Questions about InstantCake and PTVnet

[Ted J]

I have two DirecTivo's. An older DSR7000 Series 2 Phillips DirecTivo and a HR10-250 Hughes HD DirecTivo. I am currently using the Phillips and it's not on the network and it's just the way came when I bought it except I've used mfstools and upgraded it to 105 hours.

I got the HR10-250 from a friend for he was wanting to sell it but didn't have a PC to use to image it so I got it from him. He has a 500 gig drive that I am going to put into it. Got some questions to ask and I figured why not put them all in one post:

A: Phone line connection: I've noticed on my series 2 DirecTivo that if it doesn't dial out that the guide doesn't update. If I use the PTVnet off of this site and tell it not to dial out anymore will it then make it so the guide will automaticly keep updating? Does the unit ever have to dial out, like the first time at least?

B: How are updates rolled out to the DirecTivo's? Is the phone line required for this or does the update pull across the sat. connection? If I don't have the phone line connected how will it get the updates? I will hopefully have the Tivo up on the network but don't plan on having them contact it across the network or will I want too? Can I have it where the updates are downloaded and then I apply them when I want too?

C: My friend bought Instant Cake from this site and I've used that to make the 500 gig drive ready to be used on the HR10-250. The thing is, I don't know what version he bought. I'm going to boot up the CD tonight again and see which version he got for I know it shows it on the screen I just didn't pay attention to it. If it's not the latest version should I not use PTVnet on it yet and let it get the updates first before doing the PTVnet? If so, how do I go about getting the updates?

D: Also after you instake cake the drive it tells you to boot up and then do some clean feature or go into some menu and do something with clean after the drive is booted up for the first time. I looked on the screen shots on the site here and wasn't able to find anything about that.

E: I haven't done the second receiver thing with DirecTV before. Do I need to just call them and they will send me another card by mail to use? Is the phone line going to be required on the first dial out or should I just not worry about it? I do not watch any pay per view shows.

F: On the DSR7000, I was thinking of taking the 120 GB drive (used mfstools to copy over to it) and copying it over again to a bigger hard drive. Looks like you can use Lba48 to use a bigger drive than that of a 137 GB's. Can I use Lba48 to copy the drive I'm currently using to that of another bigger drive? I've heard once you've copied it once and made it bigger you can't do it again but don't know if Lba48 changes that.

Maybe just have to instant cake the new drive but seeing if I can get away with copying to have season passes and thumbs up data be transfered over. Does anybody know how big of a drive I can use in a Phillips DSR7000 Sereries 2 DirecTivo? Maybe just buy instantcake for it right away and image the new drive for I hear the Lba48 is already in the instakecake image. Was thinking of getting a 500 GB hard drive for it right away but don't know if the BIOS on the DSR7000 can see a drive that big. That way I can keep my 120 GB drive in case I mess up the instant cake part on the new drive. Could just order PTVnet in with the instantcake for that one right away as well I suppose.

Thank you so much in advance! Plan on making an order soon here but wanted to get some info first so I know for surely what to order.

[Lou Jacob]

I have two DirecTivo's. An older DSR7000 Series 2 Phillips DirecTivo and a HR10-250 Hughes HD DirecTivo. I am currently using the Phillips and it's not on the network and it's just the way came when I bought it except I've used mfstools and upgraded it to 105 hours.

I got the HR10-250 from a friend for he was wanting to sell it but didn't have a PC to use to image it so I got it from him. He has a 500 gig drive that I am going to put into it. Got some questions to ask and I figured why not put them all in one post:

A: Phone line connection: I've noticed on my series 2 DirecTivo that if it doesn't dial out that the guide doesn't update. If I use the PTVnet off of this site and tell it not to dial out anymore will it then make it so the guide will automaticly keep updating? Does the unit ever have to dial out, like the first time at least?


The guide information is updated from the satellite, not the phone lines. You may need to make an initial phone call when you go through the guided setup the first time (the test call) but beyond that, no phone call is necessary. PTVnet is designed to suppress the 'nag' message that occurs when you don't make the regular phone call, that is it...


