Time Warner Cable Navigator - Page 552

In this case,

It has nothing to do with the guide. Guide data is provided by an outside vendor. In TWC's case, it is Tribune Media Services. TMS gets their programming times from the local stations. To get more revenue from commercials, stations may start shows a few minutes before the time in the guide. TV Land/Nick is so messed up that their show beginnings and ends are often as much as 15 minutes off the time shown in the guide!

In most cases, the off time is only 1-3 minutes. For TWC, if I have a show I really value, I just add Start Time, "Record Show With Options" to begin the show about two minutes later and than select an end time of about two minutes later. It works pretty well!

Jack

This isn't a matter of a "few minutes" - For example, when I just scrolled through the HD Movie Channels I see where Movie X looks like it starts at 6:00. However, when I go to select that specific movie the actual start time was 4:30. That is completely unacceptable.

No they haven't upgraded NYC yet. The black guide sounds good..

I have this too - but you don't need to be in FF - happens when you are just watching a recording. Normally, most folks would pause before answering the phone, but this forces a change in behavior to answer, then pause.

Typical poor TW software testing. Can't wait till we get a new batch of bugs with the next "improvement"

(BTW, I have been out of town this week - so I don't know if new guide is in place now)

I'm looking for more detailed explanations and information about the new guide,

Assuming a customer with a traditional box, have their been ANY improvements in the ability to search for movies and shows? I guess I am looking for something more than just a different color scheme:

There's a promo video here:

http://hudsonvalley.ynn.com/content/top_stories/588664/new-look-for-channel-guide/

But look at it. I assume its a Sports search results screen. But why are the sports not alphabetized and all over the place in the video?

Using this new guide, I'll just throw out some examples: (Assume there is no Advanced Search available.)

For cooking shows for my Mother, just as an example, is it going to be easier to find Paula Deen or Emeril?

What's the quickest way to find a Baseball Game? Am I still going to have to go to Find Shows (A button) not B, go to Theme, go to Sports, and than using that stupid Title only keyboard, type in MLB to find Major League Baseball games?

Is this gonna be just another headache with a color change, or are some things easier?

Anything you have found that helps, please post. Thanks!

Jack

Recently I had to trade in my trusty valued SA 8300hd DVR running MDN because of a hard drive failure. TWC only had older SA 8300HDC DVRs as a replacement with ODN 5.1.0.7 software. This Navigator Guide locks for several seconds when scrolling, and it freezes during FF in recordings, and is very unresponsive requiring pressing the same command over and over until it finally registers. I assume this is not normal even for this software version on this box? What box can I find that does not have these problems. Thanks.

You have some choices:

1.) Swap out the SA box for a Cisco or a Samsung, which are faster and more modern units. If you need faster speed now, I would try to get a Samsung. OR

2.) Wait for the new Guide, (black interface) which is a large software update designed to make the boxes more reliable and run faster. The upgrade should be coming pretty soon. For ODN it is 5.2. For MDN it is 3.2.

3.) You could try to find the faster, but much older MDN SA-8300. However, you will get stuck with a refurb as those boxes are getting old.

4.) You MIGHT speed up the response time a little bit with fresh batteries in the remote. That has helped some people.

Jack

MDN boxes have some things right in terms of speed, and their REW/FF implementation is far superior to that of ODN.

Thanks for the reply. I will wait for the new guide before I make the exchange to see if the DVR performs better with the new software.

And MDN has better DVR Compensation!

Jack

Albany will get the black guide tomorrow, while Rochester will get it soon. TWC is focusing on the east coast for this new guide, though Milwaukee is the first non East coast division to get it. Eventually, TWC wants all boxes on this new UI. 

Not so sure of that! Switched from MDN to ODN a couple of weeks ago - DVR Compensation seems to work just as well now as before. HOWEVER, at least in Rochester, the TW techs have been instructed to turn DVR compensation to "None". So if one feels that DVR compensation is not working well they should check the settings (it is under DISPLAY).

