Time Warner Cable Navigator - Page 570

I have never gotten a DVR with existing recordings or settings, so either I have been lucky or they do "refurb" them at least a little bit.

I have heard horror stories about people picking up their own equipment and getting dead modems. When they delivered one of my 8742's, it took 3 tries to get one that booted. So, somehow 2 dead ones got on the service truck.

They do a sort of "factory restore" before sending them back out. Any unit you get from a center should come set at default settings with a clear drive.

They are supposed to do a reset but sometimes a unit slips thru the system. I took a 8300hd to local office because the box displayed a message that the hard failed. I received a refurbed unit in exchange. It was almost full of Jerry Springer shows plus dozens of series record schedules of similar garbage.

Oh, I'm sure it happens when you look at the caliber of the desk help at some centers. Units are bound to slip through. I've gotten a defective unit before too.

The funniest DVR story,

 

Was someone once got a box, and as most of you know, until it gets authorized to your network, you might have all the premium channels for a couple of days.  The Adult Porn/PPV is supposed to be locked out.  Well, one customer got a box and all the Adult stuff, (Spice, Playboy) was open for about a week!  For some reason the lockout was not working with the network, or the previous customer had Adult Services, and the drive had not been reformatted.  Things do slip through.

 

Another story-I know one customer that had Advanced Search filters on his box.  Previous sub was a Signature Home Sub and it stayed that way until the box was authorized.  The boxes are authorizing faster with the networks than in the past.

 

Jack

Edited by Satch Man - 9/6/12 at 7:46pm

Well,

 

I know that there is a version recall plan that has been if effect for Navigator since ODN version 4 or version 4.5. (Florence)

 

I know this because ODN version 5 (Garden) had released 5.1.04 and 5.1.06 here in Milwaukee.  (We went from that version to the next one.)  and version 5.1.06 had issues with data freezes and the clock display sometimes not holding or changing to the channel at unexpected times.  Milwaukee did a roll back to 5.1.04 from 5.1.06 and we stayed on 5.1.04 until the new Black Guide roll-out of ODN 5.2.07. (We were I think the first Midwest market to get the new version)  Than a month or so ago we got the ODN 5.2.09 update and it has been very good.

 

So I think that divisions could do roll-backs to add patches IF they wanted to, (most I suspect don't want to,or  know how to do it.  (Some may not be informed.)  I was SHOCKED when we got a rollback, and I thought it was a good thing because of ODN 5.1.06's problems.  Milwaukee's TWC engineers saw that ODN 5.1.06 sucked, and did a roll-back until ODN 5.2.07 was ready.

 

For ODN, people are either on ODN 5.1.06, ODN 5.1.07, ODN 5.2.07 (new guide with slow ass keyboard) or ODN 5.2.09 (new guide with fast keyboard and faster navigation.)

 

How's MDN 3.2.5 doing?  The new black guide on the non-C and non-Samsung boxes.  MDN is best on the SA-8240 and SA-8300. (very fast)  DVR's lower than that=too slow.  MDN on a non-DVR legacy box? (No C) =POS way too slow, can't handle the upgrade.

 

ODN 5.2.09 is pretty fast in my division, even on the SA-8300HDC.

 

Jack

I'm sorry, acronym alert: what is BHN?

Don't be, I don't know either. There seems to be a lot of these mystery names going around lately with the assumption that everyone has one and knows with they are.

Maybe this?;
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1337412/briteview-bv-980h-zinwell-zat-980h-thread

.
Edited by videobruce - 9/7/12 at 6:29am

Anyone?

Brighthouse Networks. The cable company that serves parts of Florida, Indy, Birmingham, AL, Bakersfield, CA and a few other areas. These areas used to be served by a partnership between Time Warner and Advance Publications, about 10 years ago Advance Publications took full control of those areas and Brighthouse was born.

While Time Warner Cable and Advance are two totally separate companies, the two still share a lot. Contract negotiations with programming providers for both cable companies are handled by TW, both run the Navigator firmware and use the same boxes, until recently, both used the Road Runner name as branding for their broadband services. Their smartphone apps are built from the same code, their websites have a similar look, their Online Account Management aka My Services is the same, Time Warner has ‘Time Warner Media Solutions’, Brighthouse has ‘Brighthouse Media Strategies’, both are working on neighborhood wifi for subscribers. The list goes on and on of the similarities. Essentially the two providers are still one company, except on paper.

http://www.brighthouse.com/

The Tech that came out did confirm that the DVR's now have to be from the same manufacturer. Right Now I have to deal with the issues until we can get some of the programming off of the Samsung box so it can be replaced.

