Cisco 8640HDC HD-DVR Thread - Page 2

I have a super old Sony 5.1 receiver, and my TV only has one HDMI. I've always only used HDMI directly to my DVD player.

I run component from my cable box to my TV, and I do not have this issue.

I think it really matters sometimes on the TV and the DVI communications. Like one person suggested, I bet connecting it via Component cables would make a difference, but I really hate to use component cables (analog) over a single easy to use digital cable.

As for Brighthouse, absolutely, their biggest solution is to always swap the box, even when it didn't make sense. The way I got my 8640HDC was because my older SA8300HDC would only allow an external hard drive for 24 hours since it was new. I finally narrowed it down to the box so called to have it swapped out. They only had the Cisco boxes, so I went for it. Then I found out it doesn't accept an external drive. At least the 320gb HD is a step up from the 160gb.

Brighthouses second favorite thing is to send out a re-initialization signal. I had a weird thing happening with mine that no matter what I had the power on settings for, it always turned on and went to channel 0. I had power cycled and rebooted several times but to no avail. After 2 days I gave in and called them again. When they suggested they were going to do this I thought it would make no sense, but if it made them happy go for it. WELL, it corrected the problem. My point is, maybe this could resolve some of your problems.

Now that I've written the above paragraph, I have changed my mind. Here's my new opinion. The culprit/problem is probably more your TV and its handshaking.

As I posted in an early note, I am was not having the problems most of you are having with your resolutions. I had my 8640 connected to a Vizio 47" LCD TV via DVI. I had removed all of the resolutions from my box except for
1080i and I could turn everything off and on with no problems. A couple days ago the 47" went out, and while I wait for the warranty repair I brought my older 32" 1080i Vizio from the bedroom into the living room. The first thing I noticed is the TV and 8640 did some communicating, and now 480p, 720p and 1080i resolutions were selected again, and when I turn everything off and back on the 8640 goes to 480p for a second and then jumps to 720p. If I go into the setting and remove the 480p and 720p it remembers it and switches to 1080i and I have no problems until I turn off the TV and turn it back on. If I leave the TV on, I can turn the 8640 off and on all I want and it stays at 1080i, but if I turn the TV off and back on the 8640 switches to 720p.

DVI devices have to communicate with each other. Otherwise if you were to lock a device like the 8640 to 1080i and then have to connect it to something with only 720p, you'd have a problem. So I feel the problem has to do with the negotiations and the different variations of the DVI standard that are floating around. As in my case, my TV for some reason is telling the output device what it wants. It would/shouldn't be the other way around. Because my 32" is telling it that it likes 720p and apparently isn't telling it that it likes 1080i then that is what it is going for. I think it is these different variations that make this work correctly with some boxes like the 8300 but not with the 8640.

In case any of you mention anything about older 32" Vizio's not supporting 1080i, although this one is a few years old, it is not the model sold in Walmarts. It has PIP and does support 1080i and that is why I bought this version.

I also have an upconverting HDD DVR connected to the TV, and it always selects the 1080p output when I turn it on.

Hope this helps some of you.

The 8640 DVR does indeed accept an eSATA expansion drive. See:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/coll...3/7015627A.pdf (page 4.)

If yours isn't working right, it's either the software being used or you.

[BTW, your SA8300HDC *is* a "Cisco box", too.]

I was hoping to upgrade my current time Warner dvr, it sucks a lot more than the older model, these reviews are scaring me though. I thought the 8300 remote was slow and you guys ate saying the new 8640 is even slower???

I may just stick the 8300. I don't see how remote responsiveness could be fixed, or could it?

Thanks for the manual. Yes, I know the box will support an external hard drive but I think Brighthouse has the feature disabled in their software version for now. I have had externals before. Do you have Brighthouse? Anyone else out there with Brighthouse have their 8640 working with an external hard drive? I am not sure how it could be "me" since all you have to do is plug the eSata cable in, right? That's all I had to do on the SA models.

I have the same problem with the HL67A750, Onkyo HT-RC160, and the 8300HD DVR. HDMI from 8300 to HL67A750 works great and saves resolution choices. Going HDMI from 8300 to HT-RC160 to HL67A750 causes the cable box to never save the resolution and always default to 480i/720p/1080i. Not a problem unless your TV takes 6+ seconds to switch resolutions, like ours do. I was seriously hoping the 8640 would fix the problem, but it only sounds worse!

1. That wasn't a manual. It was just a technical brochure.
2. If it's running SARA software, it should accept a drive OK. What does your diagnostics say when you attempt to add an expansion drive?
3. SA is Cisco. Cisco is SA. The manufacturer of your 8300 is the same as your 8640. A name change, basically. SA is now part of Cisco.

Mine is a Sony Bravia KDL-46S5100 with the problem with 8640. I had 8300hdc before and didn't have the problem HDMI from DVR to TV although I did have the problem with the 8300hdc when HDMI from DVR to AVR then HDMI from AVR to TV. So as stated by someone before the problem is worse than before. Just like TWC to not go forward but backwards, not only with set top box firmware upgrades that take away features but now taking away features of the boxes themselves. When are they gonna learn that HDMI is here to stay and if they can't support it then we already know the DISH companies can.

Is this the newest "market" dvr?

I have time Warner in Ohio

I think it is.

I just moved from Pickerington (Insight) to Grove City (Time Warner) and I got it. WOW still uses an older box, but I am tempted to switch to WOW if they had a newer box.

So after some research, I'm hearing conflcting reviews over remote response time, compared to the 8300.

Some say it's slower, others say it's faster? Anyone else notice a difference?

Also, any update on resolution changing issues?