B: How are updates rolled out to the DirecTivo's? Is the phone line required for this or does the update pull across the sat. connection? If I don't have the phone line connected how will it get the updates? I will hopefully have the Tivo up on the network but don't plan on having them contact it across the network or will I want too? Can I have it where the updates are downloaded and then I apply them when I want too?


The updates come down by satellite, but are triggered by a phone call to install. If you plan on using PTVnet then plan on NOT letting your unit update because if an update is installed, it will overwrite the changes made by PTVnet.

You can experiment with "The Slicer" which is a tool that will allow you to install updates downloaded via satellite and preserve your hacks, but it is an intermediate tool, and it does not always work for folks. More info on that in the 'articles' area of our site.


C: My friend bought Instant Cake from this site and I've used that to make the 500 gig drive ready to be used on the HR10-250. The thing is, I don't know what version he bought. I'm going to boot up the CD tonight again and see which version he got for I know it shows it on the screen I just didn't pay attention to it. If it's not the latest version should I not use PTVnet on it yet and let it get the updates first before doing the PTVnet? If so, how do I go about getting the updates?


You should ensure that whatever version of PTVnet you are using, that it is paired with the right version of InstantCake. There are different versions of both for the HR10-250 so be sure to either get the latest, or know what versions of each you are using; they are not interchangable.


D: Also after you instake cake the drive it tells you to boot up and then do some clean feature or go into some menu and do something with clean after the drive is booted up for the first time. I looked on the screen shots on the site here and wasn't able to find anything about that.


The screen shots are correct...


E: I haven't done the second receiver thing with DirecTV before. Do I need to just call them and they will send me another card by mail to use? Is the phone line going to be required on the first dial out or should I just not worry about it? I do not watch any pay per view shows.


You may still need to do a test call when setting up the unit. You'll have to work with DIRECTV on adding a receiver to your account.


F: On the DSR7000, I was thinking of taking the 120 GB drive (used mfstools to copy over to it) and copying it over again to a bigger hard drive. Looks like you can use Lba48 to use a bigger drive than that of a 137 GB's. Can I use Lba48 to copy the drive I'm currently using to that of another bigger drive? I've heard once you've copied it once and made it bigger you can't do it again but don't know if Lba48 changes that.

Maybe just have to instant cake the new drive but seeing if I can get away with copying to have season passes and thumbs up data be transfered over. Does anybody know how big of a drive I can use in a Phillips DSR7000 Sereries 2 DirecTivo? Maybe just buy instantcake for it right away and image the new drive for I hear the Lba48 is already in the instakecake image. Was thinking of getting a 500 GB hard drive for it right away but don't know if the BIOS on the DSR7000 can see a drive that big. That way I can keep my 120 GB drive in case I mess up the instant cake part on the new drive. Could just order PTVnet in with the instantcake for that one right away as well I suppose.


If you are not sure of what you are doing when using the boot CD's and the MFStools, you are better to simply start fresh. Ensure that you run full diagnostics on your new drives before installing them in your TiVo.


Thank you so much in advance! Plan on making an order soon here but wanted to get some info first so I know for surely what to order.


You are welcome. Take your time and continue doing your research before buying any software or hardware; it is always good to go into a DIY upgrade with a plan.

Lou

[Ted J]

Thank you Lou, few more questions.

The guide information is updated from the satellite, not the phone lines. You may need to make an initial phone call when you go through the guided setup the first time (the test call) but beyond that, no phone call is necessary. PTVnet is designed to suppress the 'nag' message that occurs when you don't make the regular phone call, that is it...

So what do you think was causing me to not have any guide data until that of when the Tivo dialed out? The 'nag' messages were occuring but also noticed that the guide wasn't updating either until it dialed out again.


The updates come down by satellite, but are triggered by a phone call to install. If you plan on using PTVnet then plan on NOT letting your unit update because if an update is installed, it will overwrite the changes made by PTVnet.

You can experiment with "The Slicer" which is a tool that will allow you to install updates downloaded via satellite and preserve your hacks, but it is an intermediate tool, and it does not always work for folks. More info on that in the 'articles' area of our site.


I assume if everything is working okay there isn't a need to update? If I do want to update all I've got to do then is just buy the newer version of PTVnet and do the updates to the Tivo again?

