Time Warner - Samsung H3270 having issues

[cdnelson]

While I wait for TWCableHelp to get back to me, I'm wondering if anyone here has any suggestions.

We've been having more and more problems with this box.  It has dropped recordings because of "unresolved conflicts" when non exist.  It has allowed us to schedule "series" recordings, but not even picked up the very episode that we used to start the series recording.

Case in point.  How I Met Your Mother wasn't set to record last night.  So...I deleted the series recordinge.  Rebooted the box, and then reset the series recording...it didn't pick it up.  I could set it manually however.

But...when I did that, the series recording for Dancing With the Stars fell off.  I had to manually set that one too...

So it's happening most often when we have two tapings at the same time.  Even if we're not watching the box, and I've gone ahead and tuned the two channels in question so that the tuners shouldnt' have any conflict!

I'm afraid we're looking at a box swap, which I really don't want to do.  One...we have a few items to catch up on on this box and Two...I have a feeling that we'll get stuck with a box with lower HD capacity.

Any thoughts?

[Jack 1000]

I am going to give you some advanced instructions on how to reformat the box's hard drive.  This option is for advanced users ONLY and should NOT be done unless it is a last resort situation.  However, it has helped people with recording issues:

THE STEPS BELOW WILL ERASE ALL RECORDINGS AND SERIES, AS WELL AS RESET BOX SETTINGS TO FACTORY RESETS.  I got this information from a tech person over at the AVS forums,  Here are the steps if you want to proceed.

Remember, all recordings will be lost and all settings will go back to factory defaults. However, I know of three customers who had box issues and this solved their problem:

If this does not work, a service call may be needed for line and signal checks.  Don't tell the TWC tech you know how to do the steps below.  This is supposed to be an advanced menu.  Sometimes data from the old guide can remain in the system when the new black guide came out.  The steps below will reformat the box:

To Reformat Your DVR

***All Shows will be erased*** All Settings Will Go Back To Factory Defaults***

Use your remote control and:
1. Power off (don't unplug, just push the power button so that it's off)
2. Push A
3. Push B
4. Push C
5. Push SETTINGS
6. Push POWER
That turns it on again. Then
7. Push SETTINGS
8. Navigate to the left once by pushing the left button once (it's the button to the left of the SELECT button)
You should see FIELD TOOLS now.

Select FIELD TOOLS and you'll get a menu that allows you to:
1. Reset NV RAM
2. Reformat Hard Drive
3. Display Diagnostics
4. Reload Catalogs
5. Clear NV RAM
6. Save Settings
7. Restore Settings

Jack

PS.  Hopefully most people won't have to do this too much.  A new software update ODN 6.0 is coming that addresses recording issues and SDV problems.  New York was supposed to get it first, but it is believed that Hurricane Sandy pushed back update schedules.  I will post in the Navigator/Box Update thread when I hear anything by bumping it up concerning updates or new features.

[cdnelson]

Time Warner did get back to me, saying it was a known issue, and mentioniong the software update "sometime in the next 2 weeks".  So we'll see...I hate to lose everything we've got on the box...but if it becomes problematic, I'll keep that info in my back pocket.

Thank you!

[gparris]

Both my 8300HD boxes forget to record, or say they are recording with the red indicator on, even sometimes when I bring up the list it still shows its recording, but then, when I go to play back, nothing is recorded and it gets me very mad.
Then when I try to record two shows at once, it shows a conflict even though there is nothing to conflict and the programming in the box says it has some unknown reason, very odd.
Now, when I reboot the boxes, the conflicts disappear, the recordings actually occur and all is well...for another few days or a week.
I have TWC out before to "fix" the lines and am about to again, possibly swap out the two boxes for 320GB drive ones (my boxes are 9 years old).
-We'll see what happens. If it works and I get more recording space without issues, I'll be happy, even with the $1.05 increase per box being added.

[Jack 1000]

Both my 8300HD boxes forget to record, or say they are recording with the red indicator on, even sometimes when I bring up the list it still shows its recording, but then, when I go to play back, nothing is recorded and it gets me very mad.
Then when I try to record two shows at once, it shows a conflict even though there is nothing to conflict and the programming in the box says it has some unknown reason, very odd.
Now, when I reboot the boxes, the conflicts disappear, the recordings actually occur and all is well...for another few days or a week.
I have TWC out before to "fix" the lines and am about to again, possibly swap out the two boxes for 320GB drive ones (my boxes are 9 years old).
-We'll see what happens. If it works and I get more recording space without issues, I'll be happy, even with the $1.05 increase per box being added.

Nine years is certainly beyond the lifespan of those boxes!  Years ago, I did have a Pioneer that lasted for about ten years.  What you COULD TRY is the hard drive reformat, (posted above.) which will erase all shows and settings.  That might solve your issue.  However, after nine years, I'd have them out for a box swap.

You probably won't have control over what the bring, but I would request a Cisco box (over a Samsung)  Ask the rep to put that in the work order. Tell the tech who comes that your boxes are nine years old.

