Software Update: HR20 - 0xF6 Discussion

[Earl Bonovich]

New Software 11/21/2006
Manufacture 700 - 0xF6

Release Notes: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=70588

PLEASE DON"T POST... DIDN'T GET IT, or GOT IT tracking posts in this thread, they will be deleted

Staggered Rollout Pacific Timezone first; followed by remaining timezones. It make take multiple days for everyone to receive the update. Please don't ask why you don't have the update, unless it has been a week since the release of the software

Tracking Threads We will continue with the tracking threads for problems and HDMI problems with this release (posts #2 and #3).

The more detail the better Simply put... the more detail you can provide the better the feedback.

Revision History:
Version 0xEF (11/15/2006): Discussion Thread (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=70031)
Version 0xEB (11/07/2006): Discussion Thread (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=69543) Note: 0xEB was never released nationally
Version 0xE3 (10/19/2006): Discussion Thread (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=67798)
Version 0xDC (10/11/2006): Discussion Thread (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=66858)
Version 0xD8 (10/04/2006): Discussion Thread (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=66151)
Version 0xD1 (09/26/2006): Discussion Thread (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=65420)
Version 0xCC (09/16/2006): Discussion Thread (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=64364) Issue Thread (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=64365)
Version 0xBE (09/01/2006): Discussion Thread (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=655581) Issue Thread (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=63122)

The Original HR20 Review Thread
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=61862

Tips and Tricks Threads
Official Tips and Tricks (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=64057)
Unoffical Tips and Tricks (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=67933)

Unoffical Feature Request Survey
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=68183

Unoffical eSATA Feature Discussion
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=66201

[Earl Bonovich]

Identified Issues as of 11/21/2006 10:50pm CST as of post 136



Re-Occuring Pink TrickPlay Icon
Delay/Failure of MyPlaylist accurately reflecting a show's deletion, at the end of playback Post (http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=728432&postcount=68)
Failed to record a show Post (http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=728945&postcount=136)

[Earl Bonovich]

HDMI Issues as of 11/21/2006 12:00PM CST as of post 57


Vizio L32HDTV Post (http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=728337&postcount=57)

[f300v10]

I have a couple of questions about the release notes:

1) Prioritizer ordering saved before executing a delete request: What does this mean, and how is it different than prior releases?

2) Time to tune in a channel: Does this mean the HR20 will tune the channel sooner before the a recording begins? I know that was listed as a possible cause for partial recordings.

[Earl Bonovich]

I have a couple of questions about the release notes:

1) Prioritizer ordering saved before executing a delete request: What does this mean, and how is it different than prior releases?

2) Time to tune in a channel: Does this mean the HR20 will tune the channel sooner before the a recording begins? I know that was listed as a possible cause for partial recordings.

For #1, this refers to the bug if you re-order your prioritizer... then delete an entry.... after deleting the entry, the unit used to reload the prioritizer from the last save point... which would lose the sorting

As for #2: I am assuming that they corrected something with how long it takes to tune the channel.... not making it tune to the channel earlier then it is supposed to.

[hdtvfan0001]

Before we end up with 1000 posts on specific hiccups from this new release - perhaps we can try another tact.....

Some of us have not experienced any problems with the new releases, while others have.

There are a host of variables at each user's individual location, several of which may actually be the source of their particular woes. HDMI connectivity to specific displays/TVs, cabling, Dish install quality, and other variables may impact the user experience that are not necessarily attributable to the HR20 as the source of "issues".

HDMI in particular is a common problem for many other devices, in terms of compatability and connectivity. DVD players, for example, have a history of connectivity issues with certain sets, certain projectors, etc. If an HR20 works fine iwth component but not HDMI, than its highly probable where the problem lies. It's also possbile that nothing can be done on the HR20 side to address this kind of problem with a specific make/model HDTV - as the HDTV units themselves have been know to have compatibility problems with other devices as well. The introduction of HDMI, though supposedly backwards compatible, will potentially make this issue even worse in some ways from a diagnostic perspective.

I agree with Hasan's posts that the point--->counterpoint on each release has some merit, but only to a limited degree. Specific issues with specific environmental background information is the most useful tool to identify whether or not a problem is unique based on a locational characteristic or else mainstream.

Despite personally having 2 HR20s that have worked virtually flawless through all of the updated firmware releases to date, I empathize with those with issues.

That said, I think it is both too easy and non-productive to jump to the conclusion that every person or a handful of people having a negative feature experience or functional problem is only attributal to the HR20. This is sophisticated technology, and environments (cabling, dishes, switches, displays) are potentially equally sophisticated and complicated - leading to a number of potential sources of problems, maybe the HR20, maybe not.

One example of how people jump to conclusions - I had ongoing discussions with a local aquaintance who indicated he was having problems with many of the trick keys and other functions working properly, including slow channel changes, etc. He was clearly very furstrated and said he "hated" his HR20. After taking the time to visit his home and see the problems he expereienced, it became clear what was the culprit - he had a bad remote. Several buttons were not functioning at all or badly. I had brought my remote along, and all his problems disappeared. He has since ordered and gotten a remote replacement, and now says he "loves" his HR20. That's just one example.

To get to the point where everyone can enjoy what the HR20 does (or is supposed to do), we need to thoroughly and honestly first examine our own unique environments, and then make the determination of what problems we may be experiencing with the HR20 itself.

Earl has dilligently been working with everyone to help us enjoy the HR20 experience. I, for one, am grateful for all of the time he has put into this effort - despite not personally having any problems.

Milominderbinder2 has also obviously spent alot of time creating his great documents on undocumented features and tricks with the HR20. Kudos.

Perhaps detailed environment (or some form of that Earl can recommend) along with the specific problem report may help narrow the fix candidates (either the HR20 or something else).

Just a suggestion.

[Road Rage]

Just curious, but I see a new thread each time a new release is put out but I see countless posts for folks wondering if hardware could be the problem in some cases. With that said, has anybody thought about tracking when your HR20 was manufactured? This would give you the opportunity of pinning down bad production runs if ever needed, the auto industry does it and it seems to work for them.

Maybe this has been done already and I just haven't seen it. Maybe when folks list their bugs and release # they could also include the manufacture date of the unit. Just a thought.

[lbostons]

Well said HDTVFAN001!

[Carbon]

Great Post, I have had very little in the way of problems (knock on wood)and I think a lot of it is because of the installation, material used and all other conditions are just right. Where as some people might have 1 bad connector and it could be throwing off their whole system. I wish we could all inspect each others installations and settings to confirm all is correct. The HR20 Buddy System.

[Just J]

I was kinda hoping there wouldn't be a new software release this week, at least not in the midwest (maybe they'll roll it out slowly). I (like many, I suspect) am traveling this week for the holidays. So I'm not there to make sure the HR20 is recording everything I want it to, and it will be my only way to watch those shows - any it misses, I miss. :(

So I hope this is an EF and not an EB! :)

[Stuart Sweet]

Here here, hdtvfan0001. I'd like to suggest that this thread be for detailed problem reports that the developers can use to get moving on fixes. If you're not really able to describe the problems you're having then I'd say create a new thread where we can all chime in on thoughts.

Also, I understand not everyone here can spend time testing alternate configurations (HDMI/Component, Series Link/AutoRecord, etc) but the more of us who do, the better. I hope those who are able to find good workarounds for their individual issues post them here, in detail.

One more suggestion... and I've been guilty of this too. Let's keep the OT chatter down in this thread. Plenty of other places to discuss what Earl's middle name might be.

[Bajanjack]

Does this new release contain a fix for the screensaver issues, ie popping up during recorded playback etc?

[billt1111]

Earl, can you expand on this one? It sounds like I can record on one channel while FF or RW on another. I thought we already had this capability.

New Features
Record key is functional during trickplay modes

[avatar230]

For whatever reason, my HR20 went into standby after downloading this version. I never leave the unit in standby, and it wasn't in standby when I went to bed last night. I woke up to see all the lights off and feared the worst, but it did power up immediately when I pressed the front power button, and the update says it was done at 6:08am.