Thank you for the info on "The Slicer". So it basically triggers the update that the phone call would do and trys to preserve the hacks? I understand it doesn't always work, just clarifying to make sure I understand what it is.

You should ensure that whatever version of PTVnet you are using, that it is paired with the right version of InstantCake. There are different versions of both for the HR10-250 so be sure to either get the latest, or know what versions of each you are using; they are not interchangable.

Thank you for that tidbit of info. What is the different between the 3.1.5X and the 6.3X versions?

The screen shots are correct...



You may still need to do a test call when setting up the unit. You'll have to work with DIRECTV on adding a receiver to your account.

I'll have to check the screen shots thing again tonight for I'll just instant cake the drive again. Maybe I'm just seeing things but the last thing it spoke of was going in and doing some clean thing once the Tivo boots up and I don't recall seeing that in the screen shots.

Is there any issues with doing a test call out? Like the PTVnet upgrades, will it get reported to DirecTV or Tivo if a call out is made?


If you are not sure of what you are doing when using the boot CD's and the MFStools, you are better to simply start fresh. Ensure that you run full diagnostics on your new drives before installing them in your TiVo.


I am okay with using MFStools, did it the first time but I didn't know if the Lba48 allowed it to be copied over to a bigger drive the second time. Can a person just PTVnet over the top of an existing drive? As long as the versions are correct then you'll be okay, right?

Do you know where I can find the hard drive limit size for the DVR7000?

[Ted J]

The screen shots are correct...

I attached a screen shot of the way the instant cake cd that I have ends and I don't recall seeing this in the screen shots. Talks about a 'clear and delete everything' part.

Doesn't matter though, it's version 3.1.5f standard that my friend bought so I'm just going to get the 6.3f right away and then also buy the PTVnet for it right away as well. Figured that way I'm on the latest version and won't have to worry about getting updates for a while.

[Rick Travis]

Ptvnet does not support 6.3f currently. Clear and Delete everything is a Directv TiVo command. :)

[Ted J]

Ptvnet does not support 6.3f currently. Clear and Delete everything is a Directv TiVo command. :)

Does anybody know when it will support 6.3f? Like is there an estimated time frame?

I ask for my older DirecTivo is now on 6.3f and I did some reading and it sounds like 6.3e had issues with rebooting that I had experienced. Also, does PTVnet support 6.3e?

When you say it's a Directv TiVo command, is it to be done in the menu's of the Tivo?

[Rick Travis]

Does anybody know when it will support 6.3f? Like is there an estimated time frame?

I ask for my older DirecTivo is now on 6.3f and I did some reading and it sounds like 6.3e had issues with rebooting that I had experienced. Also, does PTVnet support 6.3e?

When you say it's a Directv TiVo command, is it to be done in the menu's of the Tivo?From Main Menu on TiVo>Messages and Settings>Restart or Reset System>clear and Delete Everything

PTVnet will work with 6.3e if you use the force option. :D

[Ted J]

From Main Menu on TiVo>Messages and Settings>Restart or Reset System>clear and Delete Everything

PTVnet will work with 6.3e if you use the force option. :D

Darn, seemed like on 6.3e I had a lot of random reboots though. Would 6.3e be better to go with over that of 6.3d?

Thank you for the info on how to clear and delete everything.

[Rick Travis]

If I were you I would wait for 6.4a, it should arrive any day now. I had no problems with 6.3e or 6.2a. If you want Multiple Room Viewing then 6.2a is the way to go. I understand 6.4a also has some great features from reading the TiVo Community. :D

[Ted J]

If I were you I would wait for 6.4a, it should arrive any day now. I had no problems with 6.3e or 6.2a. If you want Multiple Room Viewing then 6.2a is the way to go. I understand 6.4a also has some great features from reading the TiVo Community. :D

I don't think they make a 6.2X for the HR10-250 for I've been told that MRV isn't an option for the HR10-250.

It says on the on the PTVnetHD 6.3X that it supports DirecTV HDTV DVR Untits with Tivo running versions 6.3a through 6.3f. That means I should be okay wiht 6.3f right? I assume that on the DSR7000 I'll be okay with running PTVnetHD on the 6.3f as well right? (just asking to gather info here, going to ask in a seperate thread how fast they think they will have PTVnet out for 6.4a)

[Lou Jacob]

Hang on folks; you are potentially mixing a lot of things up here...

