TWC Navigator/Box Updates

[Jack 1000]

Had an update last night, I now have the new DVR menu. Seems like a lot more clicks to do things, such as deleting a show or just getting program information. The series manager doesn't give an option to record at a specific time, at least not for previously set up series. It appears you have to delete and reschedule the series if you want to change the recording time.

Also, hitting the B button from the DVR menu used to bring up other showings of the program, it doesn't do that anymore, it just goes to the top of the search page.

One reason I am holding on to the SA-8300HDC.  As old as it is, TWC needs an update where the show starts on the show being watched or selected in the grid.  Does the new update force you back to Title Search every time unless you change it?  This is what I heard.  Three clicks are needed to do the same things that you could do in one click.

I still think the best update is to keep it simple so that the keyword search, you type in anything, Title,  Topic, or Person, and it finds it using the old keyboard system.  The only thing I guess that would appeal to me about the update at this time, is the true HD 16x9 guide.

Jack

[grenier]

Does the new update force you back to Title Search every time unless you change it?  

Honestly, I've never done a search other then by title, so I don't know.

[gparris]

There was a new update done to the 500GB TWC DVR  boxes a few days ago. Now the recorded and scheduled and options are on the top when you hit the list  button on the remote with different graphics. Additionally, the info button on a specific show will come up with a picture of the show being played or recorded, a nice feature.
I don't know if any other cable boxes show this, but the newer cable boxes are showing this now.

[Jack 1000]

A poster at AVS had a huge rant about the "update" here,

I know that the "B" search no longer starts on the show being watched or viewed, but are the other things as bad as this, or is there something wrong with his box or signal?  I had suggested a cold reboot to get the blue info bar back:

Jack

No "B" search from show description in guide, or show being watched or show in guide, or list,  anything. Always damned sluggish keyboard for search..  That is huge step back.  Cannot turn off search putting up results for every single letter you "type".. so if you have a 14 letter  title, it is going to search 14 times before you are done. That takes time, and it interferes with input process. Totally idiotic interface.

No  "previously watched"  option from list.   If you were watching something far down on list, then go to live TV..  You have to sit there and wait for sluggish list to make it's way down to whatever program you were watching.  That is a huge step backwards, especially since if you go past half-way down list, it seems like it is drawing the entire page again for every click down.  It is another terrible interface design decision. What if you have 10 programs that is 20 folders down on list? You have to navigate all the way down the list, then open a folder, thjen navigate down another long list, just to get to what you were just watching.  There should be a section right on top "previously watched", with a list of things, from newest to oldest, that you just watched. Getting rid of that was plain stupid.

No dates of movies or programs in list descriptions anywhere.  The date in which the thing was made, or released,  not date recorded. Why? Who knows, but that is a big WTFTWC? moment when realized.  Go to guide, the date is there, go to list, the date magically disappears.  Have 10 James Bond flicks you want to watch in order?  Good luck.. You might as well go research on the net because Navigator doesn't think that info is important enough for you to see in the list.  Nope, it scrubs it, or hides it.

Also why the heck is the folder view not an option that can be turned off? There is very little info on that first page which means you have to go down another level deeper into the sluggish interface to get any info.  Why not give us choice to use folders or not?  You could do that on a PC in 1994.  it's a simple list. Let me decide how to display the damned thing.

While fast forwarding/ pausing/ rewinding/ playing, even when DVR compensation is turned completely off, the DVR constantly jumps ahead by 2 or 3 minutes while you are trying to rewind for a few seconds, or pause, then play, or any time really. All of the sudden you are 2 minutes past where you were for absolutely no reason at all. That happens constantly.

Shows constantly not recording with no record at all it didn't record or was ever supposed to record in the "options", then three clicks down to "recording log/conflicts" section.

Constantly not recording shows, then in the recording log it says "channel not available"..  even though channel is available.  Every time that happens and I am watching TV at the time, the channel is definitely there and available, Navigator is just broken.

Constantly not making a buffer on a channel if one other show is recording.  Why? You could have 1 hour buffer in 1998!  WTF.  No rhyme or reason to when it won't buffer a program sometimes.

Why is there no conflict resolution section?  There is a section called "recording log", and under that it says record log and list of conflicts..  BTW this is literally 8 layers deep.  Count the button presses needed to get there.  I count 8 button presses to get there. Ridiculous in itself, but then when you do finally get there, there is only a recording log, but no way to mange any current recording conflicts.  Why did they get rid of recording conflict screen?  How is that a good idea?  Why does it take 8 button presses to get anywhere in this gui? Things shouldn't be buried that deep, there is no reason for it.

