Official SA 8000HD DVR Users Thread

[mhz40]

Originally posted by Engineer
dicktwi makes a good point about the SD channels, I have the SA box set to deliver the signal to my TV in whatever resolution the Time Warner gives it to me.

With the delivery of the SA-DVR, we will need to start being more specific on box types...  Since the original SA only put out 1080i, the rest of your comments indicate you have a DVR.   A few in the group (or lurkers) may not know this and wonder how they can get native formats out of their older SA set tops... the answer is you can't.
I too notice more distortion on the DVR's (in general) when viewing analog channels.  IMO, it's due to the mpeg encoder the set top.  Maybe soon there won't be a need for an analog tuner... the clock does keep ticking on the fourm home page!

[Bigdog]

Originally posted by summerfun
You don't need the RF output on the box to work, just put a splitter in your cable before it goes to the box. Run one line to your TV cable input for all the analog channels (2-99) and use your cable box for the rest.

Not the way I would do it, but if you want RF for your analog, that is how it can be done.

I did that before with the Pioneer box since it didn't have an RF out, that is how I showed them the box added grainyness. Actaully I do have an 8 way that feeds all the outlets with 2 free outputs on it so I could just run a new coax from that to the RPTV screen in the other room.

How would yo do it to get clear(er) analog channels?

[Bigdog]

Originally posted by mhz40
With the delivery of the SA-DVR, we will need to start being more specific on box types...  Since the original SA only put out 1080i, the rest of your comments indicate you have a DVR.   A few in the group (or lurkers) may not know this and wonder how they can get native formats out of their older SA set tops... the answer is you can't.
I too notice more distortion on the DVR's (in general) when viewing analog channels.  IMO, it's due to the mpeg encoder the set top.  Maybe soon there won't be a need for an analog tuner... the clock does keep ticking on the fourm home page!

With my HD DVR the analog is TERRIBLE.  We've had TWC out here a few times their "AV" guy came out with a supervisor the other day.  They found some problems with the hardline so called in Network Performance who also confirmed it and has put in an order for it to be replaced. In the meantime the put an amp in the pedestal which they said would help until then. It has done nothing (other than blowing up 3 times since Friday and causing them to come out and replace it) for the picture. We still get crappy analog channels and tiling and blocking and sound distortion (sounds like stuttering) on the digital ones.

[Andrew Grall]

Does this unit have a HDMI output?  Or will I need to get a DVI-HDMI cable?  My new JVC HD-61Z85 is due to arrive around 9/20!  

[borghe]

neither. it has DVI out but isn't turned on. Component is your only option right now..

[Andrew Grall]

Originally posted by borghe
neither. it has DVI out but isn't turned on. Component is your only option right now..

That sucks...

Is the HD-DVR worth it at this point?  Or should I just get the HD converter for now?  Does their regular HD converter do DVI or HDMI?

[borghe]

their regular converter will do DVI. You'll need an HDMI converter.

As for the HD-DVR being worth it, to me being able to record HD at all is worth it.. even less than perfect HD or HD with glitches. That being said I have an HD Tivo and not a TWC DVR so I can't say anything about the problems with the box. I just imagine if I had to make a choice between recording HD with bugs and not recording it at all, I would probably record it with bugs.

[mhz40]

Originally posted by borghe
their regular converter will do DVI. You'll need an HDMI converter.

As for the HD-DVR being worth it, to me being able to record HD at all is worth it.. even less than perfect HD or HD with glitches. That being said I have an HD Tivo and not a TWC DVR so I can't say anything about the problems with the box. I just imagine if I had to make a choice between recording HD with bugs and not recording it at all, I would probably record it with bugs.

FYI-
DVI is enabled only on the Pioneer HD set top.

Cheers...
MHz40

[gparris]

Guess I will take it to no HD recording, either...just wish I could get WB18 in HD and record THAT, but that is another thread.
I still get dropouts and digital "tearing", like a rip in the picture on HD sources-only, for now.
It may be the signal strength of my cabling, but now I just have an analogue TV in the guest room along with 2 HD DVRs, one in the Master suite, and of course the Media/Family room along with RR for a total of 4 outlets that are used...this is considered normal.
Fewer boxes, so I maybe when I add Digital Phone for the main line, soon, they will rebalance the whole system for me.
Hopefully, when they do that, I won't have to reset the HD DVRs and beg for my HD Pkg back like last time...:confused:
I will be doing a full report on adding this new service and how it affects the HD DVRs when I have it installed...believe me.
A CSR at TWC said they should have waited for the last programming tap on our boxes by waiting for releasing them after the "upgrade" we got. Then all I would have had to do is fight with the HD DVR one less time!:bang:

[Mike Sura]

I had the digital phone installed and the line "balanced". It didn't change the quality of the picture at all. Still have audip dropouts, poor analog picture, etc. I did try to set the box to 480i only and turned off the stretch on the TW box so I could use my Toshiba's stretch modes. The Toshiba could not stretch the picture. The only time it can't stretch a picture is when the signal is 1080i. Is the TW box taking the analog signal, converting it to digital and upconverting it? Is this why the picture quality so bad?

[Bigdog]

They are still working on getting my picture quality better too. We have all those problems as well; grainyness, audio drop outs, blocking, etc..  They claim the analog channels are spec'd for a 13" black and white tv (this is what a TW tech told me) and will always be grainy on a tv..  How is that digital phone working out?  I would be too afraid to get it with their present quality level. I could just see trying to call 911 and the phone is out...:bang:

[gparris]

Originally posted by Mike Sura
I had the digital phone installed and the line "balanced". It didn't change the quality of the picture at all. Still have audip dropouts, poor analog picture, etc.

What I wanted to know is did they mess up your box settings back to SD and mess with the format preferences OR have you fight to keep your HD pkg like when we first got the boxes?
If you have RR, did they mess with your setup, too?

[Mike Sura]

I have had no problems with the Digital Phone service other than one phone that does not always get the caller ID. Other phones work OK, so something is different but not sure what. I do have RR. They tell you several times that without power your phones will not work. Because they are switching your phone service, they record your answers that you want this done etc and they also ask if you understand that without power the phone won't work so they can record that also. Then they showed up with a new cable phone modem with built in rechargable battery backup that is good for up to 20hrs. By chance, a squirrel get into a box and we lost all power, phone worked fine while the power was out. The biggest complaint about the install is they delete your RR account and ALL email accounts. They switch all this to a different service or server, not sure exactly. They added a '2' to my RR login with a new password. I call to TW and they rebuilt everything in just a couple of minutes. I don't know who was responsible for taking care of this. Hopefully they learned from this. I had no new problems with the HD DVR box from adding the phone service. All my settings stayed the same etc. Now we won't talk about when I brought the old box back after installing the DVR box.

[borghe]

well, at a buddy's house for part of the game today and hit my first major annoyance with the box.. whenever we would rewind part of the game and then catch up to live, the picture/sound would always pause for a split second and then continue, then pause, etc.. it was almost like the signal was breaking up. changing the channel would get rid of it but we could pretty much make it happen on demand.. rewind and fast fwd a couple times and the picture would stutter.

it was my goddaughter's first birthday and the game was on.. NOT a good first impression for the DVR.. everyone was kind of prodding it with jokes.. unfortunately I knew exactly how my buddy felt having been through this before (old location fox 6).

[Andrew Grall]

I asked at the TW kiosk at Mayfair, and the person there told me that the DVI works on the HD-DVR, but it isn't officially supported.

True?  Or BS?