There is no PTVnet for 6.3f on SD units, but on HD units, there IS support for 6.3f with PTVnet. There is no released version of InstantCake with 6.3 available for the SD units (we had one in the can, but chose not to release it at this time as too many folks are having problems with 6.3 on SD units and we don't want to get caught in the middle of it - nor do we want to go to all the trouble of making PTVnet work for 6.3 on SD systems only to have people end up happy with 6.3).

The screen shot a previous poster included is not from a 6.3 version of InstantCake; no clear and delete is needed on the 6.3 versions (or 6.2 for the SD units) as far as I know. You should definitely follow whatever instructions the specific InstantCake version you are using tells you to do; the screen shots on our site are intended to be a representation of what you are likely to see - and they are correct for that specific example (please see the first page (http://www.dvrupgrade.com/dvr/stores/1/screenshots/instantcakehd-63/index.cfm) for details).

My recommendation varies based upon the unit you have:

For HR10-250 units: Use PTVnet 6.3x along with InstantCake 6.3f - if you have a problem with 6.3f, then consider backing down to the 6.3e version of InstantCake; the same version of PTVnet will work for both of them.

For SD units (like the DSR7000): Use PTVnet and InstantCake 6.2a; as far as I know that is your ONLY option for SD units and we know it works and is stable.

Lou

[TimTrent68093]

Lou,

I just purchased PTVNet for my Tivo unit thinking it would support it. Turns out, I had just been upgraded to 6.4a and didn't realize it. Now it appears that the PTVNet does not work with this version. Can I get a refund? Is there a work around? Are you guys working on a new version? Can I get credit towards a compatible version when it comes out? Any hel would be appreciated - I just blew 20.00 bucks and for nothing.

[Lou Jacob]

Right now, your best bet would be to go with my recommendation (above) for SD units; retrograde to 6.2a (using InstantCake).

[TimTrent68093]

Lou,

I really don't want to invest more money in software that's going to cause me to lose a bunch of the newer features and menu speed. If you wont give me a refund, then will you give me credit toward the newer version when it comes out?

Thanks Lou!

Tim

[Lou Jacob]

Lou,

I really don't want to invest more money in software that's going to cause me to lose a bunch of the newer features and menu speed. If you wont give me a refund, then will you give me credit toward the newer version when it comes out?

Thanks Lou!

Tim

Tim,

I'm sorry that you did not realize what version of the software you were running on your TiVo before you made your purchase, but I don't consider this to be an appropriate request, especially not in a public forum.

Our policy on refunds is very clear: we don't offer them on DIY software products, however we do offer trade-in credit towards the purchase of our kits. We do ask that you review and approve of this policy several times during the purchase process, so I'm a bit surprised that you'd ask for a refund, in spite of that.

As for future products, we don't discuss them. There is no harm in asking about our plans, but we just don't answer those types of questions because plans and priorities change, and there is really no point of setting an expectation that may not be fulfilled - that sort of conversation is likely to result in even more disappointment; we don't announce products or intentions until we are close to a release date and know that the product will actually come out.

From my initial impressions, 6.4a is not yet proven and it is not my recommendation to pursue its use at this current time. Hence my recommendation to stick with 6.2a, especially when using PTVnet; this offers the most functionality and stability for our customers.

As for the future, we'll see whether 6.4 is robust enough for us to consider working with, but until then, 6.2a is where it is at.

Thx,
Lou

[TimTrent68093]

Lou,

I admit that I should have studied things more before purchasing. Your products target the "noob" by promising a product that "does it for you" so don't be surprised when someone doesn't totally understand the prerequisites prior to purchase. There's a lot to know, and if we knew it, we'd probably be able to install the individual hacks on our own, manually. I didn't see 6.4 even mentioned on your site in your product list. Using your site wizard, I chose the style (series 2), then the model number (704) and only one product came up. I figured this would work for my product since only one was listed. Until I ran the product and got to the error, I didn't realize that it wouldn't work. I searched for the error and stumbled upon this thread.

