Is it possible that the component outs might look better than the HDMI out on my 8300 ? I tried a hdmi to dvi cable on my older tv, and didn't see an improvement and switched back...... Now i just got a Sony XBR4 and the SD channels really look so so or bad...could it be because I 'm using a hdmi ? Could the HDMI port have been dirty and therefore give me a bad pic ? I know it could have dust in it, since it wasn't used for yrs. The hdmi cable is 1.3a. type but not a real high $$ one. Anyone else like the pic better with Composite cables vs HDMI ? My pic quality in the other room with HDMI is pretty good, thru the same type dvr but a diff. type tv.

thx

How do I get into the hidden menus of the 8300 ? Also Anyone here use a Denon reciever to up-scale there pic to the tv ? My Denon 2309 can up-convert/scale to 1080p....I wonder if would look better on the TV.... I also wonder like the guy above if I can use hdmi and component out together...is there a way to switch between the 2 without unplugging the hdmi ? I want to run both to the Denon and switch between both to see if the upscaling looks better then the passed thru signal of the hdmi ( Denon passes only what it sees with hdmi and upscales all other type of inputs).

thanksThe first post has instructions on how to get to the diagnostic pages. Also, it has information about trying to use hdmi and component out together.

can anyone tell me I can run an optical out with HDMI connected, I tried component with HDMI but did not work. All I need is the sound to get to my receiver with the HDMI running to the TV.
Thanks

can anyone tell me I can run an optical out with HDMI connected, I tried component with HDMI but did not work. All I need is the sound to get to my receiver with the HDMI running to the TV.
Thanks

Shouldn't be a problem. That's how I have my system connected.

See first post section Audio Out Using HDMI Connection. UG-2

v/r,
C-F

I wonder if anyone has experienced this problem.....

I own my SA8300HD PVR and replaced the original harddisk with a 500GB Western Digital (WD). For about 10 months it worked fine but then it strated freezing during recorded program playback....if you waited, sometimes it would pick up but later in the recording but it also would not continue playing the program at all.

I decided to swap the original harddisk back into the PVR to see if it was the WD harddisk. The original has been working fine for the last 2 months. So I returned the WD under warranty and they shipped me a replacment drive.

What I was wondering is if the harddisk really was the culprit as I am intending to put the replacement harddisk into the PVR to get back to increased recording capacity.

TIA.

SA8300HD Rogers Cable SARA 1.89.22.2

You can test the disk in a computer. Go to Western Digital's website and download Data Lifeguard Diagnostic. I usually use the DOS version on a floppy but you can use either. Follow the directions and you can test the drive:

http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=612&lang=en

By the way, Seagate has its own test software called Seatools and I assume Maxtor and others have their own.

Is it possible to suppress the display of premium channels that I don't subscribe to? I know you can block them but I hate scrolling through them. Thanks!

Is it possible to suppress the display of premium channels that I don't subscribe to? I know you can block them but I hate scrolling through them. Thanks!
No, not until new software with that feature is released.

Do you guys know what this issue is about?

The last 4 nights I have been watching poker after dark on NBC, which airs around 2:30-3:30. I have been pausing it to do some work in between watching but for the last few nights, the box does some sort of reset at 3am which causes the DVR to unpause and go to live programing without saving the broadcast between live and where I paused. This is of course undesirable since I loose about 15 minutes of the show I was watching. Any ideas of what is happening at 3am and if there is some setting I can change so it stops interrupting my viewing at this time? I have charter and the 8300HDC.

thanks

Do you guys know what this issue is about?

The last 4 nights I have been watching poker after dark on NBC, which airs around 2:30-3:30. I have been pausing it to do some work in between watching but for the last few nights, the box does some sort of reset at 3am which causes the DVR to unpause and go to live programing without saving the broadcast between live and where I paused. This is of course undesirable since I loose about 15 minutes of the show I was watching. Any ideas of what is happening at 3am and if there is some setting I can change so it stops interrupting my viewing at this time? I have charter and the 8300HDC.

I assume you are talking about the power-saving mode the 8300 goes into each night if left on. There is usually a message displayed that says to press any key to avoid the shutdown, but since you have it paused, you probably don't get or see that message. The only way I know to work around it is to turn it off instead of pausing it. When you turn it back on, you should then be able to tune to your playback channel and resume watching from where you left off.

I think he is watching it live thus the jump to live loses all after the pause point.

So wonderbread57, you might just start recording the show...

Actually, here (TWC-ELP) pausing with live or recorded material times-out after [some unmeasured period] any time we pause it (i.e. nothing to do with time of day). It might even begin playing something when left on the [List] screen too long as well.

IIRC, PASSPORT in TWC-KC only let you pause live material up to the end of the buffer.


v/r,
C-F

On a similar note, our box often will not rewind during live viewing. It just shows a red bar to the left of "now". Yesterday, I actually caught something happening that may be related. While viewing a live program, all of a sudden the program description bar showed up on screen as if I had changed the channel (which I didn't) and after that I couldn't rewind the program.

Also, I often can not record a program from the beginning that I am watching despite having watched it from the beginning. It just records from the time I press record.

Cox San Diego South

On a similar note, our box often will not rewind during live viewing.
I've traded in for a new box about 5 times now to eliminate this occasional glitch, and I now think it's responding to some errant command signal.

It often happens during Wheel of Fortune, when I want to go back and see what the winning Spin ID was...

... our box often will not rewind during live viewing. When we first got our 8300HD we didn't have that problem, but after one of the updates in the past year it started happening. To get around it, I tried setting the box to start up on a channel we wouldn't voluntarily watch, because it seemed that as long as we had switched channels before trying to rewind a live program, it would work. But sometimes even that doesn't help, and it was annoying always having to switch channels every time we turned it on, so I put it back to "start on last channel viewed" or whatever it's called.

The end result: sometimes we just can't do a rewind when we want to. Not the end of the world, but it is somewhat annoying.

FYI - I had that problem with my new 8300HD (never had it with the 8000HD it replaced nor with the other 8300HD I have), but a call to the customer service line prompted a reboot from them (I rebooted on my own twice) and it fixed the problem.

Yeah, the problem I described sounds similar to the last 5 posts or so. It's not that the box is idle and goes into that "press any button mode", it instead blanks the screen for a second and then pops up the program description minibar (on the bottom) as if i changed the channel and at that point all the recorded material from the pause point is erased and it skips to live (can't rewind because it's all red bar prior to where it skipped to). The odd thing is that this happens on the dot at 3am every night. I don't think it use to do this but I can't be sure. I'll give manually rebooting a shot and see what it does tonight.

Yeah, the problem I described sounds similar to the last 5 posts or so. It's not that the box is idle and goes into that "press any button mode", it instead blanks the screen for a second and then pops up the program description minibar (on the bottom) as if i changed the channel and at that point all the recorded material from the pause point is erased and it skips to live (can't rewind because it's all red bar prior to where it skipped to). The odd thing is that this happens on the dot at 3am every night. I don't think it use to do this but I can't be sure. I'll give manually rebooting a shot and see what it does tonight.

That is exactly what I was experiencing, except for the 3am part. This was in the early evening for me.

I did a hard reset (unplugged it for 10 seconds) and last night at 3:01 it happened again. This time the program was not paused but the screen still blanked for a second and then popped up the lower info bar and no rewind before the blank time. Maybe I could benefit from a charter reset of the box but I cringe at the prospect of calling support again.

It was the only thing that fixed the problem for me.

Good-golly-miss-molly was that as painful a chat with support as I had expected. I'll edit this post around 3am when we find out if the reset, that took 15 minutes of me on the phone with the living dead, worked.

update: 3am, the black screen event did not occur. hooray! but for how long..

:D

The things we endure for our TVs (specifically our DVR functionality).

With my television turned off, I noticed my cable box randomly doing soft resets over and over again. On the screen display it keeps turning off and on. Rather annoying. If I unplug it, it might not record my shows that I record at night.

Has this happened to anyone else?

:D

The things we endure for our TVs (specifically our DVR functionality).
Only when we don't have a choice. Hopefully tru2way will provide more choice in both hardware and software.

BTW. If whatever the cableco did doesn't work, you might try a "hard" reboot, press & hold the power button while plugging the power cord back in until you see Boot on the display, see the First Post.

Robby23, you might want to try that too.

CES 2009: Cisco Gears Up For Whole-Home DVR Trials
Cablers Will Start Test Runs of Explorer 8600 in 2Q

By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 1/9/2009 1:36:00 PM

Las Vegas—Cisco Systems expects several cable providers to initiate field trials in the second quarter of its next-generation set-top, the Explorer 8600, the company’s first to provide high-definition multiroom DVR features.

Multiroom DVR allows subscribers to access recordings on a master DVR from any other set-top in the home. The Explorer 8600 series, available with up to 500 Gigabytes of disk storage, supports the Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) 1.1 specification to distribute high-def video over existing in-home coaxial cable.

Cable operators have been eager to introduce multiroom DVR, as both AT&T and Verizon offer it as options for their video services.

“That’s clearly a key item for us and our cable customers,” Dave Clark, director of product strategy and management for Cisco Systems’ Service Provider Video Technology Group said.

Clark declined to identify which MSOs are working on the multiroom DVR trials. He said customer deployments are planned for the third quarter of 2009.

Adding multiroom DVR will enable other media-sharing capabilities, Clark noted. The 8600 supports the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) and Digital Transmission Copy Protection (DTCP) over IP standards for content-sharing.

The Explorer 8600, available with a black-matte finish, also will include an Ethernet port—the first Cisco/SA box to do so—as well as USB 2.0, DOCSIS 2.0, tru2way support, 1-GHz tuners, and MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 decoders. The set-top’s processor, Cisco’s sixth-generation chip set, is more powerful than previous versions, providing 1000 million instructions per second (MIPS).

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6628132.html

That sounds awesome.

That sounds awsome.
Well, we'll have to see how cableco's take to it. Nothing ever came of the 8300MR, so hopefully this will be different.

I didn't think the 8300MR passed HD video though.

I didn't think the 8300MR passed HD video though.
No, it didn't and that''s probably whyt it never went anywhere. I suspect it didn't have the power, mostly to ensure the security. I'm sure the 8600 and MR is going to command yet another rate increase, sigh....

Most of what I have on the 8300HD is not copy protected as far as I can tell. The recordings I wanted to keep were TV specials: NASA stuff like the live broadcast from the space station, a couple of live concerts, etc. Why would they be any more illegal than something I taped or recorded on a DVD Recorder?

I will check out the Hauppauge HD PVR. It looks like it might do the trick.I realize I'm late to the party, but thought I'd reply anyway.

The HD PVR will indeed do what you want, though it may not be quite as user-friendly as you might hope. It has matured dramatically in the half-year since it was first released, both in hardware design (they're up to rev E1 last I heard) and in software (both the Hauppauge drivers and the ArcSoft recording/playback software included with the device have been updated several times since the device was first released). Today, it's a very usable device.

As for what it can record, that'd be pretty much anything coming across the component video outputs. It will even record video-on-demand movies (insert appropriate legal disclaimer here).

There are two good AVSForum threads you can monitor for more info on the HD PVR:
Hauppauge WinTV HD PVR (H.264) screenshot (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1015617)
Hauppauge HDPVR-1212 Owner's Thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1055232)

There are two good AVSForum threads you can monitor for more info on the HD PVR:
Hauppauge WinTV HD PVR (H.264) screenshot (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1015617)
Hauppauge HDPVR-1212 Owner's Thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1055232)Thanks. I'll get one when I buy my next computer (within the next few months). That, and a Blu-Ray burner.

When I change the channels on my SA8300-HD box, it sometimes takes as long as 5 seconds for the picture to appear. Should I try swapping out the boxes or some kind of reboot on a box?

On my other non-HD SA box, there is also a delay, but not as bad as on an HD box. Even punching in the channel numbers on the remote is slow to apear on the box's display.

When I change the channels on my SA8300-HD box, it sometimes takes as long as 5 seconds for the picture to appear. Should I try swapping out the boxes or some kind of reboot on a box?

On my other non-HD SA box, there is also a delay, but not as bad as on an HD box. Even punching in the channel numbers on the remote is slow to apear on the box's display.
Mine sometimes seems to ignore the remote completely for up to 30 seconds or so. Then it acts on every button that I've pushed while waiting for it. It's really obnoxious. I'd swap it for a new one, but I've got way too much stuff on it that I want to keep for a while.

Mine sometimes seems to ignore the remote completely for up to 30 seconds or so. Then it acts on every button that I've pushed while waiting for it. It's really obnoxious. I'd swap it for a new one, but I've got way too much stuff on it that I want to keep for a while.Mine too! It almost makes me think that the box's OS is Windows. :rolleyes:

When I change the channels on my SA8300-HD box, it sometimes takes as long as 5 seconds for the picture to appear. Should I try swapping out the boxes or some kind of reboot on a box?

On my other non-HD SA box, there is also a delay, but not as bad as on an HD box. Even punching in the channel numbers on the remote is slow to apear on the box's display.You can try a hard reboot which is described in the first post. It is easy to do and doesn't take long. It seems to fix a lot a different kinds of problems. There is no guarantee that swapping the box will solve this issue. It seems to be a common problem.

In case you didn't know, if the number of digits in the channel is not the maximum number of digits for a channel you can press select after the last digit and it will change a few seconds faster. For instance, my cable system only uses 3 digits and if I enter a channel number of 99 or less I can press select and the channel will change instead of delaying a few seconds waiting for a third digit.

Mine too! It almost makes me think that the box's OS is Windows. :rolleyes:Actually, from clues on the the diagnostic screens the OS appears to be a Unix derivative. Technically, that'd make it more akin to a Mac...

You can try a hard reboot which is described in the first post. It is easy to do and doesn't take long. It seems to fix a lot a different kinds of problems. There is no guarantee that swapping the box will solve this issue. It seems to be a common problem.

In case you didn't know, if the number of digits in the channel is not the maximum number of digits for a channel you can press select after the last digit and it will change a few seconds faster. For instance, my cable system only uses 3 digits and if I enter a channel number of 99 or less I can press select and the channel will change instead of delaying a few seconds waiting for a third digit.Russ,
Thanks for the tip about the hard reboot; I will give it a try tonight. Also, I did not know about the 2-digit channel and the Select "trick".

Russ,
Thanks for the tip about the hard reboot; I will give it a try tonight. Also, I did not know about the 2-digit channel and the Select "trick".
You do know you can also add a leading 0 for channels below 100, don't you? I don't know howmany times I've told my wife about adding the 0 or pressing Select, but she still sits there and waits for the 2-digit channel to change. :)

You do know you can also add a leading 0 for channels below 100, don't you? I don't know howmany times I've told my wife about adding the 0 or pressing Select, but she still sits there and waits for the 2-digit channel to change. :)Or multiple 0's. For channel 41, try 0041. For channel 701 try 0701.

My wife is the same. Of course, this is the same woman who refuses to use the universal remote to do more than change channels and volume, no matter how many times I show her. She'd rather sit there with 3 different remotes (AVR universal, cable box and DVD player).

You do know you can also add a leading 0 for channels below 100, don't you?Or multiple 0's. For channel 41, try 0041. For channel 701 try 0701.Just to clarify: for Cox in Phoenix, it's a maximum of 3 digits. For Cox in San Diego, it's 4 digits.

Mine too! It almost makes me think that the box's OS is Windows. :rolleyes:

That is funny. Thanks for the laugh. I needed it.:p

Russ,
Thanks for the tip about the hard reboot; I will give it a try tonight. Also, I did not know about the 2-digit channel and the Select "trick".

Also these boxes are apparently not the best yet. I have exchange about 8boxes over the past year.
Problem one,try to get a later manufactured date
2. Call your provider and ask for a level 3or4 tech to take a look a your box over the phone.
3. power in from the line can be way to high or low which will affect broadcast. If you can exchange your box personally they will give you a $20.00 refund. Have to call and ask.
4. When talking to the tech ask him specifically whats either wrong or good with the box,and what usually happens to these. Asked them what they have and most of them like the older 8300. I had one that was loud but serviced me fine. These new non ocaps have many bugs to deal with.







him

On my 8300hd I have it connected via hdmi and using the optical connection for the avr connection. I configured the sound so that it is not gong through the hdmi connection. The issue I am having is that the 8300 automatically turns off if I turn the TV off or switch from that hdmi connection. Is there a way around this other than using the component connection? I am on TWC and it appears that my software is SARA. Thanks!

The issue I am having is that the 8300 automatically turns off if I turn the TV off or switch from that hdmi connection. Is there a way around this other than using the component connection? I am on TWC and it appears that my software is SARA. Thanks!Nope. You're experiencing an HDMI handshaking issue; when the DVR senses that the HDMI device on the other end is no longer responding, it's shutting itself down.

You've already identified the workaround options: Either leave the TV on, or swap the HDMI for component video cables.

Turning off a Panasonic PT-AX200U connected with HDMI does not trigger a shutdown here -- which may only mean that the PJ does not understand or send the [wake-up / go-to-sleep messages].

When you say "or switch from that hdmi connection" what device is switching? The TV or an AVR? If you are going into the TV directly, have you tried going through an AVR (even if the AVR HDMI ports only switch and do not accept sound, it may break the link sufficiently to not trigger the sleep effect).

v/r,
C-F

On my 8300hd I have it connected via hdmi and using the optical connection for the avr connection. I configured the sound so that it is not gong through the hdmi connection. The issue I am having is that the 8300 automatically turns off if I turn the TV off or switch from that hdmi connection. Is there a way around this other than using the component connection? I am on TWC and it appears that my software is SARA. Thanks!

