[christo76]

Recently started switching all my season passes over to OTA, and have begun to notice break-ups. Most are just momentary and just annoying, but others like to happen durring big dialogue moments, most recently during House and Boston Legal, causing loses of up to 5-10 seconds, though most are just pixellations causing stuttering.

Has anyone else had this issue with the HR20?

Before you assume its signal strength/quality. I never had this issue with OTA straight to TV. All my signal strengths are 100%. The 2 programs listed are on 2 different broadcasters so station related issue is unlikely.

Any info would be great. Switching back to DirecTV locals isn't much of an option until the DD dropouts stop.

 

[bcowan12]

I experienced the same problem, and also on some channels with 100% signal strength. I downloaded the new release last night, and recorded/watched House tonight. It was the first OTA recording I've had with no pixelation issues at all.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that 0x115 has solved this problem.

 

[christo76]

Damn.... I missed the window. Was on the fence with some of the issues and not seeing any real sign that it would solve the OTA pixelating.

 

[bonscott87]

OTA pixelization is typically a problem with your local sation. Stop by AVS and go to your local area thread for HD locals to see if this is a common complaint for your station. For example, we have struggled for years with our local CBS's HD OTA signal, it can be bad at times, many drop out per hour. Obviously a new person who doesn't know the history might blame the receiver when it's actually the fault of the local station.

Having said all that I've never had an issue with my OTA locals on the HR20 that wasn't a problem on all receivers for that station.

 

[christo76]

OTA pixelization is typically a problem with your local sation. Stop by AVS and go to your local area thread for HD locals to see if this is a common complaint for your station. For example, we have struggled for years with our local CBS's HD OTA signal, it can be bad at times, many drop out per hour. Obviously a new person who doesn't know the history might blame the receiver when it's actually the fault of the local station.

Having said all that I've never had an issue with my OTA locals on the HR20 that wasn't a problem on all receivers for that station.

Looked up the local forum and saw nothing. Today durring the Bears vs Seahawks game (on now) I saw the break ups again. Once again they typically occur as, first a pause in sound, followed by a slight pause on screen, then colored pixelation (blocking) on some part of the screen.

To verify it was not a local station issue. I had 2 hdtvs tuned to the game. One through the HR20, and the other a straight input from the antenna. Watched a long segment on the antenna with no issues, then went and watched the same segment on the HR20 and would see the break-ups.

One of the exact points, (if you watched the game) was right after Seattle tied it at 14-14. Just after the kick-off they showed Grossman walking onto the field, and it broke up, twice. But only on the HR20.

Earl,
Does the HR20 do anything to the signal? Such as, record it initially in order to delay it so programs on OTA start at the same time as satellite channels? Or any other kind of manipulation to the signal that may cause this?

Also, I am pretty positive it is not caused by the tv, as the one that had no issues is a cheaper White-Westinghouse, and the one with the HR20 is a Panasonic plasma that has been nothing but splendid with everything else.

 

[bonscott87]

Every receiver is different with OTA stations. You may need to tweak your antenna setup for that station. Check your signal strength on your Fox station OTA. If it fluctuates then that is your problem. Could be multipath issue or you just need to tweak your antenna a bit. Every tuner in various receivers are different in how it handles things like multipath.

I doubt very much it's a problem with the HR20 in general or else you'd see a lot more posts. Basically with OTA you either have a perfect signal or no signal. If you are getting the pixelization issues then that points to a marginal signal. Again, could be the HR20 is having issues with your signal strength on that station.

Good luck.

P.S. I've been watching the Bears game all afternoon OTA on the HR20 with no issues. Looks perfect.

 

[alv]

I have a lot of problems today during the game. No such problems on HR-10.

 

[The Phantom Ghost]

I have the same problem here. I can hit the instant replay button and it won't be there. It's got to be the hr20. I can't get it to be in the same place twice.

