# HR20: 0x120 - Discussion



## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

National Release: 02/01/2007
Manufacture 700 - 0x120

Release Notes: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=78410
Issue Thread: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=78412

_CE - Discussion:_ http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=78145
_CE - Issues:_ http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=78146

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

*National Release:*
All HR20's should have 0x120 by 02/02/2007

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

*Revision History: (Note Builds that did not go national, are no longer listed)*
Version 0x11b (01/23/2007): *Discussion Thread*
Version 0x10b (12/20/2006): *Discussion Thread*
Version 0xFA (11/22/2006): *Discussion Thread*
Version 0xEF (11/15/2006): *Discussion Thread*
Version 0xE3 (10/19/2006): *Discussion Thread*
Version 0xDC (10/11/2006): *Discussion Thread*
Version 0xD8 (10/04/2006): *Discussion Thread*
Version 0xD1 (09/26/2006): *Discussion Thread*
Version 0xCC (09/16/2006): *Discussion Thread Issue Thread*
Version 0xBE (09/01/2006): *Discussion Thread Issue Thread*

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

*Tips and Tricks Threads*
Official Tips and Tricks
Unoffical Tips and Tricks v2.9

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

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


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## JJaret (Aug 25, 2004)

A feature change that is not it the release notes is the History list no longer contains any future cancelled programs.


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## Teronzhul (Sep 21, 2006)

Not specifically 120 related, but after each of the last 2 updates, my receiver has spontaneously decided that it is no longer receiving either 110/119 or both. 

The only way to fix this is to repeat guided setup twice, first setting it to a round dish, then back to 5lnb. This is exceptionally annoying and has caused me to miss 2 recordings thus far.


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## bnglbill (Nov 29, 2006)

This is getting rediculos, I can't believe D** released this buggy A** software!! I have had very little issues other than the black screen, now, I have audio drop outs, Audio synch problems, black screen and all of that is just what I noticed after the first couple of hours of use. I have RBR and that didn't help with the audio. Also the mpeg 4 locals look like crap. THIS IS GETTING OLD!!!!!


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## shaun-ohio (Aug 24, 2002)

yeah tell me about it i have reset my box so much, that the red button is flush , with the receiver now, have to use a pointed object to reset it now, when it locks up


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## Drewg5 (Dec 15, 2006)

The only issue I have had is taring in the guide, and menu system. The longer the HR20 is running the less I even see that bug.


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## Vinny (Sep 2, 2006)

Issue:

a) Currently recording The Office D* NBC (MPEG4) and The War at Home D* FOX (MPEG4). 
b) Went to playlist to watch The Office; but get gray screen. 
c) Can't FF passed it; but remote is still working. 
d) I tune to NBC 4 and The Office is playing and I am able to watch it; but no trick play functions. So I miss the first 5 minutes; but still can view the rest of the show. 
e) While I'm watching The Office; I hit menu/playlist and select The War at Home. It plays fine; and all trick play functions work. 
f) I retune to NBC to watch The Office and again, I can watch; but no trick play.

Has this ever happened to anyone?

Update 1:

After The Office ended; Scrubs was having the same problem; but Greys Anatomy was recording and was playable. 
I cancelled the Scrubs recording; cleared the buffer by changing channels; went back to NBC Scrubs; hit record and everything is fine. Both NBC and ABC are recording normally and trick plays are functioning on both stations.

Update 2:

All other recording on NBC and ABC are recording and watchable. So it seems after I cleared the NBC buffer; everything went back to normal.

This is also posted in the issues thread.

WEIRD!!!!!!!


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## inzane (Oct 26, 2006)

well I had my first major issue. was recording CSI and Grey's on the NYC mepg 4 channels, was watching greys 20 min after it started. all was fine, then went to watch CSI, no go, just the a black screen, can't even jump into it. Shark us currently recording and I can't do any trick plays to watch from the beging. I'm assuming that this recording will also be hosed. What really sucks that 9pm thursdays it the only time my wonderfully working tivo does not record the same exact shows, since I need to record 3 shows at 9pm thursdays, and I picked the wrong one to watch live, should of watched CSI. I just can't understand how they can have all these recording problems. It's just Bits from a stream, what comes to the tuner get saved to the drive. If I can see it on the screen then the bits are good. I can understand things like scheduling issues and such, but not saving bits. off to cbs.com to watch CSI


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## Vinny (Sep 2, 2006)

inzane said:


> well I had my first major issue. was recording CSI and Grey's on the NYC mepg 4 channels, was watching greys 20 min after it started. all was fine, then went to watch CSI, no go, just the a black screen, can't even jump into it. Shark us currently recording and I can't do any trick plays to watch from the beging. I'm assuming that this recording will also be hosed. What really sucks that 9pm thursdays it the only time my wonderfully working tivo does not record the same exact shows, since I need to record 3 shows at 9pm thursdays, and I picked the wrong one to watch live, should of watched CSI. I just can't understand how they can have all these recording problems. It's just Bits from a stream, what comes to the tuner get saved to the drive. If I can see it on the screen then the bits are good. I can understand things like scheduling issues and such, but not saving bits. off to cbs.com to watch CSI


This seems to be the same issue I and others have had tonight.


