Time Warner Cable Navigator - Page 451

Originally Posted by Satch Man

Not sure,

But I do know that the error number is assigned to a database, and if you could find out what an error 949 is, that would explain your problem. It could be, "The server for On Demand is down." which would have nothing to do with your box. Can you reproduce the error? Did it just start today? If it just started today, and you can get On Demand tomorrow, it most likely was/is a server issue. I would grant a grace period of 24 hours for any On Demand issue before doing a service call.

Originally Posted by BenJF3

Is it an 8240HD or 8240HDC? What version of Navigator are you running? Those things will factor in. From my experience, I;ve found that the 8240HDC is one of the worst performing boxes with Navigator. I would suggest a hard reboot if you haven't tried that yet. Unplug the box, wait 30 seconds and plug it back in. If you still have issues, I'd see if you can swap it for a newer model.

Originally Posted by BenJF3

I have to report on what appears to be the fatal flaw of Remote DVR Manager: Conflict Resolution!

The issues I posted earlier about missed recording because of unresolved conflicts were ALL shows I set up via the Remote DVR Manager. When you schedule a program remotely it DOES NOT check against what else you have scheduled on the box. It apparently flags the show you added at a lower priority and just ignores it. So, as of right now - Remote DVR Manager for Navigator 3.1 is useless because I still have to go to the DVR and see if there are any conflicts and take care of them.

Originally Posted by jcalabria

I think the missing piece is the inability to adjust priorities via the web interface. I had mentioned this previously, as well as the difference between the box GUI (new series are always added at the highest priority) and the web GUI (new series are always added at the lowest priority, as you noted). Since the otherwise well behaved conflict resolution system depends almost entirely on the priority list, not being able to access priority settings via the web interface is indeed a serious omission.

Originally Posted by BenJF3

Yes, but not just priority - the web interface should at least report if a conflict exists so you can take care of it then and there. I'm finding these things later on when I go into my Show List and suddenly there is a tab for Conflicts!

Can anyone comment if the system is smart enough with Multi-Room DVR to schedule it to a box without conflict (IE an available tuner) or does it have no conflict resolution as well? I'm hope someone with ODN 4.0 can chime in here and let us know if this has been addressed because without it, Remote DVR is useless as all scheduling will be hit or miss.

Originally Posted by BenJF3

I get what you are saying about priority, but I may want to bump something so to actually see what the conflict is would still be helpful.

Originally Posted by Satch Man

Yes,

I agree Ben. Hopefully a conflict List through a check with the content on the box will be an issue they can soon address with Remote DVR Manager. It sounds like what we have now are two separate entities. One, the regular DVR box with its set of recordings, and two, the Remote DVR Manager with its own web interface that sends the recordings to the box, but does not know what is already ON the box, so the remote scheduler currently does not no how to deal with recording conflicts and the web scheduler needs a better way to deal with recording conflicts.

Originally Posted by Satch Man

Ben!

I found your post at the TWC Tangled Up Blog! (It was under the new Navigator sotware in Texas blog) Yea, TWC needs better organization of the blog! Your post was right on the money so, I'll put it here:

(Ben's post from the TWC Untangled blog below)

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Please, PLEASE Implement a Guide Filter into Navigator soon! I’m in Central New York and our channel lineup is horrendous. The channels are grouped in no logical order and the SD channels don’t line with the HD equivalent. The HD channels span FOUR tiers (700,800,900 & 1000’s). I do installation work in the area and this is the number one complaints I hear because people are continually using SD content on their brand new HDTV because a) they can’t find the HD channel or b) doesn’t know it exists. We need a robust Guide Filter like the satellite providers have had for the last 10 years! I want to be able to add/delete or otherwise block channels I don’t watch or want to show in the guide. I’d love to see an option to “Show HD” when an HD equivalent is available. This should be a priority.

Next most important feature would be Keyword Search. The keyboard is certainly better than SARA’s search was, but is still weak. I’ve found myself using the Remote DVR Manager more for this. That is one thin you guys nailed! The only addition that would make your Remote DVR tops would be the ability to see the used/remaining space as well as delete shows currently stored on the DVR.

It’s good to hear that speed fixes are already in the works.