Does your display have a menu for controlling power on/off sequences from HDMI devices? I have a Pioneer 111FD which allows me to control power on and off sequences between the panel and attached HDMI devices. For example, I could power my 8300 off and on by letting the Pioneer do it when it powers off and on.

I don't use the feature, but it's there.

My AVR does not do hdmi. The TV (samsung 67 led) is doing the switching between sources. It does not have any options in the menu that I could find to control power options in the hdmi. So I guess I will either live with it or switch to component. (unless someone has another idea) Just one more thing to get used to. I just switched from Directv tivo. Thanks!

My AVR does not do hdmi. The TV (samsung 67 led) is doing the switching between sources. It does not have any options in the menu that I could find to control power options in the hdmi. So I guess I will either live with it or switch to component. (unless someone has another idea) Just one more thing to get used to. I just switched from Directv tivo. Thanks!
Are you sure the 8300 is turning off or is just the audio turning off?

At any rate, some folks want to listen to the Music Channels through their AVRs, but don't want their TV on while doing it. Some of them have been successful by going through an AVR or an HDMI switcher. Since you AVR does not do HDMI, a switcher might work.

The problem is that your TV is leaving a signal on the HMDI connection even though it is powered off. This tells the 8300 that there is a device on the HDMI connection, but the 8300 cannot do an HDCP handshake to verify the device, so it turns off (or at least turns off the audio). Some AVRs and HDMI Switchers completely turn off the signal when the TV is turned off or switched to a different input.

Are you sure the 8300 is turning off or is just the audio turning off?

At any rate, some folks want to listen to the Music Channels through their AVRs, but don't want their TV on while doing it. Some of them have been successful by going through an AVR or an HDMI switcher. Since you AVR does not do HDMI, a switcher might work.

The problem is that your TV is leaving a signal on the HMDI connection even though it is powered off. This tells the 8300 that there is a device on the HDMI connection, but the 8300 cannot do an HDCP handshake to verify the device, so it turns off (or at least turns off the audio). Some AVRs and HDMI Switchers completely turn off the signal when the TV is turned off or switched to a different input.

I thought about getting an HDMI switcher and trying it but I think i'll wait and see how annoying it is. The 8300 is cutting off when I turn the TV off or switch the TV to another input. The screen on the 8300 goes to the standby screen and the buffer goes away. This annoyed my daughter when I paused her program to check another input and went back to her program and of course it was not buffered anymore (I know I could have recorded her program to avoid that). If it gets too annoying I'll use the component inputs or try a HDMI switch. It is a shame that the 8300 does not just turn off the HDMI output if it can't get a response.

I thought about getting an HDMI switcher and trying it but I think i'll wait and see how annoying it is. The 8300 is cutting off when I turn the TV off or switch the TV to another input. The screen on the 8300 goes to the standby screen and the buffer goes away. This annoyed my daughter when I paused her program to check another input and went back to her program and of course it was not buffered anymore (I know I could have recorded her program to avoid that). If it gets too annoying I'll use the component inputs or try a HDMI switch. It is a shame that the 8300 does not just turn off the HDMI output if it can't get a response.
Yeah, no doubt folks were trying to figure out just how to deal with HDMI and the digital security requirements when the 8300 was designed. I don't think it shuts off in all cases (I believe some folks just lose audio and get the HDCP error screen), so that might actually be a cableco option when they set up the software before pushing it to users. Hopefully all this willl change once new sotware is released with tru2way, at least for some cableco's.

Can the 8300HD output video to both the HDMI and component outputs simultaneously.

I need to connect 2 displays to 1 cable box and would rather not use a HDMI splitter

David

Sometimes, depending on where you are and what settings the local admin has set...

v/r,
C-F

Other than actually hooking it up and trying it is there any way to tell whether this will work or not

Other than actually hooking it up and trying it is there any way to tell whether this will work or notYes. Find the source code for the software and read it.

Other than actually hooking it up and trying it is there any way to tell whether this will work or not
Well, if oyu are not in a hurry, you could add a location to your profile, identify your cableco, and see if anyone else in your area has it working like this. You could also tell us specifically what you want to do and maybe we could be a little more speicific in our thoughts.

Most people use both connections in one of two ways:

1. Connecting two TVs to watch one (Component) during most of the day and leaving the other (HDMI) for special viewing; movies, etc. Sometimes this can be an regular HDTV and a projector, or any other combination of TVs.

2. Connectiing two TVs to have one (HDMI) in the family room and another (Component) in the kitchen where both will be one at the same time.

Option 1 will probably work as long as your HDMI TV completely turns off all signals so the 8300 won't think there is a TV there that doesn't satisfy HDCP requirements. There is where some people end up buying an HDMI switcher, not to actually switch anything, just to completely turn off the signal.

Option 2 is more iffy and depends on a lot of factors, like software, cableco settings, etc., that you don't control. Unless you find someone in your area that has the setup you want, the only way to find out is to hook it up. Unless you are running long cables, cables don't cost all that much and it shouldn't be to hard to set TVs side by side to test. Of course, that depends on what you are trying to do.

Yep, sounds like a remote control issue.

You might want to look into a universal remote. I have the Logitech Harmony 880 (I never had a universal remote before... just had the various 4-5-6 remotes nearby and drove my GF crazy) and I have to admit it is fantastic.
can anyone tell me how well this remote works with the SA 8300HD? I have 4 different remotes and can't get any one of them to work well for everything to where I can just use one.

How well does it work with the interactive guide?

How well does it work with the DVR functions? Record/rewind/pause etc...

Any info on this or any other good universal remotes would be really appreciated. thanks..

can anyone tell me how well this remote works with the SA 8300HD? I have 4 different remotes and can't get any one of them to work well for everything to where I can just use one.

How well does it work with the interactive guide?

How well does it work with the DVR functions? Record/rewind/pause etc...

Any info on this or any other good universal remotes would be really appreciated. thanks..
I just bought an inexpensive learning remote. It has some of my components built-in, and I taught it the others. It controls my 8300HD, my Samsung TV, my ancient RCA VCR, my cheapie DVD player, my Zenith OTA HD Tuner, and my Pioneer receiver. Even for those devices that are built-in, I found that I had to teach it a few functions - for example, the Aspect button for my TV. But the whole process took less than an hour - well worth it.

This is the one that I bought:

http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Control-URC-WR7-Favorite-Channel/dp/B001KC08A4

You can get them at Best Buy, Circuit City, or Walmart as well.

johnb405,

I have the 8300HD from TW; Wii, Onkyo SR674; Vizio GV42L; Oppo DV971H and the Harmony 880 handles them all and with little fuss, once you've got it programmed through the easy setup.

thanks for the info everyone. it's much appreciated.

Hi everyone. I'm having a couple of issues here. First let me list my gear. Explorer 8300 HD DVR box. Onkyo TX-SR705 receiver. Sony 52" XBR5 TV. Everything connected via HDMI.

First: Pain in the butt audio problem. I have my cable box video output set to HDMI. I have my receiver set to PLIIx Movie. I get great sound most of the time. BUT sometimes during some commercials and/or coming attractions on channels like nbc, abc, and sometimes cbs I lose audio either completely, or i hear music and sound effects but no voices.

I cannot figure this out and have been trying to do so for many months now.

My other issue was a cable filter / reset procedure deal, but i wasn't sure if you were able to speak on that in here. so if someone could pm me that would work too.

First: Pain in the butt audio problem. I have my cable box video output set to HDMI. I have my receiver set to PLIIx Movie. I get great sound most of the time. BUT sometimes during some commercials and/or coming attractions on channels like nbc, abc, and sometimes cbs I lose audio either completely, or i hear music and sound effects but no voices.Sounds to me like a center channel problem--specifically, you don't have any speaker(s) reproducing the center channel signal. What speakers are you using and how are they connected?

If you have a surround setup with a dedicated center channel, stick your ear up to it and see if there's anything coming out of it. If there isn't, then troubleshoot that problem.

If you're only using the TV speakers, then it may be that you need to change a setting in your source or in your receiver to use the 2-channel stereo audio track instead of the surround track.

Hi everyone. I'm having a couple of issues here. First let me list my gear. Explorer 8300 HD DVR box. Onkyo TX-SR705 receiver. Sony 52" XBR5 TV. Everything connected via HDMI.

First: Pain in the butt audio problem. I have my cable box video output set to HDMI. I have my receiver set to PLIIx Movie. I get great sound most of the time. BUT sometimes during some commercials and/or coming attractions on channels like nbc, abc, and sometimes cbs I lose audio either completely, or i hear music and sound effects but no voices.

I cannot figure this out and have been trying to do so for many months now.

My other issue was a cable filter / reset procedure deal, but i wasn't sure if you were able to speak on that in here. so if someone could pm me that would work too.

Try connecting the 8300 to Onkyo receiver up with Stereo L/R audio cables and see if you still get the problem. I've installed the 705 and 8300 recently and didn't have that issue.

I'm having a similar issue -- I have 2 TVs and 2 SA8300 HD boxes from Cablevision. One works fine the other has intermittent sound issues. Switching from a channel broadcasting in 1080i to a 480i channel results in a popping sound coming out of the TV speakers -- and ultimately (though not necessarily right away), intermittent sound loss. I've replaced the box and the problem persists. I've also reset the box whenever the sound loss happens -- resulting in a temporary fix -- but the problem still persists.

I've had the occasional pixelation issue but nowhere near the consistency of the sound loss issue. The CV tech says it's because the signal is too strong...but if that's the case, wouldn't the video be affected as well?

It's frustrating...and CV is useless for the most part.

The CV tech says it's because the signal is too strong...but if that's the case, wouldn't the video be affected as well?

It's frustrating...and CV is useless for the most part.So, if Cablevision is supplying the signal, why don't they reduce it? If that is the problem, a simple attenuator should resolve it:

HomeTech RF Attenuators (http://www.hometech.com/video/atten.html#GC-ATTEN3DB)

In Line RF Attenuators
Attenuators reduce the full range of RF signals by a set amount. In "tuning" video distribution systems, it is often easier to overamplify the signals, then reduce them where desired.

HomeTech Solutions


ATTENxDB
In-Line Attenuators
In-line attenuators can be inserted in coaxial cable feeds to reduce signal amplitude levels. Combinations of attenuators may be used together to create greater insertion losses. For example, if a cable feed was found to have a signal level of 25 dBmV, and a level of only 9 dBmV is desired, then one 300010 and one 30006 could be used in series to create a 16 dB insertion loss, thereby reducing the signal level from 25 dBmV down to 9 dBmV.
GC-ATTEN3DB
Attenuator,3dB, DC Passing
aka 201-503, 300003 For ordering information, please see this item on our current website.
GC-ATTEN6DB
Attenuator,6dB, DC Passing
aka 201-506, 300006 For ordering information, please see this item on our current website.
GC-ATTEN10DB
Attenuator,10dB, DC Passing
aka 201-510, 300010 For ordering information, please see this item on our current website.
GC-ATTEN20DB
Attenuator,20dB, DC Passing
aka 201-520, 300020 For ordering information, please see this item on our current website.

Wow, I got the "Unrecoverable Write Error" today on my 8300hd and i thought i would have to get a replacement and worst of all i lost all my recordings, one of which i have had on there for like 3 years.

Anyway, all is well (Knock on wood), I followed the steps on the 1st page and did a Hard Reboot and things are working great and my content is back.

Crazy!!!! Yet another reason why i love this form.

I'm having a similar issue -- I have 2 TVs and 2 SA8300 HD boxes from Cablevision. One works fine the other has intermittent sound issues. Switching from a channel broadcasting in 1080i to a 480i channel results in a popping sound coming out of the TV speakers -- and ultimately (though not necessarily right away), intermittent sound loss. I've replaced the box and the problem persists. I've also reset the box whenever the sound loss happens -- resulting in a temporary fix -- but the problem still persists.

I've had the occasional pixelation issue but nowhere near the consistency of the sound loss issue. The CV tech says it's because the signal is too strong...but if that's the case, wouldn't the video be affected as well?

It's frustrating...and CV is useless for the most part.Read the first post for information on how to get to the diagnostic pages and what they mean for signal levels.

i have the 26" vizio computer monitor. full 1080p great monitor. i wanna connect my connect my 8240hd dvr box directly to it via hdmi but it doesn't seem to work. i tried hdmi>hdmi and hdmi>dvi and niether work. i tried all the output settings on the box and nothing worked and i tried tinkering with all the monitor settings and nothing seems to work. i been scrolling forums for about 4 hours now and can't find anything. from what i understand all hdmi inputs are already HDPC so thAt compatability shouldn't be a problem..... any ideas

i have the 26" vizio computer monitor. full 1080p great monitor. i wanna connect my connect my 8240hd dvr box directly to it via hdmi but it doesn't seem to work. i tried hdmi>hdmi and hdmi>dvi and niether work. i tried all the output settings on the box and nothing worked and i tried tinkering with all the monitor settings and nothing seems to work. i been scrolling forums for about 4 hours now and can't find anything. from what i understand all hdmi inputs are already HDPC so thAt compatability shouldn't be a problem..... any ideas

I could be wrong, but most computer monitors don't accept video signals, which is what you're getting from your DVR. If the monitor is expecting RGB, you won't get anything from the DVR.

not sure what that means.... :/ and is there a none costly way around it

not sure what that means.... :/ and is there a none costly way around it

I don't know if there's a way around it. What I'm getting at is a computer monitor usually expects to get an RGB computer signal and it won't accept anything else, like a video signal from a TV tuner, DVR, etc.

Do you get any error messages from the monitor, like out of range, unable to sync or something similar? Check the monitor's manual and see what its specifications are.

specs: Specifications
Panel Type: 26" Diagonal*, 16:10 Wide Screen, Color TFT Active Matrix LCD
*Viewable: 25.5-in
Monitor Surface Treatment: Covered Glass and High Polish Rear Cover

Supported PC Formats: 1080p (FHD)
Native Panel Resolution: 1920 x 1200
Supported PC Resolutions:
640 x 480, 800 x 600, 1024 x 768, 1280 x 1024, 1440 x 900, 1680 x 1050, 1920 x 1200 via VGA/HDMI
Pixel/Dot Pitch: 0.2865mm (H) x 0.2865mm (V)
Display Compatibility: FHD (1080p)
Signal Compatibility: 480i, 480P, 576i, 576p, 720P, 1080i, 1080P
TV Tuner: No

Response Time: 5.0ms (typical)
Colors: 16.7 million
Brightness: 300 cd/m2 (typical)
Contrast Ratio: 2000:1 (w/DCR) – Dynamic Contrast Ratio Technology
Overdrive: Yes
Viewable Angle: 170°/ 160°(horizontal and vertical)
Advanced Power Saving Management: Yes
Integrated TV Tuner: No
Color Temperature: 6500K (warm) and 9300K (cool)
Color Fine Tuning: Independent Red, Green and Blue
Audio: Built-in 3W x 2
Lamp (LCD) Life: 50000 hours
Power: IEC Connector for direct power line connection
Voltage Range: 100v~264vac @ 50/60Hz
Power Consumption: 160W average

Inputs
HDMI: 2 HDMI (v1.2a) – 1 Rear, 1-Side
DVI: DVI - 1 Rear
VGA: VGA - 1 Rear
USB: USB 2.0 Upstream – 1 Rear
Audio: 1 Stereo Audio – 1 Rear

Outputs
USB: 4 USB Down Stream – 3 Rear, 1 Side
Headphone (Stereo Mini-Jack): 1

Additional Information
Removable Base: Yes
Power Cord: Yes
VGA Cable : Yes
DVI Cable: Yes
Audio Cable: Yes
USB Upstream Cable: Yes









and no it doesn't have any message. monitor is designed to be in stand by if it doesn't not register a incoming signal. so basically it never comes out of stand by and if i turn it on if it doesn't read a signal it'll say no signal check connection then go back into standby

i have the 26" vizio computer monitor. full 1080p great monitor. i wanna connect my connect my 8240hd dvr box directly to it via hdmi but it doesn't seem to work. i tried hdmi>hdmi and hdmi>dvi and niether work. i tried all the output settings on the box and nothing worked and i tried tinkering with all the monitor settings and nothing seems to work. i been scrolling forums for about 4 hours now and can't find anything. from what i understand all hdmi inputs are already HDPC so thAt compatability shouldn't be a problem..... any ideas

I assume you mean that all HDMI and DVI inputs are HDCP compliant? From the specs you posted I don't see that specified, but that will lkely be required in order for this to work...

i couldn't find that detailed anywhere but i can only assume it does. i just read through the user comments for this monitor on the vizio website and saw two comments saying all they did was plug this monitor directly to their cable box and were able to watch tv. all i can do is assume some sorta of setting or compatablility issue with the 8240

i couldn't find that detailed anywhere but i can only assume it does. i just read through the user comments for this monitor on the vizio website and saw two comments saying all they did was plug this monitor directly to their cable box and were able to watch tv. all i can do is assume some sorta of setting or compatablility issue with the 8240

This is an 8300HD thread. Is the 8240 a similar box? I've never heard of it. I have no problems connecting my 8300HD to my plasma via HDMI.

This is an 8300HD thread. Is the 8240 a similar box? I've never heard of it. I have no problems connecting my 8300HD to my plasma via HDMI.
The 8240 is an 8300 without an analog tuner.

The 8240 is an 8300 without an analog tuner.

Who knew? Thanks for clearing that up.:)

jynxer:

Just a thought, do you have any other HDMI devices, like a DVD player, PS3, etc. which you can try connecting to your display to see if they will work?

yeah the monitor works with my ps3 and everything else i have connected it to. works great

yeah the monitor works with my ps3 and everything else i have connected it to. works great
Was the 8240 ever connected to something else that worked via HDMI or Component? Is it connected to anything else via Component while you are trying to connect to the monitor via HDMI? If not, the HDMI out could be bad.