He also said they where having compression issues at one of the hub sites which is causing the breakup's.

Mike,

 

You should try to get a credit after you get those boxes for your issues once the new boxes are installed on your network.  Let us know when they are coming out again to install them.

 

Jack

Hi Bruce,

 

The most important element of the box versions is the software version,  A little terms clarification:

 

Here are the acronyms and their meanings for some of the technology:

 

BHN: Brighthouse Networks

 

TWC: Time Warner Cable

 

Different companies with the same software availability options, the same types of services, the same or similar contract deals.

 

STB: Set Top Box

 

ODN: Open Developer Network:  The brand of software that runs on modern cable boxes for the TWC/BHN guide.  The software that supports legacy cable cards, mandated by the FCC to be in all cable boxes as of July 1, 2007.  ODN runs off of the Java Software platform and is known for sometimes slowing the boxes down.  ODN provides two-way integration for the STB.  The most recent version of our TWC guide for ODN is 5.2.09. All C Model SA boxes, Ciscos, and new Motrollas run this platform.

 

MDN: Mystro Developer Network: The brand of software for the legacy boxes that do not support two-way interactive devices.  An older platform that does not use Java.  The guide runs faster on these boxes, which are non-C model SA DVR's  the SA-8240 and SA-8300.  Western Digital is an example of a company that makes drive expanders that can increase the storage capacity of the boxes.  DVR boxes like the SA-8000, and the very old SA and Pioneer model non DVR boxes are about a decade out of date and do not run the software well because of the aging hardware.  The most recent software version for MDN is 3.2.5  MDN boxes do not support Whole House DVR services.

 

ODN boxes (newer models) have larger hard drives, but may or may not work with drive expanders.

 

Jack

Gary (BHNTechXpert) has posted in the Orlando, FL - BHN board that the Black Guide is not coming any time soon to BHN.

I'm more than aware of this which is the purpose of my post. The only term I wasn't familiar with was MDN.

Anyway, here is screen shots of the diagnostic pages from the Cisco 8742 DVR that they gave me;



Where is this 5.2 everyone is talking about??

From the right screen in your post, press page up until you get to the page titled "Application Information" (it's page 12 on the 8640... may be a different page on your 8742). Look for the entry that includes "TWC_ODN" followed by a version number... the status for the entry must say "Running" (and in the more recent versions of ODN is also highlighted green), as more than one ODN version can (and often is) loaded on the box. Only one ODN version will be running if more than one is loaded on the box.


Edited by jcalabria - 9/8/12 at 3:33pm

I thought I recalled him saying that a while ago, but I cannot find it now. Do you have a direct link or a post number?

Is the "Black Guide" absolutely 5.2.09?
Sorry to intrude in the TWC thread with BHN questions, but we are basically the same, or at least we are in the same situations. The BHN thread doesn't welcome technical discussions, they only want to talk about new channels and sports.

Here is BHNTechXpert's post #15230:
I asked in a private message to BHNTechXpert:
Is ODN 5.2.09 what we are getting this month?
reply:
We go by letters here for the revisions but technically yes. The exact dates as to when it will roll out this month is still somewhat fluid but expect to start seeing it in your area late in the month.

Go into Mfr. Diags... And you'll see it listed on page 11. It will be the only running process with a TWC_ODN name.

Absolutely disgusting!!!

I went upstairs and turned on the SA 4250 we have as i havent watched Time warner in 2 years or so and wanted to see the response now... (I was quite disgusted when they went to this crap) and i am totally disgusted!!!

THE RESPONSE IS SLOW AS HELL,ETC....... What a piece of garbage!! -- The SA 4250 was just as about as good as my 3250 was when on sara......

I cant believe people accept this trash...... FOR STRANDARD CABLE SARA WAS MORE THAN FINE!!!!!!! (It was the best)

Sup Dude?

 

Navigator has gotten better.  It still has a way to go, but this last update on ODN 5.2.09 is pretty fast, shockingly on my SA-8300 HDC!  Their first release of the Black Guide was ODN 5.2.07 and had a really slow keyboard.

 

It sounds like you are a non-DVR subscriber.  Yea, the SA's for non-DVR are very slow.  Swap your box out for a new Cisco or Samsung.  The new version of Navigator is very good on those modern boxes!

 

Next year we will hopefully be getting more updates.  But the new development team that was brought in to design the new Black Guide wants all the bugs out of Navigator before adding new features.  New features should come out next year.