Sorry, I lied. I finally got it to happen a couple of times in the same place. But what's weird is that I never noticed this until I forced the 0x115 download. I'm now on the 0x119 firmware

 

[livinthedream]

I came across this post by pilot20 over at the avs forum. Check it out, it's a picture of an HR10 opened up. The HR20 probably has the same RG-59 coax in it. Can anyone who has opened the HR20 verify this. I might try this on mine.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9462684#post9462684

 

[christo76]

Every receiver is different with OTA stations. You may need to tweak your antenna setup for that station. Check your signal strength on your Fox station OTA. If it fluctuates then that is your problem. Could be multipath issue or you just need to tweak your antenna a bit. Every tuner in various receivers are different in how it handles things like multipath.

I doubt very much it's a problem with the HR20 in general or else you'd see a lot more posts. Basically with OTA you either have a perfect signal or no signal. If you are getting the pixelization issues then that points to a marginal signal. Again, could be the HR20 is having issues with your signal strength on that station.

Good luck.

P.S. I've been watching the Bears game all afternoon OTA on the HR20 with no issues. Looks perfect.

If it were an antenna issue then the other TV would also have displayed the same problems because they are on the exact same tv. As for multi-path, its on a 40 ft tower with nothing higher than it between my house and the station tower. The strength does not fluctuate. It starts, (like all the stations) at between 40-80 for an instant, then hits 100 and stays at it. I think it more likely that I have having too strong a signal for the HR20. But once again, I don't know the details on the HR20 tuner and its handling.

Also, the HR20, must be doing something with the OTA signals, because I have it set to native resolution, yet for the CBS game, it recorded in 480i. I had to watch it in Live/Buffer, in order to get it to go to HD.

 

[MoonBear]

Hi,

I have the same problem with my HR20 in the DFW area. The HR20 consistently shows between 90 and 100% and yet it still shows pixelation. My Sony HDTV using the same antenna and showing less signal strength doesn't pixelate.

I'm so confused.

Don

 

[Oglikn]

Here is what I have discovered in my case. My pixelization problems are not signal related. This pixelization is caused by using trickplay functions while a program is recording or buffering. IOW, if I am watching a program that is in the process of recording and use the 30 sec slip to skip commercials, when I get to the section of program that was recording when I used the 30 sec slip there is pixelizaton and audio dropouts. It's like using the trickplay functions overloads the processor or memory and causes a "hiccup" in the recording.

If I watch a show after it is finished recording, there aren't problems. If I watch live broadcasts without using trickplay, there are no problems. Also, I only have this problem with OTA. I have not noticed it with sat recordings.

 

[clay_w]

Here is what I have discovered in my case. My pixelization problems are not signal related. This pixelization is caused by using trickplay functions while a program is recording or buffering. IOW, if I am watching a program that is in the process of recording and use the 30 sec slip to skip commercials, when I get to the section of program that was recording when I used the 30 sec slip there is pixelizaton and audio dropouts. It's like using the trickplay functions overloads the processor or memory and causes a "hiccup" in the recording.

If I watch a show after it is finished recording, there aren't problems. If I watch live broadcasts without using trickplay, there are no problems. Also, I only have this problem with OTA. I have not noticed it with sat recordings.

Not sure if it was just a coincidence but I seemed to experience the same thing while watching 24 last night. I started watching the OTA recording before it was completed and experienced quite a bit of pixalation (along with audio hiccups).

It seemed worse just after "slipping" through the commercials and seemed to get better if I paused for a few seconds.

 

[hasan]

Not sure if it was just a coincidence but I seemed to experience the same thing while watching 24 last night. I started watching the OTA recording before it was completed and experienced quite a bit of pixalation (along with audio hiccups).

It seemed worse just after "slipping" through the commercials and seemed to get better if I paused for a few seconds.