No update on resolution, my box still has the problem but I still have the same firware too (3.1.3_3)

Mine is much slower than the 8300. Slow to respond, slow to fast forward, and very jerky when fast forwarding. At least mine only reverts to 720p. Odd thing is that when I go into settings it says it is running at 1080i even though the front display says 720p. I do like the 320gb drive so I guess I will tolerate the smaller things until they update the firmware.

While watching a channel just hold the select button down on the remote for about 10 seconds until you see a flashing icon on the unit's display then press the down button. You will see Diag on the display for a few seconds then the diag screen will pop up over the show you're watching. ODN version is near the bottom of the first page right above the date of the unit's last reboot.

I've read all the posts in this thread. This week I exchanged two SA8300HD boxes for 8640 HDC boxes. One bedroom, one living room. My neighbor did the same. In the living room I have a Pioneer Plasma 50" HD. In the bedroom I have a Samsung LN 32" HD. Both connected by HDMI.
The Pioneer had absolutely no problems as mentioned here. But the Samsung had the problem of changing resolutions after restarting. Not only that but sometimes the signal was not even found by the Samsung. After doing some further Internet research on Samsungs I found this.

[[[http://forums.cnet.com5208-13973_102...adID=375570]]] (delete the []'s).
Sorry for the rigged reference but it is very relevant to this thread.

It seems whether Samsung admits it or not they have an LN model HDMI problem. I attached my component cables to the Samsung and no problems. Interestingly my neighbor has only a LG TV and no problems at all.
Now I'll tell you another interesting item. My Pioneer plasma HD , for the past two months, started having a growing box of green pixels show up right in the middle of the screen . I read that after 5-6 years Plasmas tend do this and nothing can be done but buy a new screen. After attaching the 8640 not only were the green pixels gone but the picture was like new. Though, I am now missing my caller ID on screen. (I'll call tomorrow) I am using Time Warner South Carolina ODN 3.1.3_3.
I think The Samsung users need look to Samsung for a fix (maybe a new firmware) . I am now not looking for a new TV.
Good Luck guys

Like the rest of you I have the same issue with the auto 480p setting. I have tried everything. first off,

Samsung 52'' LN52A750 with most recent firmware
Cisco 8640HDC

I had issues with the 8300HDC and wanted to upgrade to the 8640HDC. Installed it yesterday and now I'm having problems getting it to stay on 1080i. I have unselected everything except the 1080i setting (bubble is next to 1080i only). Everything works fine until I power off the TV and turn it back on. Within a few seconds the Cisco reverts back to the 480p setting (even though 1080i is selected). I have to manually select a setting other than 1080i THEN reselect 1080i in order to get the box to switch back to the 1080i setting.

I was on the phone for about 45 mins with a BH tech and he said this is the first he has heard of the issue. I tried to tell him about the forums here but he wasn't interested. Instead he suggested I exchange the box for the new Samsung. I suspect many more people have this same issue they just don't realize it.

I have an appointment for monday to have the box exchanged. I will update on the situation then.


If anyone finds a resolution to this please give us an update. I want to stick with the Cisco box (I hear it's faster)... even though it has the ugly baby blue old school display >.<<br />

James
Orlando FL,
C+, Net+

UPDATE

if you leave the box in AUTO select in the output resolutions settings then

* box is reading 1080i correctly
* turn power on tv off and back on
* the box now reverts to 480p (this is the problem)
* change to a different channel then change back..
* box switches back to 1080i

only problem with this method is there will be no upconversion to 1080i when viewing 480 or 720 channels... but at least the 1080i channels will display correctly until a resolution or update can be found.

I will update more Monday after I get the new Samsung box.

I have output resolution set to only 1080i. When I power on it comes up 480p until I change channels at which point all channels gets upconverted to 1080i.

If thats your problem have the box always start up on a HD channel.
Hit settings>Display>Power on Channel>any HD channel you watch a lot.

Although I haven't had the issues with the resolution, I've had another problem. After a couple hours of being booted, it will no longer pause, rewind or fast forward either live or recorded TV. Mine isn't even two weeks old yet. I liked the 320gb hard drive, but don't like BH disabling the eSata port. I too have an appointment Monday to get it swapped out, but I assume it was going to be with another 8640. Are you saying I might get a Samsung? What kind of storage do they have and do they support eSata?

It's my understanding that any of th HDC boxes don't support esata so make sure if you get another 8300 it's a 8300HD and not 8300HDC.

I thought it was just me. I tried switching between 2 shows like I used to with my old SA 8300 where it would record up until an hour and I could rewind what I missed on the other channel. I can't do that on 8640. If I change the channel and turn it right back I've lost the ability to rewind. I really liked that function but I guess I can live w/o it. I am having the output resolution problems but it doesn't revert back to 480, it reverts to 720p. I have only 1080i selected and if I switch the input source to watch a dvd or play my wii and come back it goes to 720p. My tv is a Samsung pn42c450 which is 720p and connected via hdmi, so it's no big deal as I can't tell the difference but it is annoying nonetheless. I would try the component cable thing but i have my wii and dreamcast hooked up to those and don't want to keep changing them out to play each other. Some channels do look better in hd than others (tbs isn't as good as tnt).

I just tried that and it didn't work, still reverts to 480. TWC sucks.

That is because the two boxes are on different TWC crap firmware versions. Eventually it will return but you will have to wait for an upgrade that could take a year or so. TWC sucks.

My box reverts back to 480 as well. I also have an issue where CBS in HD pixelates and stutters, which I did not have with the SA box. The rep said it may be a degrading signal, but why would it not happen for all channels? I'm seriously considering going to Direct TV as I saw my neighbors HD channels and they looked a hundred times better than my TWC HD channels.