Another DTV Android App Request for Help and Rant

[Charbear1]

I've been a pretty big supporter of DirecTV, sang some praises, denounced cable, etc. but this buggy, quirky POS (piece of you know what) Android App is making me rethink my stance. I have found hundreds of posts on the net with the same issue. Have not once see a valid reply from DirecTV or from anyone who has specifically said how to resolve. Called DirecTV Technical Support. They were about one level up from "what's an app" aka no help. My issue...same as so many others.


I go thru proper setup when at home. I properly sync the app to my DVR. Recordings list is populated on app. I do a check (disconnect WiFi and hot spot to my phone simulating being away from my home network). Check a couple of recordings and they stream fine. Go away for a day or two. While remote ( on a good WiFi connection) I can maybe stream 0-2 shows, then I will get the dreaded "We ran into a bit of a problem. It appears your DVR is in use or you are already streaming on another device". I am NOT streaming on another device. I only have the one device to stream to. There is no one at home so the DVR is not "in use". Shut down and reboot. Does not matter. Clear cache. Does not matter. Stop and restart. Does not matter. Go into settings and do network test. all is good. One time in every 10-20 restarts, the app will connect to my DVR and I can stream a show. The next time I try, it does not work. I have the latest OS and app. I have uninstalled/resinstalled numerous times (all in my home network of course).


Any helpful suggestions or, better yet, tried and true solutions that actually work....and keep on working?

 

[mdram]

the app is broken.
my opinion is i do not want directv to waste resources on it
they are a satellite tv company. concentrate on that, leave the internet stuff to others

 

[ncted]

It is not just Android. The iOS App is terrible too, although I am not 100% certain that it isn't a combination of the bad mobile app and bad code on the DVR. DirecTV should have stuck with Tivo back in 2006. The Tivo app works great (or did as of about a year ago). I downloaded content to watch while in Paris off my Tivo in NC. Streaming on my iPad in-home always worked wonderfully, and the Tivo Mini is SOOO much better than the Genie Mini.

 

[Jimbo]

It is not just Android. The iOS App is terrible too, although I am not 100% certain that it isn't a combination of the bad mobile app and bad code on the DVR. DirecTV should have stuck with Tivo back in 2006. The Tivo app works great (or did as of about a year ago). I downloaded content to watch while in Paris off my Tivo in NC. Streaming on my iPad in-home always worked wonderfully, and the Tivo Mini is SOOO much better than the Genie Mini.

NO D* should NOT have stuck with TIVO ... good god, weve heard enough of the Tivo lovers to cancel the show ...
Very happy they moved on.

 

[ncted]

NO D* should NOT have stuck with TIVO ... good god, weve heard enough of the Tivo lovers to cancel the show ...
Very happy they moved on.

You're obviously entitled to your opinion, but D*'s DVR software is still inferior compared to a modern Tivo IMHO. The ONLY advantage I see to D*'s software is it handles schedule overlap on a single channel without using 2 tuners. Other than that, it is still pretty much just a generic copy of what they licensed from Tivo over a decade ago. At least it has become usable and reliable as hardware has gotten better, which is more than I can say about the HR20-23. When I moved from a Roamio with a Tivo Stream and 2 Tivo Minis to an HR54 with a C61k, it was a definite downgrade in capability and performance.

If D* had stayed with Tivo, they might have actually been able to compete DVR-wise with Dish. Clearly, this is not a priority for a lot of people, and I myself have switched to D* from Tivo in the past year, so it isn't a top priority for me either. It doesn't however mean my opinion about the quality of the D* software has changed. That said, Tivo is now run by a bunch of idiots and the market is changing, so its best days are behind it. Perhaps if D* had stuck with Tivo, the situation would be different.

Whatever. Bygones.