We played around with a few boxes and I think Jack is onto something there, On mine with DVR compensation off I still have some issue's, but the MDN boxes work real well no matter the setting in the menu. I have a Ciso and Samsung Whole house DVR with out the Whole house code and both act very similar.

But what if it is set to "Normal"?

Is your management telling techs to set it to "none"?

Guide Update Tips:

Many of you will probably be receiving the new guide soon. For best results:

*Start watching shows you have recorded.

*The guide update will often be between 1-5am on the scheduled day. If you can, leave your TV and box OFF during that 1-5am time you are updated. The less stress on the box when the update goes through, the better.

*An average of 2-3 reboots is expected. 20-45 minutes is the norm, but could take as long as 90 minutes.

*You know the update has completed when the box shows the 480p resolution in the Window and the Clock Display shows the time. All should be done about 5:30am, although SOME divisions are doing updates during Prime Time. If yours is one of them, just let the box go through the update process,

Jack

My Cisco boxes (HD DVR 8640HDC) are acting strange. Not sure if this is the right place to post but I'll try.

1. When someone calls the caller ID shows on TV screen but I lose all control of the TV -- like I cannot pause it. I can turn it off but that is about it. We had a TWC guy out to see but he had no idea and said he would push it to the next level.

2. I record PTI at 5:30 every night. Many nights when I go to play it back the fast forward functions do not work. It can be during commercials or during a segment I don't care about. It occasionally happens on other recordings but almost every night with PTI I have not called TWC about this one. It just seems to stick or go to 2 for a second and go right back to the recording.

I have rebooted both boxes and still have the problems.

any ideas would be helpful.

Rochester is getting the black guide tomorrow morning. 

This has been discussed here before:

http://www.avsforum.com/t/723830/time-warner-cable-navigator/16530#post_22161078

No. 1. Press EXIT on the remote

Thanks for the help for the caller ID! Now if we can solve the other one BTW we got the black screen update in the Murrells Inlet area. Seems easier to read.

i got 2 dvrs here both have not got the update yet
so NYC 10016 has no update as of 12:07AM 6/27/12

when oh when will this update come

on the other hand why oh why did they not do anything to fix the real problems with the box
WHO CARES ABOUT A NEW THEME and WORTHLESS OPTIONS

I agree,

TWC is making much to do about nothing with the Color Scheme change. But there are tons of bugs that this version fixes. The boxes have been performing faster and more reliably. Look at it this way. This new guide was planned for release maybe three months ago and we are getting a national roll-out of the new software, with almost every week a new division is getting updated.

At this rate, TWC will be done before the end of the year, and maybe even before Winter. A new team was brought in to fix the bugs. New features will come out next year.

Now think of the old Navigator Guide. It took YEARS to get them to roll it out from one division to the next with bugs, slowness, and freezing after SIX YEARS. Even roll-outs of simple updates took six months to a year for the divisions. The new design team is fixing and updating things within weeks to a month's time. Things that the old Navigator team could not get right after six years.

Progress and care is FINALLY being made with the STB guides for TWC. I am confident that the new cable guide team will care and do it right.

Jack

i dont think so. i have 2 samsung boxes in my house and had nothing but trouble since maybe 7 months ago when there is nothing but problems
before that the 2 samsungs ran pretty dam smooth now its a whole diffrent thing
i cant get channels to reply some times after hitting the buttons like 5 times then like magic it just changes to like 20 channels up
fast forward and rewind issues , black channel issues , VOD not playing = BLACK SCREEN can take like 10 times to get it working
all levels and everything where checked by a tech and still everything is BAD
should i go on and on about the crap i deal with

again these bugs where not there before 7 months ago so why say that OH the new team has to fix this and that
if they wanted to do anything correct it would be START FRESH and do TESTING IN HOUSE on all the boxes that the company is using
after that TEST with workers and techs then after that PUSH THE NEW OS and call it a day

starting with other peoples problems will be a nightmare
if bugs are there from stuff that just added and threw code on top of then nothing can be done to slove them as these people will have no clue what the hell the cause of the bug is
i have to say from a person that lived on cablevision for more then 15 years even with there SLOW A$$ BOXES it was way way way more better then TWC wack o OS they have

TWC dont care about its people there jacking everyone atleast $40+ a month
I called up and have already had $70 taken off my bill - dont let a cable company like TWC try sticking u over a barrel for TV or anything

HOW MUCH DOES 2 DVR BOXES + 4 PREMS REALLY COST A MONTH ? $170+ A MONTH ? REALLY HOW TELL ME ?

