Can I force Tivo to call at night?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

Is there a way to force Tivo to make its calls at night or to specify
a time window? I couldn't find anything in the on-screen options.

One of my Tivo systems has started making its daily phone calls in the
middle of the afternoon.

I don't think it was doing this until recently. The log says that it
has called during the day the last 3 days. I've had it since
Christmas. It's connected by wireless modem jack.

I have another Tivo that I've almost 2 years. I have never noticed it
calling during the day.

Both are Sereies 2 and have lifetime subscriptions.

--

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

On 2005-04-29, LurfysMa <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> Is there a way to force Tivo to make its calls at night or to specify
> a time window? I couldn't find anything in the on-screen options.

Nothing automatic, no. You could unhook it and force a call once a week
or so.

> One of my Tivo systems has started making its daily phone calls in the
> middle of the afternoon.

What makes you think this activity just started?

> I don't think it was doing this until recently. The log says that it
> has called during the day the last 3 days. I've had it since
> Christmas. It's connected by wireless modem jack.
>
> I have another Tivo that I've almost 2 years. I have never noticed it
> calling during the day.

I believe it makes its call 24 hours after the previous one finished.
This boils down to making a call at any time during the day. They do not
care what time they call and there is no weight to favor the night.

The obvious question though - what do you care? Is the TiVo calling
messing up something for you? It is supposed to be completely behind the
scenes without you noticing it. I guess if someone called when TiVo was
on the line, they might get a busy signal... is that what you're noticing?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

On Fri, 29 Apr 2005 21:20:00 -0000, Mike Hunt <in2sheep@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>On 2005-04-29, LurfysMa <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>> Is there a way to force Tivo to make its calls at night or to specify
>> a time window? I couldn't find anything in the on-screen options.
>
>Nothing automatic, no. You could unhook it and force a call once a week
>or so.

Too bad.

>> One of my Tivo systems has started making its daily phone calls in the
>> middle of the afternoon.
>
>What makes you think this activity just started?

Just that it interfered with incoming calls twice in the past 3 days
and it never had before. But hat was probably just happenstance.

>> I don't think it was doing this until recently. The log says that it
>> has called during the day the last 3 days. I've had it since
>> Christmas. It's connected by wireless modem jack.
>>
>> I have another Tivo that I've almost 2 years. I have never noticed it
>> calling during the day.
>
>I believe it makes its call 24 hours after the previous one finished.
>This boils down to making a call at any time during the day. They do not
>care what time they call and there is no weight to favor the night.

I guess I could do a manual "call now" at 11:00 pm or 2:00 am and hope
it continued calling 24 hours from that from then on. In fact, I'm
going to try that right now as it's 11:30 pm.

>The obvious question though - what do you care? Is the TiVo calling
>messing up something for you? It is supposed to be completely behind the
>scenes without you noticing it. I guess if someone called when TiVo was
>on the line, they might get a busy signal... is that what you're noticing?

Yes, busy signals. In this case, someone said they would be calling at
a specific time and we said we'd be here. They called, and the line
was busy.

--

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

"Mike Hunt" <in2sheep@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1175980bcojcl64@corp.supernews.com...
[snip]
> The obvious question though - what do you care? Is the TiVo calling
> messing up something for you? It is supposed to be completely behind the
> scenes without you noticing it. I guess if someone called when TiVo was
> on the line, they might get a busy signal... is that what you're noticing?
>

I don't know about the OP, but my reason for wanting TiVo to call at night -
specifically between 9PM and 8AM - was that the calls cost twice as much
during the daytime hours. My solution was to get a broadband connection and
a network card for my TiVo Series 1.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

LurfysMa wrote:
> Is there a way to force Tivo to make its calls at night or to specify
> a time window? I couldn't find anything in the on-screen options.

My TiVo makes its call every 26.3 hours - it's a different time
each day. Some weeks it is during the day, some weeks it is at night.
This is not a user-adjustable setting.
-Joe

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 02:49:41 -0700, Joe Smith <joe@inwap.com> wrote:

>LurfysMa wrote:
>> Is there a way to force Tivo to make its calls at night or to specify
>> a time window? I couldn't find anything in the on-screen options.
>
>My TiVo makes its call every 26.3 hours - it's a different time
>each day. Some weeks it is during the day, some weeks it is at night.
>This is not a user-adjustable setting.
> -Joe

Interesting. I'll have to check if that interval applies on mine, too.

