CAMC errors, DirecTV System Failure Update

[JosephB]

just an FYI, the guide data does not come through the phone line. its delivered via satellite.

 

[randwulf]

OK -- I'm baffled. If the receiver can receive all the guide info -- why is nothing else working? I just assumed (idiot me) that the guide must come over the connected phone line since they kept saying they couldn't activate the card to get the receiver to obtain programming...

 

[Neutron]

If you notice you can get the Directv demo channels just fine. The only programming you aren't getting is your programming package because it uses the access card to grant that.

The guide data is just like the demo channels. No active card is needed to see that.

 

[randwulf]

Whoa! I never checked those (been too frustrated with the whole situation, I guess)! Thanks! So is the phone line strictly the connection to order/schedule services such as PPV etc.?

 

[DirecTVTechCSR]

I was actually able to fix one of the 711-726 problems today. This only works if the affected card is NOT the primary.

I had originally set up the pending card as a Sony Sat T60, and got the message to change from 711 to 726. Frustrated, I started messing with the mirroring flags.

His primary was fine and had 3 additionals. The one messed up was a tivo, an RCA DVR40.

I turned all the mirrors off, and then disconnected the services on the account (since the primary was working okay it allowed me to do this). Then I disconnected all of the working cards, and forced the bad card to be the primary. At that point I went back, readded all of the other cards, then selected a new primary as one of the working IRDs.

I opened a new billing window, and did the same process again.

I think I went back and forth like this between the 2 windows about 5 times out of frustration.

When I had the original primary set back to the primary, I reinstated the services, and told him to put his original access card back in.

It was still giving us camc errors, but his programming was on and everything working on his end.

I wasnt able to try this again to confirm it a working method rather than some coincidence, as the other calls with this problem had the primary card was the bad one to begin with, and so I was unable to disconnect services on them.

If any other tech runs into one of these where the primary is fine and a secondary is the messed up one, try this method and see if it gets anywhere.

 

[eyedoc]

To DirecTVTechCSR:

Although most CSRs I have spoken with over the past week are very nice and apologetic, I believe that the remedy that you are suggesting may be over the head of the average rep that may pick up the call.

Can you give us an update on what is being done/planned to fix the vast majority of us that are still being kept in the dark by D*?

Much appreciated.

By the way, finding this forum has been great - at least to find out that I am not the only one with these problems. D* has been great (since 1996) however the lack of proper communication has just floored me.

 

[joey25]

install

Question for you directv installers.How much does directv pay you to install a new dish and dvr? Just curious. or just a multiswitch and a new dvr? thanks joe
by the way, this site is outstanding. I wish i found it a few days ago.

Also, for about a week i could not update my programming online at directv because of the problems they were having, but this a.m. I was able to upgrade. hopefully when i get home I will have my new DVR service.

joe

 

[stone phillips420]

Question for you directv installers.How much does directv pay you to install a new dish and dvr? Just curious. or just a multiswitch and a new dvr? thanks joe
by the way, this site is outstanding. I wish i found it a few days ago.

Also, for about a week i could not update my programming online at directv because of the problems they were having, but this a.m. I was able to upgrade. hopefully when i get home I will have my new DVR service.

joe

might wanna move this post to appropriate area, im sure youll get an answer then

 

[Beavis]

Hi all, as a fellow DTV tech rep allow me to say "THANK GOD" that most of this CAMC crap is over with. I got the memo today about disconnecting/reconnecting the primary card, then selecting a new one. I actually was able to change one person's IRD info to that HNS A2 workaround, and it worked. The disconnect/reconnect process doesn't seem to work with customers who only have one IRD. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. Anyways, I'm glad I found this site, cause it's nice to know what's REALLY going on sometimes. Hopefully when all this is over, we can go back to listening to complaints about installers using existing Dish Network dishes to hook up DTV. (Yes, that really does happen)

 

[randwulf]

Well, my saga just gets better and better...

