Comcast DVR Belongs in a Dumpster
- Thread starter Sean Mota
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heh. Too bad I'll never see it...
st..st..st..stuttering audio
they are terrible - I've had 4 different units in 4 months, all of which had the same bugs - many recordings have no sound, or stuttering sound that cuts in and out every 2 seconds. additionally HD channels are often unwatchable as about every 15 minutes the screen goes to snow with pixelation.
most annoying of all is the random muting, however. at random, the box will display "MUTE" at the top center of the screen, and it's stuck there for a random amount of time. turning the box off and back on doesn't help. the 993 setup trick doesn't do anything either.
..and don't even bother with customer support. about the only positive is that they appear to answer the phone, but I've yet to talk to someone with clue there. the Comcast DVR sucks.
they are terrible - I've had 4 different units in 4 months, all of which had the same bugs - many recordings have no sound, or stuttering sound that cuts in and out every 2 seconds. additionally HD channels are often unwatchable as about every 15 minutes the screen goes to snow with pixelation.
most annoying of all is the random muting, however. at random, the box will display "MUTE" at the top center of the screen, and it's stuck there for a random amount of time. turning the box off and back on doesn't help. the 993 setup trick doesn't do anything either.
..and don't even bother with customer support. about the only positive is that they appear to answer the phone, but I've yet to talk to someone with clue there. the Comcast DVR sucks.
Heh, guess Im lucky. My 6412 works great. The only annoyance Ive had with it in 2 months is the occational command freeze where it doesnt respond to remote signals for a cpl sec's and then runs thru all buttons you had pushed in the meantime. As for silent movies or muting not seen either issue here nor snow on HD. Have you had them come out and do a service check on you system? Sounds like bad cabling somewhere.
One thing the original author didn't mention was what software inteface his unit has. Depending on which system, the 6412 can come with Pioneer Passport, TV Guide iGuide, or Microsoft TV. I believe most Comcast systems use iGuide on their 6412's. But, it is not always the case.
Sean - You do not make it clear in your original post that you are not the author. It appears that YOU are unhappy with your 6412.
Sean - You do not make it clear in your original post that you are not the author. It appears that YOU are unhappy with your 6412.
I've gotten to know my Comcast DVR rather well over the past few months. Here is my take on your cited problems:
- The problems with audio & pixelation are most likely rooted in problems with your signal, not with the DVR itself. Especially if you are talking about digital channels.
- The "auto shut-off" is just the other half of the "auto turn-on," the feature that turns the DVR on to record a scheduled program. If the DVR was off to begin with, it turns off when recording is done. It would be nice, though, if you come home in the middle of such a recording, to be able to somehow tell it that you want it to stay on, so that your buffer is not lost.
- The mute behavior is related to the auto turn-on behavior. If the DVR is off when a scheduled program begins to record, it turns on with the sound muted. For some reason the Mute button on the DVR remote is initially programmed to control something other than the DVR
. If you check the internet you can find the codes to make the Mute and Volume buttons do the right thing. Then when you see "Mute" you know you just have to tell it to un-mute. No big deal, once you know.
- I have seen programs be just plain skipped, then continue to show as scheduled to record even after the show time has passed. This is definitely a bug. Generally this seems to be just one of many freaky things that begin to happen when the drive is much too full for much too long. Another is that it sometimes gets in a mode where the screen is always black when the DVR is first turned on, and the DVR does not respond until I begin to play a recorded program. Another is that pushing Replay too many times causes the DVR to spontaneously reset. Manually resetting (i.e., unplugging) always sets everything right again.
So, there are some behaviors that I just don't like, some that seem like bugs until you understand them, and still quite a few that are actually bugs.
- The problems with audio & pixelation are most likely rooted in problems with your signal, not with the DVR itself. Especially if you are talking about digital channels.
- The "auto shut-off" is just the other half of the "auto turn-on," the feature that turns the DVR on to record a scheduled program. If the DVR was off to begin with, it turns off when recording is done. It would be nice, though, if you come home in the middle of such a recording, to be able to somehow tell it that you want it to stay on, so that your buffer is not lost.
- The mute behavior is related to the auto turn-on behavior. If the DVR is off when a scheduled program begins to record, it turns on with the sound muted. For some reason the Mute button on the DVR remote is initially programmed to control something other than the DVR
. If you check the internet you can find the codes to make the Mute and Volume buttons do the right thing. Then when you see "Mute" you know you just have to tell it to un-mute. No big deal, once you know. - I have seen programs be just plain skipped, then continue to show as scheduled to record even after the show time has passed. This is definitely a bug. Generally this seems to be just one of many freaky things that begin to happen when the drive is much too full for much too long. Another is that it sometimes gets in a mode where the screen is always black when the DVR is first turned on, and the DVR does not respond until I begin to play a recorded program. Another is that pushing Replay too many times causes the DVR to spontaneously reset. Manually resetting (i.e., unplugging) always sets everything right again.