 

[Jimbo]

You're obviously entitled to your opinion, but D*'s DVR software is still inferior compared to a modern Tivo IMHO. The ONLY advantage I see to D*'s software is it handles schedule overlap on a single channel without using 2 tuners. Other than that, it is still pretty much just a generic copy of what they licensed from Tivo over a decade ago. At least it has become usable and reliable as hardware has gotten better, which is more than I can say about the HR20-23. When I moved from a Roamio with a Tivo Stream and 2 Tivo Minis to an HR54 with a C61k, it was a definite downgrade in capability and performance.

If D* had stayed with Tivo, they might have actually been able to compete DVR-wise with Dish. Clearly, this is not a priority for a lot of people, and I myself have switched to D* from Tivo in the past year, so it isn't a top priority for me either. It doesn't however mean my opinion about the quality of the D* software has changed. That said, Tivo is now run by a bunch of idiots and the market is changing, so its best days are behind it. Perhaps if D* had stuck with Tivo, the situation would be different.

Whatever. Bygones.

Tivo probably will continue to be better than D* with its DVRs, but you got to remember, D* does much more than just DVRs.
At least TIVO still does OTA for people.

TIVO is not a TV provider, its only a piece of equipment that works with TV providers.
I believe at the time, that TIVO wanted addl. money for GUIDE INFO, on top of the cost for the TIVO DVR along with the D* costs.
That was a big part of thier downfall with D*.

 

[ncted]

Tivo probably will continue to be better than D* with its DVRs, but you got to remember, D* does much more than just DVRs.
At least TIVO still does OTA for people.

TIVO is not a TV provider, its only a piece of equipment that works with TV providers.
I believe at the time, that TIVO wanted addl. money for GUIDE INFO, on top of the cost for the TIVO DVR along with the D* costs.
That was a big part of thier downfall with D*.

I guess in a way, that was my point. D* should have let the software people do the software thing, and focused on being a TV provider. As for what Tivo wanted, I am sure that played into it. Of course, D* has to pay someone for guide data, so why not the people writing your DVR software?

 

[Jimbo]

I guess in a way, that was my point. D* should have let the software people do the software thing, and focused on being a TV provider. As for what Tivo wanted, I am sure that played into it. Of course, D* has to pay someone for guide data, so why not the people writing your DVR software?

More than likely they already had long term contracts with the Guide people they were using .... I'm guessing that it is Tribune and still is ... I haven't heard anything otherwise.

 

[ncted]

More than likely they already had long term contracts with the Guide people they were using .... I'm guessing that it is Tribune and still is ... I haven't heard anything otherwise.

My recollection is that it had more to do with "someone" owning a set top box company who also controlled a majority of the DirecTV stock.

 

[Jimbo]

My recollection is that it had more to do with "someone" owning a set top box company who also controlled a majority of the DirecTV stock.

Really ?
Hadn't heard that yet, but anything is possible.
Did you hear Who ?

 

[ncted]

Really ?
Hadn't heard that yet, but anything is possible.
Did you hear Who ?

Rupert Murdoch. He also owned NDS.

News Corp's NDSis the anti-TiVo - Feb. 2, 2007

TiVo sees DirecTV under Liberty as "positive"

 

[Jimbo]

Rupert Murdoch. He also owned NDS.

News Corp's NDSis the anti-TiVo - Feb. 2, 2007

TiVo sees DirecTV under Liberty as "positive"

Oh thats right, how soon we forget ...

 

[Charbear1]

Very interesting discussions....but....not one has anything to do with any helpful suggestions on how to help resolve this problem...or...is everyone who posted saying the app is total junk and does not work?

One weird thing I noticed...Out of 100 recordings (probably 25 different shows, most with multiple episodes)...I found a few shows that can stream all episodes from my DVR fine....while other shows will not stream even one giving the error mentioned. To further confuse, a show that could stream yesterday will not stream today. It's a POS as far as I can see. It worked even better for me before the last app update a month or so ago.

 

[ncted]

clearmybox fixed my download issue...for the time being anyway.