Pause Live TV on Whole Home DVR System

Unfortunately no it is not. You can only pause live TV on a DVR, although you can have more than one DVR if you want; there is no main DVR per se.  What you can do, if one of the DVRs tuners is available, is to start recording the program you want to watch 'live', and then play the recording from the remote receiver. The result is essentially the same as watching live TV.

Receivers have no hard drive thus are physically incapable of pausing a live feed.  And, the Whole Home system has no provision to watch a live feed streamed from a DVR to a receiver.

My point is, this isn't a design limitation, it's a physical one.  As Sungam says, if you want to pause a live feed, record the feed then you'll be able to watch that feed from a remote receiver. 

So just to clarify, if he wants to be able to pause/rewind, he just needs to set the show to record first.

And he would be able to set it to record from the non dvr (to the dvr), as well as delete it from the comfort of the non dvr.

It would take a few extra steps, and it would be limited to 1 show at a time, but it is possible to do it all from the HD reciever.

Am I off?

That's correct. Provided the DVR is setup to allow the remote receiver to delete programs, you can both start the recording and delete it from a non-DVR receiver. Playback can begin as soon as the recording is started, so it can be essentially 'live' TV. The downside is that it occupies one of the DVR's two tuners

THANKS everyone for the responses.

Yes "loganic" that is impression as well.  It doesn't sound too painful, but I have run into issues doing that with one of DTV's competitors.  The problem arises when, you are watching a sporting event or a TV show that is delayed from a sporting event.

For example, if CBS has an NFL game on and its 6:15pm and the game has gone over or goes over and goes into Overtime, then there is a hassle.  Basically, you would have to start the recording, then extend the recording to ensure you won't miss it, and then start watching it, and then pausing.  Plus if you haven't changed the channel recently, it will start the recording from the original part where you started watching it or from when you last changed the channel.  Then you have to fast forward....

As you can tell, I have experienced this, and the easiest solution is to simply add another DVR.  So much easier to just hit "pause".

Now, I wonder if two DVR's can be linked on the Whole Home DVR System.

Nope, you missed the procedure by quite a wide margin.  If you want to watch that game on a remote receiver you have but two choices.  First, you can watch the game on the receiver's tuner, in which case pausing is not a physical possibility as previously discussed.  Or, you can watch the game on the DVR's tuner while recording it (basically watching the recording).  In that case the extra step would occur at the beginning of the game, and you could pause it at will. 

We get a lot of posts from folks worrying on how they are going to manage everything.  What we do at my house is record all programming and watch everything from a recording.  I'd guess that many who have had DVR's for very long do the same.  To that end, I'd urge most people to get two DVR's in their installation.  With four tuners you can cover most every combination of schedule.

As with any recording based on the programs published  start and end times, there's the possibility that the program will run long and the recording will stop prematurely. Padding the recording time is one solution with programs that might run over. If you're not too far behind 'live' in the recording you could also switch to the local receivers tuner and watch the remainder live without the trick play functions when the recording ends.

A second DVR is another solution and the only added cost is the initial cost of a DVR vs a regular receiver. With WHDVR multiple DVRs can view each others recordings, but there is currently no way to setup recordings one a DVR from another DVR.

Got it, thanks everyone.

I think the best option is 2-DVRs. 

DCD - I understood the two options, but my point was what if I have to step away from the TV.  I have kids, so sometimes I get called away and "pausing live TV" is a great feature.  In some circumstances I have no intention of missing a game, but sometimes things happen where you have to pause.  Recording everything you watch would alleviate this, but I guess my best option is to get 2-DVRs.

THANKS everyone!!!!

Just got my whole home upgrade? and Directv was supposed to replace living room HR-22 with new HR-24, move old living room HR-22 to bedroom and return bedroom R-22 to Directv.  

Instead, they replaced living room HR-22 with HR-24, put H-25 HD Receiver in bedroom, and sent back both of my old dvrs (Hr-22 and R22).

This was great until I found out AFTER the installer left that the H-25 receiver is not capable of pausing and rewinding LIVE TV.  

To me, it is not and upgrade when you lose a key functionality like this!  

The pause live TV function was one of Directv's features that got me as a customer almost 11 years ago.  I called Directv corporate about this and just received a call from the local Directv supervisor who is going to try to get my old HR-22 back and swap it back 

out for this H-25.  

This may negate the "whole home" aspect of this upgrade but I don't care, as long as I get the pause functionality back on the bedroom TV.

This whole situation could have been avoided with better communication from and within Directv.  My experience with Directv customer service the past 11 years has been very good.  I am hopeful that this current problem will be satisfactorily resolved as well.

I will post an update when this resolved.  

Did you pay for an additional HD DVR?  If so, a simple phone call should get this resolved.

This was arranged  and agreed to by my phone conversation with a Directv Tech Support Representative by the name of John to be a totally free upgrade with the above specified actions to be taken.

As stated above, I already had 2 dvrs in my home, one of which (the HR-22) was agreed to be moved from the living room to the bedroom with the other bedroom old DVR (R-22) to be returned to Directv and a new upgraded HR-24 to replace the HR-22 from the living room, still resulting in the same total as before of two DVRs in my home.  

I would never have let the HR-22 be taken by the installer if I had known that the H-25 HD receiver that he put in the bedroom had reduced functionality (no live pause).

Still waiting for a call back from the local Supervising Directv Rep.  

Finally received a call back from the local Directv supervisor yesterday (Thursday).  

It took from Monday afternoon to Thursday afternoon for the call back because the Monday call was from a guy that was just filling in until the regular supervisor got back off of leave Thursday.  Explained situation to him and he is still looking for my original HR-22 (or equivalent or better) to be returned to me to replace this sad H-25 HD receiver.  

I am still hopeful that Directv will do the right thing and get this resolved timely and at no cost since this is just complying with their original agreement with me. 

As of 12:30 Friday, still waiting for my (second) call back from the local Supervising Directv Rep.   

unfortunately that has to be done through the local service providers which requires their supervisors to call you back. it was probably a mistake on the original order. When you do get the call back it should be free as long as they still have the boxes. I would call dtv back and make sure that they have documented on the order that it was a swap relocate, if so then they should be able to correct it even if the local service provider can't. if not idk if they'll be able to do it. I don't work for them but I have worked for call centers before adn without documentation your hands are kind of tied.

unfortunately that has to be done through the local service providers which requires their supervisors to call you back. it was probably a mistake on the original order. When you do get the call back it should be free as long as they still have the boxes. I would call dtv back and make sure that they have documented on the order that it was a swap relocate, if so then they should be able to correct it even if the local service provider can't. if not idk if they'll be able to do it. I don't work for them but I have worked for call centers before adn without documentation your hands are kind of tied.

I found the local supervisor 's phone number from my callback from him lastThursday and called him.  He said that he had meant to call me yesterday (Monday) but got busy and forgot.  He said he had an HR-24 to replace my bedroom H-25 but would not be able to install it until next Monday and would be free as long as he gets the okay from Directv since it was originally supposed to be a swap anyway.

I am going to call corporate Directv again today anyway, update them on the situation and make sure that they have notated this as a FREE swap. I am hoping that this ordeal will soon be resolved to my satisfaction.  What a mess.  This could have and should have been much simpler.  I hope Directv will learn something from this so they don't put any more of their customers through this grief.