If so, this says to me that it's not an oversight, but an intentional
misdesign for their convenience, not mine.

--

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

"LurfysMa" <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:1114806439.4d84bbf4d625b89412e2d6a86850c9d6@teranews...
> Is there a way to force Tivo to make its calls at night or to specify
> a time window? I couldn't find anything in the on-screen options.
>
> One of my Tivo systems has started making its daily phone calls in the
> middle of the afternoon.

I'd disconnect it from the phone line until bedtime. In fact, if you have
to keep the line free for some reason, disconnect Tivo at that time.

Norm

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

"LurfysMa" <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:1114865365.055ad00ff4bdb0dde64a32003145d47a@teranews...
> On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 02:49:41 -0700, Joe Smith <joe@inwap.com> wrote:
>
>>LurfysMa wrote:
>>> Is there a way to force Tivo to make its calls at night or to specify
>>> a time window? I couldn't find anything in the on-screen options.
>>
>>My TiVo makes its call every 26.3 hours - it's a different time
>>each day. Some weeks it is during the day, some weeks it is at night.
>>This is not a user-adjustable setting.
>> -Joe
>
> Interesting. I'll have to check if that interval applies on mine, too.
>
> If so, this says to me that it's not an oversight, but an intentional
> misdesign for their convenience, not mine.
>
Imagine if every Tivo called only at night... wouldn't that be rather tuff
to handle for their system? I don't know.. I am just asking.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

>>Interesting. I'll have to check if that interval applies on mine, too.
>>
>>If so, this says to me that it's not an oversight, but an intentional
>>misdesign for their convenience, not mine.
>>
>
> Imagine if every Tivo called only at night... wouldn't that be rather tuff
> to handle for their system? I don't know.. I am just asking.
>

I don't think I'd call it a *mis-design", but I don't think it would
overload their system necessarily if they called only at night
(remember, there's still a lot of hours to distribute across, as well as
time zones allowing some spread out as well).

There are some good reasons to stagger the calls. What if someone is on
the phone every night at the same time for an hour or more (say a
long-distance relationship, or a spouse working out of town)? If the
Tivo tried to call in at the same time every night it would never be
able to update. Staggered calls mean that it would only miss a daily
call or two at most.

I think that Tivo probably thinks that the calls are so short and
unobtrusive that they rarely cause a problem. Maybe this is an
incorrect assumption, but I think for the vast majority, it's correct.
I do, however, think a compromise solution could be found, where the
calls were staggered throughout the *nighttime* hours, with special
weighting on non-overlapping local times (i.e. hours like 9-11 PM East
Coast, hours like 4-6 am on the East Coast). But it might be more
trouble than it's worth.

Randy S.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

In article <1175980bcojcl64@corp.supernews.com>, in2sheep@yahoo.com
says...
> On 2005-04-29, LurfysMa <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> > Is there a way to force Tivo to make its calls at night or to specify
> > a time window? I couldn't find anything in the on-screen options.
>
>
> The obvious question though - what do you care? Is the TiVo calling
> messing up something for you? It is supposed to be completely behind the
> scenes without you noticing it. I guess if someone called when TiVo was

I wish it'd stick to nighttime hours (or rather non-my-viewing-hours!)
also. The "now playing list" and other menu items go from lightning
fast to dead slow (several seconds per screen) whenever my broadband-
connected SA unit is processing data it's downloaded. It's very easy to
spot. If it gets "stuck" in that time I usually try to wait until after
10pm and then force a connection--that seems to help "fix" it in a day
or so.

--
Jud
Dallas TX USA

 

[Gman]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

In article <1114865365.055ad00ff4bdb0dde64a32003145d47a@teranews>, LurfysMa <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 02:49:41 -0700, Joe Smith <joe@inwap.com> wrote:
>
>>LurfysMa wrote:
>>> Is there a way to force Tivo to make its calls at night or to specify
>>> a time window? I couldn't find anything in the on-screen options.
>>
>>My TiVo makes its call every 26.3 hours - it's a different time
>>each day. Some weeks it is during the day, some weeks it is at night.
>>This is not a user-adjustable setting.
>> -Joe
>
>Interesting. I'll have to check if that interval applies on mine, too.
>
>If so, this says to me that it's not an oversight, but an intentional
>misdesign for their convenience, not mine.
>
Mine only calls in every 4 days or so. Why isnt mine phoneing home very
night?????