So, there are some behaviors that I just don't like, some that seem like bugs until you understand them, and still quite a few that are actually bugs.
Hard Drive percentage used may be the key.
Too early to tell about future recordings, but the ability of my DCT-6412 to reliably pause and replay live television improved immediately after deleting saved shows (bringing the DVR hardrive from well over 50% to about 13%). From yours (or anybody's) experience, how full can the hardrive be and still or even record or pause and replay live TV with out the video and audio becoming choppy or the device freezing and ignoring commands? Thanks!
Wayne
Thanks Anfortas!anfortas said:
Too early to tell about future recordings, but the ability of my DCT-6412 to reliably pause and replay live television improved immediately after deleting saved shows (bringing the DVR hardrive from well over 50% to about 13%). From yours (or anybody's) experience, how full can the hardrive be and still or even record or pause and replay live TV with out the video and audio becoming choppy or the device freezing and ignoring commands? Thanks!
Wayne
You all have had real success. I am going to get my third box in 6 months. The first PVR hard drive got smaller and smaller until one 30 minute SD show took up the whole hard drive. The second one locked up and displayed a black screen before smoking. Then, this morning, my PVR was displaying a black screen. I powered the unit off and on and my channels came back, however, the PVR portion did not work. I unplugged the unit and plugged it back in and have resigned my self to the fact that my unit just wont be a PVR anymore. Now I have to exchange the damn thing. These PVRs are just junk. I'm glad I didn't buy them.
Bad DVR
Some have had more success than others. What little success I have had, leaves me thinking that the Motorola DCT-6412 is crap (just not quite as crappy as I thought it was). It performed again like a champ today when it records onto a relatively empty hard drive. But compared to the DVRs that the Satellite folks have, I think it is still crap. What's the use of having a 120 gig hardrive if the quality goes down once 50 or 60 gigs are occupied?
Wayne
tujumaster said:
Some have had more success than others. What little success I have had, leaves me thinking that the Motorola DCT-6412 is crap (just not quite as crappy as I thought it was). It performed again like a champ today when it records onto a relatively empty hard drive. But compared to the DVRs that the Satellite folks have, I think it is still crap. What's the use of having a 120 gig hardrive if the quality goes down once 50 or 60 gigs are occupied?
Wayne
too full
Well, I routinely use mine in such a state that I need to delete two hours of low-def programming in order to make the "DVR full" message covering the screen go away and the full % drop to 99% (I just can't let go of my unwatched favs!
). So this is the edge case I was really talking about. I've found, for example, that if you are at 99% and a recording starts, you drop to 96%, and if a second one starts, you drop to 94%. That's how you can get overfull. I find that when it is very full like this the buffer shrinks. I have seen it as low as 20 minutes, compared to 2 hours or so when it is only 90% full (I observed the latter just recently in this pocket between the end of May sweeps and the start of the summer season 
).
I find myself having to reset (unplug) once every few weeks at least for one reason or another. I also get some sort of constant noise pattern over the picture even when the DVR is off, and that's using the component output. And the low-def compression quality seems really poor. So basically I rate this model OK but not great, with lots of minor complaints. If it starts smoking I think that rating will drop.
Well, I routinely use mine in such a state that I need to delete two hours of low-def programming in order to make the "DVR full" message covering the screen go away and the full % drop to 99% (I just can't let go of my unwatched favs!
). So this is the edge case I was really talking about. I've found, for example, that if you are at 99% and a recording starts, you drop to 96%, and if a second one starts, you drop to 94%. That's how you can get overfull. I find that when it is very full like this the buffer shrinks. I have seen it as low as 20 minutes, compared to 2 hours or so when it is only 90% full (I observed the latter just recently in this pocket between the end of May sweeps and the start of the summer season ). I find myself having to reset (unplug) once every few weeks at least for one reason or another. I also get some sort of constant noise pattern over the picture even when the DVR is off, and that's using the component output. And the low-def compression quality seems really poor. So basically I rate this model OK but not great, with lots of minor complaints. If it starts smoking I think that rating will drop.
freezing/ignoring
About that freezing/ignoring problem.
I find that, especially if you use the recordings menu with a hi-def preview, the box can take quite a while to process a command sometimes. I've seen as long as 20 seconds. You know that it is busy trying to obey you because the little light on the clock display comes on when the command begins and goes back off when it is complete.
On the other hand, I find that very often a command simply never registers. I push a button, nothing happens, I push it again, then it goes through. In some cases I think this may be the remote not handling a rapid succession of buttons well, but in other cases I see the remote light go on but the DVR command light does not, so one of the two has a "failure to communicate."
About that freezing/ignoring problem.
I find that, especially if you use the recordings menu with a hi-def preview, the box can take quite a while to process a command sometimes. I've seen as long as 20 seconds. You know that it is busy trying to obey you because the little light on the clock display comes on when the command begins and goes back off when it is complete.