Any word on whether the "playback stability fixes" have anything to do with some of the partial/unwatchable bugs that have been floating around?

[mjs31]

Before we end up with 1000 posts on specific hiccups from this new release - perhaps we can try another tact.....

Some of us have not experienced any problems with the new releases, while others have.

There are a host of variables at each user's individual location, several of which may actually be the source of their particular woes. HDMI connectivity to specific displays/TVs, cabling, Dish install quality, and other variables may impact the user experience that are not necessarily attributable to the HR20 as the source of "issues".

HDMI in particular is a common problem for many other devices, in terms of compatability and connectivity. DVD players, for example, have a history of connectivity issues with certain sets, certain projectors, etc. If an HR20 works fine iwth component but not HDMI, than its highly probable where the problem lies. It's also possbile that nothing can be done on the HR20 side to address this kind of problem with a specific make/model HDTV - as the HDTV units themselves have been know to have compatibility problems with other devices as well. The introduction of HDMI, though supposedly backwards compatible, will potentially make this issue even worse in some ways from a diagnostic perspective.

I agree with Hasan's posts that the point--->counterpoint on each release has some merit, but only to a limited degree. Specific issues with specific environmental background information is the most useful tool to identify whether or not a problem is unique based on a locational characteristic or else mainstream.

Despite personally having 2 HR20s that have worked virtually flawless through all of the updated firmware releases to date, I empathize with those with issues.

That said, I think it is both too easy and non-productive to jump to the conclusion that every person or a handful of people having a negative feature experience or functional problem is only attributal to the HR20. This is sophisticated technology, and environments (cabling, dishes, switches, displays) are potentially equally sophisticated and complicated - leading to a number of potential sources of problems, maybe the HR20, maybe not.

One example of how people jump to conclusions - I had ongoing discussions with a local aquaintance who indicated he was having problems with many of the trick keys and other functions working properly, including slow channel changes, etc. He was clearly very furstrated and said he "hated" his HR20. After taking the time to visit his home and see the problems he expereienced, it became clear what was the culprit - he had a bad remote. Several buttons were not functioning at all or badly. I had brought my remote along, and all his problems disappeared. He has since ordered and gotten a remote replacement, and now says he "loves" his HR20. That's just one example.

To get to the point where everyone can enjoy what the HR20 does (or is supposed to do), we need to thoroughly and honestly first examine our own unique environments, and then make the determination of what problems we may be experiencing with the HR20 itself.

Earl has dilligently been working with everyone to help us enjoy the HR20 experience. I, for one, am grateful for all of the time he has put into this effort - despite not personally having any problems.

Milominderbinder2 has also obviously spent alot of time creating his great documents on undocumented features and tricks with the HR20. Kudos.

Perhaps detailed environment (or some form of that Earl can recommend) along with the specific problem report may help narrow the fix candidates (either the HR20 or something else).

Just a suggestion.

I agree that a separate section would be best for this. Although...I have owned this unit since the original firmware and have not had any issues until the last update (3 lock ups since Friday). Nothing has changed as far as cable configuration, dish setup, storms in the area etc. I definately would not want to start blaming installation, hdmi, etc and ignore the fact that it could be the firmware update along with some type of programming setup that certain individuals may have. I believe you are stating this, but just want to make sure. I have seen to many companies get the idea in their head that it is a setup issue on the users end then use this to slack off on looking for problems on their end.

Sorry...a bit frustrated today since it locked up again on me. I was like with no problems for a couple of months...then this.

[Doug Brott]

I usually do not leave my system in standby either, but as luck would have it, my Daughter did leave one of my HR20s on standby. The other system was NOT on standby. The one left on standby was sill in standby and the on powered on was still powered on. I suspect that the whole LED state is now remembered through a SW update (perhaps even through a power cycle).

[Earl Bonovich]

Earl, can you expand on this one? It sounds like I can record on one channel while FF or RW on another. I thought we already had this capability.

New Features
Record key is functional during trickplay modes

I don't have any other details on that feature addition

[Andrew_J_M]

Earl, can you expand on this one? It sounds like I can record on one channel while FF or RW on another. I thought we already had this capability.

New Features
Record key is functional during trickplay modes

I think it means that you can hit Record while FFWD etc a "live" show.

[billt1111]

That said, I think it is both too easy and non-productive to jump to the conclusion that every person or a handful of people having a negative feature experience or functional problem is only attributal to the HR20. This is sophisticated technology, and environments (cabling, dishes, switches, displays) are potentially equally sophisticated and complicated - leading to a number of potential sources of problems, maybe the HR20, maybe not.

I agree that most of the issues are self induced by a combination of totally human factors coupled with complicated technology. For some reason Chicken Little seems more believable to the masses than others who are calm and reasonable. I would be happy if the individuals with significant problems posted facts that could actually be addressed. Instead of "had to reset while watching LOST, when will this be fixed, my wife is getting mad" for the 3000th time, try to post something that can be acted upon by a remote software developer. The post then would be more enjoyable to read and informative to all.

[uncrph90]

Earl,

Any idea if DirecTV is going to reneable the buffer while the HR20 is powered down. I miss that feature with the recent update. I really like the ability to leave the tuner on a default channel and that it will return to that channel while not actively recording--It was nice to turn to local news last thing at night and be able to turn on in the AM and rewind to catch weather/traffic/etc without haveing to wait 10 minutes or so to cycle through the other crap. Now, with no buffering while off--it stinks! I would just leave the HR20 running, but the remote shuts it off anytime you shut off the TV.

Or is there an easy solution that I am missing?

[Earl Bonovich]

Earl,

Any idea if DirecTV is going to reneable the buffer while the HR20 is powered down. I miss that feature with the recent update. I really like the ability to leave the tuner on a default channel and that it will return to that channel while not actively recording--It was nice to turn to local news last thing at night and be able to turn on in the AM and rewind to catch weather/traffic/etc without haveing to wait 10 minutes or so to cycle through the other crap. Now, with no buffering while off--it stinks! I would just leave the HR20 running, but the remote shuts it off anytime you shut off the TV.

Or is there an easy solution that I am missing?

I don't know why it was removed, or if it is going to come back.
The only thing I could recommend, is setup a KEEP 1 recording for your evening and morning news.

[tfederov]

What about the screensaver kicking in during playback? I saw it mentioned earlier as an issue and I've seen it myself in past versions.

[Earl Bonovich]

Earl, can you expand on this one? It sounds like I can record on one channel while FF or RW on another. I thought we already had this capability.

New Features
Record key is functional during trickplay modes

I don't have any other details on that feature addition


I just got a PM explaining this a bit more:

You can now hit R when you have a program paused, to begin the recording of the current buffered program.

You can also now hit R even if you are in any of the "motion" modes, to start recording of the program.

[nocaster]

I don't know why it was removed, or if it is going to come back.
The only thing I could recommend, is setup a KEEP 1 recording for your evening and morning news.

Perhaps this was shut off so the hard drive will not make any noises while in standby mode. I've noticed in the past that my drive would make sound even while off. I remember thinking that would be annoying if the DVR was in my bedroom.

[jheda]

I don't know why it was removed, or if it is going to come back.
The only thing I could recommend, is setup a KEEP 1 recording for your evening and morning news.


Is there a negative in keeping the hr20 on 24/7? the only time i have shut it off is inadvertantly when on ocassion my universal shuts it off as its "sprays" off everything else. Fyi have had flawless machine since EF and pray F6 does not impede same.


Hr20
Sony Kds60a2000
Yamaha 750 reciever via component,

[Earl Bonovich]

Is there a negative in keeping the hr20 on 24/7?

No, there is negative to leaving it on. It "technically" is on 24/7 as long as it is plugged in.

[islesfan44]

With EF, I had recorded Monk last Friday night, with the Keep option enabled. This morning, after the update to F6, Monk was gone. Nothing else seems to have changed, just this one show missing. I went to the history, and the show is listed as "recorded," but nothing else. Any ideas?

[Earl Bonovich]

With EF, I had recorded Monk last Friday night, with the Keep option enabled. This morning, after the update to F6, Monk was gone. Nothing else seems to have changed, just this one show missing. I went to the history, and the show is listed as "recorded," but nothing else. Any ideas?