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

In article <d50ijl$u4d$1@news.xmission.com>, GMAN
<glenzabr@nospamhere.xmission.com> wrote:

> In article <1114865365.055ad00ff4bdb0dde64a32003145d47a@teranews>, LurfysMa
> <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> >On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 02:49:41 -0700, Joe Smith <joe@inwap.com> wrote:
> >
> >>LurfysMa wrote:
> >>> Is there a way to force Tivo to make its calls at night or to specify
> >>> a time window? I couldn't find anything in the on-screen options.
> >>
> >>My TiVo makes its call every 26.3 hours - it's a different time
> >>each day. Some weeks it is during the day, some weeks it is at night.
> >>This is not a user-adjustable setting.
> >> -Joe
> >
> >Interesting. I'll have to check if that interval applies on mine, too.
> >
> >If so, this says to me that it's not an oversight, but an intentional
> >misdesign for their convenience, not mine.
> >
> Mine only calls in every 4 days or so. Why isnt mine phoneing home very
> night?????


Flip side: Both my units were calling in every 48 hours or so, and then
alluvsudden one of them didn't call in at all for two weeks. I didn't
notice it until I got a nag about it. I forced a call, and now it
calls in on its own every eight days. The other unit started doing
that at around the same time, even thought I never got a nag on that
one.

I haven't gotten any sort of upgrade lately, so I don't know why any of
this happened, but there you are.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

On 2005-04-30, GMAN <glenzabr@nospamhere.xmission.com> wrote:
> In article <1114865365.055ad00ff4bdb0dde64a32003145d47a@teranews>, LurfysMa <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>>On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 02:49:41 -0700, Joe Smith <joe@inwap.com> wrote:
>>
>>>LurfysMa wrote:
>>>> Is there a way to force Tivo to make its calls at night or to specify
>>>> a time window? I couldn't find anything in the on-screen options.
>>>
>>>My TiVo makes its call every 26.3 hours - it's a different time
>>>each day. Some weeks it is during the day, some weeks it is at night.
>>>This is not a user-adjustable setting.
>>> -Joe
>>
>>Interesting. I'll have to check if that interval applies on mine, too.
>>
>>If so, this says to me that it's not an oversight, but an intentional
>>misdesign for their convenience, not mine.
>>
> Mine only calls in every 4 days or so. Why isnt mine phoneing home very
> night?????

DirecTiVos only call in once every 7 days or so. Since they get the guide
data from the satellite, they don't have as much of a need to call in.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

"Mike Hunt" <in2sheep@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:11786oumkhurd75@corp.supernews.com...
> On 2005-04-30, GMAN <glenzabr@nospamhere.xmission.com> wrote:
> > In article <1114865365.055ad00ff4bdb0dde64a32003145d47a@teranews>, LurfysMa <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> >>On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 02:49:41 -0700, Joe Smith <joe@inwap.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>>LurfysMa wrote:
> >>>> Is there a way to force Tivo to make its calls at night or to specify
> >>>> a time window? I couldn't find anything in the on-screen options.
> >>>
> >>>My TiVo makes its call every 26.3 hours - it's a different time
> >>>each day. Some weeks it is during the day, some weeks it is at night.
> >>>This is not a user-adjustable setting.
> >>> -Joe
> >>
> >>Interesting. I'll have to check if that interval applies on mine, too.
> >>
> >>If so, this says to me that it's not an oversight, but an intentional
> >>misdesign for their convenience, not mine.
> >>
> > Mine only calls in every 4 days or so. Why isnt mine phoneing home very
> > night?????
>
> DirecTiVos only call in once every 7 days or so. Since they get the guide
> data from the satellite, they don't have as much of a need to call in.

My two DirecTV DVR's calls are about 51 hours apart. They have been on every
other day since last Fall. I suspect that those interested in viewer habits have
requested data for a sample group more frequently than every 8 days.