Was the 8240 ever connected to something else that worked via HDMI or Component? Is it connected to anything else via Component while you are trying to connect to the monitor via HDMI? If not, the HDMI out could be bad.

Ahh, that's a good point. We have two 8300's here, the HDMI output works on one of them but not the other. Double check the 8240 settings and try the component output...

Yeah the box works via rf. Audio outs works via component haven't done video comp out. But I checked and rechfked settings and connection. I'll test the hdmi out tonight

I have my SA 8300 HD connected to a Sony STR-DE945 receiver via the optical connection. I find that even with the Sony set to its lowest volume level, it's still to loud. Is it possible to adjust the volume level delivered via the optical out on the SA 8300?

I have my SA 8300 HD connected to a Sony STR-DE945 receiver via the optical connection. I find that even with the Sony set to its lowest volume level, it's still to loud. Is it possible to adjust the volume level delivered via the optical out on the SA 8300?
Not that I know of, but you can try changing the dynamic range setting to see if one is better than another.

I have my SA 8300 HD connected to a Sony STR-DE945 receiver via the optical connection. I find that even with the Sony set to its lowest volume level, it's still to loud. Is it possible to adjust the volume level delivered via the optical out on the SA 8300?
I have a Sony STR-DE697 receiver and the SA 8300HD STB. I use the digital coax output from the box to the receiver. I don't have this volume problem. I have the audio input mode set to "auto in". I have the sound set to 'narrow" on the STB. Do you have any other audio ouputs from the STB into the receiver that may be taking priority over the optical input causing this?

I switched over to using a digital coax output and unfortunately didn't notice a change in the volume level. It seems that 'normal' listening volume is only 2 notches above having no sound.

can anyone tell me how well this remote works with the SA 8300HD? I have 4 different remotes and can't get any one of them to work well for everything to where I can just use one.

How well does it work with the interactive guide?

How well does it work with the DVR functions? Record/rewind/pause etc...

Any info on this or any other good universal remotes would be really appreciated. thanks..

I have a Logitech Harmony 880 and it's one of the best gadgets I have. I use it to control my Samsung LN-52A650, SA 8300HD, and Sony STR-DE945 Receiver. It works really well for me. I have the 'watch tv' activity setup to turn on the TV to the correct input (HDMI 1), turn on the 8300HD to channel 702 (where the HD channels start on my line up), and turn on the receiver to the correct input. The only thing I wish it had was Bluetooth support so I can control my PS3, but you can buy an IR to Bluetooth usb key to allow this.

Last week, I posted about an intermittent sound issue and thought it was related to the signal strength coming into the house.

The sound issue disappeared when I switched to analog and from what I understand, while they provide SA8300 HD boxes, Cablevision does not support HDMI (the source of the problem).

Just an FYI...

Cablevision does not support HDMI (the source of the problem). Did you talk to their Tech Support? I don't understand why they would not support HDMI, since that is rapidly becoming the interface of choice for most AV equipment.

Did you talk to their Tech Support? I don't understand why they would not support HDMI, since that is rapidly becoming the interface of choice for most AV equipment.

Yes...it was a Lead Tech who told me about Cablevision not supporting HDMI. He was one who came out for the service call.

Last week, I posted about an intermittent sound issue and thought it was related to the signal strength coming into the house.

The sound issue disappeared when I switched to analog and from what I understand, while they provide SA8300 HD boxes, Cablevision does not support HDMI (the source of the problem).

Just an FYI...


I've used HDMI on my Cablevision SA8300HD for 3 years with no problems.

I've used HDMI on my Cablevision SA8300HD for 3 years with no problems.

I think it is not that HDMI doesn't work, but that the cable company doesn't want to deal with it when there is a problem. Component cables are a lot more trouble-free, that's why that's what you get when they come with the initial installation (at least in my Charter area). I tried HDMI but had intermittent issues and finally threw them in a drawer. Simply not worth it.

I think it is not that HDMI doesn't work, but that the cable company doesn't want to deal with it when there is a problem. Component cables are a lot more trouble-free, that's why that's what you get when they come with the initial installation (at least in my Charter area). I tried HDMI but had intermittent issues and finally threw them in a drawer. Simply not worth it.
That is exactly why they don't "support" HDMI. Heck, they don't even support wireless networking when it comes to troubleshooting unless you buy their equipment, and they are not alone in this policy. The first thing they'll make you do is connect your Component cables and if it works, there are no problems. With wireless, they'll make you hardwire the connection and, again, if it works, there are no problems. And, if you look at it rationally, how can they possibly be expected to troubleshoot every type of "digital" device and connection scenario out there? What they should be able to do is swap out the box to see if the HDMI connector is the problem or connect the HDMI to something that is known to work to see if it's a disconnect with the TV.

I am resently seeing a problem with my 8300 box. The HD channels freeze for a second, continue, freeze again and so on. Pulling the plug and rebooting stops the problem for a couple days, but then it comes back. Any idea of what is going on?

I see that occasionally, although less lately (knock on wood). Last time in a while it was on 480i over ZOOM1 to 1080i. That could be related to the solid black screen -> audio glitch problem (i.e. black screen trips up scaler/source/sink thinking the feed stopped).

Sometimes order of power-on helps (well, until I got two DVR [1 HDMI, 1 component] which changes the equation), sometimes changing channels to one with a different resolution helps, sometimes it takes a cable disconnect/re-connect, etc.

Probably / Could-be a marginal cable, but I am not getting another until I get a real AVR and a BR player...

v/r,
C-F

I am resently seeing a problem with my 8300 box. The HD channels freeze for a second, continue, freeze again and so on. Pulling the plug and rebooting stops the problem for a couple days, but then it comes back. Any idea of what is going on?

Does your DVR happen to be about 80% full? This could happen to your recordings and possibly live TV when your internal drive has reached over 80%. A Hard reboot will help in the short term, but reducing your file storage will help in the long term.

vegggas

I switched over to using a digital coax output and unfortunately didn't notice a change in the volume level. It seems that 'normal' listening volume is only 2 notches above having no sound.

You might have to take your box back and get another one. I had a ScumCast SA8300HD for years and the sound quit working and recordings quit playing all on the same day, taps please. I took it back and got another beat up recycled POS and its sound didn't work either, back for another demanded a NEW box but they claimed they didn't don' have so I got another recycle, also dead sound, back yet again and got another box and FINALLY got one with working sound!!! They claim they test them when they are returned, yeah right. I also asked for a Moto box and they said "only Broward County gets Motorolas, Palm Beach County only gets Scientific Atlanta". :confused:

I can listen to OTA feeds and my new Panasonic 720p plasma and it's loud at a sound setting of about 33, with my current SA8300HD the same volume on my the TV has to be turned up to about 58.

...I can listen to OTA feeds and my new Panasonic 720p plasma and it's loud at a sound setting of about 33, with my current SA8300HD the same volume on my the TV has to be turned up to about 58.
Do you have the volume on the STB set to maximum "30". When these boxes re-boot, the STB volume defaults to "17". I always return it to "30". It must be done on the box not the remote.

Does your DVR happen to be about 80% full? This could happen to your recordings and possibly live TV when your internal drive has reached over 80%. A Hard reboot will help in the short term, but reducing your file storage will help in the long term.

vegggas

I know I can find it, but, help me out please. How do you do a hard reboot?

I know I can find it, but, help me out please. How do you do a hard reboot?In the spirit of "teach a man to fish..."

Your answer is in the first post of this very thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=471859). Do a "find on this page" in your browser for "hard reboot" if you're pressed for time...but if you've got a few minutes and you haven't done it (lately), I recommend skimming that post just to familiarize yourself with what's in it. Lots of useful info that you might want to draw from in the future.

I asked this in another post, but I figure I'd ask it here to since this is specific to the device.

I have this POS box and am getting tired of the problems with it. Mainly it will reboot on me from time to time when I shut it off. Which of course will cause me to loose some of the show that it's recording at the time.

Also, it will become unresponsive while I am scrolling through the TV listings or even when I'm forwarding or rewinding through a show. For instance if I'm scrolling the listings, I will press the right arrow, but it won't move for about 5 seconds or so. Or if I'm forwarding through the commercials, I'll press play, but it will keep forwarding for about 5 seconds or so.

I've had about 3-4 boxes now from my cable provider (WOW), and they all have done this to an extent. The box before my current one was basically unusable. But my current one is a brand new box. Also, they did check the signal and said my signal is good.

Any thoughts, suggestions or ideas here???

I asked this in another post, but I figure I'd ask it here to since this is specific to the device.

I have this POS box and am getting tired of the problems with it. Mainly it will reboot on me from time to time when I shut it off. Which of course will cause me to loose some of the show that it's recording at the time.

Also, it will become unresponsive while I am scrolling through the TV listings or even when I'm forwarding or rewinding through a show. For instance if I'm scrolling the listings, I will press the right arrow, but it won't move for about 5 seconds or so. Or if I'm forwarding through the commercials, I'll press play, but it will keep forwarding for about 5 seconds or so.

I've had about 3-4 boxes now from my cable provider (WOW), and they all have done this to an extent. The box before my current one was basically unusable. But my current one is a brand new box. Also, they did check the signal and said my signal is good.

Any thoughts, suggestions or ideas here???
What do you do when your computer shows these types of symptoms? - Reboot!
Read the first posts on this thread and do a HARD reboot once in a while. Also, you should shut it down (hit the power button) at night when you are not using it and allow it to clear it's internal memory and defrag the drive when idle. Another thing that can cause these symptoms is when the drive gets about 80% full, it will start behaving erattic. Don't use the DVR as a permanent storage device. clear out out old shows and definately clear out old season passes that will not be used for several months. or that have expired, since these take up and use available RAM.

vegggas

Thanks for the reply. I do shut it down every night. And I do unplug it, leave it unplugged for a little while and then plug it in just to make sure everything clears out of RAM or whatever. I haven't hard booted it. I usually don't have much saved to it. Like right now I only have one thing on it and that's a movie that I recorded this past weekend.

Seems these aren't made for the consumer sector if regular joes need to hard boot their box on a regular basis.

Thanks for the reply. I do shut it down every night. And I do unplug it, leave it unplugged for a little while and then plug it in just to make sure everything clears out of RAM or whatever. I haven't hard booted it. I usually don't have much saved to it. Like right now I only have one thing on it and that's a movie that I recorded this past weekend.

Seems these aren't made for the consumer sector if regular joes need to hard boot their box on a regular basis.
Neither are computers, but everyone has them too!
Just a couple of thoughts. You say you leave it unplugged for a while. Do you plug it back in, but leave it off at any time so that it can download updates and IPG data in the background without interference? If you plug it in and start using it immediately, it's trying to download all of the IPG data at the same time, which can cause a lag in response. If I do a hard reboot as a preventitive action, I do it before bed. I will pull the plug for about 5 min while I get ready, then plug it in and let it boot and download the data while I sleep.
Do you have an LCD TV and is your brightness to high? MANY LCD and a lot of Plasma sets put out IR noise, which is in the same spectrum as IR for some remote controls and devices. This floods the room with IR that can mask the remote and cause the STB to continously try to process garbage IR commands. Think of it like sitting down to listen to your favorite CD at a moderate level, but your TV is on and at full blast. You can hear the CD, but there is so much noise from the TV that it makes it difficult to hear or understand. As a test, try lowering the brightness and contrast all the way down to see if it makes a difference. If it does, considering turning down the brightness and contrast to normal levels of about halfway. If you still have problems, you can filter out some of the garbage signals with a post-it note in front of the IR window of the STB.

vegggas

usually when I unplug it, I will only have it unplugged for about a minute and then plug it back in. But I won't use it for about 10-15 minutes afterwards. I'm going to try the hard reset as soon as I clear out that movie and now the shows from last night.

I have a LCD TV, but the brightness isn't set high at all. Plus, the box is to the side of the TV and there is a barrier in between then. So, I don't see how the light from the TV would get over there.

usually when I unplug it, I will only have it unplugged for about a minute and then plug it back in. But I won't use it for about 10-15 minutes afterwards. I'm going to try the hard reset as soon as I clear out that movie and now the shows from last night.

I have a LCD TV, but the brightness isn't set high at all. Plus, the box is to the side of the TV and there is a barrier in between then. So, I don't see how the light from the TV would get over there.
You are doing everything right with the STB.

As for the TV, it doesn't take a direct source of IR to cause a problem. Remember the audio analogy I used in my previous post. The sound or IR bounces off walls and objects and scatters across the room. You as the listener or the IR reciever of the STB gets confused about all the ambient noise from the TV in the same room which makes it difficult to make out details over the noise.
Try turning down the brightness and contrast to a very low level as a test to see if your remote responsiveness increases. If it does, there are ways to mask the stray IR noise to improve the situation.
We haven't mentioned signal levels yet, but that could play a role here as well. Read the first page to get into diagnostics mode WHEN YOU ARE HAVING THE PROBLEMs to see what the STB levels are for:

The current tuner (ideally 0 db +/- 7db)
FDC (signals from the headend (ideally 0 db +/- 7db)
RDC (signals from the STB back to the Headend (ideally 45 db +/- 4db)


vegggas

Hey guys, I have two questions for ya

1) how do I "unprogram" a device on the remote control so the System/on/off doesn't try to turn it on/off. For instance it tries to turn DVD on but I don't have a DVD player.
2) Is it better to set Audio output to HDMI or "Dolby Digital" (optical)?

Thanks!

So I went into my "schuled recordings" this morning.....and sure enough, 90 percent of them were not there for this week.....What gives?!?!?! Thanks!!


Do i have to reschedule them all over again??

I am having an odd occasional issue. I have Brighthouse Cable running SARA (not sure on v#, 1.89 comes to mind, but I haven't checked in a while.) I posted a while back when I added a MyDVR Expander from Western Digital and I was getting a/v hiccups. As the external filled up the hiccups lessened. At one point they were very rare and then I got to 94% (99 HD recordings) full and had to delete some items.

Well, I had missed an ep. of LOST, presumably due to space issues. I cleared it down to 84% (which leaves about 20+ hr of HD space with this external) and started having a different issue (as well as the glitching returning).

Now I get show that record only partially - 39mins, 18mins etc. So Monday may rec. all shows scheduled 100%, then Tuesday I'd have one show record 24mins and end early, then Wednesday every show is fine - So I know its not a space issue.

The DVR is plugged into a UPS as well, so I know its not power disruption. All shows ended early are prime time, so its not update interruption.

Anyone else have this same issue?

So I went into my "schuled recordings" this morning.....and sure enough, 90 percent of them were not there for this week.....What gives?!?!?! Thanks!!


Do i have to reschedule them all over again??You can try a hard reboot and check to see if they show up in the "scheduled recordings" page. See the first post in this thread for information on how to do a hard reboot. If they don't show up in the "scheduled recordings" page, you will have to reschedule the recordings. Did anything else happen that might have caused this?

There are some reasons for this to happen:
1) More than 2 programs trying to record at the same time. This can happen when the TV schedule changes or a program is a repeat one week and new the next week and another program got scheduled.
2) The name of a program is changed. This happened today when the "The Situation Room" was changed to "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer".
3) Sometimes, when a new SARA version is downloaded the scheduled recordings can be deleted although they are not supposed to be.
4) Sometimes there is no obvious reason.

You can try a hard reboot and check to see if they show up in the "scheduled recordings" page. See the first post in this thread for information on how to do a hard reboot. If they don't show up in the "scheduled recordings" page, you will have to reschedule the recordings. Did anything else happen that might have caused this?

There are some reasons for this to happen:
1) More than 2 programs trying to record at the same time. This can happen when the TV schedule changes or a program is a repeat one week and new the next week and another program got scheduled.
2) The name of a program is changed. This happened today when the "The Situation Room" was changed to "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer".
3) Sometimes, when a new SARA version is downloaded the scheduled recordings can be deleted although they are not supposed to be.
4) Sometimes there is no obvious reason.
I've read the OP several times and I'm still trying to figure out what's missing. Something just doesn't look right to me. I can see losing one or two for the reasons you cite, but 90%? The thing that really bugs me is the "sure enough" comment. That leads me to believe this has happened before, etc. I'd be curious to know which DVR, what software, and the OP's location.

So I went into my "schuled recordings" this morning.....and sure enough, 90 percent of them were not there for this week.....What gives?!?!?! Thanks!!


Do i have to reschedule them all over again??

You can try a hard reboot and check to see if they show up in the "scheduled recordings" page. See the first post in this thread for information on how to do a hard reboot. If they don't show up in the "scheduled recordings" page, you will have to reschedule the recordings. Did anything else happen that might have caused this?

There are some reasons for this to happen:
1) More than 2 programs trying to record at the same time. This can happen when the TV schedule changes or a program is a repeat one week and new the next week and another program got scheduled.
2) The name of a program is changed. This happened today when the "The Situation Room" was changed to "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer".
3) Sometimes, when a new SARA version is downloaded the scheduled recordings can be deleted although they are not supposed to be.
4) Sometimes there is no obvious reason.

