TWC Navigator/Box Updates

[Jack 1000]

I didn't get an email, but got an automated call.  Just got installed last week - Cisco 8742HDC.  So is this update basically just a color change of the guide?

I understand that customers generally will only notice a color change.  However, some of the menus have changed to allow for the better organization of listings and categories.  For the most part, the screens and features that you have now will not change that much.

What is changing is A TON of buggy software code has been fixed with this upgrade that will make the guide faster and more reliable.  A new development team was brought in to fix bugs, because the old code was such a mess.

New features will come out next year.  But TWC wants to get the bugs out of the guide, and make sure that the boxes are all working at an above average to good level, first.  Kevbeck, you have the newest box, so that's cool!

Jack

[Jack 1000]

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

[grenier]

But TWC wants to get the bugs out of the guide, and make sure that the boxes are all working at an above average to good level, first.  Kevbeck, you have the newest box, so that's cool!

It sure would be nice if my box would go back to accurately showing the percentage used/free on the DVR.

Yet another thing that worked fine before the last update. The updates seem to cause more problem then they resolve.

[Jack 1000]

Cable-New Guide/Box Upgrade Tuesday Night-Wednesday Morning

UPGRADE TIME WILL BE 12AM-6AM

[/B][/U]

•   The new updated guide system will be installed on the cable boxes between 12am-6am (approx.) in the early morning of June 27, 2012.  

•   The upgrade is expected to be between 45-90 minutes.

•   The box will reboot 2-3 times at various points during the 12am-6am converter upgrade.

•   For best results, No recordings of shows or series should be scheduled and the boxes should not be used during this time.

•   During each part of the upgrade process, a series of letters and numbers will count down on the box where the clock usually shows.  This will happen two to three times between 12-6am.

•   Best to just leave the TV and everything off until after 6:00am when the upgrade should be completed. (You should see the clock showing on the box at that time.)

Jack

[PONIES]

Well, as I suspected, Time Warner Cable has just finished rolling out their illegal, FCC regulation violating update to this market.

This update causes the Firewire port on the Samsung boxes to no longer function correctly. When attempting to connect with an iLink device the DVR now reboots as soon as the power button is pressed. When the device is connected after the fact, the Firewire appears green but outputs no data.

I highly recommend that everyone contact Time Warner Cable about this immediately. There are many ways to contact them here. If they do not resolve this immediately then an FCC complaint filing may be necessary.

They are required by law to ensure that the Firewire port on their boxes is fully functional. This is a blatant violation of section 47 C.F.R. 76.640(b)(4) in CS Docket 97-80 of the FCC's regulations.

[Jack 1000]

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

[PONIES]

Having functionality that was working fine before the update now broken IS intolerable.

[Jack 1000]

Having functionality that was working fine before the update now broken IS intolerable.

Sup Ponies?

So what you are saying is that this new guide breaks compatablity with the E-SATA firmware?

Jack

[PONIES]

No - they updated the drivers for the IEEE 1394 ports with this update to the box's software.

Previously they functioned correctly. Now the box reboots every time a Firewire connection is established with another device.

[Jack 1000]

New Guide on the SA-8300HDC

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

[Jack 1000]

New Guide on the SA-8300HDC

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

Update on the above issue,

The amount of "Loading Data" "Please Wait" issues is directly proportional to the number of listings that the system is looking for when words are keyed into the keyboard.  Try this:

1.) Press The "B" button on the new guide. Start to Type "Emeril" and his shows are seen on the right-hand side in a few seconds.

2.) Now do another "B" search for MLB Baseball.  It takes about 30-40 seconds for the "MLB" to come on the screen, because there are about 30 some baseball games "Tiered" under the MLB sports title.  Cisco's and Samsung owners.  Time this.  Now try it on an SA box.  It takes ever to load up the baseball listings.  On the old guide, this went much faster and needs to be corrected.  (It was not this slow on the older guide, but only SEEMS to be slow when there are tons of listings associated with the title or show search.

More Observations:

The "Find Channels" (Formerly Access) has some redundant information.  If you go to Search by Network, A-Z, you will just get a listing of alphabetical names of networks.  If you go to Search by Title in the horizontal menu while in the 'Find Channels menu, it does NOT bring up the keyboard on my SA-8300HDC, but simply shows the same list of information as "Search by Network." (A-Z)

It seems you have to go to the B button to get the traditional Keyboard, and than hit B again for the traditional Category Search.

