Official SA 8000HD DVR Users Thread

[Millmann]

I have had the SA 8000 for a couple of months now and have been dealing with a reception problem that I thought was just due to the boxes being up to speed, yet (software-wise), but I talked to some co-workers who aren't having problems like me.

While watching HD channels, I get audio drop-outs and/or pixelation all of the time, sometimes lasting for a minute at a time and sometimes happening several times an hour.:bang:

Currently I split the cable in the basement through an amplifier which sends it to my SA 8000 and my other non-HD sets. One of my coworkers said the amplifier may be causing the problem and another said I probably need better cables. Of the normal cables you get from the store, I have the better of those, but I have heard there is a new cable that is best for HD.

Any suggestions on what is causing my problems? Or is TW?

Any help would be appreciated.

[mhz40]

Call for a free service call.  You don't have the required tools or test equipment to handle this effectively... and no one here; myself included, can provide decent advise without knowing certain details.

[oz]

Originally posted by Millmann
While watching HD channels, I get audio drop-outs and/or pixelation all of the time, sometimes lasting for a minute at a time and sometimes happening several times an hour.:bang:

Call the TWC service number and let the automated system do a reset of your system. I had similar problems until I did that.

[Mark Strube]

Could be too many splits, could be the amplifier, could be a bad signal in your area, could be bad in-house cables, box could need a reset.. so many possibilities... like they said, it's best to call TWC.

[zoothorn]

I've read the last 10 pages of this thread and haven't seen any mention of my problem. Anyone else experience this and how did you resolve it?

I've just had my third occurance of the SA8000 getting totally tangled up in it's shorts. The only way out is to boot it and when it comes back, all the shows on the hard drive are gone.

First two times it showed up when I hit the "List". I message popped up that there may be a problem with the hard drive and offerring me the chance to A Retry or B Restart.

Retrying did nothing, restart did nothing. Calls to the service center resulted in me pulling the plug on it and when they got it back up the shows were all gone.

After the second time the rep on the phone told me to take the box back for a swap. I brought back a new box two weeks ago and it just happened tonight.

No one else running in to something like this? I thought the first box was just bad but if it's going to happen on this one too...

[Mark Strube]

Strange that it would happen again with a different box. Anything near the box?

[mhz40]

Just plain bad luck.  The biggest item that fails is the hard drive.  Sounds like you have had a second one going south.  I've been through two HD and two SD DVR's so far.  Three issues were bad drives... the fourth was a bad tuner.

[Mrtanner]

Originally posted by zoothorn
Anyone else experience this and how did you resolve it?

I've just had my third occurance of the SA8000 getting totally tangled up in it's shorts. The only way out is to boot it and when it comes back, all the shows on the hard drive are gone.

First two times it showed up when I hit the "List". I message popped up that there may be a problem with the hard drive and offerring me the chance to A Retry or B Restart.

Retrying did nothing, restart did nothing. Calls to the service center resulted in me pulling the plug on it and when they got it back up the shows were all gone.  

I get this a couple of time per week.  I have to hard boot (pull the plug) and it comes back fine.  I don't lose the programs I've recorded.

[zoothorn]

Thanks for the info. Glad to hear I'm not the only one (well, not glad for your sake!).

This last time they had me pull the plug then go on hold while they did something and when I plugged it back in everything was back. No lost shows.

The CSR said it was a known problem that they were working with SA on. Hope they come up with something. I still wouldn't give up the DVR though!!

[Wildfyre]

There is a problem with your Hard drive.

Got first one and it lasted about two weeks working fine.  The first time I got this, they sent someone out and he replaced the box.

The second box worked for exactly 1 day.  Another tech came out and looked at the box - and then he replaced the cable that was going from the wall to the DVR, saying that it was satellite coax, and that is different than cable coax.   He mentioned something interesting though - the problem with your hard drive is a generic error message - it will say that if ANYTHING is wrong with the unit.

The problem was gone for about a week and a half, and now the problem is back again.  I'm taking my box in today and swapping it out.  

I wonder if this problem could be heat related - I notice there doesnt seem to be a fan in the unit for cooling the hard drive.

Mine works the same way - you can unplug it and it will work again for a time - it does not lose the shows.  

Last night it locked up during the Packer game, which is why it's getting swapped today.

[Mark Strube]

Really strange... I've had mine for over 3 months and no issues. (Except for the normal audio/video glitches which barely show up anymore thanks to the firmware update) I guess it's just the luck of the draw!

[Boomalicious]

Earlier, I posted what follows as a new thread by error.  I meant to post it here.  My apologies.

Pushing the CH+ and the VOL- on the SA8000HD (on the box, not the remote) is supposed to switch the box from HD mode to SD mode, based on what I have read.  When I try to do it, all that changes is the channel or the volume, depending on which of the two buttons I hit first.  Can anyone offer any help on changing over to SD mode so that I can copy recorded programs to my Panasonic DVD/HDD recorder?

[Mark Strube]

I've never had any problems with this. Usually I hit the CH+ button for about a second, and then VOL- very quickly and then let both buttons go. Never fails.

[Mark Strube]

I heard in a couple forums that they've started deploying the SA 8300HD  models in some markets... it has cleaner HD output, faster processor, it's always outputting HD & SD (S-video, component, etc always active), 2 non-active firewire ports, 1 non-active SATA port, no word on DVI.

Any ideas when our area will start seeing these?

[tjjws]

Sure hope it's soon.  I'll be swapping my 3rd 8000  :Smash:  due to the hard disk problem.  I get the feeling they're just recycling them instead of giving out new ones.  

I did find out though, that if I don't turn it off, it'll continue running without giving me the error.  I've had it running that way for the last few days as we catch up on watching the stuff we've recorded.

Tim