I've read the OP several times and I'm still trying to figure out what's missing. Something just doesn't look right to me. I can see losing one or two for the reasons you cite, but 90%? The thing that really bugs me is the "sure enough" comment. That leads me to believe this has happened before, etc. I'd be curious to know which DVR, what software, and the OP's location.
..And what shows are missing?
There are a lot of repeats this week that won't record if you chose "First run" and several conflicts due to Idol moving it's days this week. Some shows are throwing out repeats, while others may get conflicts if they used to record Idol and Lost and another show. With conflicts, it could drop all of the conflicting shows. If you had a conflict because of Idol and Lost on Wednesday, that's at least five or six recordings (2 Idols [three hours] + 2 Lost + whatever else was conflicting during those hours) ,etc that won't be scheduled now.
Use your GUIDE and see what shows you were going to record on what day to see what's highlighted in red or not, and what's not NEW, and what moved. Use the IPG, that's what it's for.

vegggas

I just followed my own advice and noticed that many shows this week are indeed reruns (especially tonight and Tuesday's repeat CBS lineups) and that there is a Presidential Address on Tuesday that wipes out that nights programming. On Wednesday AI is running two hours against Lost, Life, and Criminal Minds On Thursday, Lost vs Survivor and Betty, etc. There are some serious conflicts going on this week and it's times like this that I'm glad to have multiple dedicated DVR's - One for NBC & Fox, another for CBS and ABC, and a third for CW, TNT, SCi-Fi, Speed and other scheduled cable programming channels.

vegggas

1) More than 2 programs trying to record at the same time. This can happen when the TV schedule changes or a program is a repeat one week and new the next week and another program got scheduled..Are you saying that if there are more than two programs due to record at the same time, it drops one of them from the recording schedule? I thought it just skipped it so that if the situation clears up the next time the skipped show will still get recorded.

Thanks -- Vincent

Are you saying that if there are more than two programs due to record at the same time, it drops one of them from the recording schedule? I thought it just skipped it so that if the situation clears up the next time the skipped show will still get recorded.

Thanks -- VincentYes, the later versions of SARA drops one of them from the recording schedule. Earlier versions of SARA would drop all of them.

Are you saying that if there are more than two programs due to record at the same time, it drops one of them from the recording schedule? I thought it just skipped it so that if the situation clears up the next time the skipped show will still get recorded.
It is dropped and you will have to reschedule it. Like RussB said, earlier versions of SARA dropped all 3 recordings from the schedule, but current versions only drop 1 of the 3. And I believe it drops them based on start time andthen perhaps channel number. I've ended up with a 3-way conflict where 2 programs started at 9:00 and 1 started at 9:03. The 1 at 9:03 was dropped from the schedule and I had to reschedule it when I decided which 2 I wanted to keep.

I've read the OP several times and I'm still trying to figure out what's missing. Something just doesn't look right to me. I can see losing one or two for the reasons you cite, but 90%? The thing that really bugs me is the "sure enough" comment. That leads me to believe this has happened before, etc. I'd be curious to know which DVR, what software, and the OP's location.



Yes, all my scheduled recordings (except for a few on Saturday) were gone...

SA 8240, sara(not sure version), scottsdale arizona

I've read the OP several times and I'm still trying to figure out what's missing. Something just doesn't look right to me. I can see losing one or two for the reasons you cite, but 90%? The thing that really bugs me is the "sure enough" comment. That leads me to believe this has happened before, etc. I'd be curious to know which DVR, what software, and the OP's location.


Yes...this has happened to me before....On my third DVR in about two years


I did a hard reboot, and they still did not show. Strange thing is, is that all my scheduled recordings moved to Sunday, and at very strange times. For example, the office was set to record Sunday @ 2:00pm! Wheel of fortune @ 4:0pm, and Family guy @ 11:00pm! When I went into the IPG and changed the date to Sunday, these noted shows were not playing at the given times.

Thank you everyone for the help

..And what shows are missing?
There are a lot of repeats this week that won't record if you chose "First run" and several conflicts due to Idol moving it's days this week. Some shows are throwing out repeats, while others may get conflicts if they used to record Idol and Lost and another show. With conflicts, it could drop all of the conflicting shows. If you had a conflict because of Idol and Lost on Wednesday, that's at least five or six recordings (2 Idols [three hours] + 2 Lost + whatever else was conflicting during those hours) ,etc that won't be scheduled now.
Use your GUIDE and see what shows you were going to record on what day to see what's highlighted in red or not, and what's not NEW, and what moved. Use the IPG, that's what it's for.

vegggas

I don't record Lost or Idol.....

Most of my recordings are "on this channel @ anytime," and when i went into the IPG to check, for example, wheel of fortune, it was not scheduled to record.

Also see my reply about all my scheduled recordings moving to Sunday!!



**AH!!!! Random reboot last night.....like two hours after the HArd Reboot..What gives?!? First time it's ever happened

Yes...this has happened to me before....On my third DVR in about two years


I did a hard reboot, and they still did not show. Strange thing is, is that all my scheduled recordings moved to Sunday, and at very strange times. For example, the office was set to record Sunday @ 2:00pm! Wheel of fortune @ 4:0pm, and Family guy @ 11:00pm! When I went into the IPG and changed the date to Sunday, these noted shows were not playing at the given times.

Thank you everyone for the helpThose scheduled recordings may be placeholders. Placeholders are described in the first post. You can tell if they are placeholders by clicking on the info button and if the description is either blank or has the desription of the previous episode. This happens when the next episode is going to be a repeat or is not in the schedule for the following week. Placeholders are not highlighted in the Program Guide. When I reboot, placeholders are grouped together at the end of the Scheduled Recordings list with a date that is about a week later and the description is blanked out. I use the reboot process to clean up the Scheduled Recordings list (it moves placeholders to the end of the list) so I can easily see what is going to be recorded without having to determine if a show is a placeholder that is not going to be recorded.

Yes...this has happened to me before....On my third DVR in about two years.
Well, unfortunately, you might ultimately be on your 4th soon. :(

I did a hard reboot, and they still did not show. Strange thing is, is that all my scheduled recordings moved to Sunday, and at very strange times. For example, the office was set to record Sunday @ 2:00pm! Wheel of fortune @ 4:0pm, and Family guy @ 11:00pm! When I went into the IPG and changed the date to Sunday, these noted shows were not playing at the given times.
If you are recording these shows as On This Channel At Any Time, these "should" not be because they are placeholders. These shows are on a lot, so they should have been set for a scheduled day/time, though that might not actually happen until the IPG is updated at night.

My suggestion is to delete them all, do a hard reboot again, reschedule them, and see what happens. The fact that it eventually rebooted itself tells me that something was messed up and eventually got messed up enough to cause the reboot.

I will say that I think you are asking for trouble by using the Any Day/Any Time option so much. You risk 3-way conflicts and I can see the software getting confused. We don't know "exactly" how the software deals with conflicts, just that it does in the latest version. You have the same software as I do (Peoria AZ), but I rarely use the Any Day/Any Time option. When I do, I check to make sure the program is in specific timeslots and not moving all over to cause potential conflicts. Right now the only one I have set is The Beltway Boys and so far, so good.

Those scheduled recordings may be placeholders. Placeholders are described in the first post. You can tell if they are placeholders by clicking on the info button and if the description is either blank or has the desription of the previous episode. This happens when the next episode is going to be a repeat or is not in the schedule for the following week. Placeholders are not highlighted in the Program Guide. When I reboot, placeholders are grouped together at the end of the Scheduled Recordings list with a date that is about a week later and the description is blanked out. I use the reboot process to clean up the Scheduled Recordings list (it moves placeholders to the end of the list) so I can easily see what is going to be recorded without having to determine if a show is a placeholder that is not going to be recorded.


Yes, looks as if they were. After clicking info, the descritption is blank. Yeah, after the reboot all my scheduled shows were set to record on Sunday

Well, unfortunately, you might ultimately be on your 4th soon. :(


If you are recording these shows as On This Channel At Any Time, these "should" not be because they are placeholders. These shows are on a lot, so they should have been set for a scheduled day/time, though that might not actually happen until the IPG is updated at night.

My suggestion is to delete them all, do a hard reboot again, reschedule them, and see what happens. The fact that it eventually rebooted itself tells me that something was messed up and eventually got messed up enough to cause the reboot.

I will say that I think you are asking for trouble by using the Any Day/Any Time option so much. You risk 3-way conflicts and I can see the software getting confused. We don't know "exactly" how the software deals with conflicts, just that it does in the latest version. You have the same software as I do (Peoria AZ), but I rarely use the Any Day/Any Time option. When I do, I check to make sure the program is in specific timeslots and not moving all over to cause potential conflicts. Right now the only one I have set is The Beltway Boys and so far, so good.


Ok...totally see exactly what you're saying

Anyday/anytime, the shows could move around causing, for example, three recordings @ once which would screw up the DVR.

Anyone ever ever had any problems with the "save time" settings for your recordings? I have some shows that I record and save every episode of (Save: All Episodes) and others shows where I only save the most recent episode (Save: 1 Episode). Lately, my save time settings keep changing on their own, with some of my "All" shows changing their displayed save time to "1 Episode" and some of my "1 Episode" shows failing to erase the previous week's episode. When this happens, rather than risk shows I want to archive from being erased, I go into the menu and manually change the save time to "Until I Erase." Not a huge deal, but it's irritating when the DVR isn't saving like it is supposed to. Is this a problem anyone else has had with these boxes?

Anyone ever ever had any problems with the "save time" settings for your recordings? I have some shows that I record and save every episode of (Save: All Episodes) and others shows where I only save the most recent episode (Save: 1 Episode). Lately, my save time settings keep changing on their own, with some of my "All" shows changing their displayed save time to "1 Episode" and some of my "1 Episode" shows failing to erase the previous week's episode. When this happens, rather than risk shows I want to archive from being erased, I go into the menu and manually change the save time to "Until I Erase." Not a huge deal, but it's irritating when the DVR isn't saving like it is supposed to. Is this a problem anyone else has had with these boxes?I have had problems like that. You may want to do a hard reboot and verify all the save times. I switched to using the save "Until I Erase" option for recording "One episode" and the save "All episodes" option for recording "All episodes". There is a "Change Save Time for future recordings" menu option in the Preferences page where you can specify the "Until I Erase" or "X Days" for future "One episode" recordings.

Whenever the DVR starts doing strange things that you haven't told it to do, you should do a hard reboot.

I have had problems like that. You may want to do a hard reboot and verify all the save times. I switched to using the save "Until I Erase" option for recording "One episode" and the save "All episodes" option for recording "All episodes". There is a "Change Save Time for future recordings" menu option in the Preferences page where you can specify the "Until I Erase" or "X Days" for future "One episode" recordings.

Whenever the DVR starts doing strange things that you haven't told it to do, you should do a hard reboot.

I can attest to the hard boot solution for many problems. Just the other day I was getting the message that I couldn't record three programs at the same time even though it (correctly) listed only two programs. Reboot cleared this up. I am forever thankful to this thread for all that I learned that is summarized in the first post.

Whoo-Hoo!
We just got First-Run in the guide (and thus the option is now in series recordings) in TWC-ELP.
<no change to software version>

v/r,
C-F

I've read the OP several times and I'm still trying to figure out what's missing. Something just doesn't look right to me. I can see losing one or two for the reasons you cite, but 90%? The thing that really bugs me is the "sure enough" comment. That leads me to believe this has happened before, etc. I'd be curious to know which DVR, what software, and the OP's location.

We bought the LN52X850 a couple of weeks ago and at the same time, purchased a Scientific Atlanta 8300 HD box.

The TV is beyond fantastic!! Love it!! The problem is the cable box. When turned on (by remote), we can't change channels for about 10 minutes. By then, it will work. This is the second box we've tried and it behaves exactly like the first. What's wrong??

Whoo-Hoo!
We just got First-Run in the guide (and thus the option is now in series recordings) in TWC-ELP.
That is a huge improvement. I used to hate visiting my daughter when they lived in El Paso. Fortunately, we didn't watch that many recordings, but it sure was tough going backwards.

We bought the LN52X850 a couple of weeks ago and at the same time, purchased a Scientific Atlanta 8300 HD box.

The TV is beyond fantastic!! Love it!! The problem is the cable box. When turned on (by remote), we can't change channels for about 10 minutes. By then, it will work. This is the second box we've tried and it behaves exactly like the first. What's wrong??Click on the following link and read the post and several of the subsequent posts:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15842740#post15842740

It seems similar to the problem you describe.

Thanks for the reply. I do shut it down every night. And I do unplug it, leave it unplugged for a little while and then plug it in just to make sure everything clears out of RAM or whatever. I haven't hard booted it. I usually don't have much saved to it. Like right now I only have one thing on it and that's a movie that I recorded this past weekend.

Seems these aren't made for the consumer sector if regular joes need to hard boot their box on a regular basis.

I agree that these aren't made for those of us who just watch a few shows in HD, but record [B]nothing (so far).

Why in the name of all that's electronic, would we need to do a hard reboot when nothing has been recorded or is set up to be recorded??

I guess it's just the nature of the beast.:rolleyes:

Rogers cable rental is looking ever more appealing...:(

Thanks so much for the help, though.:D

I agree that these aren't made for those of us who just watch a few shows in HD, but record [B]nothing (so far).

Why in the name of all that's electronic, would we need to do a hard reboot when nothing has been recorded or is set up to be recorded??

I guess it's just the nature of the beast.:rolleyes:

Rogers cable rental is looking ever more appealing...:(

Thanks so much for the help, though.:D
I'm not sure how much help that was. That situation involved a problem getting the unit to recognize the remote and might have been due to the interference vegggas mentioned. However, don't get the wrong impression that it is necessary to reboot or hard reboot these units with any regularity. I've only rebooted mine a half dozen times in over 5 years. The last time happened to be last week when I pressed a bunch of buttons in rapid succession and it got hung up. When a reboot was been necessary, I hard rebooted even though that might not have been required. And I have some 50 scheduled recordings set and 10-20 recorded at any given time. I routinely record 2 and watch 1 throughout primetime every nght, so the unit has had it's workouts.

If your remote starts working normally after 10 minutes all the time, I doubt it's an interference problem. If it were interference, it seems like the problem would be intermittent. It sounds to me like the unit waits until you turn it on to update the IPG or something. I assume you are turning it off when not being used and you don't unplug it at the same time. You specifically pointed to the remote, have you tried changing channels on the unit during that 10 minutes? What happens if you simply turn it off for a minute and then back on? Does it still take 10 minutes for the remote to change channels?

Edit: Further prompting (and more links) from RussB shows that I am probably wrong about it not being interference. Seems there are quite a few cases where this phenom lasts about 10 minutes. I cannot imagine what I'd do if I had to wait 10 minutes every time I turned on my TV before I could change channels, that stinks.

I agree that these aren't made for those of us who just watch a few shows in HD, but record [B]nothing (so far).

Why in the name of all that's electronic, would we need to do a hard reboot when nothing has been recorded or is set up to be recorded??

I guess it's just the nature of the beast.:rolleyes:

Rogers cable rental is looking ever more appealing...:(

Thanks so much for the help, though.:D


I've never understood all the rebooting discussions and why it matters, but I guess people who do it get positive results. I've had an 8300HD from Rogers cable for almost 5 years and have NEVER rebooted it and it performs flawlessly. I do realize that it does get rebooted from time-to-time by the cable company without my intervention, but I'm not sure if that's the same thing as a "hard" reboot.

I've never understood all the rebooting discussions and why it matters, but I guess people who do it get positive results. I've had an 8300HD from Rogers cable for almost 5 years and have NEVER rebooted it and it performs flawlessly. I do realize that it does get rebooted from time-to-time by the cable company without my intervention, but I'm not sure if that's the same thing as a "hard" reboot.
It can be, but I've seen cases where the cableco "reboot" didn't solve the problem, but a manual "hard" reboot did.

A lot of folks "down here" got in the habit because of the version of software they were using, mostly Cablevision users IIRC with their unique packages. We've been having these reboot discussions since I started this thread. :)

I've had to reboot on occasion when I got a 3-way conflict and there were only 2 programs showing. I think that's happened twice in 5 years.

I agree that these aren't made for those of us who just watch a few shows in HD, but record [B]nothing (so far).

Why in the name of all that's electronic, would we need to do a hard reboot when nothing has been recorded or is set up to be recorded??

I guess it's just the nature of the beast.:rolleyes:

Rogers cable rental is looking ever more appealing...:(

Thanks so much for the help, though.:DYou don't need to reboot unless there is a problem that rebooting might fix. The following portions of the posts that I had a link to are what I thought relevant to your problem. Sorry this wasn't clear.

Do you have an LCD TV and is your brightness to high? MANY LCD and a lot of Plasma sets put out IR noise, which is in the same spectrum as IR for some remote controls and devices. This floods the room with IR that can mask the remote and cause the STB to continously try to process garbage IR commands. Think of it like sitting down to listen to your favorite CD at a moderate level, but your TV is on and at full blast. You can hear the CD, but there is so much noise from the TV that it makes it difficult to hear or understand. As a test, try lowering the brightness and contrast all the way down to see if it makes a difference. If it does, considering turning down the brightness and contrast to normal levels of about halfway. If you still have problems, you can filter out some of the garbage signals with a post-it note in front of the IR window of the STB.

vegggas
I have a LCD TV, but the brightness isn't set high at all. Plus, the box is to the side of the TV and there is a barrier in between then. So, I don't see how the light from the TV would get over there.

ned4spd8874
As for the TV, it doesn't take a direct source of IR to cause a problem. Remember the audio analogy I used in my previous post. The sound or IR bounces off walls and objects and scatters across the room. You as the listener or the IR reciever of the STB gets confused about all the ambient noise from the TV in the same room which makes it difficult to make out details over the noise.
Try turning down the brightness and contrast to a very low level as a test to see if your remote responsiveness increases. If it does, there are ways to mask the stray IR noise to improve the situation.
We haven't mentioned signal levels yet, but that could play a role here as well. Read the first page to get into diagnostics mode WHEN YOU ARE HAVING THE PROBLEMs to see what the STB levels are for:

1. The current tuner (ideally 0 db +/- 7db)
2. FDC (signals from the headend (ideally 0 db +/- 7db)
3. RDC (signals from the STB back to the Headend (ideally 45 db +/- 4db)

vegggas

I'm not sure how much help that was. That situation involved a problem getting the unit to recognize the remote and might have been due to the interference vegggas mentioned. However, don't get the wrong impression that it is necessary to reboot or hard reboot these units with any regularity. I've only rebooted mine a half dozen times in over 5 years. The last time happened to be last week when I pressed a bunch of buttons in rapid succession and it got hung up. When a reboot was been necessary, I hard rebooted even though that might not have been required. And I have some 50 scheduled recordings set and 10-20 recorded at any given time. I routinely record 2 and watch 1 throughout primetime every nght, so the unit has had it's workouts.