Just got a call from someone at DirecTV -- need my new card numbers so they can send them off to someone else and maybe have the problem resolved in another 72 hours or...

It doesn't apparently matter that I have spoken with about a dozen CSR's and techs in the last week, and given all this information before -- apparently no one bothered to write it down or pass it on...


AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Oh well -- I hear being able to watch televison is greatly overrated anyway

 

[joey25]

might wanna move this post to appropriate area, im sure youll get an answer then

And what would be the appropriate area?

 

[randwulf]

WhoooooHahhhh!!!

CSR John at DirecTV got me up and working -- 1 week and 5 hours after the initial installation, I actually get to see what this is really all about!

Thanks for all your help, comments, suggestyions and allowing me to rant!!!

 

[stone phillips420]

hey joe sorry i guess i jumped the gun and didn't read your post thoroughly sorry if i stepped on yar toes

 

[stone phillips420]

Question for you directv installers.How much does directv pay you to install a new dish and dvr? Just curious. or just a multiswitch and a new dvr?
how bout here general satellite forum
here's the link http://www.satelliteguys.us/forumdisplay.php?f=10, i didn't mean to upset ya i though this particular thread was related to directv computer problems and recent accounts activated within the last week

 

[Neutron]

My saga with the R10 ended just now finally!! The card reprogramming into their system worked. It only took 1 week and 12 hours after initial install of it to get it working. They used the original card though D* kept asking me why I kept insisting on it. I kept telling them because I didn't want my dealer to get a chargeback for it.

Now I'm waiting on the guide data to finish downloading. Then I will be able to resetup my programs to record. The CSR at D* was an idiot. He kept trying to tell me that guide data downloads through the phone line. I didn't feel like arguing with him.

Thanks to Robert at VE for all of your help and for my purchase!! Robert was very helpful in trying to get this resolved. When the time comes for our HD DVR purchase I will be going back to him for it. I will just cringe at the install though due to this.

 

[DirecTVTechCSR]

What a day!

They released a memo tonight to fix the problem, the funny thing is it is a variation on what I was doing last night, lol.

I'm just glad this mess is over with!

Oh... and its snowing in Michigan. Why cant tier one tell these people its the snow, instead of transferring them, making them wait half an hour, to get me or some other t2 tech on the phone that just in turn has to tell them, guess what. Its snowing.

And you know, most of them are understanding about the fact that its snowing. Most. Some are just out and out insisting that snow does not ever mess anything up. Ever. Anyway, the ones that *do* understand the snow, are pissed because the first person couldnt just tell them that, and instead wasted a half hour of their time to sit on hold waiting to be told it was the snow.

Grrr. Anyway. At least the camc is working!

/rant.

 

[Janney66]

I thought this whole mess was fixed. I just got HD installed, and they are telling me the system is down and there is no telling when it will be back up! How often does this happen?

 

[ekgermann]

I just swapped four receivers, 2 which were Sony's with RF remotes. Of course, the system crashed when they were putting the data in. So I gave up receivers with better features (whole house remote) to get a little D10 and now they can't activate them. So much for progress. Awful lot pain for local channels ....

 

[Elf]

We had a billing system outtage today. It's not as bad as the whole CAMC issue, but it was frustrating as all get-out.

I had this utterly beautiful plan to get a practically free Tivo out to a lady who was just gushing about what a goddess of a phone rep I was ... and then I couldn't place the freakin' order because: 1) her cards were being weird, and 2) billing was down.

(At least she'll still get a good deal on the tivo.)

Ekgermann: I'm sorry to hear about your 72.5 issues . . . . And as for RF remotes, there's always pyramid-cone-thingies. . .

Janney: Lately? ugh. Don't ask.

DirecTVTechCSR: yay! can I have a copy of your memo? Because, like .... I didn't get the same one ... I finally got a memo about activating receivers as HIRD-A2's.

--Elf

 

[Neutron]

I think your helpdesk needs a faster turnaround than 72 hours. That's rediculous.