 

Jack

Considering we just got 5.1 a little over 2 weeks ago, I seriously doubt we'll be seeing 5.2 this month. BHN has never updated and then updated again that quickly in the past. We're usually a good 4 to 6 months or more behind TWC updates. I'd love to be surprised... maybe we needed to get to 5.1 quick before it can update to 5.2, but we probably won't see 5.2 until December at the earliest. Here's hoping I'm wrong. I'm pretty sure BHNTechXpert was referring to the 5.1 rollout since he acknowledged that it was late with the notification since I and others we're already talking about our dvrs being updated with 5.1. Frankly 5.1 is a little buggier than 5.0 was and I'm not sure what if anything was improved with 5.1.

Then what the hell is the line:
"Software Version: OTA 2.0.0.1801" suppose to be??
That's a hell of a place to bury that data.

corrected software #
Edited by videobruce - 9/9/12 at 9:15am

Keep in mind that this particular set of diagnostic information is NOT for the TWC GUI software (aka Navigator, aka ODN). It is for the Cisco hardware and the low and mid level software (collectively called the stack) that supports that hardware. If you are old enough to remember this, it's sort of analogous to the early Windows/DOS days where the GUI (Windows/Navigator) was installed separately and on top of the operating system (DOS/Stack). The Applications page I referred you to is a list of all the higher level TWC applications that are installed/running on top of the Cisco "operating system.

There used to be another set of diagnostics available just for ODN that had the ODN version number right on its first page, but access to this set of diagnostics was removed in ODN 5.2. Loss of that set of diagnostics is not such a big deal... the two major pieces of useful information in the ODN diagnostics were the ODN version number (which is still accessible elsewhere, as you now know), and SDV diagnostic information which most folks wouldn't have a clue how to decipher. The hardware diagnostics are still the most useful, particularly for checking RF levels.
Edited by jcalabria - 9/9/12 at 6:48am

The ODN diags are still available -

Front Panel Sequence: (power can be on or off)
1. Hit [SELECT] + [CH-] momentarily, and release.
2. Wait ~9 seconds until the message indicator flashes
3. Hit [CH-] momentarily (while the message indicator is sill flashing)
4. Notice that DIAG now appears on the front panel display

Remote Sequence: (power can be on or off)
1. Press and hold [Select]
2. Continue to hold while the power indicator is flashing
3. Continue to hold until the message indicator starts flashing, then release
4. Hit the DOWN navigation button (while the message indicator is flashing)
5. Notice that DIAG now appears on the front panel display

Turn power on (if it was off when the above procedures were conducted)

-nony
Edited by nony - 9/9/12 at 9:14am

The front panel sequence you posted does work... thanks!

The remote sequence posted is the well-known method that previously worked but does not any longer since 5.2 was rolled out.
Edited by jcalabria - 9/9/12 at 9:15am

The remote sequence also works - as modified (you just have to keep the select key down for an extended period of time to get to the flashing message indicator state)

Whereas, if you attempted to hit the down navigation key on the remote while the power indicator was flashing in step 2 above, nothing would happen (though the UP navigation key would still bring you to the main diagnostic menu while the power indicator is flashing, which you know.)

-nony
Edited by nony - 9/9/12 at 9:38am

Is "OTA 2.0.0.1801" the O/S? If not, what is it? Are all these DVR's that these MSO's use setup this way? Any time I have "flashed" a device (other than a PC MB), there is only a single set of files, no separate O/S or "app".

When you reboot one of these STB's, does the entire O/S and /or all the app's have to re-load from their head end (server)? The re-boot time seems extremely long for what should be a simple re-boot.
Edited by videobruce - 9/9/12 at 9:23am

Ahhhh... thanks again... missed the extra step.

Still, the ODN diagnostics are of little use to the average user... even just looking for items flagged in red can be misleading/useless.

One interesting (if not particularly useful) item in the 5.2 diagnostics is the newly appearing (but not yet active) "Subscribed Guide Filter" page... hmmmm.

The most useful diagnostics of all for the average user are the hardware diagnostics in the Samsung boxes.
Edited by jcalabria - 9/9/12 at 6:19pm

Thank you very much! I had no idea those Diag screens were still available. I thought they removed them with 5.2, never realized that if you held down Select for a few more seconds after the power light blinked, the mail light will blink and then you can access the Diagnostics.

My box failed to record some programs Saturday night, so I did another hard reboot to fix.