Score: 2, Funny
    This appears to be an isolated issue that has only affected a small number of owners of much older Tivos (and in reality, ones that probably have a bunch of weird hacks).

    For the record, the only hack my Sony T-60 has is a 120Gb drive in lieu of the original 40GB (I storage in case of disaster). I've been getting this weird bahavior occasionally too, just hadn't thought to check the forums because it hasn't hit me too much, beyond nearly sending me into tears when a got a big

    Your TiVo has experienced serious errors. Please leave your Tivo connected to the phone line for the next three hours while we attempt a repair. If the problem persists, please call (xxx) xxx-xxxx"

    So I went to bed

    --
    You are in a maze of twisted little posts, all alike.
  5. seriously by brandannnnnn · · Score: 4, Funny

    i want to read this thread but i don't have the time. i'll just tivo it.

  6. Re:LOLOL by kmankmankman2001 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Dumbass. All Tivo's run Linux, always have.

    --
    "The bigger the lie, the more they believe." - Det. Bunk
  7. ROFL! by apoplectic · · Score: 2, Funny

    My significant other rocks!

    She just posted how to get the $79 dollars...this after I spend 30 minutes chewing on someone at DirecTV with no luck. Jerk told me "Since it has a hard drive in it, it breaks often...you should throw it away" and "You can't believe what you read on the Internet -- there was that town with the styrofoam, you know? That town?" (he had no idea what the story was about...though I did) and repeatedly "There are 13 million people with DirecTivos" (He didn't believe me when I told him that his stat was out of whack).

    The guy made me so mad that I refused to hang up at the end of the conversation...keeping the jerk on the phone. Not my style, but I was ticked off!

    Sir, if I don't have a response in 30 seconds I'll have to disconnect

    Hi.

    Sir, if I don't have a response in 30 seconds I'll have to disconnect

    Hi.
    Wow, I can't remember ever being so uncool! Heck, toward the end of the conversation I believe I was indeed the jerk.

  8. Re:Details on how to reproduce: by Frizzle+Fry · · Score: 2, Funny

    This post wasn't nearly so exciting as the subject line led me to expect.

    --
    I'd rather be lucky than good.