If your remote starts working normally after 10 minutes all the time, I doubt it's an interference problem. If it were interference, it seems like the problem would be intermittent. It sounds to me like the unit waits until you turn it on to update the IPG or something. I assume you are turning it off when not being used and you don't unplug it at the same time. You specifically pointed to the remote, have you tried changing channels on the unit during that 10 minutes? What happens if you simply turn it off for a minute and then back on? Does it still take 10 minutes for the remote to change channels?
Dave,

Here is a link to a series of posts that says the problem lasts about 10 minutes:

http://archive2.avsforum.com/avs-vb/archive/index.php/t-625604.html

A question...I have an 8240HDC with SARA on Time Warner. When I purchase a SD VOD movie, I'm not asked for a PIN which is the way I want it to be. If I try to purchase anything from HD VOD, I have to enter a PIN before confirmation. I know what the PIN is but it is an annoying extra step for me.

If I go to the settings menu, the Parental Control PIN status shows disabled. The setting for Purchase PIN does not show a current status, and when I go into it the only option is to change the PIN. I have no option to disable as I do for the parental control PIN. Is there any way to completely disable the purchase PIN? TW tech support didn't have any idea. Thanks for any advice.

Dave,

Here is a link to a series of posts that says the problem lasts about 10 minutes:

http://archive2.avsforum.com/avs-vb/archive/index.php/t-625604.html
Thanks Russ, I guess I didn't look far enough, I'll edit my post. That sure is strange though, and even more strange that all that was from 2006.

Dave,

Here is a link to a series of posts that says the problem lasts about 10 minutes:

http://archive2.avsforum.com/avs-vb/archive/index.php/t-625604.html
Interesting reading, but I've seen a similar problem here that isn't LCD related. I've never seen it last ten minutes, but easily 60 seconds or more. And my set is a DLP. I'm pretty sure that DLP bulb isn't putting out any significant extra infrared at startup. It seems to be a bug in the 8300HDC or perhaps in SARA.

You turn on the SA box and it proceeds to ignore every command for a minute or two. Then suddenly it acts on all the buttons you pressed during that long interval. It happens only occasionally, but it's pretty frustrating when it does.

Interesting reading, but I've seen a similar problem here that isn't LCD related. I've never seen it last ten minutes, but easily 60 seconds or more. And my set is a DLP. I'm pretty sure that DLP bulb isn't putting out any significant extra infrared at startup. It seems to be a bug in the 8300HDC or perhaps in SARA.

You turn on the SA box and it proceeds to ignore every command for a minute or two. Then suddenly it acts on all the buttons you pressed during that long interval. It happens only occasionally, but it's pretty frustrating when it does.
Oh, I have that happen too and I've got a CRT-based RPTV. I do have my DVR behind a glass door and I think reflections may be the culprit. It really went haywire a couple of times yesterday and then just as suddenly was okay.

Oh, I have that happen too and I've got a CRT-based RPTV. I do have my DVR behind a glass door and I think reflections may be the culprit. It really went haywire a couple of times yesterday and then just as suddenly was okay.

I'm certainly not up to date on the technological acronyms, so reading many posts containing multiples of these is beyond confusing.:confused:

Please help me clarify the probable solutions to the 10 minute wait issue:

- hard reboot once in a while or every time I shut the unit off.

- exchange for different digital box (I should note here that the cable box and TV are operating from the same remote. Whether that matters, I don't know)

-subscribe (again) to HD cable rental from Rogers:eek:

I would think that with 21st century technology, there's got to be a better solution than any I've listed...

I'm certainly not up to date on the technological acronyms, so reading many posts containing multiples of these is beyond confusing.:confused:

Please help me clarify the probable solutions to the 10 minute wait issue:

- hard reboot once in a while or every time I shut the unit off.

- exchange for different digital box (I should note here that the cable box and TV are operating from the same remote. Whether that matters, I don't know)

-subscribe (again) to HD cable rental from Rogers:eek:

I would think that with 21st century technology, there's got to be a better solution than any I've listed...
First of all, you need to verify that it's TV interference causing the problem.

To do this, don't turn on the TV in the morning (or after it's all been off for awhile), simply turn on the DVR and change channels with the remote. Watch the DVR display window to see if the channel number changes normally.

If it does, then turn on the TV and try to change channels. If you have to now wait the 10 minutes, then it's the TV causing the problem. Exchanging units or renting a unit from Rogers (these are the same units after all) will not solve the problem.

You can do as vegggas suggested to further diagnose the problem by:
As a test, try lowering the brightness and contrast all the way down to see if it makes a difference. If it does, considering turning down the brightness and contrast to normal levels of about halfway. If you still have problems, you can filter out some of the garbage signals with a post-it note in front of the IR window of the STB.

I don't know how long you have to leave your stuff turned off to have the problem, so you may need to lower the brightness/contrast settings before turning things off the night before. That way everything will be "cold" when you test things the next morning.

If you verify that it's the TV and lowering the levels, etc., doesn't help, I don't know what else you can do except try a different model/brand LCD. AFAIK, you don't yet have the option to get a different brand/model DVR from Rogers.

FWIW, DLP stands for Digital Light Processing, CRT stands for Cathode Ray Tube, and RPTV stands for Rear Projection TV. They are all different technologies for displaying a digital image. The point here is that these technologies do not seem to interfere with the remote IR (InfraRed) signals like LCD TVs can. Once LCDs warm up, the interference fades enough so that your DVR can then recognize the remote's IR signals correctly.

Edit: One other way to test this stuff is to cover the remote and DVR with a blanket or something before turning anything on. Then, with the stuff still covered, turn everything on and try changing channels. This might shield the remote and DVR enough to see if it is the TV causing the problem.

Has anyone had problems with incomplete recordings. I have Comcast and have The Office set to always record, but this week I only got the first 2 minutes. I'm not sure if something was wrong with the comcast guide or if it was a glitch with the box. It looks like the whole show should be there but only the first 2 minutes are yellow on the bar the rest is red. I just added an external hd on Thursday and I had this happen to 2 show since then.

I'm certainly not up to date on the technological acronyms, so reading many posts containing multiples of these is beyond confusing.:confused:

Please help me clarify the probable solutions to the 10 minute wait issue:

- hard reboot once in a while or every time I shut the unit off.

- exchange for different digital box (I should note here that the cable box and TV are operating from the same remote. Whether that matters, I don't know)

-subscribe (again) to HD cable rental from Rogers:eek:

I would think that with 21st century technology, there's got to be a better solution than any I've listed...If you determine that TV interference is the problem, see DoubleDAZ's last post, you can put masking tape over the IR eye of the HD box, one layer might not do it, you may have to put on like 3-4 layers of masking tape for it to work normally again. That tape that goes over the IR eyes is plain old masking tape like painters use (not black tape). This information is from the posts at:

http://archive2.avsforum.com/avs-vb/archive/index.php/t-625604.html

I don't think any of the options you listed will correct the problem.

A more expensive option is to buy a RF remote, but I would try the tape first.

Oh, I have that happen too and I've got a CRT-based RPTV. I do have my DVR behind a glass door and I think reflections may be the culprit. It really went haywire a couple of times yesterday and then just as suddenly was okay.No glass in the path here. Besides, if reflections were the problem, why would it suddenly "wake up" and perform all the commands?

No glass in the path here. Besides, if reflections were the problem, why would it suddenly "wake up" and perform all the commands?
My reflections vary due to the tree branches swaying out the side windows. I also have problems every year with the unit not responding to any remote commands after we put up our Christmas Tree just off to the side of the equipment cabinet. I open the door and the problem goes away without fail. I have a new Harmony remote now, so we'll see if that problem persists this fall.

And, I don't know why, I was only offering a possible explanation. Obviously, if you don't have any glass, then that is not your problem, but it is mine, at least on some occasions.

Interesting reading, but I've seen a similar problem here that isn't LCD related. I've never seen it last ten minutes, but easily 60 seconds or more. And my set is a DLP. I'm pretty sure that DLP bulb isn't putting out any significant extra infrared at startup. It seems to be a bug in the 8300HDC or perhaps in SARA.

You turn on the SA box and it proceeds to ignore every command for a minute or two. Then suddenly it acts on all the buttons you pressed during that long interval. It happens only occasionally, but it's pretty frustrating when it does.This is a different problem than the one that Isabel77 has. The 8300HDC accepts the command from the remote but delays before responding to the command. I think the commands are placed in a queue and then processed when the 8300HDC gets to them. You can try a hard reboot and see if that makes a difference. If not, just wait after the first command until the 8300HDC starts processing the command before entering other commands.

We just got an HDC with the 1.90.x software to accompany the HD, and it exhibits noticeably longer [lags / time-outs], occurring at random times. The HD with 1.89.17.1 usually only exhibits noticeable [lag / time-out] when obviously otherwise occupied, i.e. transitioning actual recordings (starting/stopping/erasing) or processing series recordings (new/edit/delete).

We also have a banner/control that 'flies out' and then 'slides left' when turning the box on from standby/"off", which helps tell when the box is done initializing and is ready to begin work. I usually just wait until the banner/control goes away to send any commands...

v/r,
C-F

I get the error msg above when I hit the 'DVR' button. There is another sentence in the message window:

"Recording and playback are not available at this time."

It's the 8300HD running SARA 1.89.20.1 from Cablevision. None of the buttons that access the HDD respond with any message. Just the 'DVR' button displays the message window described above.

On Page 31 of the diagnostics screen (HDD ID 1) the model & serial number show unavailable. Capacity shows 2047GB (yep..GB). HDD ID 2 shows unavailable for everything.

Yeah, I have an external SATA drive (about six months and no problems). I powered off, unplugged the external drive. No change.

I performed the cold-boot (remove power for minutes & hold power switch while connecting power cord) several times. It clunks (technical term) for a bit and the box shows an error countdown.

The box does do everything except let me access the HDD. No Pause, Rewind, or Fast-Forward. Both tuners work (PIP works).

If the error msg didn't say "not available at this time", I'd just assume it was time to forget the recordings and exchange the box. Is there anything else to try before exchanging the box?

I just recently started to get this message on my SA8300HD. Does anyone know what this means?

I just recently started to get this message on my SA8300HD. Does anyone know what this means?Do you get the same message as the poster that you quoted? It is in the Title of his post. You can try a "Total Reset", whcih is described in the first post in this thread. If that doesn't work, you can try a "Last Resort (Reformat)", which destroys all the recordings and removes all scheduled recordings. It also is described in the first post. If neither of these work, call your cable provider and see if they can do anything before you replace the SA8300HD. You may get a SA8300HDC, which uses a cable card and seems to have more problems than the SA8300HD.

Good Luck!

You are doing everything right with the STB.

As for the TV, it doesn't take a direct source of IR to cause a problem. Remember the audio analogy I used in my previous post. The sound or IR bounces off walls and objects and scatters across the room. You as the listener or the IR reciever of the STB gets confused about all the ambient noise from the TV in the same room which makes it difficult to make out details over the noise.
Try turning down the brightness and contrast to a very low level as a test to see if your remote responsiveness increases. If it does, there are ways to mask the stray IR noise to improve the situation.
We haven't mentioned signal levels yet, but that could play a role here as well. Read the first page to get into diagnostics mode WHEN YOU ARE HAVING THE PROBLEMs to see what the STB levels are for:

The current tuner (ideally 0 db +/- 7db)
FDC (signals from the headend (ideally 0 db +/- 7db)
RDC (signals from the STB back to the Headend (ideally 45 db +/- 4db)


vegggas

I think it's something with my box again. I left it on last night because I didn't want to miss the show I was in the middle of recording. It was still on this morning when I got up for work at 6am. When I pressed the power button on the front of the box, it rebooted. The room was totally dark, tv wasn't on.

I think it's something with my box again. I left it on last night because I didn't want to miss the show I was in the middle of recording. It was still on this morning when I got up for work at 6am. When I pressed the power button on the front of the box, it rebooted. The room was totally dark, tv wasn't on.The DVR should continue to record if you turn it off. Also, it should record scheduled programs while it is turned off if the power cord is plugged in. I don't understand why it reboots when you turn the DVR on or off. You said that the other DVRs that you have had have done this with some worse than the others, then it is probably not the DVR. You may want to check the diagnostic pages and verify the signal is always in the correct range when you check. I don't think TV interference with the remote is causing your problem, but it is a problem with one or more of the other posters.

I think it's something with my box again. I left it on last night because I didn't want to miss the show I was in the middle of recording. It was still on this morning when I got up for work at 6am. When I pressed the power button on the front of the box, it rebooted. The room was totally dark, tv wasn't on.
It sure sounds like a bad box to me, new or not.

I'm grasping at straws here. How is it connected to cable? Straight out of the wall? Through a splitter? Through a power strip with a "so-called" line conditioner? Does the output go straight to the TV from the box? How old are the cables and have you tried different ones? Also, don't rely on the cableco to tell you the truth about levels, read the first post and check them yourself. I had bad levels once caused by a splitter, but that didn't cause the problems you are having.

I think what I'm going to do is record those values before I turn it off and see what I find. I tried to check after it reboots, but it takes 5 minutes at least to come back up and I always forget or get sidetracked.

These are the values from last night, although it did NOT reboot on me when I shut it down.

1. The current tuner (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 7
2. FDC (signals from the headend (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 3
3. RDC (signals from the STB back to the Headend (ideally 45 db +/- 4db) = 28

I think what I'm going to do is record those values before I turn it off and see what I find. I tried to check after it reboots, but it takes 5 minutes at least to come back up and I always forget or get sidetracked.

These are the values from last night, although it did NOT reboot on me when I shut it down.

1. The current tuner (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 7
2. FDC (signals from the headend (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 3
3. RDC (signals from the STB back to the Headend (ideally 45 db +/- 4db) = 28
I could be wrong, and vegggas will correct me if he reads this, but the RDC looks seriously low. I don't know if this would cause rebooting problems, but if it is always this low, it seems like it might be the root of at least some problems.

I could be wrong, and vegggas will correct me if he reads this, but the RDC looks seriously low. I don't know if this would cause rebooting problems, but if it is always this low, it seems like it might be the root of at least some problems.

I noticed that too. But I have like zero knowledge in the technical aspect of cable and it's signals! I was hoping someone here would be able to shed some light on that and help me out. I doubt that if I call WOW right now and say my RDC value is low, they wouldn't have any idea what I was talking about.

I noticed that too. But I have like zero knowledge in the technical aspect of cable and it's signals! I was hoping someone here would be able to shed some light on that and help me out. I doubt that if I call WOW right now and say my RDC value is low, they wouldn't have any idea what I was talking about.

I agree and I'm as lost as you are. I only know that when I had levels out of the recommended range for FDC, I had a lot of video breakups, etc. After I swapped a splitter and fixed the level, my problems disappeared and have not returned. The fact that you've been through 3-4 DVRs tells me you either have extremely bad luck or it's something in your set up. I usually rely on vegggas to offer "expert" advice when it comes to levels, though there are others with expert knowledge.

I noticed that too. But I have like zero knowledge in the technical aspect of cable and it's signals! I was hoping someone here would be able to shed some light on that and help me out. I doubt that if I call WOW right now and say my RDC value is low, they wouldn't have any idea what I was talking about.There is another diagnostic page that has

CURRENT RDC
Retrans:

On my system, this is on diagnostic page 5. You can monitor this value, also.

Some of the signal levels are in color if they are out of range. If you call WOW, tell them the problems you are having then mention the RDC value. You may want to try to elevate the problem and talk to a cable engineer or at least a supervisor.

There is another diagnostic page that has

CURRENT RDC
Retrans:

On my system, this is on diagnostic page 5. You can monitor this value, also.

Some of the signal levels are in color if they are out of range. If you call WOW, tell them the problems you are having then mention the RDC value. You may want to try to elevate the problem and talk to a cable engineer or at least a supervisor.

Okay, thanks. I'll have to check that on out too.

I checked it yesterday again before powering it off and got similar values at the other day.

I think I'll monitor these values for a week and then I'll post back here with my findings. Hopefully then someone can piece it all together.

Okay, thanks. I'll have to check that on out too.

I checked it yesterday again before powering it off and got similar values at the other day.

I think I'll monitor these values for a week and then I'll post back here with my findings. Hopefully then someone can piece it all together.
Is the unit still rebooting often?

Is the unit still rebooting often?

Surprisingly, since I've been keeping track, it hasn't. But it's only been 2 days. I'm sure the issue is still there...just hasn't surfaced yet.

I'm having issues getting my SA 8300 HD to work in XP MCE with the firewire connection. I've installed the drivers and I'm able to change the TV channels with the command window, but when I go into MCE it tells me I don't have any capture hardware. Any suggestion?

I've just connected an external WD drive in an Apricorn enclosure to my 8300HD. It appears to be running fine. But has any TWC customer seen their external drive spin down when the internal drive spins down after power off. Mine is not.