Where you able to watch the episode? It is possible that it was a corrupted recording, and the reboot cleared it out.

[jheda]

No, there is negative to leaving it on. It "technically" is on 24/7 as long as it is plugged in.

Thanks Earl. and thanks for your site, which without i would have prematurely given up on the hr20. With EF, I have begun reccomending it....

[Camaro305]

Is there a negative in keeping the hr20 on 24/7? the only time i have shut it off is inadvertantly when on ocassion my universal shuts it off as its "sprays" off everything else. Fyi have had flawless machine since EF and pray F6 does not impede same.

I thought that the unit performed it's "housekeeping" once you turned it off, and also rebuilt the guide a bit faster, versus waiting for an "idle" time to do the housekeeping and also rebuilding the guide a bit slower when it's on.

[SFS97]

Earl,

Any idea if DirecTV is going to reneable the buffer while the HR20 is powered down. I miss that feature with the recent update. I really like the ability to leave the tuner on a default channel and that it will return to that channel while not actively recording--It was nice to turn to local news last thing at night and be able to turn on in the AM and rewind to catch weather/traffic/etc without haveing to wait 10 minutes or so to cycle through the other crap. Now, with no buffering while off--it stinks! I would just leave the HR20 running, but the remote shuts it off anytime you shut off the TV.

Or is there an easy solution that I am missing?


Hmmm, I have not seen this issue after the last update. I still have the buffer when coming out of standby mode.

[Earl Bonovich]

Thanks Earl. and thanks for your site, which without i would have prematurely given up on the hr20. With EF, I have begun reccomending it....

Your welcome... and it isn't "my" site... I just happen to "work" here...
It is "our" (as in the user base) site....

Welcome to the forums.

[Earl Bonovich]

I thought that the unit performed it's "housekeeping" once you turned it off, and also rebuilt the guide a bit faster, versus waiting for an "idle" time to do the housekeeping and also rebuilding the guide a bit slower when it's on.

Correct, when you put it into Standby mode... in about 10 minutes it will start to do "housekeeping" rather then waiting 4-6 hours of inactivity.

[gcisko]

Thanks Earl. and thanks for your site, which without i would have prematurely given up on the hr20. With EF, I have begun reccomending it....

Awesome! Do you have some inside information that version EF fixes everything wrong with the unit?

[Earl Bonovich]

Awesome! Do you have some inside information that version EF fixes everything wrong with the unit?

Why is it hard to believe, that EF did fix some issues for some people? I know your system got out of wack with the last release (and that is not good)... but anyway...

that is not a discussion for this thread....

:backtotop

[Camaro305]

I still have the buffer when coming out of standby mode.

As do I. I came upon this feature by accident, I turned the box on, and tuned to a show which I forgot was on, caught the last 10 minutes, and hit "R" just to see what happened. I couldn't believe it recorded the whole show, so the buffer must be active when the box is off. I currently have the EF version.

[gcisko]

Why is it hard to believe, that EF did fix some issues for some people? I know your system got out of wack with the last release (and that is not good)... but anyway...

that is not a discussion for this thread....

:backtotop

My apologies. I guess I would not have said a word, if the person from Ft. Lauterdale was not acting like EF was the holy grail. Does Florida even have it yet?

And it is not hard to believe that "some issues" were fixed for "some people".

[billt1111]

Awesome! Do you have some inside information that version EF fixes everything wrong with the unit?

I had very few things wrong with both my HR20s before EF.

[Milominderbinder2]

Before we end up with 1000 posts on specific hiccups from this new release - perhaps we can try another tact.....
Great suggestions.

Could we ask that bug reports include the basic facts:
1. When did you last Reset?
2. When did you last Reformat?
3. What is your software version? (not all rollout at once.)
4. Do you have any Autorecords set up?
5. Do you use HDMI?
6. Are you padding recordings (adding extra time before or after)?
7. How many items are in your prioritizer?
8. What is the specific description of the problem?
. . Is it Random?
. . When did it begin?
. . What is going on when it happens?
9. Give any other facts you can.

Facts are critical to fixing bugs. Emotions diminish facts.

- Craig

[Earl Bonovich]

Every one should have EF by now accross the country.
This thread is for today's release of the 0xF6 software version.

[tstarn]

Under improvements, it lists "time to tune a channel" as an improvement. Just went down to test it out (download came at 4:46 a.m.), and with the new firmware, it still takes 4 seconds (used watch to time it). On my Hitachi, it has a gray screen between channels, and a 4-second wait, whether SD, HD or whatever. Small issue, I guess, but why list that as an improvement? I didn't time it before, but I guess moving from 5-6 seconds to 4 is technically an improvement, but it still isn't good.

Other than that, I've been flying under the radar with my HR20, mainly because it's been behaving. I never use padding (just record the show after the recorded show), or any other complex functions, mainly because they seem to cause most of the problems (though they are supposed to work). Also, still using component (moved from HDMI) and never reconnected my BBCs. I have to say, the thing started working after I did a "reset everything" (complete reformat) following a lockup two firmware versions ago (or was it three, it's getting foggy). Of course, I have no idea if that was the solution, as these machines are completely flaky in terms of what causes what, who has issues, etc.

[avatar230]

With EF, I had recorded Monk last Friday night, with the Keep option enabled. This morning, after the update to F6, Monk was gone. Nothing else seems to have changed, just this one show missing. I went to the history, and the show is listed as "recorded," but nothing else. Any ideas?

Sounds like that might've been hit by the unwatchable bug. Usually shows that record with some variation on that bug (prompt for delete as soon as you play or blank recording for instance) vanish from My Playlist when the unit is rebooted. The software update would've performed just such a reboot and probably wiped the bad recording out with it. It's also consistent with the fact that your history just says, "recorded," as these programs never get noted as "deleted" when they disappear during a restart.

[TomF]

This morning, for the first time since I got EF last Wednesday, I was able to turn on the TV and actually have the HR20 respond to the remote. I immediately suspected an update and sure enough I got F6 at 3:44 AM. Hopefully, this has fixed the problem with the HR20 going into an unresponsive state at least twice a day and as many as four times a day. Glad to see this was a day earlier than I had hoped for. :hurah:

[gcisko]

Every one should have EF by now accross the country.
This thread is for today's release of the 0xF6 software version.

You are correct. Again my apologies. There are so many software updates I lost track :grin:

[ExUltimateTV]

Correct, when you put it into Standby mode... in about 10 minutes it will start to do "housekeeping" rather then waiting 4-6 hours of inactivity.

What's the definition of "inactivity?" If I'm watching, for instance, a LOTR marathon, I might not touch the remote for 4-6 hours. Will the housekeeping kick in then, and if so, will it affect what's recording or playing?

I actually have my plasma TV set to turn off after 3 hours of inactivity, and sure enough, it turned started to engage during LOTR (it warns before turning off, so all you have to do is kit a key on the remote to cancel it).

[Earl Bonovich]

What's the definition of "inactivity?" If I'm watching, for instance, a LOTR marathon, I might not touch the remote for 4-6 hours. Will the housekeeping kick in then, and if so, will it affect what's recording or playing?

I actually have my plasma TV set to turn off after 3 hours of inactivity, and sure enough, it turned started to engage during LOTR (it warns before turning off, so all you have to do is kit a key on the remote to cancel it).


If you are watching that LOTR marathon "live", and don't touch the remote for 4-6 hours... yes.. the HR20 will think you are no longer there, and it will start to do it's houskeeping.

It shouldn't have any affect on your recordings or playbacks, as the HR20 is a multithreaded device.

[Earl Bonovich]

You are correct. Again my apologies. There are so many software updates I lost track :grin:

You lose track? .... :D
Not a problem.

[Andrew_J_M]

Under improvements, it lists "time to tune a channel" as an improvement. Just went down to test it out (download came at 4:46 a.m.), and with the new firmware, it still takes 4 seconds (used watch to time it). On my Hitachi, it has a gray screen between channels, and a 4-second wait, whether SD, HD or whatever. Small issue, I guess, but why list that as an improvement? I didn't time it before, but I guess moving from 5-6 seconds to 4 is technically an improvement, but it still isn't good.

