As a software developer, you know that best practices recommend testing and even staging environments. Evidently, DirecTV lacks that or is really missing something. Sometime today, they released a software update that sent nearly all of their HD receivers into some sort of lockdown. Their solution: hold down the reset button for 15 seconds, then hit the power button, then wait up to 15 minutes. Not quite. It simply doesn’t work. The best part is, they aren’t deploying this on 20 different browsers or several different OS’s on a variety of hardware. Rather, they are deploying this to 3 types of HD boxes – all that have been released in the past 24 months. Unless I’m missing something, that seems like a no-brainer for a multi-million dollar, publically traded company.
And so, even as I write this post, my HD-250 sits in la-la land. The power, record, round select, and 1080p buttons all remain lit. 30 minutes later, no response. The last message they left me with was to check it again in 2 hours. So I wait, and wait, and wait. Maybe all this waiting will allow me to research which options (ahem Comcast, Dish Network, and possible Verizon FIOS) are available in my area and what they can offer. My only regret will be to leave the NFL Sunday Ticket. For now, it’s time to wait.
By the way, feel free to follow DirecTV on Twitter at DirecTV.