Re: Eastlink DVR

[Rick Walker]

"Donna W." wrote:
>I have one of the newer multi-room DVR's that has been a never ending
> source of problems. The latest? I sometimes watch programs in bed and
> occasionally fall asleep while doing so. That was never a problem
> until about a week ago.
>
> It looks like there may have been a firmware update and now, when a
> recording reaches the end of the program, it defaults to deleting it.
> So, if I fall asleep or happen to not be in the room when it reaches
> the very end, I lose it. Highly annoying and there doesn't seem to be
> a solution from anything I can read in the manual.
>
> As usual, Eastlink said that's how they work and they don't have
> record of any recent firmware update. I don't really care what's
> causing it. I just want the problem fixed. Can anyone provide a
> solution? ...other than switching to Aliant.
>

Well THAT'S a pain in the ass, Donna. And Eastlink says "That's how they
work"???

We've had what we consider "regular" digital issues here; a picture will
freeze for a second (or more), sometimes the sound will drop out and I swear
(although my wife disagrees) that sometimes the picture/colour quality will
vary from HD station to HD station (the difference between HD and SD
stations is to be expected, of course).

But a recorded show deleting itself after it's watched once? Never! I have
to remember to delete shows after watching them because of drive space - I
can hold up to 20 HD hour-long shows shows, but I thought the newer DVRs had
even more space. If that's so, why give you extra space if the shows delete
themselves after watching after one viewing?

Any shows I've recorded give me the choices "Delete recording" or "Don't
delete recording" at the end of the show... I'd be pretty pissed off too if
I were you.

[demibee]

On Oct 20, 5:30 pm, Donna W. <M...@home.ca> wrote:
>
> As usual, Eastlink said that's how they work and they don't have
> record of any recent firmware update. I don't really care what's
> causing it. I just want the problem fixed. Can anyone provide a
> solution? ...other than switching to Aliant.

This'd be a workaround only... but can you duplicate the show before
watching it??


db

[Rick Walker]

"Donna W." wrote:
>
> Guy #1 was no help. Said he tested it on the one there and that's how
> it works. Guy #2 couldn't figure out what he meant because the call
> centre doesn't have DVR's there to test on. He must have been a guy
> working out of his home. Anyway, that's how they work NOW said guy #2.
>

Jesus I don't like the sound of that... I like to hold a show sometimes
after I've watched it, so my wife can watch it if I'm out. That's what
recording is all about I thought. Sounds like Guy #1 was giving you a line
of shit... I know Staples has representatives that work from home, but
Eastlink? This gets "curiouser and curiouser".

>
> Want to hear something weird? After I finished talking to guy #2 whom
> I called just after posting this. I got busy doing something with
> Kevin away from the DVR. I then decided to test it one more time on a
> program I'd already watched today while it was recording so didn't
> really need it. No loss if it deleted. Brought it up to the 50 minute
> point and then let it run. It ran to the end and did not delete.
>

Does it still give a "Delete recording" or "Don't delete recording" choice?

> It could have been a weird problem that was transient or Eastlink
> could have reset my DVR while I was out of the room and THAT fixed the
> problem. Wouldn't be the first time they said "Oh no, WE don't have a
> problem" and quietly fixed it behind the scenes.
>

I've had a guy "call me on his way here", had me explain the problem and
then bang - it was fixed. That happened when I lost HLN the second time -
makes me wonder whether or not anyone WAS on their way at all.

> Still plan to switch to Fibre Op when it reaches this building. It's
> definitely worth a try.
>

I'm going to look into it as soon as it becomes available here - as I've
said, everything else we have is with Bell/Aliant... and that Motorola DVR
has more than paid for itself by now anyway.

>
> I DID lose two shows that way though when I was either out of the room
> or fell asleep so this DVR might be biting the dust.
>

Won't they swap it out for another one? You're renting *their* DVR - and
you need that to receive *their* service that *you're* paying for. It makes
sense that to keep you as a customer they'd do their best to make sure you
were happy.

[m...@nospam.com]

"Donna W." <MY...@home.ca> wrote in message
news:3641a71rv5lh04arf...@4ax.com...

> I don't think that can be done on a DVR. I'd love to know if it could
> though. It happened twice and I'm now edgy about being out of the room
> or falling asleep watching something. It's OK if it's something that I
> JUST recorded and it's playing again on another channel but one of the
> two shows I lost was recorded a couple of weeks ago so it's a goner.
>

are you low on space?
i thought on our there is an option"delete after watching to conserve space"
or something similar. our was acting up and not recording(did not
record,duplicate show)they had to reboot the box from the ho ,as our
resetting did not work.
jeff

[Rick Walker]

"Donna W." wrote:
>
> I'm not sure they understood the problem as I was describing it. It
> wasn't the fact that the selection defaulted to Delete Recording. It
> was the fact that on two occasions, it actually deleted the program
> when I wasn't available to select the alternative
>

It really sounds to me like it's time for another visit from Eastlink, once
you've watched the remainder of the programs. Problem is, you'll most
likely be recording something else in the meantime so there'll always be
something else left to watch - and you risk losing whatever's left... unless
Eastlink sends a guy that might know how to transfer the saved shows over to
the new DVR, as db suggested.

