rogers downgraded my package and they also put a hold on my PVR capabilities!! now I can't watch any of the programs I recorded last week. Has it always been a paid for service? What right do they have to control when I use my recorder? that sucks!

I own my digital box, does this mean that if I cancel my cable, I can't use the box like a vcr to record the few free cable channels?

Sheri

You could think about paying you bill to get access to the programing.


if you aren't paying them they don't owe you any favors.

I fell behind in my bill

Um, maybe you should try paying your bills when you receive them?

For Rogers, or any other service or utility, to go as far as actually cutting off your service would require several months of non-payment. They don't do it on the first instance of non-payment in case it was a simple case of forgetting the one time.

I'm asking for more information about the pvr service.

While you may own the PVR hardware, to record new shows you also need the service component from Rogers. Rogers must supply the Interactive Program Guide which you use to select the shows you want to record. Obviously Rogers isn't going to provide that service if you don't pay your bills.

I didn't realize that you'd be unable to play previously recorded programs. It may be that some recent update to your PVR includes a marker of non-service due to non-payment of bills. Or, perhaps the PVR needs to communicate with Rogers even to access recorded shows. I don't know for sure because I've never tried watching shows off my PVR with the cable disconnected.

My cable wasn't disconnected, so I didn't know why I couldn't see my recorded shows. Rogers never send me any notice that they were going to downgrade my services. It wasn't until I phoned to find out why, that they told about the downgrade.

thanks for explaining how the pvr works, I didn't realize that it was connected to their interactive guide, I figured it was more like a vcr, once it's recorded it's there on the box to watch whenever.

The recorded shows are still on the internal harddrive, but without the active PVR service, you won't be able to access them. I'm sure Rogers has all sorts of legal mumbo-jumbo about it, but it boils down to access, and Rogers controls access.

I didn't realize that it was connected to their interactive guide Where did you think that the Guide came from? It updates at least daily, to provide you the list of upcoming programs you can record, so that data has to come from somewhere. That somewhere is Rogers.

I wasn't suggesting that your cable was disconnected. I was just speculating on how Rogers prevents you from now watching your recorded programs. I reasoned that if it's possible to watch recorded programs even with the cable disconnected, then Rogers may have downloaded some non-payment or inactivation marker to your PVR. If a PVR will not play recorded programs with the cable disconnected, then it may be that a connection to Rogers is always required even to watch recorded programs.

It would be really cool if you could watch shows you had pre-recorded whenever the cable is out. I guess that's just another way for Rogers to maximize profits and stick it to subscribers.

it's there so that people who don't pay their bill don't get the service. not to "stick" it to anyone.

I swear I've been able to watch recorded shows currently stored on my HDPVR while the cable has been disconnected from the unit.

if the cable is out, you can watch the shows recorded on the PVR even if it has rebooted.

Rogers doesn't have to give notice if your services are downgraded for non-pay. Indeed, the PVR won't function, and that's related to the fact you haven't paid your bill.. most times people who call in w/ a PVR do so because they notice they can't watch something they recorded, not the fact that all their non-core services are gone.

It would be really cool if you could watch shows you had pre-recorded whenever the cable is out.
I swear I've been able to watch recorded shows currently stored on my HDPVR while the cable has been disconnected from the unit.
if the cable is out, you can watch the shows recorded on the PVR even if it has rebooted.

i have watched recorded programing when the cable as been out. was out a few weeks back on a sunday. no internet, no cable, so did my best at bringing the % down on the pvr [was into the 90% range at the time]

It used to be that the PVR would not boot without cable service, however, recently, people have had success rebooting even if the cable was down. Once the PVR is booted, you should be able to watch your recordings. Try unplugging the PVR for a minute or so and see if it reboots when you plug it back in.

It is possible that in certain areas the PVR will not reboot...

Try with the PVR disconnected from the RF-coax cable...?

Of course, it's not possible to record new programming without cable service.

The PVR Recording Option is a Pay service with Rogers. Its partly included with the Digital Services Fee