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8300HD and External SATA - It Works!! - Page 300

post #8971 of 8986
11/18/12 at 12:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by AudioMan612 View Post

Hi,
I have a SA 8300HDC with Time Warner - Orange County CA and have tried a Western Digital My Book AV. I've had limited success with it. The box always detects the drive and adjusts the free space accordingly, but here is the problem that often happens: it will not actually record. Programs will be marked as recording on-screen, but the red light on the front of the box won't come on, and the program won't actually record. This problem will continue to happen until I reconnect the DVR expander (and possibly reboot, though I'm not sure if that's necessary). I've had it work for a month, but other times it will work for under an hour. Has anyone else had this problem and have they found a solution?
Thanks!

I've been having this problem lately, and I don't even use an external hard drive anymore.

Since the last couple of firmware updates from TWC, my 8300HDC has been doing this crap. It says its recording, shows the program on the list, but it's not actually recording. Once the show is over, it disappears from the show list because, again, it hadn't actually recorded. I go to the Recording Log, and the show says (5) The program didn't record because the channel was not available. Of course this is BS since I've actually turned my DVR to the proper channels, and I can actually watch the shows at the time they're "recording."

It's not all shows, and it's a crap shoot as to which shows work, and which don't. Rebooting the box hasn't helped.

UGH, I think I'm going to go down to their office and see if I can finally get a better box. I've had the 8300HDC for far too long.
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post #8972 of 8986
12/13/12 at 1:09pm
Has anyone tested the following combination:
Vendor: Cox
DVR: SA8260
OS: PowerTV 6.20.75.106sp
Passport Echo: 3.1.124

I used the drive that others recommended for earlier versions of Passport, WD Caviar Black WD1001FAEX, in an eSATA enclosure. It recognized it, formatted it (only a few minutes which I thought was odd) and added space to the available space and all looked good. After a week problems started happening. It would disappear sporadically and the available space would drop back to just the internal drive. Shows would get intermittent freezes and sometimes thaws. Then automatic reboots after a freeze. Then it when into a boot loop. Right now it can not boot the DVR with the drive attached. I validated the drive was OK through my PC. I even wrote a full NTFS format (took 8 hours). I realize that the DVR is not using NTFS, but I thought it would kick in a reformat. It didn't and it won't now boot at all.Suggestions?
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post #8973 of 8986
12/13/12 at 1:44pm
Is the Cox SA8260 supposed to be one of the boxes that works with the external? I think there is actually a pretty narrow range of what will work.
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post #8974 of 8986
12/13/12 at 10:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by NCguy2 View Post

Is the Cox SA8260 supposed to be one of the boxes that works with the external? I think there is actually a pretty narrow range of what will work.

As far as I know, there is no model SA8260. You better double-check that model number. And, be sure to add the "HDC" if it is there.
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post #8975 of 8986
12/14/12 at 1:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by domino92024 View Post

As far as I know, there is no model SA8260. You better double-check that model number. And, be sure to add the "HDC" if it is there.

I don't personally have one. I was responding to Paul's post #8972 who apparently does and he can't reliably get his external drive to work.
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post #8976 of 8986
12/14/12 at 2:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by NCguy2 View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by domino92024 View Post

As far as I know, there is no model SA8260. You better double-check that model number. And, be sure to add the "HDC" if it is there.

I don't personally have one. I was responding to Paul's post #8972 who apparently does and he can't reliably get his external drive to work.

Well, there IS an Explorer 8240HDC which needs a firmware update to use an external drive, but Cisco/SA didn't make an SA8260 with or without the "HDC."
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post #8977 of 8986
12/15/12 at 10:06am
Actually I fat-fingered the model. It is an SA Explorer 8240HDC which is listed in a post by CoxPHX.
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post #8978 of 8986
12/15/12 at 11:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by domino92024 View Post

Well, there IS an Explorer 8240HDC which needs a firmware update to use an external drive, but Cisco/SA didn't make an SA8260 with or without the "HDC."

So since he says its actually the 8240HDC is it possible for him to determine if its had the update and if not update it himself?
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post #8979 of 8986
12/15/12 at 1:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by NCguy2 View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by domino92024 View Post

Well, there IS an Explorer 8240HDC which needs a firmware update to use an external drive, but Cisco/SA didn't make an SA8260 with or without the "HDC."

So since he says its actually the 8240HDC is it possible for him to determine if its had the update and if not update it himself?

The firmware revision version is given in the diagnostic section. No, he cannot update it himself. A firmware update must be pushed by the cable company.
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post #8980 of 8986
12/16/12 at 6:33am
What firmware version do I need? The DVR INFO panel says the firmware is 3.ACH
Edited by Paul Pendle - 12/16/12 at 7:20am
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post #8981 of 8986
12/16/12 at 1:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Pendle View Post

What firmware version do I need? The DVR INFO panel says the firmware is 3.ACH

What DVR/firmware are you using? Passport Echo? SARA? I'm not at all familiar with "The DVR INFO panel says the firmware is 3.ACH" ???