Other than that, I've been flying under the radar with my HR20, mainly because it's been behaving. I never use padding (just record the show after the recorded show), or any other complex functions, mainly because they seem to cause most of the problems (though they are supposed to work). Also, still using component (moved from HDMI) and never reconnected my BBCs. I have to say, the thing started working after I did a "reset everything" (complete reformat) following a lockup two firmware versions ago (or was it three, it's getting foggy). Of course, I have no idea if that was the solution, as these machines are completely flaky in terms of what causes what, who has issues, etc.

You have 0xF6 in PA now? That was quick!

[rrwantr]

Earl,

Any idea if DirecTV is going to reneable the buffer while the HR20 is powered down. I miss that feature with the recent update. I really like the ability to leave the tuner on a default channel and that it will return to that channel while not actively recording--It was nice to turn to local news last thing at night and be able to turn on in the AM and rewind to catch weather/traffic/etc without haveing to wait 10 minutes or so to cycle through the other crap. Now, with no buffering while off--it stinks! I would just leave the HR20 running, but the remote shuts it off anytime you shut off the TV.

Or is there an easy solution that I am missing?

Move the sliding switch on the top of the remote over to TV and then hit power. This just shuts the TV off and leaves the HR20 running. I do this everynight so the HR20 is on the right channel in the morning for my 3 yr old. He just has to hit the tv button on the front of the tv for sesame street.

[jkc120]

Why is it hard to believe, that EF did fix some issues for some people? I know your system got out of wack with the last release (and that is not good)... but anyway...

that is not a discussion for this thread....

:backtotop

Not to drag this off topic, but I was one of the lucky ones who had a good experience with 0xEF. So it DID help some of us (or was a coincidence). I haven't had a single missed/partial/deleted recording nor a single lockup with 0xEF. So I hope 0xF6 has similar results for other folks out there (without screwing up my 0xEF success hehe).

[Peapod]

4. Do you have any Autorecords set up?

When you say autorecords, what specifically are you referring to? Manual recurring recordings? Series Links? Anything in the prioritizer?

[Earl Bonovich]

When you say autorecords, what specifically are you referring to? Manual recurring recordings? Series Links? Anything in the prioritizer?

The auto-records are in reference to the recently identified issue with Seach-AutoRecords (When you tell it to record all shows with the "dog" in the description).

This should be corrected in this release.

[avatar230]

Earl, any word on whether the "prompt for delete on initial playback" unwatchable bug has been re-fixed in this release? It was on the EB/EF release notes as a fix, but I was hit with it last night right before the F6 update. Saw a number of others mention it on the EF thread as well.

[Earl Bonovich]

Earl, any word on whether the "prompt for delete on initial playback" unwatchable bug has been re-fixed in this release? It was on the EB/EF release notes as a fix, but I was hit with it last night right before the F6 update. Saw a number of others mention it on the EF thread as well.

I believe that is part of th stability of playback reliability corrections

[avatar230]

I believe that is part of th stability of playback reliability corrections

Thanks as always for the timely info. Hopefully I won't be seeing that bug lurking around my HR20 again anytime soon.

[hancox]

The auto-records are in reference to the recently identified issue with Seach-AutoRecords (When you tell it to record all shows with the "dog" in the description).

This should be corrected in this release.

WOW - that hunch went like gangbusters, eh Earl? :)

[mooniac]

So no luck getting my HDMI to work with this release. It seems to have gone missing with 0xEB and was gone with oxEF as well. Here's the info:

HR-20 now running 0xF6
Vizio L32HDTV
Monoprice HDMI cable

I've tried switching the cable, resetting the TV, resetting the HR-20, turning on the TV first or last, etc. No HDMI.

I should mention it worked fine for the first 6 weeks or so with the previous releases.

[clarkjrmac]

Move the sliding switch on the top of the remote over to TV and then hit power. This just shuts the TV off and leaves the HR20 running. I do this everynight so the HR20 is on the right channel in the morning for my 3 yr old. He just has to hit the tv button on the front of the tv for sesame street.

I am not sure if this works for all TV's, but I just hit the ON button again and it shuts off only the TV and not the HR20. You don't even have to touch the slider switch.

[sigma1914]

So no luck getting my HDMI to work with this release. It seems to have gone missing with 0xEB and was gone with oxEF as well. Here's the info:

HR-20 now running 0xF6
Vizio L32HDTV
Monoprice HDMI cable

I've tried switching the cable, resetting the TV, resetting the HR-20, turning on the TV first or last, etc. No HDMI.

I should mention it worked fine for the first 6 weeks or so with the previous releases.

Have you tried pressing 'Format' on the remote to cycle resolutions?

[O2BRich]

As do I. I came upon this feature by accident, I turned the box on, and tuned to a show which I forgot was on, caught the last 10 minutes, and hit "R" just to see what happened. I couldn't believe it recorded the whole show, so the buffer must be active when the box is off. I currently have the EF version.

Just checked mine (running EF) and it still buffers when in Stand By

[CousCous]

I don't want this new update. Everything's working fine right now.

[Stuart Sweet]

Just checked mine (running EF) and it still buffers when in Stand By

It will buffer for around 10 minutes after you put it in Standby. After that it stops. I first observed this about three weeks ago. Prior to that I kept it on all the time, but I got tired of the BRIGHT! BLUE! LIGHTS! (even without the center ones, the others are pretty impressive in a dark room.)

For more info, see this post:

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=70352

[bobojay]

I was kinda hoping there wouldn't be a new software release this week, at least not in the midwest (maybe they'll roll it out slowly). I (like many, I suspect) am traveling this week for the holidays. So I'm not there to make sure the HR20 is recording everything I want it to, and it will be my only way to watch those shows - any it misses, I miss. :(

So I hope this is an EF and not an EB! :)

Hey we have been gone from home traveling since 11-10, and won't be home till 11-24. So there has, or will be 2 updates since mine has been humanly comanded to do anything.
Hope all my recordings aren't jumbled, garbled, or otherwise miscued! :nono2:

[PoitNarf]

First release that I'm actually surprised to not see the OTA switch flipped to the ON position. Oh well, they've got 9 days to make good on their December 1st "guesstimate".

[dvrblogger]

Hey we have been gone from home traveling since 11-10, and won't be home till 11-24. So there has, or will be 2 updates since mine has been humanly comanded to do anything.
Hope all my recordings aren't jumbled, garbled, or otherwise miscued! :nono2:

You need a slingbox to monitor your HR20 wherever you are from your PC/Laptop or Cellphone (>:
Highly recommended !

[jerkieman]

I thought slingbox wouldn't work with DirectTV, you get all the channels? I thought they were encoded or something so you wouldnt be able to view the channels. Do you have slingbox Pro ? You can watch your recordings or just live TV?

[SockMonkey]

The auto-records are in reference to the recently identified issue with Seach-AutoRecords (When you tell it to record all shows with the "dog" in the description).

This should be corrected in this release.
What about setting padding and other options on an Autorecord Keyword Search? Can someone who has 0xF6 set one up and try to set it to start recording 5 min early? Make sure you go back to see if the change was saved.

More on my HR20's symptoms here (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=70582).:nono2:

Thanks,
Bob

[btmoore]

Just so Earl can add it to the bug tracking, this existed in the prior version too.

PlayList not updated correctly upon delete:

Programs deleted by using the delete option at the end of watching a program, are not removed from the PlayList upon returning. If you try to play the deleted recording you will get something that looks like the unwatchable bug. If you exit out and return to the PlayLilst the program will now be deleted from the list.

IMO this is a minor bug, it does not cause lockups or prevent or impact recording, but it should be corrected as it can cause user confusion.

[Earl Bonovich]

Just so Earl can add it to the bug tracking, this existed in the prior version too.

PlayList not updated correctly upon delete:

Programs deleted by using the delete option at the end of watching a program, are not removed from the PlayList upon returning. If you try to play the deleted recording you will get something that looks like the unwatchable bug. If you exit out and return to the PlayLilst the program will now be deleted from the list.