If this was with 0x115 firmware, I can confirm it. I virtually NEVER got pixellation/audio dropouts via OTA on my HR20...until the 115 upgrade, and then I experienced 5 of them in about 3 days. In my case, since my system has been very stable, the only thing that changed was the firmware (not even the weather).

I updated to 0x119 on the first evening it was available. I'll be watching two recordings today to see if the pixellation is fixed, improved, or still there.

BTW, my pixellation was not associated with slip....we would just be watching a recorded program, or even a LIVE proram OTA and short instances of pixellation would happen. On one, I even got a 771 (weak signal) error for a second or two. Something was definitely hinky on OTA with 0x115 on my box. I'll know more about 0x119 in a day or so.

 

[clay_w]

If this was with 0x115 firmware, I can confirm it. I virtually NEVER got pixellation/audio dropouts via OTA on my HR20...until the 115 upgrade, and then I experienced 5 of them in about 3 days. In my case, since my system has been very stable, the only thing that changed was the firmware (not even the weather).

I updated to 0x119 on the first evening it was available. I'll be watching two recordings today to see if the pixellation is fixed, improved, or still there.

BTW, my pixellation was not associated with slip....we would just be watching a recorded program, or even a LIVE proram OTA and short instances of pixellation would happen. On one, I even got a 771 (weak signal) error for a second or two. Something was definitely hinky on OTA with 0x115 on my box. I'll know more about 0x119 in a day or so.

Yes, it was with 0x115. I updated to 0x119 last night and will keep my fingers crossed that it is fixed....

 

[mhayes70]

I have this problem also. If I switch to my TV's tuner there is no drop out. But, if I watch the same channel on the HR20 it drops out and I get the searching for signal nag.

 

[Oglikn]

I've had these problems with 0x115 and 0x119. I'm connected via component and I've tried it with Native on and off.

 

[coloradobrad]

Here is what I have discovered in my case. My pixelization problems are not signal related. This pixelization is caused by using trickplay functions while a program is recording or buffering. IOW, if I am watching a program that is in the process of recording and use the 30 sec slip to skip commercials, when I get to the section of program that was recording when I used the 30 sec slip there is pixelizaton and audio dropouts. It's like using the trickplay functions overloads the processor or memory and causes a "hiccup" in the recording.

If I watch a show after it is finished recording, there aren't problems. If I watch live broadcasts without using trickplay, there are no problems. Also, I only have this problem with OTA. I have not noticed it with sat recordings.

I have the exact same problem. I thought it was because my signal levels are 65-75% but my dropouts are definately related to using trickplay buttons. It is very repeatable. I wonder if this will still happen if I get my signal levels up to 90-100%. I have 115 and downloaded 119 last night and it still happens. I think this was happening with 10B too. Argh! What to do?!

 

[Oglikn]

For me, this has nothing to do with signal strength. It happens on channels with 100% and channels with 75%. It seems to be some kind of buffer/compression bottleneck.

 

[ecilopaveht]

Here is what I have discovered in my case. My pixelization problems are not signal related. This pixelization is caused by using trickplay functions while a program is recording or buffering. IOW, if I am watching a program that is in the process of recording and use the 30 sec slip to skip commercials, when I get to the section of program that was recording when I used the 30 sec slip there is pixelizaton and audio dropouts. It's like using the trickplay functions overloads the processor or memory and causes a "hiccup" in the recording.
If I watch a show after it is finished recording, there aren't problems. If I watch live broadcasts without using trickplay, there are no problems. Also, I only have this problem with OTA. I have not noticed it with sat recordings.

I have the same issue. Last night I was recording 24 on (SAT MPEG4) and Desperate HW (OTA MPEG2). 24 was fine the first hour, but when it started recording both shows; the recording started to drop audio on both of the recordings. 24 skipped and dropped audio, and DHW dropped audio and pixilated. It only got worse the last 15 min of each show because this is the point I started watching 24 that had been recorded.

I have the 0X10b firmware. My OTA antenna strength is 98% and it is solid.