Problem with new HD DVR box

[weeblenyc]

I just got the new HD DVR cable box (Scientific Atlanta 8300HDC) and to be honest, I'm completely horrified. I liked how the Passport version worked and never had any significant problems with it - this one seems to be 2 steps backwards in regards to how every menu works.

1st question - The new remote was configured just so I can buy $5 movies, and the search feature is now a menu for those movies - is there any way I can get rid of all of this OnDemand selling? I'm going to go back and make them give me and old remote, but I'd really like to be able to search for shows and not have the movies available for purchase be the default list. (It makes me feel like I'm in a hotel!). I called Time Warner and the person only knew about the Passport ones, not the one I have.

2nd question - All my friends have the problem where their box reboots randomly during the day and then won't record anything until it's manually reset because it loses the guide info. Is there any way to avoid this aside from crossing my fingers a lot?

3rd question - when I'm viewing an HD channel and I pull up the guide to see what else is on/see what I'm recording or have in my list, the picture shrinks to 1/4th of the size and then stays that way when I exit the guide, leaving a huge black expanse where the guide was. Nothing makes it change back except switching to non-HD channels for a few minutes and then going back. I can't watch anything on a 5 or 10 minute delay like I'm used to because I'll accidentally forget and hit the guide button, and then I'll miss 5-10 minutes trying to fix it. It's very frustrating and I don't know whether this is just one of the bugs that all of the machines have like the rebooting thing or whether it's a broken box. Considering it took me 2 hours in line to get this box, I'm really hoping I don't have to exchange this thing.

Thanks in advance to anyone who has any suggestions. I'm very frustrated at this point and Time Warner doesn't seem to have anyone who can help me.

 

[KE4EST]

to SatelliteGuys!!!!!

I don't have Time Warner, but be on the look out someone that does will come and help.

 

[JamesJ]

well it seems you are one of the newest victioms of navigator software that is developed IN house by Time warner cable.....it will get better I promise you, but it will take time. Time warner Developed this software so it could go to SDV (passport couldnt handle this). SDV (or Switched digital video) is what will enable Time warner to add more HD and services, although all they are adding now is on demand stuff in my area. But I cant help you with all the problems, but number 2, I have read and heard that if you reboot your box once a week, it takes care of alot of these random reboots...if it continues past that, have a tech look at your signal, seems these new boxes are alot more touchy to bad signal. Also if you havent done so yet, go to avsforum.com, and then to their HDTV area, Then to HD recorders, in that section you will find GREAT articles and one big thread about time warner navigator, it will answer alot of your questions! anything else please ask away.

 

[Hall]

Your only hope is to get an "old" box but a co-worker was told you can't anymore.... That's for TW's Western Ohio division (now Cincinnati/Dayton) but other areas may be different, so it doesn't hurt to ask. I don't know what they mean by not being able to get an old one unless it means they load Navigator on the older boxes as they come in. They were only putting Navigator on the new boxes, the "HDC" models, but the plan is for this to run on ALL of their set-tops.

As for the On-Demand stuff being force-fed, these are HUGE profit-makers for the cable and satellite providers, so get used to it.

 

[weeblenyc]

Wow, thanks for all the help so far! I really appreciate it.

I'm going to try the rebooting trick. I've only had it 2 days now but it's already reset itself. Unfortunately after it did this it decided I was no longer a cable subscriber. I couldn't get through to a person via customer service to I rebooted it every 10 minutes until it sorted itself out. It took 3 tries and I missed all of the Order on Law & Order.

I figured out that the normal programs are below the movie list. I'm slow sometimes. It's still annoying but I'll get used to it.

I asked several people at Time Warner and they've all said that I can't get an old box - a friend of mine managed to get one a few months ago though, so I'm still hoping somehow I can find one if I just keep asking and get an employee that doesn't know they're not supposed to give me one (which I suspect is how my friend got his).

 

[Hall]

Time Warner has really bit the big one with this "upgrade". Rest assured, there's NOTHING wrong with your box or wiring and so on. It seems as though EVERYONE is seeing these same problems. If you complain, they'll offer to swap your "bad" box for a good one though... All they're doing is trying to appear that they're helping.

 

[mleskowyak]

HD DVR Problem

risking karma, I have 2 TW HD DVRs, 8300HD. I have not experienced any of the problems you reported.............I am in Columbus, Ohio but still running the Passport software.

Don't know if this helps you! Good Luck

 

[Hall]

risking karma, I have 2 TW HD DVRs, 8300HD. I have not experienced any of the problems you reported.............I am in Columbus, Ohio but still running the Passport software.

Don't worry, you'll soon be enjoying the new "enhancements" too.