IMO this is a minor bug, it does not cause lockups or prevent or impact recording, but it should be corrected as it can cause user confusion.

How long have you sat and waited to see if it does delete (without leaving the MyPlaylist). I know on the previous version, I had to wait about 5 seconds, and watched the entry delete.

[deecee98]

has anyone tested this - i know in the scheme of things this seems minor, but its VERY frustrating that i can NOT channel surf & currently (prior to today's update) it takes approx 4 seconds (with native Off) to change channels.

My non high def D* TiVo can easily channel surf

i am thankful that my main 3 items are a) lack of dual buffers b) time to change/view channels c) prioritizer limit of 50

thanks! :confused:

[Earl Bonovich]

has anyone tested this - i know in the scheme of things this seems minor, but its VERY frustrating that i can NOT channel surf & currently (prior to today's update) it takes approx 4 seconds (with native Off) to change channels.

My non high def D* TiVo can easily channel surf

i am thankful that my main 3 items are a) lack of dual buffers b) time to change/view channels c) prioritizer limit of 50

thanks! :confused:

Channel "surfing"... no, it is probably on "par" with my experiences with my HR10-250...but it still is not at a speed, that one could call it "surfing"

[Vinny]

Channel "surfing"... no, it is probably on "par" with my experiences with my HR10-250...but it still is not at a speed, that one could call it "surfing"

More like "channel doggy paddle"; but not a biggy.

[Doug Brott]

I thought slingbox wouldn't work with DirectTV, you get all the channels? I thought they were encoded or something so you wouldnt be able to view the channels. Do you have slingbox Pro ? You can watch your recordings or just live TV?

slingbox works great. I'm looking at it now and I use the Slingbox Classic (R15 remote). Check out this thread (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=66247) for more info.

[laxcoach]

Early, you need a pseudonym. People don't get jobs because of their myspace profiles. Imagine your next interview is with someone who uses this forum. "Um, Earl given the amount of time you spent debugging my D* receiver, when will you be doing actual work?"

[Earl Bonovich]

Early, you need a pseudonym. People don't get jobs because of their myspace profiles. Imagine your next interview is with someone who uses this forum. "Um, Earl given the amount of time you spent debugging my D* receiver, when will you be doing actual work?"

:) You would think that wouldn't yah....but saddly... I get more then my share of work done.... All with in the scope of what I do.

Just like how I will be here at work on Friday, just in case one of our stores call in with a problem.

[btmoore]

How long have you sat and waited to see if it does delete (without leaving the MyPlaylist). I know on the previous version, I had to wait about 5 seconds, and watched the entry delete.

I just tested it to check for timing and if it updated at all.

I see 2 behaviors:

What typically happens, I delete, it returns to the PlayList, and it stays on the list. I just deleted on and it is till on the list 2 min later.

The exception (which I assume is what is suppose to happen), I delete it, it returns to the PlayList, the deleted show is on the PlayList, the screen refreshes and the deleted program is gone.

[islesfan]

Sounds like that might've been hit by the unwatchable bug. Usually shows that record with some variation on that bug (prompt for delete as soon as you play or blank recording for instance) vanish from My Playlist when the unit is rebooted. The software update would've performed just such a reboot and probably wiped the bad recording out with it. It's also consistent with the fact that your history just says, "recorded," as these programs never get noted as "deleted" when they disappear during a restart.

Thanks, that's probably it. That has never happened for me before, but fortunately, Ole reliable (TiVO) also caught the program, so no blood, no foul.

[O2BRich]

It will buffer for around 10 minutes after you put it in Standby. After that it stops. I first observed this about three weeks ago. Prior to that I kept it on all the time, but I got tired of the BRIGHT! BLUE! LIGHTS! (even without the center ones, the others are pretty impressive in a dark room.)

For more info, see this post:

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=70352

Although I did not rewind past the last 10 to 15 minutes of the show that was on. The status bar showed a full 90 minutes stored.

[g4jedi]

So far, this last update got rid of the freezing video glitches I was having...

[mjs31]

This morning, for the first time since I got EF last Wednesday, I was able to turn on the TV and actually have the HR20 respond to the remote. I immediately suspected an update and sure enough I got F6 at 3:44 AM. Hopefully, this has fixed the problem with the HR20 going into an unresponsive state at least twice a day and as many as four times a day. Glad to see this was a day earlier than I had hoped for. :hurah:

Now this is promising. I have not gotten this release yet, but you give me hope that my recent bug last weeks will be corrected.

[Stuart Sweet]

Although I did not rewind past the last 10 to 15 minutes of the show that was on. The status bar showed a full 90 minutes stored.

Are you saying you can put the unit in Standby, leave for 90 minutes, come back, turn it on, and have a full buffer? That's the opposite of my experience, also I think it's the opposite of what Earl says it does.

If you leave the unit "on" you will get that behavior most of the time. [still working out the dynamics of that, but it has to do with dual tuner recording from what I can figure]

[Earl Bonovich]

Are you saying you can put the unit in Standby, leave for 90 minutes, come back, turn it on, and have a full buffer? That's the opposite of my experience, also I think it's the opposite of what Earl says it does.

If you leave the unit "on" you will get that behavior most of the time. [still working out the dynamics of that, but it has to do with dual tuner recording from what I can figure]

According to a PM I got...the unit should still be buffering while in standby... however, there are events (like dual recording), that can result in the unit discontinuing the buffer and not starting it up again.

DirecTV is aware of some of those cases and will be addressing them in a future release.

[Stuart Sweet]

According to a PM I got...the unit should still be buffering while in standby... however, there are events (like dual recording), that can result in the unit discontinuing the buffer and not starting it up again.

DirecTV is aware of some of those cases and will be addressing them in a future release.

Thanks for clarifying this. I'm still having issues as described in my previous posts and can't seem to work out all the rules.

[Djscoe]

I hate to be a pain but how do you tell which version you have? I did a search and couldn't find an answer. Thanks.

[Stuart Sweet]

I hate to be a pain but how do you tell which version you have? I did a search and couldn't find an answer. Thanks.

Menu, Help&Settings, Info&Test, Select.

(something like that, I'm not in front of the box)

[Earl Bonovich]

I hate to be a pain but how do you tell which version you have? I did a search and couldn't find an answer. Thanks.

Ask the box......

No seriously... Menu->Settings->Setup->Info (hit select) on the right hand side

[tstarn]

You have 0xF6 in PA now? That was quick!

4:46 a.m. it arrived.

[Djscoe]

Thanks both 85 and 86. I thought I had done that but I may have messed it up. It wouldn't be the first time. :-)

[Jeremy W]

First release that I'm actually surprised to not see the OTA switch flipped to the ON position. Oh well, they've got 9 days to make good on their December 1st "guesstimate".
I'm more surprised (and disappointed) that the sound effects haven't been enabled yet.

[Vinny]

I know most hate the sound effects; but I kinda like an audio confirmation of a remote command.

[spolaski]

I know most hate the sound effects; but I kinda like an audio confirmation of a remote command.

I sort of miss the "tooka-tooka-tooka" from Tivo when FF.

[btmoore]

I'm more surprised (and disappointed) that the sound effects haven't been enabled yet.

I know most hate the sound effects; but I kinda like an audio confirmation of a remote command.

If you are going to use Dolby Digital, I seriously doubt you will ever hear sound effects when they are enabled.

If I were going to make a bet, when they are enabled, they may only work on the stereo outputs on the back of the HR20 and maybe on PCM output from the SPDIF connector, I would bet it there is about 0% chance that sound effects will be implemented when DD is enabled or in use.

If the highest quality audio is what is important to you, you might want to get use to the idea of no sound effects.

[Vinny]

If you are going to use Dolby Digital, I seriously doubt you will ever hear sound effects when they are enabled.

If I were going to make a bet, when they are enabled, they may only work on the stereo outputs on the back of the HR20 and maybe on PCM output from the SPDIF connector, I would bet it there is about 0% chance that sound effects will be implemented when DD is enabled or in use.