You have to admit that the information on this forum is spread out, unorganized, and somewhat ambiguous to the novice. I read at least 50 posts when I drew a conclusion that PTVNet would address my needs. At that time there was little to no information that addressed the 6.4a version, and nothing that I found prior to the purchase that directly said that 6.4a was incompatible with PTVNet. I was afraid to come out and ask newbie questions here because it is quickly apparent after reading some replies and some posts by your senior members that the users here are advanced and don't like answering questions from newbies.

You say that you were surprised that I brought this up in the open forum. We'll Lou, you never answered my recent email (reply). You said that you did, when you closed the ticket (dvrupgrade-support #FRV-77266-735] that I submitted, but then you referenced a reply in a post somewhere on these forums. My reply to you has still been unanswered for 3 days now. So that's why I decided to bring it up here.

All I was requesting, in lei of a credit was a simple PM or email reply "Yes, if we come out with a version for 6.4a in the future, you'll ba able to download it at no charge". I was then going to file the email and remind you should a 6.4 version ever come to fruition. I don't think that's a huge request.

I'm not going to beg you Lou, and I am not going to argue this anymore. If you don't feel like doing anything, that's your call. It's your business and you can run it anyway you want. I can't force you to help me get some return out of my purchase. You do whatever you feel is right. alright?

:D

[Lou Jacob]

Lou,

I admit that I should have studied things more before purchasing. Your products target the "noob" by promising a product that "does it for you" so don't be surprised when someone doesn't totally understand the prerequisites prior to purchase. There's a lot to know, and if we knew it, we'd probably be able to install the individual hacks on our own, manually. I didn't see 6.4 even mentioned on your site in your product list. Using your site wizard, I chose the style (series 2), then the model number (704) and only one product came up. I figured this would work for my product since only one was listed. Until I ran the product and got to the error, I didn't realize that it wouldn't work. I searched for the error and stumbled upon this thread.

You have to admit that the information on this forum is spread out, unorganized, and somewhat ambiguous to the novice. I read at least 50 posts when I drew a conclusion that PTVNet would address my needs. At that time there was little to no information that addressed the 6.4a version, and nothing that I found prior to the purchase that directly said that 6.4a was incompatible with PTVNet. I was afraid to come out and ask newbie questions here because it is quickly apparent after reading some replies and some posts by your senior members that the users here are advanced and don't like answering questions from newbies.

You say that you were surprised that I brought this up in the open forum. We'll Lou, you never answered my recent email (reply). You said that you did, when you closed the ticket (dvrupgrade-support #FRV-77266-735] that I submitted, but then you referenced a reply in a post somewhere on these forums. My reply to you has still been unanswered for 3 days now. So that's why I decided to bring it up here.

All I was requesting, in lei of a credit was a simple PM or email reply "Yes, if we come out with a version for 6.4a in the future, you'll ba able to download it at no charge". I was then going to file the email and remind you should a 6.4 version ever come to fruition. I don't think that's a huge request.

I'm not going to beg you Lou, and I am not going to argue this anymore. If you don't feel like doing anything, that's your call. It's your business and you can run it anyway you want. I can't force you to help me get some return out of my purchase. You do whatever you feel is right. alright?

:D

Our products do not target "newbies" - they actually target those who consider themselves to be more technical and would rather save a few dollars than pay a premium to have a preconfigured kit built.

We are very up front about the fact that the products are unsupported and we also remind you of this on our helpdesk page, and also, if you'd read the autoresponse you received when opening your ticket, you would have seen that no response should have been expected.

The first line of the product description for PTVnet is all one would need to read before adding the product to the cart:

"PTVnet Software CD -- Network Your SD DirecTV TiVo DVR (6.2 systems ONLY - see models below)"

(referring link) (http://www.dvrupgrade.com/dvr/stores/1/product1.cfm?SID=1&Product_ID=319&Category_ID=5&page=prod&type=Model&ModelID=21)

And I'm sorry, but we are not going to change our policies based upon your request. The point is that if you are going to pursue a DIY software project, you should do your research up front; the product descriptions and the policies documented on our site do provide all the information that is needed; we simply provide these forums as a courtesy to those who would like some extra support and advice.

Thx again.

Lou