I see that the feature is enabled after a certain SARA version but may be controlled by the cable company. Before I try to figure out what version of SARA I'm running and then asking TWC for help with an unsupported feature, I'd like to know whether the external spin down even works for any version of SARA sfw for any TWC customer.

I'm having issues getting my SA 8300 HD to work in XP MCE with the firewire connection. I've installed the drivers and I'm able to change the TV channels with the command window, but when I go into MCE it tells me I don't have any capture hardware. Any suggestion?
Wrong thread. If anyone can help you, it will be the folks in this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6380734&&#post6380734

I'm having issues getting my SA 8300 HD to work in XP MCE with the firewire connection. I've installed the drivers and I'm able to change the TV channels with the command window, but when I go into MCE it tells me I don't have any capture hardware. Any suggestion?In addition to the thread that DoubleDAZ linked to, you can post in the "How to record via IEEE 1394 (Firewire) to Windows XP".

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15998566#post15998566

Also, you can try posting in the
Forums - Industry Area - Firewire1394 Trade Association Q&A

In addition to the thread that DoubleDAZ linked to, you can post in the "How to record via IEEE 1394 (Firewire) to Windows XP".

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15998566#post15998566

Also, you can try posting in the
Forums - Industry Area - Firewire1394 Trade Association Q&A
Thanks for adding those, Russ. I knew there were more, but was too lazy to look for them. Besides, I'm in California for the weekend, heading back to Phoenix in the am, so my brain is a little fried. :)

I've just connected an external WD drive in an Apricorn enclosure to my 8300HD. It appears to be running fine. But has any TWC customer seen their external drive spin down when the internal drive spins down after power off. Mine is not.

I see that the feature is enabled after a certain SARA version but may be controlled by the cable company. Before I try to figure out what version of SARA I'm running and then asking TWC for help with an unsupported feature, I'd like to know whether the external spin down even works for any version of SARA sfw for any TWC customer.You can try posting in the
"8300HD and External SATA - It Works!!"

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15998289#post15998289

Thanks for adding those, Russ. I knew there were more, but was too lazy to look for them. Besides, I'm in California for the weekend, heading back to Phoenix in the am, so my brain is a little fried. :)Enjoying your retirement!

Wrong thread. If anyone can help you, it will be the folks in this thread:



Thank you

Enjoying your retirement!
How can one not enjoy never having to go to work again? :)

How can one not enjoy never having to go to work again? :)It depends how much you like your job. ;)

I have a question. I have a Cablevision SA8300HD DVR hooked up to a Panasonic TH58PZ700U, and have noticed something strange these last few months. As we know, the 8300 stores an hours worth (I think) of live content, so you can rewind a program that you can rewind a live program if you stepped away. Initially, if I were to turn off the tv to have dinner, I could come back and rewind Live TV to the point where I stopped viewing. Lately, once I turn off the TV, the 8300 no longer keeps the live tv in memory, and I can't rewind. Was there an update that eliminated my ability to do so?

I have a question. I have a Cablevision SA8300HD DVR hooked up to a Panasonic TH58PZ700U, and have noticed something strange these last few months. As we know, the 8300 stores an hours worth (I think) of live content, so you can rewind a program that you can rewind a live program if you stepped away. Initially, if I were to turn off the tv to have dinner, I could come back and rewind Live TV to the point where I stopped viewing. Lately, once I turn off the TV, the 8300 no longer keeps the live tv in memory, and I can't rewind. Was there an update that eliminated my ability to do so?

I've noticed that same issue with my box. It all happened about the same time I got a new box and new receiver; so I'm not sure what caused it.

I'm betting you are using HDMI. I suspect that it's something to do with the HDMI handshake. Once we turn the TV off, it breaks the "link" between the TV and the DVR. And when we turn the TV back on, they have to to reintroduce themselves which clears the memory.

But it's just a theory...don't know if that's how it really works or not. Someone who has more in-depth knowledge could probably explain better...or tell me how far off base I am!

It depends how much you like your job. ;)

Ah, but then it's not work now is it? ;)

I've noticed that same issue with my box. It all happened about the same time I got a new box and new receiver; so I'm not sure what caused it.

I'm betting you are using HDMI. I suspect that it's something to do with the HDMI handshake. Once we turn the TV off, it breaks the "link" between the TV and the DVR. And when we turn the TV back on, they have to to reintroduce themselves which clears the memory.

But it's just a theory...don't know if that's how it really works or not. Someone who has more in-depth knowledge could probably explain better...or tell me how far off base I am!
Works fine for me using Component with Cox Cable.

I've noticed that same issue with my box. It all happened about the same time I got a new box and new receiver; so I'm not sure what caused it.

I'm betting you are using HDMI. I suspect that it's something to do with the HDMI handshake. Once we turn the TV off, it breaks the "link" between the TV and the DVR. And when we turn the TV back on, they have to to reintroduce themselves which clears the memory.

But it's just a theory...don't know if that's how it really works or not. Someone who has more in-depth knowledge could probably explain better...or tell me how far off base I am!

Yes, I'm using HDMI, but then again, I've always used HDMI. I'm going to see if I can turn the handshake off and see if that clears it up.

Good morning. I can't find where this has been answered here, but if it has please feel free to redirect me. Is it possible to play recorded programs directly from the 8300HD while offline (without a cable hookup)? Thanks!

I don't see why not, since I know I can play back when the cable system is down.

Good morning. I can't find where this has been answered here, but if it has please feel free to redirect me. Is it possible to play recorded programs directly from the 8300HD while offline (without a cable hookup)? Thanks!

Yes and no. You can view recordings without the cable connected, like if your cable goes out. However, once you pull the power plug, it appears that the unit can't complete the reboot process without the cable connected. I pulled the plug, disconnected the cable, and reconnected the plug. It eventually booted, but got stuck on channel 94 with no time display. I then pulled the plug again, reconnected the cable, and reconnected the plug. When it came up, it was still stuck on 94 with no time. I had to do a "hard" reboot to get it back to normal, whew!

So, if your intent is to record a bunch of stuff and then take the unit somewhere else to view the recordings, I think you're out of luck. Of course, I guess it's possible I simply didn't wait long enough, but I doubt it. :)

Edit: I was testing while cctvtech was posting. :)

...and eventually (within a day or so, I think), the DVR will stop functioning, once it's disconnected from the cable, even if the power stays on. Apparently, it "phones home" periodically to make sure you're still authorized.

Thanks, all, for your comments. Yes, Animal Planet has no issues with my playing a recording of an episode of Animal Cops: Phoenix (I'm a volunteer for the Arizona Humane Society) in my office cafeteria during a donation drive for AHS, and seeing as how I have an HD DVR and an HD projector, I was trying my best not to have a make an SD DVD recording.

I'll trying disconnecting the cable tonight and see what happens. I'll report back.

ETA: From re-reading the above posts, it sounds like I'm SOL if I unplug the power.

Well, I didn't wait too long for it to boot. Once I saw the 94, I actually thought it was an error code until I heard the audio for PBS Sprouts. When video came up, I couldn't do anything. Pressing channel up just went from 94 back to 94 and LIST, etc., didn't work. I didn't try a "hard" reboot with the cable disconnected though, so YMMV. I suspect that once the power is disconnected, it "phones home" to make sure it's an authorized unit before completing the boot process.

Good morning. I can't find where this has been answered here, but if it has please feel free to redirect me. Is it possible to play recorded programs directly from the 8300HD while offline (without a cable hookup)? Thanks!

I have posted this before, but I never tried it , so I don't know if it will really work!
Hook your 8300HD up through a UPS, then transport the 8300HD and UPS together.

I think what I'm going to do is record those values before I turn it off and see what I find. I tried to check after it reboots, but it takes 5 minutes at least to come back up and I always forget or get sidetracked.

These are the values from last night, although it did NOT reboot on me when I shut it down.

1. The current tuner (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 7
2. FDC (signals from the headend (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 3
3. RDC (signals from the STB back to the Headend (ideally 45 db +/- 4db) = 28

Well, I've been tracking this data for just about a week now and the values really haven't changed from what I have above.

1. The current tuner (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 4 to 7
2. FDC (signals from the headend (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 3
3. RDC (signals from the STB back to the Headend (ideally 45 db +/- 4db) = 28
4. Current RDC = 28

It's only done the reboot thing on me twice, but the values were not different than the ones stated above at the time.

Any ideas out there? vegggas???

Well, I've been tracking this data for just about a week now and the values really haven't changed from what I have above.

1. The current tuner (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 4 to 7
2. FDC (signals from the headend (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 3
3. RDC (signals from the STB back to the Headend (ideally 45 db +/- 4db) = 28
4. Current RDC = 28

It's only done the reboot thing on me twice, but the values were not different than the ones stated above at the time.

Any ideas out there? vegggas???
Can you also tell me the frequency that each of the values are at?
I had to go back and re-read your situation - I don't like those RDC values at all, 28 is way too low for your signals to make it back to the headend without being overridden by noise on the line. Typically, the noise floor is at around 28 to 33 dB, and if your box only thinks it needs to send 28, the headend can't understand the commands being sent.
Do you have any cable line related equipment hooked up to your residence? Things like Amps, surge suppressors, etc can affect these values in weird ways.
As a temp solution, do you have any splitters, taps or Attenuation pads lying around? A 2-way splitter will drop 3.5dB, 4-way drops 7dB, etc. This works in reverse for the RDC, by increasing the level the same amount. Adding a 4-way splitter in the line would change the values to:
1. The current tuner (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 4 to 7 changes to -3 to 0, still great tuner levels, depending on frequency of each channel
2. FDC (signals from the headend (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 3 changes to -4, a bit low, but no problem
3. RDC (signals from the STB back to the Headend (ideally 45 db +/- 4db) = 28 changes to 35, should provide much better communication back to the headend for two way apps and commands, lke IPG, etc.
4. Current RDC = 28 changes to 35

I am really interested in what, if anything, is connected in the path that comes fom the point where it enters the residence to your STB, and what is affecting those particular frequencies (that you are going to post as a followup). The 28dB RDC is a value that is determined when the box boots (and 28 is the lowest possible return value), and the lowest needed so that the headend responds with a command (just like a cable modem, fyi). It may be "ok" some of the time, but get totally lost in noise if anything on your block, lke a neighbor, or even rain, cold, wind or static, causes the noise floor to rise a little bit.

be back tomorrow
vegggas

Hi all, I've read a thousand posts, and still haven't been able to figure out two things:

If I connect the SA8300HD to my Pioneer VSX-918 Receiver via HDMI, then out from the receiver to my Samsung 650 via HDMI, will the 8300 output stereo (because the TV can't handle 5.1), or will it output DD 5.1 because the receiver can handle it?

Second, if I do have to send video directly to the TV via HDMI, but audio to the receiver using the 8300's optical output, won't the picture and sound be out of sync? I'm pretty sure there's an input delay involved when sending things to the TV.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Can you also tell me the frequency that each of the values are at?
I had to go back and re-read your situation - I don't like those RDC values at all, 28 is way too low for your signals to make it back to the headend without being overridden by noise on the line. Typically, the noise floor is at around 28 to 33 dB, and if your box only thinks it needs to send 28, the headend can't understand the commands being sent.
Do you have any cable line related equipment hooked up to your residence? Things like Amps, surge suppressors, etc can affect these values in weird ways.
As a temp solution, do you have any splitters, taps or Attenuation pads lying around? A 2-way splitter will drop 3.5dB, 4-way drops 7dB, etc. This works in reverse for the RDC, by increasing the level the same amount. Adding a 4-way splitter in the line would change the values to:
1. The current tuner (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 4 to 7 changes to -3 to 0, still great tuner levels, depending on frequency of each channel
2. FDC (signals from the headend (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 3 changes to -4, a bit low, but no problem
3. RDC (signals from the STB back to the Headend (ideally 45 db +/- 4db) = 28 changes to 35, should provide much better communication back to the headend for two way apps and commands, lke IPG, etc.
4. Current RDC = 28 changes to 35

I am really interested in what, if anything, is connected in the path that comes fom the point where it enters the residence to your STB, and what is affecting those particular frequencies (that you are going to post as a followup). The 28dB RDC is a value that is determined when the box boots (and 28 is the lowest possible return value), and the lowest needed so that the headend responds with a command (just like a cable modem, fyi). It may be "ok" some of the time, but get totally lost in noise if anything on your block, lke a neighbor, or even rain, cold, wind or static, causes the noise floor to rise a little bit.

be back tomorrow
vegggas

Thanks for your reply, sorry I didn't post last week. Got sick and when I wasn't resting this weekend, I was running around doing errands.

Anyway, the line coming into the house goes into a three-way splitter. The three outputs have labels saying "3.5", "7" and "7". The output going to my main TV/DVR is the one labeled "3.5". The other two lines go upstairs to the TV's in both bedrooms.

Here is the frequency info:

1. The current tuner (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 4 to 7 FREQ: 663.000MHz
2. FDC (signals from the headend (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 3 FREQ: 74.000MHz
3. RDC (signals from the STB back to the Headend (ideally 45 db +/- 4db) = 28 FREQ: 20.500MHz
4. Current RDC = 28 FREQ: 20.500MHz

I don't have any amps, surge suppressors, etc. attached to my cable lines anywhere in the house.

I didn't add any splitters yet to test your suggestion. Do you think I should move the main line from the "3.5" connection to the "7" one?

Hi all, I've read a thousand posts, and still haven't been able to figure out two things:

If I connect the SA8300HD to my Pioneer VSX-918 Receiver via HDMI, then out from the receiver to my Samsung 650 via HDMI, will the 8300 output stereo (because the TV can't handle 5.1), or will it output DD 5.1 because the receiver can handle it?

Second, if I do have to send video directly to the TV via HDMI, but audio to the receiver using the 8300's optical output, won't the picture and sound be out of sync? I'm pretty sure there's an input delay involved when sending things to the TV.
I don't use HDMI, but I'll offer what I think and let someone else correct me if I'm wrong.

1. Connecting to the receiver and then the TV "should" pass 5.1 to the receiver, the reciever is the first device in the chain and "should" tell the DVR it can do 5.1. However, if it doesn't, there is an option in General Settings to switch the audio from Auto HDMI to DD that "might" work.

2. Many folks have it connected this way with no delay, at least none caused by this setup. I have it connected this way, only with Component to the TV instead of HDMI. From time to time, stations may cause a delay by setting something incorrectly at their end, but that usually gets corrected eventually. Again, if it does't pass 5.1, the audio setting can be changed to DD and it "might" work then.

The only way to know for sure though is to simply try it as each setup can be different. If you have to buy cables, just make sure you can return them if you don't use them.

Anyway, the line coming into the house goes into a three-way splitter. The three outputs have labels saying "3.5", "7" and "7". The output going to my main TV/DVR is the one labeled "3.5". The other two lines go upstairs to the TV's in both bedrooms.

Here is the frequency info:

1. The current tuner (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 4 to 7 FREQ: 663.000MHz
2. FDC (signals from the headend (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 3 FREQ: 74.000MHz
3. RDC (signals from the STB back to the Headend (ideally 45 db +/- 4db) = 28 FREQ: 20.500MHz
4. Current RDC = 28 FREQ: 20.500MHz

I don't have any amps, surge suppressors, etc. attached to my cable lines anywhere in the house.

I didn't add any splitters yet to test your suggestion. Do you think I should move the main line from the "3.5" connection to the "7" one?The RDC level definitely seems low. Since that is a much lower frequency than your incoming signal, it is possible that you have a bad connection somewhere or the splitter is blocking low frequencies. Surprisingly, a bad connection can affect low frequencies more than high ones, due to something called "capacitive coupling".

Try "cleaning" the center conductor on all cables at both ends. I use a pair of clean needle nose pliers and just grab the center conductor as far inside the connector as you can with them and pull to the end a couple of times; rotating the cable a bit each time. That scrapes off any insulator material or dirt.

Check your connectors by pulling on them after disconnecting. If any are loose, replace them with good F56ALM or compression connectors. Use the proper tool to crimp them; don't use pliers. Make certain the shield makes good contact with the connector. See connector installation instructions here (http://www.idealindustries.com/media/pdfs/products/guides/f-connector_installation_guide.pdf).

Also make sure your connections are tight. Use a pair of pliers instead of your fingers. Don't overtighten, just enough to make it difficult to unscrew them with your fingers.

If neither solution works, try replacing your splitter. Make sure the one you get is rated for cable at the low end (typically to 5MHz) and has 1000MHZ capability.

Anyway, the line coming into the house goes into a three-way splitter. The three outputs have labels saying "3.5", "7" and "7". The output going to my main TV/DVR is the one labeled "3.5". The other two lines go upstairs to the TV's in both bedrooms.

Here is the frequency info:

1. The current tuner (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 4 to 7 FREQ: 663.000MHz
2. FDC (signals from the headend (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 3 FREQ: 74.000MHz
3. RDC (signals from the STB back to the Headend (ideally 45 db +/- 4db) = 28 FREQ: 20.500MHz
4. Current RDC = 28 FREQ: 20.500MHz

I don't have any amps, surge suppressors, etc. attached to my cable lines anywhere in the house.