Jack

[gparris]

Nine years is certainly beyond the lifespan of those boxes!  Years ago, I did have a Pioneer that lasted for about ten years.  What you COULD TRY is the hard drive reformat, (posted above.) which will erase all shows and settings.  That might solve your issue.  However, after nine years, I'd have them out for a box swap.

You probably won't have control over what the bring, but I would request a Cisco box (over a Samsung)  Ask the rep to put that in the work order. Tell the tech who comes that your boxes are nine years old.

Jack

You are right, if I wanted anything else than another refurbished 8300HD which he had on him when he came over to check signal strength and so on, I would have to get Whole House DVR to get the new 500GB units.
He said a fix was on the way and some locations have got the updated software already to fix these bugs like I have and the Samsung DVR owners have had.
So I called and signed up for Signature Home, since we have all the other features except Whole House DVR, anyway, hope it was the correct decision and I won't be disappointed. I cancelled my DirecTV setup for today for the Genie, but if TWC does not live up to its promises, their TV side of the subscription is a goner. I like paying one bill for everything with TWC, not two, and leaving my credit cards alone (with a  DirecTV subscription requirement).

[Jack 1000]

You are right, if I wanted anything else than another refurbished 8300HD which he had on him when he came over to check signal strength and so on, I would have to get Whole House DVR to get the new 500GB units.
He said a fix was on the way and some locations have got the updated software already to fix these bugs like I have and the Samsung DVR owners have had.
So I called and signed up for Signature Home, since we have all the other features except Whole House DVR, anyway, hope it was the correct decision and I won't be disappointed. I cancelled my DirecTV setup for today for the Genie, but if TWC does not live up to its promises, their TV side of the subscription is a goner. I like paying one bill for everything with TWC, not two, and leaving my credit cards alone (with a  DirecTV subscription requirement).

Even though the legacy boxes are dated, it's the crappy guide on them that is the main problem.  Passport could do stuff 10 years ago on boxes with less RAM that the current Navigator can't do, or is just starting to do now.  TWC wamts to move all the boxes to a cloud-base enviornent, which this update coming is gonna be a prep for that.  (ODN 6.0.)

I got a friend who is considering dropping Signature Home in the Syracuse New York area, just because the guide is so bad.  He LOVES the Internet Service and Digital Phone.  The problem is that TWC has better retention deals and a better HD line-up than the competition.  If only the guide wasn't such a POS!

The consensus has been, with TWC you get better deals, retention rates, more HD and VOD.  But with the competition, you get better equipment and a better guide.

I just want this upcoming guide update to begin to show the reliability and feature sets that are consistent with modern technology.  The guide hasn't given us that, yet.  I'll bump up my Navigator Updates thread when my sources in other areas get the new version.

Jack

PS.  Eventually, TWC is going to be giving out the Signature Home DVR's with the multi-room function turned off if you don't subscribe to multi-room or Signature Home.  You will still need a truck role for the tech to activate them for Signature Home or Multi-Room.  However, there are MILLIONS of legacy boxes in the field, and it may take up to three years to weed them out of the system.  Moving legacy boxes to a cloud-base server will free up RAM for the legacy boxes.  GP, when is your Signature Home Install?

[gparris]

This week. The charge is $99. so it better be worth it.I don't understand the upgrade in Navigator to cloud servers but maybe the tech will explain it.

[Jack 1000]

This week. The charge is $99. so it better be worth it.I don't understand the upgrade in Navigator to cloud servers but maybe the tech will explain it.

Cloud Service just means that all the settings and functions that are on the box, will eventually be moved to a secure network environment.  It's sort of like Video on Demand and Caller ID on TV work now.  All the data that often times slows the boxes down like doing searches will be stored on the network in a "Cloud."

In later years with the technology, when you upgrade your services, your account will be securely connected to the cloud and TWC will be able to "unlock" those elements to which you subscribe.  Eventually, shows, series, and data searches will ALL move to the secure cloud and the box will simply be a rely terminal with no data on it at all.  It will just transmit and won't need to store shows and series.

What that means is that when you swap out your DVR and it is cloud based, in the future, you won't have to redo all your shows and series!  Because once the box is activated at the head-end, your account will have the cloud information for what your shows and settings were!

The long term goal (5-8 years away) is going to be for TWC to dump all the boxes and have everything cloud based.  You'll have your HDMI cable plugged into your TV, call your vender. in this example TWC, and they will just download everything from the office, down the network, to the fiber-optic cable and to your TV.

Internet and Phone Service, Remote DVR Manager, they want all these things networked.  The downside is that the network could still go down like when you lose your Internet Service, but the long term goal is that you won't have to worry about swapping out boxes anymore.

This is a long way off!  But ODN 6.0 is supposed to start bringing more features to the boxes by getting some features off the boxes and to "The Cloud."  The first of these features planned is an expanded Video on Demand and Search Menu.

Jack

[gparris]

I wish TWC would get the update sooner in my area as the tech who came out said it was already in the area updating in certain unspecific areas locally.