# Hr10-250 No Dvr Service



## laddanator (Nov 23, 2012)

So I installed a TB drive into my HR10-250 and used Instantcake 6.4a to install the software. I have three R16-500 that the DVR service is working fine but I am getting a message that the DVR service on my HR10-250 is not activated. I do not have a phone line and never had this issue before using Instantcake so I called D*TV. The guy on the phone tells me since I have a HD Box that I was put under the 20 dollar a month DVR service package deal and the HR10-250 wasn't supported, then I had to explain to him that I do not have an HD box and the HR10-250 no longer supports HD so basically now, it's a SD box. 50 mins later back and forth, I finally got him on the same page with me about my box not being HD and said I needed to moved down to the 8 dollar DVR service and this would have to be escalated to the top people to get this done. 

Does this make any sense? I find this hard to believe and was wondering if it was on my end because of the Instantcake? I guess I will have to take it somewhere with a phone line? Did I get a bad Instantcake image?

So basically if I did upgrade to HD and I was put in the 20 dollar DVR service, D*TV is saying that my DVR stuff on my Tivos will not work anymore. Just doesn't make sense.


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

The HR10 can still be used but it needs to do one call in to activate.


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## laddanator (Nov 23, 2012)

stevel said:


> The HR10 can still be used but it needs to do one call in to activate.


The problem is that one I know uses a phone anymore. Why would D*TV require this? My R16-500 DVR works without a call in and I have never had to do a call in with using Instantcake but stevel, do you suggest this call in as the fix and just let it go?


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

This is the way TiVos work. You are correct that, nowadays, DirecTV DVRs, including the THR22, don't need a call, but back in 2005 DTiVos did. Back in 2005, everyone used phones. If you had a more modern DVR, it wouldn't be an issue.

All I can say is that an HR10 that has been reset to factory defaults needs to call in once to be activated.


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## laddanator (Nov 23, 2012)

stevel said:


> All I can say is that an HR10 that has been reset to factory defaults needs to call in once to be activated.


I am a little confused and want to make sure I understand. I have a R10 that in the last two months, I have changed hard drives three times and loaded each drive with a clean Instantcake image and I have never had to call in to reactivate the DVR service but can't swear that box has never made a call in to D*TV back in the day. Are you saying I only need to have the HR10 call in once and I can then from here out reload the HDD with Instantcake as many times as I would like and will never have to "call in" again?

Also dumb question. I suppose I have to have my box hooked to a working Satellite to make this call? I can't just unhook the box, take it to work, and make the call from there with no Satellite cables plugged in? I do have access to magicjack but not sure VOIP works?


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

I can't explain your experience with the R10. It could be that the IC image had already been "activated" somehow. No, I am not saying you do it once and then can restore images all you want in the future. As far as I know, any time a Clear and Delete Everything has been done, (re)activation by a phone call is required. I don't think it requires satellite access. VoIP may or may not work - odds are on "not".


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## laddanator (Nov 23, 2012)

Thanks for your help, stevel. Just got off the phone with D*TV after another 45 min call and my ticket was never escalated as promised from last night. Regardless if the DVR service is the problem or not, they still need to lower my price. They have in their system I have the whole home DVR service which is 20 a month when this is not so. I have 3 R16-500, R10 and HR10-250. No need to pay for something I don't have. If you don't have to have Satellite plugged in, I can run the box to my work and use the phone.


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

You certainly should not be paying for whole-home DVR service, which last I saw was $6, and should not have to pay for HD service either.


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## laddanator (Nov 23, 2012)

stevel said:


> You certainly should not be paying for whole-home DVR service, which last I saw was $6, and should not have to pay for HD service either.


Well its official. My DVR service not working is on D*TV end. I carried my box to work, hooked up the phone line and made the call successfully. I saw it connect, download, hangup and load and still says I do not have DVR service. I tried but until D*TV fixes the whole home DVR thing on their end, my box is useless for recording. Time to make another call to D*TV


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## laddanator (Nov 23, 2012)

On the phone with D*TV again for an hour and they are telling me my box needs to be replaced. Brand new HR10-250 box that has never been plugged up til 3 days ago. They can not get DVR working on this box. I am lost and sadden that my favorite box will not DVR for me and I did the phone line deal but no go.


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## laddanator (Nov 23, 2012)

Ok, getting somewhere. Tell me if this makes sense. The lady at D*TV noticed right before we got off the phone that I do not have Tivo service on my account. She said this would take 72 hours for this to be added to my account and its 5 dollars a month and this is why my DVR is not working. Does this sound right?



GOOD NEWS!! DirecTV called me right back and said my Tivo service had been added without a 3 day wait and now my HR10-250 is now recording. Not sure if it was the IC but no phone called required.


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

No. That's only for the THR22.


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## laddanator (Nov 23, 2012)

stevel said:


> No. That's only for the THR22.


Not sure what you mean. DirecTV called me back after adding Tivo service to my account and my box is now recording so it must have been the lack of Tivo service on my account.


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

The TiVo fee is for the THR22 only - it does not get charged for the older DTiVos. I can't explain what happened, but you're being overcharged.


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## laddanator (Nov 23, 2012)

stevel said:


> The TiVo fee is for the THR22 only - it does not get charged for the older DTiVos. I can't explain what happened, but you're being overcharged.


Oh, thought you meant the Tivo service wasn't the fix. So your saying I shouldn't be charged the 5 bucks "Tivo Tax" as they call it? I don't have the lifetime Tivo thing

They also got me off of the 20 Whole Home DVR crap and put me on the 8 dollar DVR deal.


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

You should not require anything but standard DVR service. The "TiVo service" is for the THR22 only. My guess is that your account was not properly enabled for DVR service.


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## TonyTheTiger (Dec 22, 2006)

Steve is absolutely correct. There shouldn't be a fee to use the HR10 or any of the SD TiVo boxes.

For clarification, the $5 fee was introduced for the THR22 only and has NEVER been retrospectively applied.


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## laddanator (Nov 23, 2012)

I'm with you guys. Not sure why when the Tivo service was enable, my DVR service started working. My DVR was working on all other non Tivo boxes in my house. At this point, to keep my wife off my back, I would pay a 5 dollar Tivo fee to keep DirecTV from screwing anything else up and my box goes back to not recording. I am already having a hard enough time getting them to remove the 20 dollar Whole Home DVR charge off of my first bill (My account is only 4 days old in my name) when I never had the Genie crap. I am not looking forward to calling D*TV today about the charge, another hour on the phone in my future.


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## mitkraft (Feb 21, 2003)

Ok, I'm confused. You guys seem to be saying that a $5 charge for having TiVo service wasn't introduced till the THR22. I'm pretty sure I've always had a $5 TiVo charge ever since I got DTV 9 years ago with my original Directivos.


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

No - you had a $5 DVR service (now $8). The $5 TiVo fee is on top of that for the THR22.


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## mitkraft (Feb 21, 2003)

That makes sense. I think in my mind it was a TiVo fee because way back then TiVo was the only DVR they had.


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

I think it was called a TiVo fee in the early days, so I can understand the confusion.


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