If the highest quality audio is what is important to you, you might want to get use to the idea of no sound effects.

Highest quality audio is more important to me than sound effects, for sure. I'm just wondering, I have an HR10 and there is DD on that box plus sound effects. Am I missing something?

[Earl Bonovich]

Highest quality audio is more important to me than sound effects, for sure. I'm just wondering, I have an HR10 and there is DD on that box plus sound effects. Am I missing something?

You won't here any of the sound effects when you are on a DD broadcasted show.

And considering on the HR20 there are very few times when you are NOT hearing the audio output of the playing program.....

[Vinny]

And considering on the HR20 there are very few times when you are NOT hearing the audio output of the playing program.....

Sorry; but I'm not sure what that means. Please explain when you have a minute or two. Thanks

[Earl Bonovich]

Sorry; but I'm not sure what that means. Please explain when you have a minute or two. Thanks

On the HR10... if you have DD enabled... and are watching a program that has DD audio.... you lose all the "Sound Effects".

Where you regain the sound effects, on the TiVo, is when you go into a full menu mode... aka... all the audio from the broadcast is no longer being outputted.

In comparison to the HR20, where pretty much with few exception, you constantly have the audio from the live broadcast or selected playback program.

[btmoore]

Sorry; but I'm not sure what that means. Please explain when you have a minute or two. Thanks

Dolby Digital is passed through the STB and out to your decoder. In order to add sound effects, it would require that the stream is decoded, sound effects would then need to be sampled into the decoded audio, then it would need to encoded back into a DD stream with out effecting the fidelity of the original source. All this is a fairly expensive and complex thing to do with out causing problems. Under standard stereo audio it is fairly easy to overlay additional audio sample on top of the existing audio.

[Vinny]

On the HR10... if you have DD enabled... and are watching a program that has DD audio.... you lose all the "Sound Effects".

Where you regain the sound effects, on the TiVo, is when you go into a full menu mode... aka... all the audio from the broadcast is no longer being outputted.

In comparison to the HR20, where pretty much with few exception, you constantly have the audio from the live broadcast or selected playback program.

Ok; I get it. Thanks for the explanation!

BT...I was responding to Earl as you were sending......so thank you too!!!

[spolaski]

Dolby Digital is passed through the STB and out to your decoder. In order to add sound effects, it would require that the stream is decoded, sound effects would then need to be sampled into the decoded audio, then it would need to encoded back into a DD stream with out effecting the fidelity of the original source. All this is a fairly expensive and complex thing to do with out causing problems. Under standard stereo audio it is fairly easy to overlay additional audio sample on top of the existing audio.

Great explanation. I couldn't understand what DD had to do with lack of sound effects; now I do.

When I was a kid I thought it was pretty funny to twist the speaker wires together from my record player and radio so two things were playing over the speakers at the same time. I guess that's just not possible in a digital age.

[laxcoach]

When I was a kid I thought it was pretty funny to twist the speaker wires together from my record player and radio so two things were playing over the speakers at the same time. I guess that's just not possible in a digital age.

I bet that would be dangerous with modern equipment. In the old days, everything was analog and your biggest danger was blowing your speaker or popping a capacitor. Modern equipment is so "tuned" with analog-digital conversions you could theoretically blow a chip.

[hasan]

4:46 a.m. it arrived.

Are you in Pennsylvania? Seems strange, unless they released the upgrade nationally instead of the staggered roll out they did the last time.

I'll see if it shows up here tonight, as I'm not one to force an update on a box that is working largely very well. (don't want to tempt fate!)

While I have had very good luck with this box, I tend to view it as very fragile, given the number of problems some others have experienced.

[SockMonkey]

Are you in Pennsylvania? Seems strange, unless they released the upgrade nationally instead of the staggered roll out they did the last time.
I was wondering the same thing. I'm in Maryland. Just got home and checked, no 0xF6. Tried to force download... now I'm stuck downloading 0xEF again. Ugh. I knew it was too good to be true.

Bob

[Canis Lupus]

Don''t know if this is relevant to the f6 or the ef release, but for the first time in ef, I actually have control over my display settings with Native turned off. I can now actually choose a pillarbox display with choice of sidebar colors which goes across all of my SD channels. This was a first for me. I'll wait and see what happens in f6.

[Peapod]

Tried to force download... now I'm stuck downloading 0xEF again.

This appears to be some sort of minor bug, in that when I rebooted and forced an update check, the screen said I had software version 0xe3, and so is updating to 0xef, which I have had for almost a week now.

In the upper right hand corner, the 0xef showed, but in the upper left the current version was wrong.

Right now I'm looking at 78/000C/00EF/02/0110 in the upper right, and 1/1/20 followed by New Software found (00EF) in the upper left. Can anyone verify if this incorrect version issues also exists in 0xF6?

[NewsTechie]

Thanks both 85 and 86. I thought I had done that but I may have messed it up. It wouldn't be the first time. :-)

You must hit Select at the end of that sequence or you will see some setup and config info, but not the machine's software version.

-Brian

[Jeremy W]

If you are going to use Dolby Digital, I seriously doubt you will ever hear sound effects when they are enabled.
I know, we have gone over this many times. There will be sound effects when using PCM or analog audio, and none when using DD.

[btmoore]

A very good sign that D* changed something for the positive.

I have tested the script that I developed where I could create a 771 error at will. Under 0xf6 and I can no longer create a 771 error message and I have ran the script 8 times and every time and never a 771 message!

What ever they changed in this version of the code it appears to of addressed what ever was going in the script I developed.

Assuming the use case I documented was typical of what was causing 771 messages when we had strong transponders, I am cautiously hopeful that we might have some serious improvement here.

Time will tell, but right now it looks like there is a tangible and measurable improvement. It makes me feel good that something is looking healthier with this release.

I wonder if the unwatchable and partial problems are fixed? Last time it took a few days, I am crossing my fingers.

[tstarn]

Are you in Pennsylvania? Seems strange, unless they released the upgrade nationally instead of the staggered roll out they did the last time.

I'll see if it shows up here tonight, as I'm not one to force an update on a box that is working largely very well. (don't want to tempt fate!)

While I have had very good luck with this box, I tend to view it as very fragile, given the number of problems some others have experienced.

Oops. My bad. I double-checked and its Thursday, 11/16, Oxef. It was early when I checked, and no coffee yet. For some reason, I thought it said 11/20. How's that for a near-senior moment. Now I have hope the channel changing will be quicker, since it's listed as a fix.

[g4jedi]

I'm with you... this might possibly be the best update yet. Hopefully the lockups, partials and unwatchables will be a thing of the past with the version!


A very good sign that D* changed something for the positive.

I have tested the script that I developed where I could create a 771 error at will. Under 0xf6 and I can no longer create a 771 error message and I have ran the script 8 times and every time and never a 771 message!

What ever they changed in this version of the code it appears to of addressed what ever was going in the script I developed.

Assuming the use case I documented was typical of what was causing 771 messages when we had strong transponders, I am cautiously hopeful that we might have some serious improvement here.

Time will tell, but right now it looks like there is a tangible and measurable improvement. It makes me feel good that something is looking healthier with this release.

I wonder if the unwatchable and partial problems are fixed? Last time it took a few days, I am crossing my fingers.

[Earl Bonovich]

A very good sign that D* changed something for the positive.

......

Time will tell, but right now it looks like there is a tangible and measurable improvement. It makes me feel good that something is looking healthier with this release.


I'm with you... this might possibly be the best update yet. Hopefully the lockups, partials and unwatchables will be a thing of the past with the version!

:group:

Give me a hug.....

[DVRaholic]

Just forced a download at 8:03 pm here in NYC and it found oxF6!!!!

Its downloading now, looks like its been released nationwide!

[hasan]

Just forced a download at 8:03 pm here in NYC and it found oxF6!!!!

Its downloading now, looks like its been released nationwide!

Let us know...sometimes when you force it, it shows the new update available, but downloads the old version until you are geographically "authorized"

Please let us know.