Its all about money to TWC and BIG COMPANYS like it - took them 6 years to finally fire a TEAM of NO GOOD DEV WOW - SMART PEOPLE

lets get back on the topic
Really when can i belive my DVRS will be fixed ? a year from today ?

I highly doubt they will slove anything in a year , maybe 6 LOL LOL LOL ( If i was them i would rack TWC for 6 years of NON STOP RIDDLED FW BUGS )


my 2 boxes
SAMSUNG SMT-H3090 Software - 4.7.6.2 ( v211412) OCT 5 2011
SAMSUNG SMT-H3272 Software - 4.7.6.2 ( v211412) OCT 5 2011

^^^ version before that was alot better then this one
Edited by p0tsm0ke - 6/27/12 at 1:05am

Got the guide update last night.

Only had a couple minutes to look at it this morning, but looks like I will be able to set the guide to show only favorites. Yeah! Other options are ALL, HD and DEMAND.

This is on a non-DVR Samsung box.

Got the New Guide Last Night on my SA-8300HDC:

Positives:

I like the "A" (Find Channels) button for the category lists.
Better organization of Listings.
Box has a Permanent Guide Filter, which is nice.
New color scheme is great! Love it!

Negatives:

Still only have the keyboard as Title Search only. (Unless you subscribe to Signature Home or Multi-Room DVR Services, which gives you advanced search filters. TWC really needs to have the Keyboard search for ALL instances of what is typed in by the user, and set that as the default for ALL boxes. Boxes with Advanced Search, should also default to ALL not title.)

The box could be just a little bit faster, but is not intolerable.

Jack
Edited by Satch Man - 6/27/12 at 12:02pm

Other parts of NYC will get the update next month.

Another report from the Milwaukee area.

Got my update.
Liking the color scheme, sadly still don't seam to be making use of the HD res, could fit a lot more on this screen still. ( come on full 1080P guide so you can see 25 channels x 5 hours )
Does have transparency now on the banner, visually liking that.

Things are a LOT more snappy in the guide now on my Samsung box.

This seams like a new feature.
When trying to get into the diags i noticed if you press up/down ( not channel up/down ) you can scroll through the channels and it shows you channel, show, start/end time without changing the channel, then you hit OK to actually change to the channel. ( faster then channel serving cause there is no retune ).
^^ This is something Comcast has had for well, since 2006 at the latest.

Diags says :
Monitor Version: 5.2.0_7
ODN Version :5.2.0_7

On the SA-8300HDC, there is currently about a 2 second delay from the time you press a letter till the time it shows on the keyboard. I have sent TWC information about this in feedback. Interestingly, there is less delay when browsing in the Time Grid or other Search Screens. I LOVE the new color scheme. It just looks very professional. We no longer have overlapping text on some channels. Love the ability to search by more different categories. Network (A-Z) searches are very helpful if you don't know the exact channel number. Guide still needs a true Keyword Search system, where the keyboard no matter what box you have can search for descriptive keywords as its default.

Jack

16:9 HD UI is coming, but only for those with the latest Cisco and Samsung boxes. Those with a SA 8300 or 8240 box will never get it due to a limitation in the graphics processor. SA HD boxes cannot render HD graphics, but the new Cisco and Samsungs can.

The Keyboard needs a speed boost on the legacy boxes. About an hour ago, stacked commands got stuck and needed about 30 seconds to work out. I am not looking for the speed of a new Cisco or Samsung, but the speed of the keyboard on ODN 5.1.04 before the upgrade. Interestingly enough the Time Grid, Find Channels, and other screens work fast with no problems at all. (At least by SA-8300HDC standards.)

Jack