I didn't add any splitters yet to test your suggestion. Do you think I should move the main line from the "3.5" connection to the "7" one?
Are there STB's connected to your other lines? What about a cable modem? If not, you could swap the 3.5dB drop to a 7dB drop if you don't have any other splitters around.
As everyone gives advice about fittings and connectors, be aware that the RDC is a RETURN value of how much signal is leaving the STB trying to return back to the headend. As a return signal, the 28dB level at 20.5 Mhz is very low, but indicative of a very good solid connection of the center conductor for that frequency. Seeing 74Mhz at 3dB and over 600Mhz at 4dB or above indicates that you have a good line coming in that it's probably close to a node or amp, without the all too common problem of sloped attenuation. Sloped attenuation, where the higher the frequncy, the more it drops due to cable length losses, etc would be more common for someone farther down the street from you (they actually EQualize the line at many amps in reverse to compensate for line lengths to the next amp) - Your issue, it appears, is that you are too close and don't have enough loss. Adding some loss with a splitter or 4-way would actually reduce the signal in both directions enough to possibly reduce your issues enough to see a difference. There are more complicated ways to EQualize the signal with amps and filters, but you shouldn't need to go that far.
Class dismissed ;) Again, if you don't have a 4-way laying around, and there are no STB's connected to your other lines, you could swap the ports on your existing splitter to see if that helps. It should make at least some difference.

vegggas

Are there STB's connected to your other lines? What about a cable modem? If not, you could swap the 3.5dB drop to a 7dB drop if you don't have any other splitters around.
As everyone gives advice about fittings and connectors, be aware that the RDC is a RETURN value of how much signal is leaving the STB trying to return back to the headend. As a return signal, the 28dB level at 20.5 Mhz is very low, but indicative of a very good solid connection of the center conductor for that frequency. Seeing 74Mhz at 3dB and over 600Mhz at 4dB or above indicates that you have a good line coming in that it's probably close to a node or amp, without the all too common problem of sloped attenuation. Sloped attenuation, where the higher the frequncy, the more it drops due to cable length losses, etc would be more common for someone farther down the street from you (they actually EQualize the line at many amps in reverse to compensate for line lengths to the next amp) - Your issue, it appears, is that you are too close and don't have enough loss. Adding some loss with a splitter or 4-way would actually reduce the signal in both directions enough to possibly reduce your issues enough to see a difference. There are more complicated ways to EQualize the signal with amps and filters, but you shouldn't need to go that far.
Class dismissed ;) Again, if you don't have a 4-way laying around, and there are no STB's connected to your other lines, you could swap the ports on your existing splitter to see if that helps. It should make at least some difference.

vegggas

Thanks so much for the reply! I am now confused! Sorry, I'm just not well versed in this stuff. Give me a broken computer and I'll take care of it. But I obviously don't know squat about this audio/video stuff!

What is a STB?

I do have a cable modem. I'm guessing it's connected to one of the 7db connectors. But I can swap the DVR with the other 7db connector and see what happens.

I do think my box is going though. Twice now the audio has gone out. I have to do a power cycle on everything to get it working. I don't think it's my receiver since I don't have issues like that with my PS3 or everything else that's going through it.

But I'm sure getting a new box won't fix the RDC stuff.

What is a STB?
STB = Set Top Box

I do have a cable modem. I'm guessing it's connected to one of the 7db connectors. But I can swap the DVR with the other 7db connector and see what happens.
That should change the numbers.

I do think my box is going though. Twice now the audio has gone out. I have to do a power cycle on everything to get it working. I don't think it's my receiver since I don't have issues like that with my PS3 or everything else that's going through it.
Box = same thing. :)

But I'm sure getting a new box won't fix the RDC stuff.
Unless it's the box causing the problem, which I also doubt. ;)

I should add that I think the cableco should fix this unless it's due to an inside line and you are not paying for line maintenance or don't want to pay them. That includes replacing the splitter unless you wired everything yourself. If you swap lines and RDC improves, then you'll know it's not the 8300. It could still be the splitter or the line though, so further testing would be needed.

Thanks so much for the reply! I am now confused! Sorry, I'm just not well versed in this stuff. Give me a broken computer and I'll take care of it. But I obviously don't know squat about this audio/video stuff!

What is a STB?

I do have a cable modem. I'm guessing it's connected to one of the 7db connectors. But I can swap the DVR with the other 7db connector and see what happens.

I do think my box is going though. Twice now the audio has gone out. I have to do a power cycle on everything to get it working. I don't think it's my receiver since I don't have issues like that with my PS3 or everything else that's going through it.

But I'm sure getting a new box won't fix the RDC stuff.There is another diagnostic page that has

CURRENT RDC
Retrans:

On my system, this is on diagnostic page 5. Did you monitor this value, also?
If you did, what was the value?

STB = Set Top Box


That should change the numbers.


Box = same thing. :)


Unless it's the box causing the problem, which I also doubt. ;)

I should add that I think the cableco should fix this unless it's due to an inside line and you are not paying for line maintenance or don't want to pay them. That includes replacing the splitter unless you wired everything yourself. If you swap lines and RDC improves, then you'll know it's not the 8300. It could still be the splitter or the line though, so further testing would be needed.
Ah! Set Top Box! Makes perfect sense! I have 3 STB's. 1 HD DVR STB, 1 HD STB, 1 Standard STB.


There is another diagnostic page that has

CURRENT RDC
Retrans:

On my system, this is on diagnostic page 5. Did you monitor this value, also?
If you did, what was the value?

I swapped the "main" cable line from the 3.5db connector to the 7db connector. These are the initial results:

1. The current tuner (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 1 FREQ: 525.000MHz
2. FDC (signals from the headend (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 1 FREQ: 74.000MHz
3. RDC (signals from the STB back to the Headend (ideally 45 db +/- 4db) = 31 FREQ: 20.500MHz
4. Current RDC = 31 FREQ: 20.500MHz

Ah! Set Top Box! Makes perfect sense! I have 3 STB's. 1 HD DVR STB, 1 HD STB, 1 Standard STB.




I swapped the "main" cable line from the 3.5db connector to the 7db connector. These are the initial results:

1. The current tuner (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 1 FREQ: 525.000MHz
2. FDC (signals from the headend (ideally 0 db +/- 7db) = 1 FREQ: 74.000MHz
3. RDC (signals from the STB back to the Headend (ideally 45 db +/- 4db) = 31 FREQ: 20.500MHz
4. Current RDC = 31 FREQ: 20.500MHzOn my system, there are two diagnostic pages that show RDC values. On page 1, there is a single row that lists the Freq, Power, and Delay without labels. On page 5, there are rows with labels:

CURRENT RDC
Freq:
Power:
Delay:
Retrans:

What are the values for Delay and Retrans?

The values that I have are:

Delay: 649 uSec
Retrans: 0

Maybe, if your values are significantly different that will be another indication that the RDC is the problem.

Is it possible to easily skip ahead to the next day in the program guide?

For example, I want to tape a show a few days from now, but I do not want to press the > button 200 times.

On my ReplayTV channel guide, I can skip through the channel guide in 12 hour increments using the >> key.

Is it possible to easily skip ahead to the next day in the program guide?

For example, I want to tape a show a few days from now, but I do not want to press the > button 200 times.

On my ReplayTV channel guide, I can skip through the channel guide in 12 hour increments using the >> key.There are two ways to change the day. If your remote has "DAY +" and "DAY -", these buttons now work. Also, in the program guide, you can press the "B" key and use the up or down arrow key to select the day and then press the "SELECT" key.

Another way to move in the program guide, is to hold down the right arrow key to move forward in time or hold down the left arrow key to move backward in time.

There is a lot of good information in the first post in this thread.

CURRENT RDC
Freq:
Power:
Delay:
Retrans:


FWIW, mine are 25.750 Mhz, 40 dBmV, 571 uSec, and 0.

On my system, there are two diagnostic pages that show RDC values. On page 1, there is a single row that lists the Freq, Power, and Delay without labels. On page 5, there are rows with labels:

CURRENT RDC
Freq:
Power:
Delay:
Retrans:

What are the values for Delay and Retrans?

The values that I have are:

Delay: 649 uSec
Retrans: 0

Maybe, if your values are significantly different that will be another indication that the RDC is the problem.
Mine:

CURRENT RDC
Freq:20.500
Power:31
Delay:0
Retrans:0

Mine:

CURRENT RDC
Freq:20.500
Power:31
Delay:0
Retrans:0

These numbers are all interesting, but how is your service since you swapped cables?

I wonder if "delay" relates to distance from the node, though I still have no idea what it really means. :)

Mine:

CURRENT RDC
Freq:20.500
Power:31
Delay:0
Retrans:0A Delay of 0 could be significant. I wonder if it means the signal did not make it back to the cable plant?

A Delay of 0 could be significant. I wonder if it means the signal did not make it back to the cable plant?
Could be, but wouldn't you then expect to see a high retrans number? Vegggas???

Could be, but wouldn't you then expect to see a high retrans number? Vegggas???Yes

Maybe, that is part of the problem?

Can anyone help me out with some advice.

I tend to record many late night talk shows like Leno, Letterman, etc. I always see they are scheduled to be recorded and i'll wake up the next day to see they weren't even recorded.

Now earlier I was trying to dvr tonights episode of ER and I saw when I hit the DVR button that it was being recorded but I did not get the RED rec letters on the box itself. It also shows that it was not recorded, but I still ended up getting something else recorded at 10 pm on another channel.

Not sure what to make of this. It's like sometimes I get my recordings and other times I do not.

Can anyone help me out with some advice.

I tend to record many late night talk shows like Leno, Letterman, etc. I always see they are scheduled to be recorded and i'll wake up the next day to see they weren't even recorded.

Now earlier I was trying to dvr tonights episode of ER and I saw when I hit the DVR button that it was being recorded but I did not get the RED rec letters on the box itself. It also shows that it was not recorded, but I still ended up getting something else recorded at 10 pm on another channel.

Not sure what to make of this. It's like sometimes I get my recordings and other times I do not.

What ver of SARA are you running? I had a similar problem a while back and after many back and forths with TW engineers they pushed a new SW version to the box and the problem went away. I am now running SARA 1.89.24.1. They have since pushed this ver to all boxes in this franchise area (Triad-NC)

What ver of SARA are you running? I had a similar problem a while back and after many back and forths with TW engineers they pushed a new SW version to the box and the problem went away. I am now running SARA 1.89.24.1. They have since pushed this ver to all boxes in this franchise area (Triad-NC)

how do i find out? not sure how to

how do i find out? not sure how to

using your remote you press and hold the pause key until the little envelope symbol appears / flashing on the DVR display. Then press the page up key to enter the diagnostic screens. Then scroll thru the various pages (mine has 39 pages) until you come across one which has software versions on it and make note of the SARA version. Press exit to exit the diagnostic screens.

using your remote you press and hold the pause key until the little envelope symbol appears / flashing on the DVR display. Then press the page up key to enter the diagnostic screens. Then scroll thru the various pages (mine has 39 pages) until you come across one which has software versions on it and make note of the SARA version. Press exit to exit the diagnostic screens.

I just checked and I have SARA 1.91.14.103

thanks in advance

Can anyone help me out with some advice.

I tend to record many late night talk shows like Leno, Letterman, etc. I always see they are scheduled to be recorded and i'll wake up the next day to see they weren't even recorded.

Now earlier I was trying to dvr tonights episode of ER and I saw when I hit the DVR button that it was being recorded but I did not get the RED rec letters on the box itself. It also shows that it was not recorded, but I still ended up getting something else recorded at 10 pm on another channel.

Not sure what to make of this. It's like sometimes I get my recordings and other times I do not.You can try doing a hard reboot, which is explained in the first post along with a lot of other good information. This corrects some problems, but not all. You can look at the Scheduled Recordings page, and make sure the show you want to record is on it. Also, verify there are no recording conflicts (i.e. more than 2 shows scheduled to be recorded at the same time, even for a single overlapping moment).

I just checked and I have SARA 1.91.14.103

thanks in advance


You must have Cablevison, that's the version I have too. No recording problems here. Try the hard reboot as Russ suggested first.

I have a couple of questions I hope someone can help me with. I recently purchased a Panasonic 58" Plasma. I am using a SA8300HD DVR with Comcast cable. I have tried two different ways to feed the Plasma.

1) Setting the DVR to auto HDMI which works well except for the momentary pause when changing channels as it sets a different signel, ie 1080i, 720P, etc. When the TV is set to full the picture fills the screen based on the signel recieved. Which seems to be optimum for my needs. However, I have to deal with the momentary pause and blank screen as it adjusts to any change in incoming signel. Also every so often I lose the HDMI synch and have to reboot.

2) Setting the DVR to fixed (in my case 1080i) which elimates the pause, however if the TV is set to full I have sidebars on non HD channels. I have to hit the aspect button and set it to (Just) to elimate the sidebars, which can be a royal pain. However I dont lose synch as I sometimes do with Auto HDMI and I dont have the pause to deal with when switching channels.

My questions are, besides upconvert 1 and 2 which cause similar problems to my first choice, are the two above my only options? Which of the two above is best to use considering each has it drawbacks? Finally one last question for Comcast cable users, several of my HD channels have sidebars although they are slim ones on the sides. The sidebars are smaller then the sidebars on SD channels or on HD channels when showing a SD broadcast as is the case with many commericals. The signel is in HD, why are there these smaller sidebars?

Thanks for any help, LTK

As far as I know, those are the only options, although if you choose Auto-HDMI/pass-through, you can probably use the STB to zoom the 4:3 content to 1080i and approximate the 16:9 section within...

There is no way that we can tell you which you prefer...

I use Auto-HDMI / Pass-through (depending on HDMI/Component connection). However, since I use closed captions, I use the Zoom key(#) to zoom SciFi, BBC-A, and USA content to fit on the 16:9 screen while retaining the STB generated captions. Using the PJ to zoom cuts off the captions...

v/r,
C-F

Is there anyway to move the PIP to the corners of a 16:9 screen? It looks like it is setup to be placed in the corners to a 4:3 tv which is almost the center of a widescreen display which makes it almost useless.

Is there anyway to move the PIP to the corners of a 16:9 screen? It looks like it is setup to be placed in the corners to a 4:3 tv which is almost the center of a widescreen display which makes it almost useless.


Definitely a poor design for an HD box, but there's no way to move it out that I know of. IMO, SA should have implemented a picture and picture (picture beside picture?) feature instead of PIP. I had a nice Sony HD set back about 10 years ago which did that and it was very nice. It even allowed you to zoom in or out, so both pictures would change size depending on the zoom setting.

Are there IR codes to toggle a channel as a favorite? Favorites is a real nice feature except for having to go into the menu to set or unset a favorite. This should really be a button on the remote. I have a universal remote and am wondering if the box actually has an IR code for toggling that so I can program it into my universal. Really old SA boxes had a remote with a plus and a minus for adding and removing favorites and another button called "fav' for cycling through them. I really enjoyed that feature.

AFAIK, the best place to find an answer is www.remotecentral.com, they have all the answers there.

SA 8300HD
Time Warner
San Antonio, TX

1. Does the IR port on the back work? Has anyone found a device that works in this port or is this a fairly common thing? Our box is kind of low and sometime the IR is blocked by the coffee table. I was hoping it was for a simple wired IR extension that I could put up higher.

2. I think our signal maxes out at 720p (1080i). If I'm using Component Out to a 1080p TV (and Digital Coax to amp.) and it works fine, is there any advantage to switching over to HDMI for the video part? Will it look any better?

Cool thread and FAQ ... thanks.

Does the IR port on the back work? Has anyone found a device that works in this port or is this a fairly common thing? Our box is kind of low and sometime the IR is blocked by the coffee table. I was hoping it was for a simple wired IR extension that I could put up higher.This question hasn't come up for a while, so I tried searching (in this forum and using Google on the web in general) and haven't found anyone who said they were able to use that IR port the way you're asking about. Supposedly, it can be used as an IR output, to a "VCR commander", which won't do what you want.

A couple of years ago, I used the Sci. Atl. site to purchase an IR Extender, and it has been working great. Just tried to retrace my steps, and didn't have much luck. I can find the PDF files that explain how to hook up the device, and what part numbers to order, but couldn't find a way to actually order one. My account name on their site seems to have expired; perhaps if you sign up, you will be led to the correct page to order what you want. Or maybe there's a telephone number to call Sci. ATl. or Cisco.

To preserve the original context, here's the link to the past discussion:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9571081&&#post9571081

And these are the links I found today to the PDF files:

http://www.sciatl.com/customers/Source/4005303.pdf

The above is the device I bought, and it's working great.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/video/ps8611/ps8650/ps8663/7016853.pdf

That second link says that particular extender plugs into the IR port, and makes it sound like it's what you're looking for, but the PDF file includes some code words: "The IR Extender is an available option for select Cisco set-tops. The IR Extender requires appropriate set-top hardware and software for activation." and ... "No software dependencies on the set-top". Interesting, no? No hint as to which "select" set-tops it might support, or vice versa. If you like to experiment with handy devices -- or perhaps not-so-handy -- you might try to locate one of those extenders from that second link.

Before I shopped the Sci. Atl. website, I went to my local (Cox, Phoenix area) cable outfit, described what I wanted to do, and they gave me, at no charge, an "IR Blaster VCR Commander", which was nice of them but it turned out not to be what I needed. At least the price was right!:)

Or you could try an IR Repeater/Extender:

amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_1_3?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=ir+extender&sprefix=ir+&sprefix=ir+)

OK. SA 8300 HD-DVR hooked up via Component and Optial to my DENON 3805 AV Receiver. No HDMI used for this. I have no audio. Only for my Cable Box. DVD and PS3 are fine.

What happens is, the wife will accidentally press something on one of the remotes and the sound goes away. It has not been muted. Something changes and you just cannot get it back. This happens every three or four months. Normally after a lot of fumbling about it just comes back. Once it took two days to get the volume back and I had no idea how I did it. I've never been able to figure out how it comes back or what changes.

I tried EVERY single button on the unit and remote and gone through every single F'n mode there is to go through. EVERYTHING!

However, after doing resets on everything overnight I am now certain the DENON is not to blame here. I can plug the optical from the DVD or PS3 into any input and get audio, but not with the 8300.