[mtnagel]

Let us know...sometimes when you force it, it shows the new update available, but downloads the old version until you are geographically "authorized"

Please let us know.tibber claims he's getting it in the mountain time zone (http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=728783&postcount=4).

[PoitNarf]

Could have sworn that the original posts in all of these software release threads explicitly says to not post if you have received the update or not. But perhaps maybe that's just my wild interpretation... :rolleyes:

[DVRaholic]

Let us know...sometimes when you force it, it shows the new update available, but downloads the old version until you are geographically "authorized"

Please let us know.

Just verified in Info & Test menu and it is OxF6!!!

Everyone start DOWNLOADING!!!!

:goodjob: :icon_da: :blowout:

[DVRaholic]

Could have sworn that the original posts in all of these software release threads explicitly says to not post if you have received the update or not. But perhaps maybe that's just my wild interpretation... :rolleyes:
Dont be a Party Pooper PoitNarf :D
Just start downloading already!!!!!
:blowout:
W'ere ONE step closer to OTA!!!

Earl, sorry if I went against the rules, I will start another thread about the forced download

[PoitNarf]

Dont be a Party Pooper PoitNarf :D
Just start downloading already!!!!!


I'm just trying, with great futility, to keep this thread on track. I'm sure Earl will swoop in later and give the thread a good scrubbing. Anyway, I would be downloading it right now if the HR20 weren't currently in use.

[cybrsurfer]

Just verified in Info & Test menu and it is OxF6!!!

Everyone start DOWNLOADING!!!!

:goodjob: :icon_da: :blowout:

It's downloading now... thanks

[mtnagel]

I'm just trying, with great futility, to keep this thread on track. I'm sure Earl will swoop in later and give the thread a good scrubbing. Anyway, I would be downloading it right now if the HR20 weren't currently in use.I just figured that people would want to know it was national so they could force it if they wanted.

[Groundhog45]

I remember reading in the R15 threads that many people recommended doing a reset after downloading a new release. That seemed to enable the new release more cleanly. Is that recommended/necessary on the HR20? I just got F6 and was wondering if I should do a reset. Thanks.

GH

[TheRatPatrol]

:goodjob: :icon_da: :blowout:
Where do you guys get all these cool smiley faces at? :D

[PoitNarf]

I remember reading in the R15 threads that many people recommended doing a reset after downloading a new release. That seemed to enable the new release more cleanly. Is that recommended/necessary on the HR20? I just got F6 and was wondering if I should do a reset. Thanks.

Well the box does reset itself in the upgrade process. It certainly couldn't hurt to try it, but I'm not sure if it would make a difference.

[hasan]

I just figured that people would want to know it was national so they could force it if they wanted.

Getting it or not getting it wasn't the point of the post...it was that (contrary to the last roll out that was staggered) it appears to be national and alerted those who wanted to force it that they could do so. This seems a little more significant than "got it", and as reasonable use of the thread...but only Earl can decide.

[Earl Bonovich]

The software should download on it's own during the evening...

So if you haven't received it yet... just sit tight and let the normal process continue.

[gator5000e]

Earl, are any of the stability issues fixed in this update directed to the Upcoming:Title Not Available entries found in various places of the guide (as currently seen in all my sunday ticket channels)? That is my only real problem, that and lip sync issues (especially on ESPN).

[Earl Bonovich]

Earl, are any of the stability issues fixed in this update directed to the Upcoming:Title Not Available entries found in various places of the guide (as currently seen in all my sunday ticket channels)? That is my only real problem, that and lip sync issues (especially on ESPN).

Title Not Available, is all guide data issues... I don't hink anything in this release is specifically targetting a fix to that.

[gator5000e]

Thanks Earl, hopefully it will be adressed at some pont. It makes it tough to see what is coming up when you see this.

BTW, my man, former Gator QB Rex Grossman, will lead the Bears deep into the playoffs! Rex was a stud and big time player at crunch time with Florida.

[mooniac]

Have you tried pressing 'Format' on the remote to cycle resolutions?

Thanks but unfortunately that didn't help either :(

[Veloce]

Just saw the "Searching for Satellite" bug with this release. Sigh. For me, just making the unit use both feeds fixes this (ie, recording one channel and wathing another.)
C

[Earl Bonovich]

Just saw the "Searching for Satellite" bug with this release. Sigh. For me, just making the unit use both feeds fixes this (ie, recording one channel and wathing another.)
C

What are your signal strength levels like...

[Milominderbinder2]

I hate to be a pain but how do you tell which version you have? I did a search and couldn't find an answer. Thanks.This and much more can be found in the Unofficial Tips & Tricks link below.- Craig

[drjenk]

No, there is negative to leaving it on. It "technically" is on 24/7 as long as it is plugged in.

Conversely, is there any advantage to turning it off?

[jbstix]

has anyone tested this - i know in the scheme of things this seems minor, but its VERY frustrating that i can NOT channel surf & currently (prior to today's update) it takes approx 4 seconds (with native Off) to change channels.

My non high def D* TiVo can easily channel surf

i am thankful that my main 3 items are a) lack of dual buffers b) time to change/view channels c) prioritizer limit of 50

thanks! :confused:

Just started noticing the slow channel changing in EF. IMO it has not been corrected or changed at all in this latest release. Still what I would call painfully slow changing between channels. In comparison, def. slower than when changing between channels on the HR10-250 (just as a comparison for time).
Again, not a major issue, but it was faster in previous releases.
I hope this update takes care of the recording issues... that would be a huge step in the right direction.
Man, I can only imagine the posts if the HR20 screws up recordings on Thanksgiving... after all the "family time" - people will take it out on the HR20 LOL.:eek2:
Anyway - channel speed minor bug... but still a bug I guess.
good luck to everyone

[Earl Bonovich]

Conversely, is there any advantage to turning it off?

It just tells the unit that you are done using it, so it will run any background housekeeping tasks... instead of waiting about 4 hours to do so.

[kokishin]

:group:

Give me a hug.....
:icon_hug:

:bowdown: we're not worthy, we're not worthy, we're not worthy ...

[btmoore]

Bug: Self Canceling Show

Something is still not right with the scheduler in the HR20 with 0xf8.

For some reason my HR20 decided to cancel the recording of NCIS, it is on right now live and it is not recording. It is 5th item on my prioritizer, the only show that records at the same time is the Daily Show and Colbert and they are at the bottom of my prioritizer, regardless there is no conflict. Everything else in the prioritizer above NCIS is a program that comes on a different day or "The Unit" which is directly after NCIS on the same station, there is no programming conflict. The to do list does not show NCIS to be recorded and the history shows cancled.. The series link is set up to record both new are repeats and this is a new show.

Looks like it is still not quite done yet, put it back in the oven boys.

Here are the photos:

PlayList
http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6641&stc=1&d=1164169451
Prioritizer
http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6642&stc=1&d=1164169451
History
http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6640&stc=1&d=1164169451
Series link
http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6643&stc=1&d=1164169451
Episode info
http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6639&stc=1&d=1164169451

[islesfan]

Three recordings disappear (2 with EF and 1 with F6). I've never had this problem before (I've had most of the others, but not this one). Last week, CSI and Monk recorded and appeared in the playlist, but after the update and re-boot, they disappeared. I wasn't too worried, since I knew EF was a dog, and I figured F6 would fix it (and, of course, I had trusty TiVo to catch them, since it never misses a recording). Unfortunately, I tried to watch last night's Heroes, and it was missing from the playlist, and listed in the history as "recorded." So the bug is still there. Apparently, with the HR20, its one step foward, three steps back...

[Earl Bonovich]

Three recordings disappear (2 with EF and 1 with F6). I've never had this problem before (I've had most of the others, but not this one). Last week, CSI and Monk recorded and appeared in the playlist, but after the update and re-boot, they disappeared. I wasn't too worried, since I knew EF was a dog, and I figured F6 would fix it (and, of course, I had trusty TiVo to catch them, since it never misses a recording). Unfortunately, I tried to watch last night's Heroes, and it was missing from the playlist, and listed in the history as "recorded." So the bug is still there. Apparently, with the HR20, its one step foward, three steps back...