I've noticed that a next call may get scheduled during prime time
hours 7PM to 11PM. When the scheduled time arrives the call is deferred
past Midnight. You can force a call at any time including prime time.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

"Walt Kienzle" <wkienzle.nospam@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:yWzce.2568$Ne7.1580@newssvr17.news.prodigy.com...
>
> "Mike Hunt" <in2sheep@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:1175980bcojcl64@corp.supernews.com...
> [snip]
>> The obvious question though - what do you care? Is the TiVo calling
>> messing up something for you? It is supposed to be completely behind the
>> scenes without you noticing it. I guess if someone called when TiVo was
>> on the line, they might get a busy signal... is that what you're
>> noticing?
>>
>
> I don't know about the OP, but my reason for wanting TiVo to call at
> night - specifically between 9PM and 8AM - was that the calls cost twice
> as much during the daytime hours. My solution was to get a broadband
> connection and a network card for my TiVo Series 1.

Tivo has an 800 number for people that have no access to a local toll free
local number.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

>>I believe it makes its call 24 hours after the previous one finished.

I think the number is more like 26-27 hours. (Series 1 standalone,
anyway). My calls tend to complete in less than a minute (over the
internet via DSL), although data loading can take longer. Take a
look at "system information" when you haven't recently been forcing
calls, at the difference between the last call and next scheduled call.

>I guess I could do a manual "call now" at 11:00 pm or 2:00 am and hope
>it continued calling 24 hours from that from then on. In fact, I'm
>going to try that right now as it's 11:30 pm.

Yes, if you force a manual call, it seems to change the cycle. Even
though after the manual call finishes, the next scheduled call
hasn't changed, but if it's too soon, it doesn't do one and updates
the next scheduled call. So, forcing a call just before you go to
bed twice a week might eliminate the daytime calls.

Gordon L. Burditt

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

I have found that when fast-forwarding through commercials using the 2nd
speed arrow protocol,when I finally hit the "PLAY" button to resume
normal forward programming that the recorder AUTOMATICALLY reverses
about 6 seconds WITHOUT the need to hit the REPLAY button at all.It does
on my old style SONY (DirecTV) SAT-T60 anyway.....

 

[Howard]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

"Walt Kienzle" <wkienzle.nospam@sbcglobal.net> wrote in
news:yWzce.2568$Ne7.1580@newssvr17.news.prodigy.com:

> I don't know about the OP, but my reason for wanting TiVo to call at
> night - specifically between 9PM and 8AM - was that the calls cost twice
> as much during the daytime hours. My solution was to get a broadband
> connection and a network card for my TiVo Series 1.

Moving out of Montana would be a solution too.

Actually, that's an unfair dig on Montana. I doubt even they still have
such a phone system.

--
Minister of All Things Digital & Electronic, and Holder of Past Knowledge
stile99@email.com. Cabal# 24601-fnord | Sleep is irrelevant.
I speak for no one but myself, and |Caffeine will be assimilated.
no one else speaks for me. O- | Decaf is futile.

 

[Howard]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

LurfysMa <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote in
news:1114865365.055ad00ff4bdb0dde64a32003145d47a@teranews:

> If so, this says to me that it's not an oversight, but an intentional
> misdesign for their convenience, not mine.

Well yes, obviously. If you could set the time to call in, then would that
not imply that the other 3 million plus customers could as well? Trust me,
it is not a 'mis'design to avoid over 3 million people connecting between 2am
and 3am.

--
Minister of All Things Digital & Electronic, and Holder of Past Knowledge
stile99@email.com. Cabal# 24601-fnord | Sleep is irrelevant.
I speak for no one but myself, and |Caffeine will be assimilated.
no one else speaks for me. O- | Decaf is futile.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)

I plug my series 1 in every 4 or 5 days and force a call then I unplug it.
My wife hates wires. My series 2 is networked and calls in every day by
itself.

I just bought a new router and computer which connects to the internet at
Super G speed, 108 Mbps. God I wish Tivo ToGo connected at that speed!

Rich


<normanstrong@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:uu-dneU7QtVBC-7fRVn-1Q@comcast.com...
>
> "LurfysMa" <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
> news:1114806439.4d84bbf4d625b89412e2d6a86850c9d6@teranews...
>> Is there a way to force Tivo to make its calls at night or to specify
>> a time window? I couldn't find anything in the on-screen options.
>>
>> One of my Tivo systems has started making its daily phone calls in the
>> middle of the afternoon.
>
> I'd disconnect it from the phone line until bedtime. In fact, if you have
> to keep the line free for some reason, disconnect Tivo at that time.
>
> Norm
>
>