Passport Vers: 3.1.124
OS Vers: (did not change, PowerTV 6.20.75.106sp)
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post #8982 of 8986
12/16/12 at 4:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Pendle View Post

Has anyone tested the following combination:
Vendor: Cox
DVR: SA8260
OS: PowerTV 6.20.75.106sp
Passport Echo: 3.1.124
I used the drive that others recommended for earlier versions of Passport, WD Caviar Black WD1001FAEX, in an eSATA enclosure. It recognized it, formatted it (only a few minutes which I thought was odd) and added space to the available space and all looked good. After a week problems started happening. It would disappear sporadically and the available space would drop back to just the internal drive. Shows would get intermittent freezes and sometimes thaws. Then automatic reboots after a freeze. Then it when into a boot loop. Right now it can not boot the DVR with the drive attached. I validated the drive was OK through my PC. I even wrote a full NTFS format (took 8 hours). I realize that the DVR is not using NTFS, but I thought it would kick in a reformat. It didn't and it won't now boot at all.Suggestions?

Paul, what City are you In? And did you ask Cox to send the current software, or did it just come with that SW.

I still have my Cox DVR, an SA8240HDC, It is running the same software as you are.

Versions:
ResApp Version: Passport Echo 3.1.124
OS Version: PowerTV 6.20.75.106sp

The fact that the DVR first recognized and formatted the Ext HDD, and worked for a week, would seem to indicate your DVR has the correct software.
Connecting it to the PC and formatting in NTFS, should have Prompted the DVR to Reformat when reconnected.
I would check your eSATA cable make sure it is seated properly, perhaps try a different cable.
The problem could be the enclosure or Power Supply of the enclosure, or even the DVR itself.

The proper Power Up Sequence for a Formatting with Passport is:
Power up DVR first, wait for it to boot and display video.
Second Power up the Ext HDD, and you should get the prompt.
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post #8983 of 8986
12/17/12 at 8:26am
I am in Phoenix with Cox Communications.

I cleaned up the recorded shows that still said they were on the external drive and then I restarted everything from scratch. I checked the eSata cable connections and started the devices up as you said Brian and it asked me to format the drive and asked me "are you sure". So it formatted in less than a minute (still odd). I am currently recording two HD shows and chasing one and everything is working. Here is a screen shot of the DVR SATA info which is good. dvrscreen.png 1291k .png file

Now I need to see how it behaves over the next week. If it fails again I will take the DVR back to COX. It had some anomalous behaviour before I attached the drive as it would occasionally freeze when I use the 10 second back button and would take 2 or three minutes to thaw. So maybe there is something fundamentally wrong with the DVR.
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post #8984 of 8986
12/17/12 at 2:42pm
Paul,
The DVR Formatting is not like Windows, I believe all it does is delete the indexing and structure, the DVR uses a form of Linux I believe.
If you end up replacing the DVR, you will need to get another silver 8240HDC and probably need to ask for the Firmware update on Facebook. Last I heard the Firmware was still considered "beta" also last I heard the newer Black DVR running Rovi Passport, a Cisco 8642HDC, did not have firmware to allow an Ext HDD.

If someone knows otherwise for Phoenix, please advise.
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post #8985 of 8986
12/18/12 at 9:09am
In the middle of the night, the DVR (mostly) lost connection to the eSATA drive. The space disappeared from Passport screen where it designates capacity and the Diagnostics screen shows no SATA, image attached. nosata.jpg 1430k .jpg file

I said mostly in the prior paragraph because when I turned off the SATA drive with the DVR in this condition it actually recognized the action and gave the message "The external drive has been disconnected. Please reconnect this drive and restart the DVR"

If I call COX regarding this are they simply going to give me the Heisman? Is there anyone there who would know anything about the correct firmware that is needed for this DVR?
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post #8986 of 8986
12/20/12 at 3:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Pendle View Post

If I call COX regarding this are they simply going to give me the Heisman? Is there anyone there who would know anything about the correct firmware that is needed for this DVR?
Calling Cox will most likely be a futile effort.
The folks who manage the social media on Facebook and Twitter will know what you need if you ask for the "Beta" Firmware to enable an eSATA External Hard Drive on the 8240HDC
They will need your DVR Serial Number starting with SABxxxxxxx

https://www.facebook.com/CoxArizona

https://twitter.com/CoxArizona_Help

or email them az.coxarizonahelp@cox.com or CoxArizona.Help@cox.com
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