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LOL, I take back the "nailed" comment on the Remote DVR until the add/fix the conflict resolution!

Originally Posted by Satch Man

It sounds like what we have now are two separate entities. One, the regular DVR box with its set of recordings, and two, the Remote DVR Manager with its own web interface that sends the recordings to the box, but does not know what is already ON the box, so the remote scheduler currently does not no how to deal with recording conflicts and the web scheduler needs a better way to deal with recording conflicts.

Jack

Originally Posted by davehancock

Jack, it is clear that the web interface does know what is scheduled on the box. When I first used it, after a delay for downloading, the web interface showed what was scheduled on the box. What is missing is routines for handling conflicts - either by reading conflict data from the box, or calculating conflicts on it's own. It can certainly do the later, as it does have the scheduled recordings.

Originally Posted by jcalabria

Yes, the web GUI definitely knows what's on the box... you even get a list of the next 5 scheduled recordings in My Services without even signing into DVR Manager. To date, they have just chosen not to do anything with the information.

Everyone has to remember that this service has not ever been promoted to the public, even here in Charlotte where it has been "available" since the beginning of the year. It would be nice if our "suggestions" were monitored and considered, but I think we cannot be too harsh on a service that has never been officially released to us.

Originally Posted by jcalabria

Yes, the web GUI definitely knows what's on the box... you even get a list of the next 5 scheduled recordings in My Services without even signing into DVR Manager. To date, they have just chosen not to do anything with the information.

Everyone has to remember that this service has not ever been promoted to the public, even here in Charlotte where it has been "available" since the beginning of the year. It would be nice if our "suggestions" were monitored and considered, but I think we cannot be too harsh on a service that has never been officially released to us.

Originally Posted by cs4wiz

A "feature" I was surprised to find on our recently added SA 8300HDC (ODN 3.2) that isn't present on our SA 8300 [SD]:

If I record a segment of a longer program on the 8300HDC, save it and designate it as Do Not Delete, then record a second segment of the same time slot program, the first event is deleted without prompt or warning. The 8300 [SD] has always allowed recording as many segments of shows as I like, and has not yet deleted anything I have protected. If I only record one segment on the 8300HDC it is saved, even if I record the same program in a later time slot, but multiple instances cause the erasure.

Even if the program is still available in the cache to replay, there is no way to record or save the portion already recorded and now deleted. A new entry appears in the Show List, but only contains the last recorded segment.

Is this limitation a Navigator "feature" present on all their HD DVRs, (perhaps tied to SDV) or is it hardware specific? Might the Cisco 8640HDC allow such control? I tried to get a Cisco 8640HDC, but our area - Raleigh Durham, NC - hasn't had those for 2 months. I may get one when they are available again here - I'll certainly need every bit of hard drive space if I need to save 5 hour programs just to watch shorter segments - like one match of a 5 hour tennis broadcast, and then the interview or wrap up later.

Nice if TW implemented a trash can for deleted material as I understand at least one competitor offers - since this overwrite feature will punish anyone who accidentally stops a recording then continues. So much for not recording during rain delays. While I'm dreaming, A/B erase would be lovely. I agree that we need a fully featured DVR as at least one option with TW...though from all I've read, that doesn't sound very likely.

Regards,

Christopher

Originally Posted by jcalabria

I seriously doubt it is hardware specific... however it acts would be the same on any ODN box running the same ODN version.

I don't know why your segments were inturrupted, so this may not apply in your specific case, but... Did you know that if you are watching any buffered show, you can hit the [Record] button any time within the first hour of the program and it will save the entire show just as if you you had scheduled it to record, even if you hit the button at :59 of a 1:00 show?

Originally Posted by xcrunner529

It never worked. I tried it right after the installer left (Friday) and same thing for the past 3 days. Apparently they don't care to make sure everything works properly before they leave.

I called yesterday and after trying some stuff they have a tech coming out Friday. I guess I was just hoping to know the real issue so a tech isn't spending 4+ hours here like the installer did (just for 1 outlet).

I got one of the coveted 8300HDs, but I can't get the HDMI port to work either. Any idea about that? Thanks!

Originally Posted by cs4wiz

Thanks for the reply -- I'm fairly adept with TW's DVRs.

