is there anyway to watch dvr while residential gateway is broken

nealoc187 · ‎09-20-2010

posting from my phone please forgive me. is there anyway to watch my dvr while I wait for my residential gateway to be replaced (it is in the way but won't be here til thursday). The broadband connection light flashes red and tech support to determined that I need a new one. during the troubleshooting process I disconnected the dvr from the wall outlet. now that it is reconnected I can't get it to initialize so on 1 tv I can't even access the dvr recordings and on the other tv when I press the dvr recording button it simply says to make sure your dvr is connected to the network. the dvr is connected but does it require the broadband connection to be working? I am at able to access all the computers on my home network from one another, I would think that the dvr system would be the same way and access to my dvr through the network router should be possible regardless of the status of my connection to the internet outside my home

nealoc187 · ‎09-20-2010

for clarification after I replugged in the dvr I get the att uverse logo, and a little spinning wheel in the bottom right hand corner of my tv screen likethe dvr is trying to initialize and connect to the network but can't.

if it matters my dvr is an Ipn4320 and my gateway is 3800hgv-b. if I need to access the router through my browser I can do that if necessary.

texasguy37 · ‎05-18-2009

If your RG is not working, you will not be able to watch recorded programming on the DVR. The DVR must be able to communicate with U-verse in order to allow playback of recordings.

nealoc187 · ‎09-20-2010

marvelous...

Well thanks for the info.

dhascall · ‎04-21-2008

It's not a closed system, unfortunately.

I'm not sure if it's the way IPTV is designed to work or AT&T acting like Big Brother but when you play a recording, the RG "phones home" to AT&T servers to give your system permission to play it.

I had a lengthy conversation with an "advanced Tier 2" and he said that it was to make sure that you were still subscribed to a channel. That doesn't seem to pass the smell test as I have recorded movies from HBO during free previews and watched them months later. He called the serves, "permission servers."

I hate the phrase "it is what it is" but, ya know, it is what it is.

nealoc187 · ‎09-20-2010

Yes, I too have found that I can watch hbo when no longer subscribed. I'm sure it's more a case of "I have no idea why it is like this but I'll just tell the customer something that sounds plausible and hope they don't know otherwise."

Designing the system like that is really pretty annoying for the customer. I am sure they have their reasons but I can't come up with any other than usage pattern monitoring or other big brother type scenarios.

dhascall · ‎04-21-2008

nealoc187 wrote:
Yes, I too have found that I can watch hbo when no longer subscribed. I'm sure it's more a case of "I have no idea why it is like this but I'll just tell the customer something that sounds plausible and hope they don't know otherwise."

Designing the system like that is really pretty annoying for the customer. I am sure they have their reasons but I can't come up with any other than usage pattern monitoring or other big brother type scenarios.

Right - but that might be the way that the Microsoft Mediaroom client behaves. Getting MS to change that may be impossible.

I learned this missing feature from day one. My old provider was Comcast. The U-Verse installer reused the Comcast cabling while he was hooking up U-Verse. While he was doing his thing, I could not watch live Comcast TV but i could watch some DVR'd shows on the Comcast box that was still hooked up. He said "how are you watching that? I've disconnected Comcast." I told him that I was watching a show off of the DVR. He stated that he didn't know you could do that and that was impossible with U-Verse. It may also be impossible with Dish and Direct, too, as don't they use phone lines to access commands?

mibrnsurg · ‎07-15-2008

nealoc187 wrote:
Yes, I too have found that I can watch hbo when no longer subscribed. I'm sure it's more a case of "I have no idea why it is like this but I'll just tell the customer something that sounds plausible and hope they don't know otherwise."

Designing the system like that is really pretty annoying for the customer. I am sure they have their reasons but I can't come up with any other than usage pattern monitoring or other big brother type scenarios.

It actually sends an authorization request every time you try a trick play, FF, rew, etc.

When I was rebooting the RG, I already was watching a recording, but when I tried to FF thru commercials, before the reboot was finished, the image froze until the reboot was complete.

Chris

Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
1-800-288-2020, After he gets acct info, press # a bunch of times, get a menu from Mr. Voice recognition
Your Results May Vary, In My Humble Opinion
I Call It Like I See It, Simply a U-verse user, nothing more

dhascall · ‎04-21-2008

mibrnsurg wrote:
nealoc187 wrote:
Yes, I too have found that I can watch hbo when no longer subscribed. I'm sure it's more a case of "I have no idea why it is like this but I'll just tell the customer something that sounds plausible and hope they don't know otherwise."

Designing the system like that is really pretty annoying for the customer. I am sure they have their reasons but I can't come up with any other than usage pattern monitoring or other big brother type scenarios.
It actually sends an authorization request every time you try a trick play, FF, rew, etc.

When I was rebooting the RG, I already was watching a recording, but when I tried to FF thru commercials, before the reboot was finished, the image froze until the reboot was complete.

Chris
Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
1-800-288-2020, After he gets acct info, press # a bunch of times, get a menu from Mr. Voice recognition
Your Results May Vary, In My Humble Opinion
I Call It Like I See It, Simply a U-verse user, nothing more

Probably every time you press channel up, down or anything.

I was freaked out one time by this behavior. Our TV and Internet were down 36 hours, due to a synch issue with the RG. Steady flashing red on the gateway. My wife actually selected, started and watched a DVR recording! My guess is that the gateway synched for a few seconds to allow the permission. She could FF, pause and RW but no other TV's (live or recorded) worked. Then, no additional DVR'd programs worked. Too bad in those instances, a CSR couldf not give you a code to enter, to permit the DVR from at least playing a recording.

nealoc187 · ‎09-20-2010

I just recieved my r g. the installation instructions say it is important that I do not install it until after 8 pm. what in the world is the reason for this and how do I get around it? I am really tired of having to jump through ridiculous hoops with my uverse service.

if it is really imperative that it not be installed until after 8 pm on my activation date then why don't they make the activation date the date prior to arrival so that people can install and use the service they are paying for and have been without for days as soon as their equipment arrives rather than having to wait until late at night.

I an livid at this.

texasguy37 · ‎05-18-2009

Go ahead and install it to see what happens.

oobleck · ‎05-10-2008

dhascall wrote
It may also be impossible with Dish and Direct, too, as don't they use phone lines to access commands?

When I had Dish several years ago you had to have a phone line hooked up at least some of the time, but the DVR worked just fine without it most of the time. It would be a little impractical to have it phone home every time you tried to play something, since the line might be in use. I think the phone line was to make sure you didn't have receivers registered to another address, or something of the sort.

--

oobleck