All of those would have recorded while the unit was under EF.
If the recordings where corrupt, the reboot when it updated to F6, would have removed them from the MyPlayist.

[btmoore]

Earl, I really want D* to be able to fix the scheduling issues, is there any additional data that I can provide that they would like?

self canceling show bug (http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=728945&postcount=136)

[purpledave]

My Hats off to btmoore for his thorough explanation of his problem in his post # 136. I don't know how you add the pictures to your posting, but this should give D* programmers a very insightful look at the cancellation of scheduled recordings.

A lot of us are adding our hugs and bows to Earl. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

[Earl Bonovich]

Earl, I really want D* to be able to fix the scheduling issues, is there any additional data that I can provide that they would like?

self canceling show bug (http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=728945&postcount=136)

Nothing that I can think of.

My guess is that it failed to re-scheduled it for some reason, rather then a "self canceling"
The cancel that you see in the history, was most likely entered when the system rebooted with the F6 update.

[btmoore]

Nothing that I can think of.

My guess is that it failed to re-scheduled it for some reason, rather then a "self canceling"
The cancel that you see in the history, was most likely entered when the system rebooted with the F6 update.

You are probably correct, when ever the scheduler ran the prioritizer against the guide to generate the To Do activities, it skipped this one. For the life of me I don't know why, I can see no reason for the failure except an algorithmic one. Very disappointing.

[Veloce]

I'll double check next time it happens, but it's been 85% (I was told this was near max with the external widgets/transformer/tranceiver thingees dropping the signal a bit?).
At any rate, why would "searching" immediately disappear by showing using both feeds as I described. I would think that either it's searching or it's not...
What are your signal strength levels like...

[Legend1222]

I'm normally a lurker, but I thought that this needed to be announced. It may have just been my horrible luck, but this update appears to have turned my HR-20 into a brick.

I did the manual update (02468), it started, and like any other time I've done it, I've walked away, and just listened for the TV to kick back in. After about an hour and a half I went to check on it. I found the unit with absolutely no lights on and dead silent with the TV screen blank. I know your not supposed to interrupt an update, but it really didn't seem like it was doing anything, and it had been about 90 minutes... so I hit the reset button. Nothing happened. I then unplugged the unit and plugged it back in. The power light lit up for about 30 seconds, the drive spun up, and the power light went out again. Nothing on the screen.

So, it could be my luck, it could be because I hit the reset button, but I believe that my HR-20 is dead. Its currently sitting unplugged, and will power it back up in the morning, but I'm expecting nothing. It will be interesting to call D* tomorrow and see what they say (especially since it was such a nightmare to get it in the first place, but thats another story).

Again, be aware that the possibility of killing your HR-20 apparently exists.

[Jeremy W]

Again, be aware that the possibility of killing your HR-20 apparently exists.
That sounds like a simple coincidence to me.

Edit: maybe not: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=70772

[Andrew_J_M]

Earl, I really want D* to be able to fix the scheduling issues, is there any additional data that I can provide that they would like?

self canceling show bug (http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=728945&postcount=136)

BT, did you check that NCIS was actually in the Guide? I noticed one time several hours after an update that there were gaps in the guide data, just blank areas in the middle. When I clicked on one they became populated. That was under 0xD?.

[jbstix]

I'm normally a lurker, but I thought that this needed to be announced. It may have just been my horrible luck, but this update appears to have turned my HR-20 into a brick.

I did the manual update (02468), it started, and like any other time I've done it, I've walked away, and just listened for the TV to kick back in. After about an hour and a half I went to check on it. I found the unit with absolutely no lights on and dead silent with the TV screen blank. I know your not supposed to interrupt an update, but it really didn't seem like it was doing anything, and it had been about 90 minutes... so I hit the reset button. Nothing happened. I then unplugged the unit and plugged it back in. The power light lit up for about 30 seconds, the drive spun up, and the power light went out again. Nothing on the screen.

So, it could be my luck, it could be because I hit the reset button, but I believe that my HR-20 is dead. Its currently sitting unplugged, and will power it back up in the morning, but I'm expecting nothing. It will be interesting to call D* tomorrow and see what they say (especially since it was such a nightmare to get it in the first place, but thats another story).

Again, be aware that the possibility of killing your HR-20 apparently exists.


Legend try this before you call: http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=688352&postcount=4

I had the same thing happen to me tonight, but did some searching and found this to resolve the unit not powering up!
Hope this fixes your issue as well...

good luck

[btmoore]

BT, did you check that NCIS was actually in the Guide? I noticed one time several hours after an update that there were gaps in the guide data, just blank areas in the middle. When I clicked on one they became populated. That was under 0xD?.

Yes it was in the guide at that time. I happened to walk in @8:01 turned the TV on and noticed that it NCIS was not recording. Popped open the HDTV guide and found NCIS and switched to it.

[kaz]

still seeing pinks w/ FA. HDMI audio (denon avr 3806 AND samsung HLS5679w) is jittery on mpeg4 feed recorded on E3 but played back on FA (3lbs on cbs)

[superunlikely]

I'm normally a lurker, but I thought that this needed to be announced. It may have just been my horrible luck, but this update appears to have turned my HR-20 into a brick.

I did the manual update (02468), it started, and like any other time I've done it, I've walked away, and just listened for the TV to kick back in. After about an hour and a half I went to check on it. I found the unit with absolutely no lights on and dead silent with the TV screen blank. I know your not supposed to interrupt an update, but it really didn't seem like it was doing anything, and it had been about 90 minutes... so I hit the reset button. Nothing happened. I then unplugged the unit and plugged it back in. The power light lit up for about 30 seconds, the drive spun up, and the power light went out again. Nothing on the screen.

So, it could be my luck, it could be because I hit the reset button, but I believe that my HR-20 is dead. Its currently sitting unplugged, and will power it back up in the morning, but I'm expecting nothing. It will be interesting to call D* tomorrow and see what they say (especially since it was such a nightmare to get it in the first place, but thats another story).

Again, be aware that the possibility of killing your HR-20 apparently exists.

I had the same symptoms happen to my HR20 after I moved. Dim power light, no other LEDs, no video or audio on any of the outputs (and I checked them all). Red button reset after red button reset.

My fiance had been watching me struggle with this for around 30 min. She walks over, picks up the remote, says "it seems like you just need to...", presses the power button and BAM...it works fine. She dropped the remote next to me on the couch, kissed me on the top of my head, and walked out of the room without a word.

Total humiliation.

[rpl47]

I had the same symptoms happen to my HR20 after I moved. Dim power light, no other LEDs, no video or audio on any of the outputs (and I checked them all). Red button reset after red button reset.

My fiance had been watching me struggle with this for around 30 min. She walks over, picks up the remote, says "it seems like you just need to...", presses the power button and BAM...it works fine. She dropped the remote next to me on the couch, kissed me on the top of my head, and walked out of the room without a word.

Total humiliation.

Thanks for making my day!!! I haven't laughed this much in awhile...too busy fussing around with this $299 paper weight!!!:lol: :lol:

[SockMonkey]

Last night, after downloading 0xF6, I was watching a recording and tried to jump back to the beginning by holding down the skip back trickplay button. It wouldn't do anything even though the HR20 was recieving the signal (power button light was blinking as I held down the button). Holding the RW button down did jump back to the previous tick mark. FFWD and Slip buttons worked as expected when held down. Perhaps this was one reason for the 0xFA rollout? Seems minor to me though, so probably not.

Bob

[tstarn]

Oxfa arrived this morning. Turned on ABC (GMA) and the sound sync was way off the map. Fiddled around with FF/REW and matched it up. A little later, turned on ESPN HD and sync problem was back (though not as pronounced). Hasn't been an issue before this download. Hopefully it will correct itself. I have a sync fixer (called the Alchemy2, a wonderful thing) for my DD 5.1 sound (works for both the HR20 and my Sony upconverting DVD player), but this issue occurred using the Hitachi speakers. So I can adjust the sync when using DD 5.1.

[Earl Bonovich]

0xFA has replaced 0xF6..

Continue the discussions in it's release discussion thread.
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=70790