 

[JamesJ]

Time Warner has really bit the big one with this "upgrade". Rest assured, there's NOTHING wrong with your box or wiring and so on. It seems as though EVERYONE is seeing these same problems. If you complain, they'll offer to swap your "bad" box for a good one though... All they're doing is trying to appear that they're helping.

not to confuse...but their are several people that are happy with navagaitor, and When they had their Signal levels checked and straightened out have not had a problem (or very very few). I myself had a pretty decent HDC box. So the general consensus according to the navagaitor thread is to first have your signal levels checked as these boxes are VERY touchy with that, then if that fixes nothing, keep switching out your box till you get a good one, they are out there!

 

[Hall]

The OP appears to have had a DVR from TW that used Passport and we have to presume did not have rebooting problems. If the old box was okay, the new one should be too.

 

[JamesJ]

The OP appears to have had a DVR from TW that used Passport and we have to presume did not have rebooting problems. If the old box was okay, the new one should be too.

Hall that is incorrect, the new software and boxes are known to be touchy to signal issues, please read through the thread at avsforum and you will see what I am talking about....to the OP, please have your signal levels checked, also have all your cables checked as well! then start the process of getting a box that works, please let us know how you are doing!

 

[weeblenyc]

risking karma, I have 2 TW HD DVRs, 8300HD. I have not experienced any of the problems you reported.............I am in Columbus, Ohio but still running the Passport software.

I'm jealous! A friend of mine has the 8300HD w/Passport and the 8300HDC that I have, and the first one runs likes a dream while the HDC is as nightmarish as mine is.

I called Time Warner and they said that signal strength shouldn't affect it, then told me to reboot it or trade it in for a new one. I might have to exchange it anyways because of that weird problem where my HD channels get stuck at Guide-size. Bah. But yeah - those seem to be their only solutions. To be completely honest - I'm not convinced sending anyone out would do anything. The 3 times I've had cable guys come out to my apartment it's been a complete waste of time and once I had to spend 20 minutes on the phone directing them to my apartment. I live in the middle of Manhattan - a blind kentucky rooster could find my apartment. I have no faith in their ability to check wires or determine a signal strength, unfortunately. Is there any way to check signal strength by myself? I looked up the diagnostic windows and didn't see anything labeled "level", so I suspect not without an expensive meter of some kind.

On a related note - one of my friends got a signal amp for his cable because he had a weak signal. TWC said they couldn't fix it because he lives in an old building. He loves it to death and insists that we should all have one because it makes the picture better. I'm not really having any picture troubles, but in theory could this potentially make my HD-DVR work better? Or does the signal have to be increased by the cable company?

Thanks again for all of the help so far, I'm learning way more than I ever thought I would about HD-DVRs.

 

[Hall]

Hall that is incorrect, the new software and boxes are known to be touchy to signal issues...

Sorry if you don't get it..... I said the new box should be okay too. The new boxes are flawed if they require different signal levels. So TW is supposed to replace working boxes, that are happy with the existing signal levels, with new boxes which in turn require add'l amplification, re-wiring, reduction of splitters, and so on ?

 

[JamesJ]

Hall the new boxes do have flaws in them, and as I have stated based on my readings, its a crap shoot.... different 8300HDC boxes preform differently in the same exact operating conditions, there are many posts about this in that thread.

 

[stevenl]

Yes BHN is using the same new "Improved" software. It flat out sucks from both a customer stand point and a technican stand point.. It can take these boxes some 20+ minutes to provision, whereas passport took 1-2 mins.

 

[weeblenyc]

Just wanted to give a quick update - so far I've been rebooting it every time it starts acting up, which seems to make it behave for about 5 to 7 days without incident. Among the new problems that crop up if I don't reboot it every week are a) not recording the last 15 minutes of my HD shows and b) forgetting that it's a DVR and refusing to pause live TV.

 

[zeeball@nc.rr.com]

8300HDC HDMI compliant?

I just got an HD camcorder so I need a way to quickly connect it to an HDMI interface.
Got a MonoPrice HDMI 4x switch which is certified 1.3 compliant. My Blu-Ray player works fine. My HD Handycam works fine. My 8300HDC gets a blue screen and a 2 Hz clicking noise when run through the switch (which acts as a repeater). So I cannot run the 8300 HDC through the switch. Luckily I have two HDMI inputs and cables run.

The question is, what is it about the 8300HDC that causes the HDMI output to fail through the switch?

TW cable gives you a component video cable, so is that a hint that the box is not fully HDMI compliant?

 

[zeeball@nc.rr.com]

I think I found my answer as to why the HDMI fails to work through a switch here:
HDMI :: Resources :: Knowledge Base
Select Compatibility and Interoperability and look for:
Q. Some cable TV set-top boxes with HDMI outputs don’t deliver a picture to displays with HDMI inputs. What is the problem, and is there a solution?