CABLE 8300 HDDVR = No Sound, despite being set to DD in the Settings menu.

Does anyone have any idea what the hell is going on here?

UPDATE: Never mind. Did another hard reset. Problem solved. Though I have no idea why the audio went out in the first place.

UPDATE: Never mind. Did another hard reset. Problem solved. Though I have no idea why the audio went out in the first place.
My 8300HD loses all digital audio (HDMI or optical) every few months too. I don't know if it comes back on its own because I reboot (a soft reboot is good enough, using the 3 buttons on the front panel).

It's just one of the many bugs still present in this box, even after all this time. The software is very poor (both the design and the implementation).

Have you tried setting the SA8300 Audio setting to something other than DD, pressing "Select" on the remote, exiting the More Settings menu and then re-entering to switch it back to DD?

Locally, Closed Captioning in the Quick Settings menu will only 'take' when the "Select" button is used. If I change it to ON, and use an arrow key to move to another item it reverts to OFF -- other settings (like the aspect control above) do not behave this way.

v/r,
C-F

Have you tried setting the SA8300 Audio setting to something other than DD, pressing "Select" on the remote, exiting the More Settings menu and then re-entering to switch it back to DD?

I'll try that next time I lose audio. The first time it happened I tried a lot of things to get it back short of a reboot, but I can't remember exactly what as it was a long time ago.

Have you tried setting the SA8300 Audio setting to something other than DD, pressing "Select" on the remote, exiting the More Settings menu and then re-entering to switch it back to DD?

Locally, Closed Captioning in the Quick Settings menu will only 'take' when the "Select" button is used. If I change it to ON, and use an arrow key to move to another item it reverts to OFF -- other settings (like the aspect control above) do not behave this way.

v/r,
C-F
Thanks CANNON-FODDER! Since I can't use the TV's CC because my HDMI connection won't let it pass through, I've tried many times to turn the CC on via my SA8300 HD DVR box. I thought the CC was not activated. After reading your instructions, I realize I was making the same mistake. Hit "Select"!

It is dropped and you will have to reschedule it. Like RussB said, earlier versions of SARA dropped all 3 recordings from the schedule, but current versions only drop 1 of the 3. And I believe it drops them based on start time andthen perhaps channel number. I've ended up with a 3-way conflict where 2 programs started at 9:00 and 1 started at 9:03. The 1 at 9:03 was dropped from the schedule and I had to reschedule it when I decided which 2 I wanted to keep.This turns out not to be the case for me. My 8300HD has been failing to record House MD for weeks because of conflicts at 8:00 on Monday. But today because of basketball on CBS the normal 8:00 shows were reruns. And it REMEMBERED to record House MD. So it didn't drop it after all. "It remembers."

Vincent

This turns out not to be the case for me. My 8300HD has been failing to record House MD for weeks because of conflicts at 8:00 on Monday. But today because of basketball on CBS the normal 8:00 shows were reruns. And it REMEMBERED to record House MD. So it didn't drop it after all. "It remembers."

Vincent
You may be entirely correct. I never left mine alone to see what would happen when the conflict no longer existed. I did check the Scheduled Recording List and there was no placeholder that I could see, but I haven't had a conflict for a long time. It's also something that could have been changed in later software. What is your software version number?

You may be entirely correct. I never left mine alone to see what would happen when the conflict no longer existed. I did check the Scheduled Recording List and there was no placeholder that I could see, but I haven't had a conflict for a long time. It's also something that could have been changed in later software. What is your software version number?Remind me how to get the version and I'll tell you.

No placeholder yet it remembers -- petty weird. When CBS comes back, I'll check the placeholder issue.

Vincent

Remind me how to get the version and I'll tell you.

No placeholder yet it remembers -- petty weird. When CBS comes back, I'll check the placeholder issue.

VincentThe first post has information on how to get the version number.

I think it would be weird for a program to record that is not in the Scheduled Recordings. There are 2 types of placeholders. The first type has a blank description. The second type has the description from the previous episode that was new. Usually, after a reboot the descriptions are blanked for placeholders. Maybe, there was another type of scheduled recording for House.

Several Sundays ago, I set up the DVR recording schedule for the whole week adding new shows and verifying the record "All episodes" using "First Run only this channel." There were no scheduling conflicts during the set up. On Monday, one of the News shows that I normally record didn't record. It had been removed from the Scheduled Recordings page. I tried to add it back to schedule, but there was conflict for the following Sunday (6 days later) so it wouldn't let me add it back until I resolved the conflict. The conflict was between the News, NASCAR Racing, and NHRA Drag Racing. This was the first time that I realized that a future conflict caused when a new day schedule was downloaded can keep shows from being recorded in the present.

No placeholder yet it remembers -- petty weird. When CBS comes back, I'll check the placeholder issue.

I have little doubt that everything might not always be displayed in the Scheduled Recording List. After all, why should that be any different than the rest of the software? :)

Unfortunately, I'm not willing to "hope" that the program gets recorded, so I reset the recording later after I deal with the conflict. I do remember that the program was not highlighted for recording before I added a new scheduled recording.

Remind me how to get the version and I'll tell you.

No placeholder yet it remembers -- petty weird. When CBS comes back, I'll check the placeholder issue.

VincentTrying to get the version number, I get:

UI: 8.0.11
PTV OS: OS, Home Server Edition 1.12.DOCSIS
App(s): InView v3.4.4.1 / GpiClient: v3.0.7.2273

Trying to get the version number, I get:

UI: 8.0.11
PTV OS: OS, Home Server Edition 1.12.DOCSIS
App(s): InView v3.4.4.1 / GpiClient: v3.0.7.2273

I see they've changed the dispaly a bit (First Post updated). The software version we are talking about is on page 17, Component Information. Look for SARA, it will look something like 1.89.27.1.

I see they've changed the dispaly a bit (First Post updated). The software version we are talking about is on page 17, Component Information. Look for SARA, it will look something like 1.89.27.1.Got it:

SARA 1.91.14.103

Thanks -- Vincent

Got it:

SARA 1.91.14.103

Thanks -- Vincent

Cablevision, right?

I have noticed a couple of times that a scheduled recordings gets pushed 8 days out when something in the guide changes. I thought there was supposed to be some better conflict management in the 1.91 version, perhaps that is what you are seeing. If you get a three way conflict from previously scheduled all episode recordings it must be pushing one of them 8 days out to keep it as a placeholder and recording the other two. It's not an easy thing to test, but I might have a couple of situations were I can.

Cablevision, right?

I have noticed a couple of times that a scheduled recordings gets pushed 8 days out when something in the guide changes. I thought there was supposed to be some better conflict management in the 1.91 version, perhaps that is what you are seeing. If you get a three way conflict from previously scheduled all episode recordings it must be pushing one of them 8 days out to keep it as a placeholder and recording the other two. It's not an easy thing to test, but I might have a couple of situations were I can.Yes, CableVision (Port Chester).

Vincent

It's nice to see they are still adding stuff to SARA.

Gents, I'm hoping for a little help here as I've tried searching multiple times but haven't been able to locate my exact problem (probably newbie PEBKAC issues...), but here it is:

I'm getting sound but no video on my 8300 HD on channels below 100, with the exception of Cartoon network, and a local PBS channel (Northern Virginia Cox). The thing I have noticed about these two channels is that the audio switches on my receiver on these two, but no others (sorry, don't remember what the audio types are right now at work (I know, bad employee)). All other channels (digital, I guess) are fine.

The box is set up for all resolutions/pass-through and the Sammy 750 series is set up for just scan.

Please help if you can...and good lord, I can't wait for fios to hit my area. This box is the worst thing to happen to mankind since the creation of the world. I'm sure my experience is exacerbated by having been a DTV TiVo guy prior to this (no line of sight at new place...I never would have moved in had I known this...thought I had it, but DENIED!)...ok, I'm done whining now.

Thanks in advance.

This turns out not to be the case for me. My 8300HD has been failing to record House MD for weeks because of conflicts at 8:00 on Monday. But today because of basketball on CBS the normal 8:00 shows were reruns. And it REMEMBERED to record House MD. So it didn't drop it after all. "It remembers."

Vincent

Cablevision, right?

I have noticed a couple of times that a scheduled recordings gets pushed 8 days out when something in the guide changes. I thought there was supposed to be some better conflict management in the 1.91 version, perhaps that is what you are seeing. If you get a three way conflict from previously scheduled all episode recordings it must be pushing one of them 8 days out to keep it as a placeholder and recording the other two. It's not an easy thing to test, but I might have a couple of situations were I can.

Friday night 4-10-9, I realized that I have a three way conflict on Sunday 4-12-9 between "Face the Nation" at 9:30 AM CT, "Meet the Press" 9:00 AM CT, and "Drag Racing" 9:00 AM CT. "Face the Nation" is not highlighted in the Program Guide for Sunday 4-12-9. I looked in the Scheduled Recordings and it is not scheduled to record on Sunday 4-12-9, but there is a placeholder for "Face the Nation" for Sunday 4-19-9.

I think three way conflicts are treated differently depending on whether the scheduled recording that is not going to be recorded is a placeholder or an actual scheduled recording. If it is an actual scheduled recording, the entire scheduled series is deleted (for example, http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16212709#post16212709). If it is a placeholder, the date is changed to the following week (for example, "Face the Nation" in the previous paragraph). I am on Sara 1.89.22.2.

Hey all.. Been wondering about this and searches turned up nothing except someone who tried to swap one 8300's HDD with another 8300's HDD. (never found a final followup post on whether it worked).

What I was wondering is if you could remove and hook up the HDD to your PC, run Norton's Ghost (or similar) to clone the HDD to a newer/larger one and then use it in the 8300 instead (getting a larger HDD of course, to allow more recording space without having to use a firewire external solution). Anyone tried/done this?

Does anyone know of a resource like this, but for the Explorer 8540? I added an external HD, it doesn't ask to format, but says it will work. I was able to get more than 20 hours, but now it seems to have stopped working. I am able to hook it up to a computer with no problem....any ideas? The diagnostics will see the drive, but no dice on the increased capacity now...

Does anyone know of a resource like this, but for the Explorer 8540? I added an external HD, it doesn't ask to format, but says it will work. I was able to get more than 20 hours, but now it seems to have stopped working. I am able to hook it up to a computer with no problem....any ideas? The diagnostics will see the drive, but no dice on the increased capacity now...I don't know of an active thread for the Explorer 8540, but you may want to post in the "8300HD and External SATA - It Works!!" thread. Here is a link to the first post, which has some general info and then look at the last few pages:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5277957#post5277957

...What I was wondering is if you could remove and hook up the HDD to your PC, run Norton's Ghost (or similar) to clone the HDD to a newer/larger one and then use it in the 8300 instead (getting a larger HDD of course, to allow more recording space without having to use a firewire external solution).
Yes, you can swap the internal hard drive (which is IDE). If you don't care about keeping your current recordings it's as simple as removing the old drive and plugging in the new one. The 8300 will format everything automatically. You can also keep your current recordings by cloning your old drive onto the new one in a PC, but you need to use a program that copies physical sectors, because PC software won't recognize the format of the 8300 HD.

I'm not sure if there's a relevant thread on avsforum, but I followed the instructions here: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=15719, and replaced my HD with a 500GB Western Digital WD5000AAKB (see the links in the first post of that thread). Note that not all drives seem to work as reliably in the 8300, so I would use one that's known to work. My new drive is working well and in fact has completely cured the brief dropouts I was getting every hour or so on high-def channels with the original drive.

Yes, you can swap the internal hard drive (which is IDE). If you don't care about keeping your current recordings it's as simple as removing the old drive and plugging in the new one. The 8300 will format everything automatically. You can also keep your current recordings by cloning your old drive onto the new one in a PC, but you need to use a program that copies physical sectors, because PC software won't recognize the format of the 8300 HD.

I'm not sure if there's a relevant thread on avsforum, but I followed the instructions here: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=15719, and replaced my HD with a 500GB Western Digital WD5000AAKB (see the links in the first post of that thread). Note that not all drives seem to work as reliably in the 8300, so I would use one that's known to work. My new drive is working well and in fact has completely cured the brief dropouts I was getting every hour or so on high-def channels with the original drive.

The only caveat I'll add is that unless you live in Canada chances are you don't own your unit, so there is a bit of risk if something goes wrong. However, if you break it and simply put the old drive back in, chances are the cableco will never know. ;)

The only caveat I'll add is that unless you live in Canada chances are you don't own your unit, so there is a bit of risk if something goes wrong. However, if you break it and simply put the old drive back in, chances are the cableco will never know. ;)

Yeah, when I've exchanged units at my cableco, they just set it in a cabinet with a bunch of others, no tagging.

If I wanted more space, I think I'd go this route rather than the external drive which from reading that thread seems problematical.

Remind me how to get the version and I'll tell you.

No placeholder yet it remembers -- petty weird. When CBS comes back, I'll check the placeholder issue.

VincentSo, once again, it's Monday. And this time all my shows are first runs. So, as bejore, it isn't recording House MD. So I checked the list of shows to be recorded and there it was -- scheduled to record next Monday, 4/20.

Vincent

So, once again, it's Monday. And this time all my shows are first runs. So, as bejore, it isn't recording House MD. So I checked the list of shows to be recorded and there it was -- scheduled to record next Monday, 4/20.

VincentIt sounds like SARA versions 1.91.x.x and 1.89.x.x work the same way in how they resolve a three way conflict when the recording that is dropped is a placeholder. The date of the placeholder is extended by a week. I wonder what happens in SARA version 1.91.x.x when the recording that is dropped is not a placeholder but an actual scheduled recording? Placeholders are not used on shows that are shown more than once a week. See my previous post about this at:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16244040#post16244040

I realize that it is difficult to reproduce this scenario but if it happens please post the results.

Thanks

It sounds like SARA versions 1.91.x.x and 1.89.x.x work the same way in how they resolve a three way conflict when the recording that is dropped is a placeholder. The date of the placeholder is extended by a week. I wonder what happens in SARA version 1.91.x.x when the recording that is dropped is not a placeholder but an actual scheduled recording? Placeholders are not used on shows that are shown more than once a week. See my previous post about this at:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16244040#post16244040

I realize that it is difficult to reproduce this scenario but if it happens please post the results.

Thanks

I'm not sure I understand, Russ. House was new last night, as were the other 2, so it wasn't a placeholder that was simply extended, a new placeholder was added for next week. So, it seems that SARA in 1.91.x.x no longer deletes the scheduled recording, but sets a new placeholder for whichever program is not recorded.

That doesn't help me much, since I'd still like the opportunity to prioritize these so I get the 2 programs I want most, not based on time, channel number, or whatever SARA is using to determine which doesn't get recorded.

I'm not sure I understand, Russ. House was new last night, as were the other 2, so it wasn't a placeholder that was simply extended, a new placeholder was added for next week. So, it seems that SARA in 1.91.x.x no longer deletes the scheduled recording, but sets a new placeholder for whichever program is not recorded.

That doesn't help me much, since I'd still like the opportunity to prioritize these so I get the 2 programs I want most, not based on time, channel number, or whatever SARA is using to determine which doesn't get recorded.I don't understand all the details, either.

SARA 1.89.x.x, also does not delete the scheduled recording if it is a weekly recording. There is a placeholder for the next week so it does the same thing as SARA 1.91.x.x. It looks like only a daily recording that conflicts has its series of scheduled recordings deleted. For weekly recordings, a new placeholder for the following week is created as soon as the show starts to record. After midnight, the previous day schedule is deleted and the day schedule for next week is added. This new day schedule is later updated with the shows to be recorded highlighted. I think it is during this process it determine new conflicts and decides how to handle them. If there is a conflict, and the show that it decides to NOT record has a placeholder, it extends the placeholder by a week instead of converting it to an actual scheduled recording. More testing needs to be done to verify this.

SARA needs a way to tell it what shows to record when there are conflicts.

So, I'm still wondering why my 8300hd is randomly recording incompletely? As in, 37min of a 1hr show, or 13 mins or 43mins.. I thought it was space at first, I do have a WD DVR Expander attached. I have had the short rec issue with 95%, 80% and even at 70% full. Last night it rec'd Idol and House fine then 37mins of Fringe, and then the Fox News as programmed. Its not like it gets full-ish and cuts short everything, it literally just seems to randomly stop recording on a whim.

I have defragged and reboot several times, to no avail. Anyone had this issue and found an answer?

Thanks

So, I'm still wondering why my 8300hd is randomly recording incompletely? As in, 37min of a 1hr show, or 13 mins or 43mins.. I thought it was space at first, I do have a WD DVR Expander attached. I have had the short rec issue with 95%, 80% and even at 70% full. Last night it rec'd Idol and House fine then 37mins of Fringe, and then the Fox News as programmed. Its not like it gets full-ish and cuts short everything, it literally just seems to randomly stop recording on a whim.

I have defragged and reboot several times, to no avail. Anyone had this issue and found an answer?

Thanks

Sounds like yoou've done all you can do. It's probably broken; get a new one.

Sounds like yoou've done all you can do. It's probably broken; get a new one.

Yeah, my plan is to get a Tivo, if I ever finish watching the 100 shows on there. That's the catch, do i wave goodbye to them and delete them or just stick it out til it either dies, or I 'catch up'...

Yeah, my plan is to get a Tivo, if I ever finish watching the 100 shows on there. That's the catch, do i wave goodbye to them and delete them or just stick it out til it either dies, or I 'catch up'...

That's the plan I'm thinking about. When the 8300 goes, I'm thinking about getting a TIVO. I suppose you could get a TIVO now, do all your recording on it, and concurrently watch what's on the 8300 until it runs dry.