TWC HD-DVR Patch Yet?

[Onanboy]

I posted last month about the video/audio problems I was having with my HD-DVR box from TWC and in the end I (think) that I found that the issue was with the software in the box.  Supposedly TW was going to apply some kind of patch remotely in the near future.

I am still having these annoying problems on my HD channels and wondered if anyone knew for a fact that the patch had or had not been applied yet.

My Wife made me turn "Medium" to the analog channel because she was getting tired of the pixelation and dropouts.  This sucks!

Onanboy

[Mark Strube]

Is the pixelization during live playback or recording only? If it does the same thing during live playback it could be due to a weak signal. HD signals are quite touchy.

[Onanboy]

It will be during both but much more during live shows.

I have had the service guys out and they swear I have great signal strength.  They have replaced almost every wire from the cable box on the outside of my house, on in.  

I was told that the problem was with the HD box but was also told that they would not be informing me of when the software fix was applied.  I am still having the problem yet I read that others have rock solid picture and sound using the HD-DVR box like I have.

So I was just wondering if anybody knew if the "patch" had already been deployed and this therefore was as good as it was gonna get.

BTW, I tried the trick of pausing the show for a few seconds, I guess thereby buffering the feed, but it doesn't really work for me.


Onanboy

[Mark Strube]

I haven't had any issues for quite awhile now. There was a patch maybe a month ago or longer that took care of almost all the issues the HD-DVR was having. It can have issues if it's playing a live show off the hard drive. Such as hitting the live button... that can cause issues. You're better off watching a show fully recorded or tuning into a channel so it starts a fresh recording, so you're watching the "true" live signal. If that still doesn't fix your issues I'd try a different box, I guess. If even that doesn't help it's got to be the signal.

[summerfun]

I get pixilation sometimes on both live and recorded. I have just learned to live with it. I assume things will get better with new patches and upgrades to equipment in the field. I'm sure my signal and box are just fine.

It is much much better than it was just six or nine months ago. It used to be so bad, I would have to change the channel and watch the SD, but now it is only occasionally and just a little annoying. I haven't changed anything and things are getting better.

[mhz40]

I know of no hard timetable for the release of the next patch.  The previous one did help somewhat, but the problem is not fully resolved yet.  I sometimes find relief by pausing the 'live' feed for 4-5 seconds while viewing 'live' events.  For me, it generally will act up only when doing heavy channel changing while recording an HD event.

[jerbear]

I just got my HD DVR about 2 weeks and I have the dropouts only on 504
I have a amp installed. I wonder if I get to much signal? It is worst when it gets real cold out side. Next time when it is bad I am going to disconnect the amp and see what happens. Will let you know.
Jerbear

[summerfun]

I find the most pixilation under heavy use like recording two HD channels and watching the buffer all at once.

For example, I will be recording Channel 505 and Channel 512 and be watching Channel 512 in the buffer to skip commercials, pause and replay. That is a lot for one hard drive to be doing all at the same time.

[Mark Strube]

That is a lot for one hard drive to be doing all at the same time.

Not really... it's the processor and ineficcient programming that slows things up. I've done a lot more than that with my computer hard drive which is also 5400rpm. (Such as playing uncompressed video.) In the case of the DVR, it's all about the processor and firmware... that is unless the hard drive crashes.  :Smash:

[summerfun]

What ever it is, I'm sure it will get better with time. We are in a pretty new technology here with a very small number of customers as a percentage. As the technology grows and the number of users grow, it will all get better.