I interrupted the shows intentionally, to save a segment rather than the full program. Doing this on our 8300 [SD] creates multiple titles in the Show List with various start and end times. On the 8300HDC, any second recording instantly wipes clean the previous entry in the show list, and does not allow recording of what is presently cached (buffered) and available to watch, or presumably record, since something in the program precludes that once a segment has been recorded. Nice when adding another segment, awful when it overwrites what is present - regardless of the Record Options / Do Not Delete status.

Specifically, on the 8300HDC, if I record 00:00 to 00:25, stop and save that, set it as Do Not Delete, then continue recording the same show in the same time slot, the first Event disappears from the Show List, and what is present will be 00:26 to whenever I stop that segment, or the end of the scheduled program. Even though the full hour buffer is present, and I can rewind and watch from the start, recording will only begin after the earlier segment that is now erased. Limit: One recording per scheduled show in the Guide. Of any portion I choose.

On the 8300 [SD] I would have 00:00 to 00:25, 00:25 to 00:45, 00:45 to 1:00, if I opt to record the hour in three segments, with almost no interruption between. Or, if I clear the buffer, I can record any portions I wish, and save them all - 5 minute clips, 2 hours of a 5 hour show, my choice.

At first I speculated that TW did this so we could only record entire programs and further restrict our ability to edit out commercials, but now wonder if it is tied to some of what is being rolled out such as Remote DVR access. Might it be that having multiple titles from the same time slot in the Show List complicates matters?

Odd that the older SA 8300 [SD] retains this feature - though I expect it hasn't been upgraded with the same programming, at least not yet. Any way to regain lost features once TW opts to improve our interface? Would Time Warner consider this a bug and address it, or a feature and there would be no point of my calling it to their attention?

Originally Posted by danki6x

Unplug, wait, plug in DVR has fixed VOD and HDMI errors for me before. /Dan

Originally Posted by Satch Man

Very true Dan,

The problem is the fix doesn't hold because of the mediocre software. It could be a few days later, a week, a month, but it will come back. You can swap out a box, and it will come back. You can trade a box with a set of problems and get the same make or a different model box with a new set of problems. This crap with the software has been going on for five years, and this HDMI handshake is something that should have been resolved several builds ago. That's the frustration for Navigator users, we have to get so far down the road in getting Navigator up to a C+ level, and there are still very basic essential issues that need to be addressed now. Not next month, not in three months. NOW. A corporate footprint that finally gets basic issues resolved meaning that:

1.) I should be able to turn on any Navigator box, regardless of model or type and get a good picture and sound. If I have HDMI, I should not have to guess if I am going to get a "Mode Not Supported" error. That is a bug that should have been exterminated by TWC with Navigator AT LEAST two years ago.

2.) I should be able to turn on any Navigator box, regardless of make or model and be able to browse to the shows I want to watch with reasonable speed and conveyance. I should have a box that has competency standards close to the competition in this area.

3.) I should be able to turn on the Navigator box and have the essential features intact and reasonably expected of what is now going into 2011 technology. The basics, Manual Recording, Guide Filtering, Keyword Search, should be there now. Not something we should have to wait to see if they come and have TWC offer to play little guessing games as to "What comes next?"

4.) I have a relative who is a computer engineer and while he LOVES TWC Roadrunner and Digital Phone, he says, "TWC Video service for reliability with cable and their current program guide are so far behind the times." He is thinking of a way to switch to Direct TV, but still wants to keep his Road Runner and Digital Phone.

Jack

Originally Posted by hdtvfan2005

The original SA solution required a trap, and it could only playback SD. MoCA is capable of HD playback, and all you need is that line filter to keep it from ingesting into the cable system.

Originally Posted by jcalabria

I just tried this on my 8640HDC (ODN 4.0.1_0)... I was able to record and keep 5 different segments of the same show. They all show up with the same title in the show list. Don't think it matters, but all five segments were from Everybody Loves Raymond on the local Fox affiliate.

Originally Posted by cs4wiz

3) since our 8300 [SD] runs on different software than the 8300HDC, do any other HD DVRs, such as the 8640HDC, run on variations of ODN, even within the same region?