The Help Menu in our division is a quick access to some of the How To Channels, but some information appears to be incomplete.

Jack

[cnjbucks]

Now that the update is out, can anyone tell me if the guide is full screen now?   I used to have a Samsung box, and with that box the guide was always full screen.   That box died, and I was given a SciAtl box because I was told the Samsung boxes are only available to whole home dvr customers.   On the SciAtl boxes I have, the guide is never full screen.

A friend of mine had a chat session with a TW rep, and he says that the guide should be full screen now.  The rep thinks it might be something in our area, we both live about 10 minutes away in Waukesha.

Thanks everyone.

[Jack 1000]

Now that the update is out, can anyone tell me if the guide is full screen now?   I used to have a Samsung box, and with that box the guide was always full screen.   That box died, and I was given a SciAtl box because I was told the Samsung boxes are only available to whole home dvr customers.   On the SciAtl boxes I have, the guide is never full screen.

A friend of mine had a chat session with a TW rep, and he says that the guide should be full screen now.  The rep thinks it might be something in our area, we both live about 10 minutes away in Waukesha.

Thanks everyone.

The Samsung boxes are "stretched 4x3" to a full screen.  The SA's and Cisco's are 4x3.  A true 16x9 guide screen in HD is being developed for the new guide, BUT it will only be released for the Samsungs and Cisco's when ready.  The SA boxes, which are legacy, can't do an HD Guide, because of hardware limitations.

Jack

[Jack 1000]

Two Issues on the SA-8300HDC (Negatives)

1.) Between 20-30 seconds of lag time in show listings with multiple games in the Title. (Searches on Keyboard for MLB Baseball.) Everything is slowed down and stalled with this type of keyboard search, including Page+/Page-

2.) Time Grid date change does not change when doing the Day+ or Day #+ Forward Tip. The data changes but not the day.

#1 is such a negative, it reduces the box to the slowness of the old Pioneer model. TWC needs to push a software update patch, or update its servers to handle faster guide data transfers. If they could get the data to come up in as little as 10 seconds and not 25 for the multiple sports listings, I'd be happy.

Positives:

1.) Fast Time Grid
2.) Fast Guide Filter
3. Beautiful Color Scheme
4.) No recording or playback issues.

I reported the Keyboard slowness to our local division. If you are having a problem with your Keyboard being slow or not working well on the new guide, please give your box make and model number and report it through your division's website, AND through the TWC feedback form here:

http://www.timewarnercable.com/northeast/learn/cable/guide/feedback.html

Close out of the nag screen and enter your feedback, than click submit. Thanks! Oh, if you have slowness with your keyboard on the new guide, use the Contact Us here form for our local Wisconsin division as well:

https://www.timewarnercable.com/Midwest/about/contactus.ashx  (Scroll Down to E-mail Us) Select the Feedback option for your inquiry.

I would recommend the e-mail option. The chat is just scripted talk and if you call, they will want to swap out the box, and there is no guarantee that you are going to get a newer box, or that a box swap is going to solve the problem.  E-Mail them about the slowness of the Keyboard if you have a box that is doing this.  WHEN YOU E-MAIL TWC, SPECIFICALLY REQUEST THAT THE ISSUE WITH THE SLOW KEYBOARD SEARCH BE FORWARDED TO THE ON-SCREEN GUIDE ENGINEERING/DEVELOPMENT TEAM.  I cited the example about the slowness and frustration with getting MLB Baseball games to come up on the keyboard and how long it takes.  The more people who cite the issues with the slow keyboard, the more likely this gets resolved sooner, rather than later.

Jack

[ddeerrff]

With the new guide... Looks like 'Tune to Nearest' no longer works in the guide. On the old one, I could punch in (for example) 225, and if channel 225 did not exist the guide would scroll to 226 (or whatever was nearest and active). Now it instead goes to "1" if the channel does not exist.

Edit:
After playing with it a bit more.... I've got the guide customized by setting it to show 'Favorites'. If I ask for a channel that actually does not exist, it jumps properly to 'nearest'. If I ask for a channel that exists, but is hidden from the guide (by not being set as a favorite), then it jumps to channel 1.