On the other hand, I find that very often a command simply never registers. I push a button, nothing happens, I push it again, then it goes through. In some cases I think this may be the remote not handling a rapid succession of buttons well, but in other cases I see the remote light go on but the DVR command light does not, so one of the two has a "failure to communicate."
I feel like one of those annoying 811 owners in the Dish forums that would talk about how wonderful and bug free their 811's were, despite the gazillion members' complaints (including myself) about all the things that were wrong with it. (It really is an appalingly bad piece of equipment that Dish should be totally ashamed of, along with the 921.)
My 6412 has been friggin great. Once, immediately after I powered it on, the audio alternated on/off. A simple power cycle solved it. That was it! Other than operator error, it's been working perfectly. (There are a few design flaws in the interface, and the hdd is too small. But, that's a horse of a different color.)
I'm pretty happy with the 6412, especially with Comcast's VOD, and will not necessarily be too bummed out if SBC doesn't release the Dish Media Portal, and I end up having to stay with Comcast.
My 6412 has been friggin great. Once, immediately after I powered it on, the audio alternated on/off. A simple power cycle solved it. That was it! Other than operator error, it's been working perfectly. (There are a few design flaws in the interface, and the hdd is too small. But, that's a horse of a different color.)
I'm pretty happy with the 6412, especially with Comcast's VOD, and will not necessarily be too bummed out if SBC doesn't release the Dish Media Portal, and I end up having to stay with Comcast.
Yes. This box has problems. My biggest problem is getting it to record a series without grabbing the repeats (Simpsons, Stargate, etc). Phone support refuses to acknowledge a problem. Their solution is to have the box replaced (I'm on my 3rd already). Email support admits there's a bug and I have to wait for an update from Motorola. A service tech admits to the problem and says it's TV Guide's fault or the network's fault. Go figure. :shocked
I have also been won over to the DCT-6412
After lambasting the Motorola DCT-6412, I must say that after swapping the crappy box for a new one, I have had no complaints. It does everything we ask of it (unlike the first box). I like it so much that I got a second one (this time with HDMI) and (thank goodness) it also works like a charm. I don't work for Comcast either, in fact, when this dish buyback deal ends in May, (and the price soars) I may have to go back to Satellite or preferably to Verizon FIOS if they ever get here. Bottom line: If your box is doing things like freezing or giving you choppy playback of what it "recorded", demand that they swap it and keep swapping until you get one that performs up to specs.
Wayne
After lambasting the Motorola DCT-6412, I must say that after swapping the crappy box for a new one, I have had no complaints. It does everything we ask of it (unlike the first box). I like it so much that I got a second one (this time with HDMI) and (thank goodness) it also works like a charm. I don't work for Comcast either, in fact, when this dish buyback deal ends in May, (and the price soars) I may have to go back to Satellite or preferably to Verizon FIOS if they ever get here. Bottom line: If your box is doing things like freezing or giving you choppy playback of what it "recorded", demand that they swap it and keep swapping until you get one that performs up to specs.
Wayne
- Nov 29, 2003
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I am also a very happy user of the 6412 via Comcast, I have not had one problem with it since dropping E*, do I think or believe that the 942 is a better unit, maybe, maybe not, but I was not about to pay E* $250.00 just for the right to lease it.
Now I do know I get better Comcast service then a lot of folks since I live in one of those sub-divisons that has those big green nodes ( looks like little tool sheds ) in every other backyard and the cable system here has already been rebuilt for 860 MHz, I get a great picture, even what is left of the SD analog channels ( most are in the digital spectrum now ) look better then E*'s SD channels.
What I am trying to say is I am tired of seeing things like Comcrap and such, I get better service and prices then E*, but I was not un-happy with E*, I just get something better for me then what E* is offering right now, but I will not put down E*. since I was happy with their service.
Now I do know I get better Comcast service then a lot of folks since I live in one of those sub-divisons that has those big green nodes ( looks like little tool sheds ) in every other backyard and the cable system here has already been rebuilt for 860 MHz, I get a great picture, even what is left of the SD analog channels ( most are in the digital spectrum now ) look better then E*'s SD channels.
What I am trying to say is I am tired of seeing things like Comcrap and such, I get better service and prices then E*, but I was not un-happy with E*, I just get something better for me then what E* is offering right now, but I will not put down E*. since I was happy with their service.
6412
I guess my wife and I have the only good ones. We had a few problems after install, but all those have been taken care of.
I record HDTV, many auto races and misc other programs with no problems at all. My wife also records daily shows with no problems.
I came over from Dish due to extremely high hardware prices for HD, and the fact they have a bunch of problems too.
We are a very Happy Comcast family.
I guess my wife and I have the only good ones. We had a few problems after install, but all those have been taken care of.
I record HDTV, many auto races and misc other programs with no problems at all. My wife also records daily shows with no problems.
I came over from Dish due to extremely high hardware prices for HD, and the fact they have a bunch of problems too.
We are a very Happy Comcast family.
Ummm. No. Do you work for Dish? (I always respond to incredibly f-ing stupid questions with another one. It's a reflex.)juan said:
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