You remember how the old ones worked - I get the choices of Delete Recording
or Do Not Delete Recording. And if I doze off during a recorded show (and
it ends), the choices are there for a bit before the default puts me back to
the last station I was watching, thus saving the recorded show. "That's how
they work now"... that was Eastlink's answer? I would have been tempted to
say "Fine... then give me my old one back until I notice I'm missing
something. Then I'll call you back".

They must have a few kicking around.

In regards to Eastlink contracting out their services, I've had pretty good
luck with the guys that have come to see me over the years. One fellow was
candid enough to tell me not only do they generally have to call the office
to let them know what they're doing, they also have a GPS system that keeps
track of where they are at any given time by the office.

You know Donna, I've thought about renting the new DVR from Eastlink until I
decide whether or not I'm going over to Bell. But from what you've told us
on here I really don't see any reason to change a thing.

Good luck with this and please keep us updated; just because few people
respond to a topic doesn't mean it's not being read by many more. And those
who don't respond could eventually be facing the same issues - they learn in
advance as I did what to expect... or not to expect. ;-)

- Rick

[Rick Walker]

"Ronnie Rodent" wrote:
>
> My Aliant service lets me keep till space needed or I erase it. Never
> erases unless told to......... or receiver runs out of space and then
> will delete those identified to "keep till space needed".
>

That's how this older Motorola box works with Eastlink, Ronnie. Hey... did
you get Fibre-Op yet?

[Rick Walker]

"Ronnie Rodent" wrote:

> No
>

I've seen a few trucks around town installing the new lines, but I haven't
heard a word about them coming out here yet. On the Bell website there's a
spot where you can find out if Fibre-Op is available in your area - mine
still says "no", but I put my name in to be alerted when it's finally here.
I'd imagine there'd be a few incentives to sign up for it... that down/up
speed is mighty impressive looking! :-)

[sy...@eastlink.ca]

>I've seen a few trucks around town installing the new lines, but I
>haven't heard a word about them coming out here yet. On the Bell
>website there's a spot where you can find out if Fibre-Op is available
>in your area - mine still says "no", but I put my name in to be alerted
>when it's finally here. I'd imagine there'd be a few incentives to sign
>up for it... that down/up speed is mighty impressive looking! :-)

Hmm,

I would not immediately trust that information. Several of my neighbours
in Herring Cove have the Aliant Fibre service. Another neighbour called
to request a hookup to the Fibre service and was told that it is not
available! Despite my advising Aliant that they DO indeed service this
area I was assured of the fact that they do not. It took a further three
phone calls before we found a 'Customer Service' rep that confirmed that
service was available in this area and arranged an installation (which was
done and all is now working).

It seems that Aliant is doing a lousy job of providing accurate
information to their 'Customer Service' representatives.


Dave.

[Rick Walker]

> There is a 3 month price of $99 for their " Best" package that
> includes everything but cellular.
>
> After the 3 months the price revert to $169.
>
> Not a bad deal at $169 for 30/30mbs, Tel service with all the features
> and all SD and HD Channels they offer incl HBO and TMN. PPV excluded
> of course.
>

I'm just doing some fast math... we pay approx. $80 bucks per month for
Eastlink TV. Our cells are pretty cheap considering what we get so figure
$60 bucks per month for the pair of those.

That's $140 dollars for cells and TV per month. Before tax.

Then our home phone and internet bundle price of about $100 dollars before
tax.

That's $240.

Now, if we take Bell's Fibre-Op ($170... that's what it'll be anyway) and
add our cells that's about $230 per month.

30/30mbs, all TV channels, both cells and full home telephone works out to
be less than what we're paying now. Yes... I'm interested! :-)

[Rick Walker]

<sy...@eastlink.ca> wrote:
>
> Hmm,
>
> I would not immediately trust that information. Several of my neighbours
> in Herring Cove have the Aliant Fibre service. Another neighbour called
> to request a hookup to the Fibre service and was told that it is not
> available! Despite my advising Aliant that they DO indeed service this
> area I was assured of the fact that they do not. It took a further three
> phone calls before we found a 'Customer Service' rep that confirmed that
> service was available in this area and arranged an installation (which was
> done and all is now working).
>
> It seems that Aliant is doing a lousy job of providing accurate
> information to their 'Customer Service' representatives.
>
>
> Dave.
>

Thanks for the heads-up, Dave. I'll have to call and see what kind of luck
I have with a "customer service representative". No matter where the call
centre is located (I believe the nearest one to HRM is in New Brunswick)
they should have the correct information... but that's not always the way it
is, unfortunately.

- Rick