Constantly the progress bar is just plain gone. Go to rewind, and there is no blue  bar, no marker for where you are in the show, nothing..  Just a big black empty banner.  Great work TWC.

That's just scratching surface of poor design, performance going backwards.  SARA from 1999 did many things much, much  better.   Navigator is such a joke.  It's in pre-Alpha stage for any serious piece of software.

[grenier]

A poster at AVS had a huge rant about the "update" here,

I know that the "B" search no longer starts on the show being watched or viewed, but are the other things as bad as this, or is there something wrong with his box or signal?  I had suggested a cold reboot to get the blue info bar back:

Jack

He might have something wrong with his box or signal, in regards to shows not recording. Other then that, they are pretty spot on with the rant.

I'm moving in a few months and probably won't be going with TWC.

[grenier]

My box rebooted last night, I don't see anything new.

The search really stinks. I did a search for a particular show that I know airs frequently and the search results only showed three occurrences of the show. I checked the channel guide and there it was, at least three totally different episodes from the search results.

[Jack 1000]

My box rebooted last night, I don't see anything new.

The search really stinks. I did a search for a particular show that I know airs frequently and the search results only showed three occurrences of the show. I checked the channel guide and there it was, at least three totally different episodes from the search results.

My box has rebooted the last two nights between I think 1-3am.  Probably a prep for a new feature or software patch.  I still have the SA-8300HC.  Considering what I have heard about the new search, I never thought I would say this, but it seems the old one was better.  In the sense of being easier to use.

I would like to see the HD guide, but that appears to be the only visible improvement.

Satch

[Talos4]

My SA 8300 HDC was still rebooting at 5:15 this morning. I didn't have time to see what if anything was updated or added.

[grenier]

My box has rebooted the last two nights between I think 1-3am.  Probably a prep for a new feature or software patch.  I still have the SA-8300HC.  Considering what I have heard about the new search, I never thought I would say this, but it seems the old one was better.  In the sense of being easier to use.

My box rebooted two night in a row also.

I don't care for the new search. I also liked it when the B button brought up other instances of the currently viewed program.

[grenier]

Since the last reboot, my box has been sluggish at times. Pressing the B button doesn't bring up the search, pressing the Guide button sometimes works.

How can the search be unavailable? They really screwed something up.

[gparris]

I have the home system and the grid is stuck. You hit the guide button and nothing works and you cannot get out of it. Rebooting does not work. This is awful. The remote cannot get you out of it. WTF?
Now it started working at least on one DVR. Are TWC's programmers working late to fix that B button? You still cannot do a search for anything yet. You are all correct - the old program let you use the B button to show repeat and future shows  -but no more.

[grenier]

Is the Search function totally not working for you too? I press the B button and there's a delay of maybe twenty seconds before the unavailable message pops up.

I noticed the cover art for recorded shows isn't there anymore either.

I'm relieved to know it's not just me having these issues.

I've been in contact with someone at the TWC Direct forums. He sent an update to my box, it rebooted and the search still doesn't work. His suggestion? Take the box in and swap it out. I don't think it's the box, the problem didn't start until one of the reboots overnight. I'm hoping it'll resolve itself, like the hard drive space issue awhile back.

Update:

How about that, the Search started working again this afternoon. I'll never understand why TWC is so hesitant to admit there might be an issue on their end and that the first thing they always suggest is swapping out the box. Is it ever a box issue?

Back when I was having signal issues, if I would have listened to every tech that came here, I would have gone through six boxes, none of which would have resolved my problem. Six different techs, that's how many it took before a competent one came and figured out my problem.

[grenier]

I give up, it's not working this morning. :bang:

[gparris]

Not working either.  I wonder how bad it's going to be once Charter gets us.

[Jack 1000]

Not working either.  I wonder how bad it's going to be once Charter gets us.

Wouldn't worry about something that's not going to happen, if at all, for another five years.  Just names on the buildings, bills, and trucks, and the guide logo will be the only changes you will see.  The buy-out could be easily shut down.

Did you call in to report the search issue?  No problems with the legacy SA-8300HDC here.  What happens when you try a search?  

Jack