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## thekochs (Oct 7, 2006)

My 30 second slip forward seems to work fine....but hitting 30 second slip backward produces no effect. Has anyone seen this ?


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## MDTerp (Jan 29, 2007)

Well I have been lurking around for a while getting a feel for what to look for and and now feel I should post as my frustration actually got in the way last night. I had my HR20 installed on 1/23 and have had little or no problems up until x120. Lets see, all of my issues below have become drastically noticeable with this latest release. First and probably most annoying; my local HD MPEG4 channels picture quality has gone from almost perfect to breaking up all the time along with audio drops. For example picture problems during GREY's last night, along with audio drops made the wife very angry. These two things didn't happen this problem last weeks program. Also before GREY's I tried watching a recording of Poker after Dark and audio was off by at least 6 secs right after pressing play, so I played around with FFW and the Pause buttons to sync up. But I didn't have to do this before with any recordings thus far. Also noticed the famous "Pinky" for the first time. It was in the right >> box at the bottom of the screen. Then to top it off my OTA connection most notable 5-1 FOX- WTTG DC takes almost 20-30 seconds to locate its signal. I get a searching for signal notice on the screen now before the current programming appears. Before this x120 update, all my OTA channels were trouble free. After spending some time reading everyones experiences, I don't think my issues or frustrations are in the minority. I already can't wait for the next release, maybe before Super Sunday! This release has made my HR20 worse.


-------------------------------------------------------------------
HR20-700 release 0x120 (Automactic 2/2/07) 
Slimline Dish No Multi Switch
Configured: Native OFF | 720p Stretch | DD ON | BBC's Connected | Network: NOT Connected | OTA | Power off when not in use.
HDTV: Sony KDFE55A20 connected via HDMI to HR20
Home Theater: Sony connected via optical cable to HR20
DirecTV Remote
DirecTV since 1999


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## Capmeister (Sep 16, 2003)

thekochs said:


> My 30 second slip forward seems to work fine....but hitting 30 second slip backward produces no effect. Has anyone seen this ?


The slip back isn't 30 seconds. I think it's more like 6 seconds or maybe 10. Not sure. It's not 30, though.


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## mtnagel (Sep 18, 2006)

Capmeister said:


> The slip back isn't 30 seconds. I think it's more like 6 seconds or maybe 10. Not sure. It's not 30, though.


It's about 6 seconds. I've tested it with HDNet's Test Patterns (it has a timer). But his bigger issue is that his isn't working.


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## cygnusloop (Jan 26, 2007)

Vinny said:


> Issue:
> 
> a) Currently recording The Office D* NBC (MPEG4) and The War at Home D* FOX (MPEG4).
> b) Went to playlist to watch The Office; but get gray screen.
> ...


I have posted what I think is clearly the same issue in the issue thread as well:

(from 0x120 issues thread)
LIST>PLAY HD-program OTA, recording still in progress.
Black screen when attempt to play. Transport controls respond on screen, but continued black screen and ticker/time does not move.

Other tuner: buffering SD local over satellite for 90 minutes +

What may be new information:
Since this program was still in progress, I exited and changed the channel to the live feed of this program. Program appeared to be playing fine, but no response to any transport control (rew, ff, jumpback, pause). Multiple channel changes away from, and back to the "live" recording channel yeilded no change in behavior (I did this to cycle thru different format 480i, 720p, etc...). I let program complete recording, and attempted to play again from list, still black screen with "responsive" but non-functional transport controls. Trick play on "live" TV returned to normal once recording ended.

(end quote)

It is clear to me that this is somehow related to the state of the buffer. In my experience, a full 90 minutes in the buffer GREATLY increases the chance of this happening. I have not yet seen a well articulated documentation of the version of the BSB, if that is in fact what it is. I say version of the BSB, because it seems the "classic" BSB is more related to standby, and requires at least a menu reset. In this case, all that is required for return of functionality is the completion of the affected recording. Hence, many users are not noticing a problem until the attempt to playback the recording. To them, all is well except that they have a black screen on a particular recording. I hope we are closing in on this one. Before the Super Bowl starts on Sunday, I will most certainly make sure the buffer is clear.


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## Vinny (Sep 2, 2006)

cygnusloop said:


> I have posted what I think is clearly the same issue in the issue thread as well:
> 
> (from 0x120 issues thread)
> LIST>PLAY HD-program OTA, recording still in progress.
> ...


It definitely looks like the same issue. I didn't wait for the recording to finish, though; I 
a) ended the recording; 
b) changed channels which cleared the buffer; 
c) went back to the original channel and began a new recording of the same show; and everything worked.

So, I agree; it seems its something to do with the buffer.


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## Justinto (Jul 15, 2006)

I had the problem with the last two releases on Denver's 7 KMGH - macroblocking on HD constanly switching back and forth from HD to SD; plus last night's Ugy Betty, the audio sync was off 3 seconds on a recording and was unwatchable.


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## PhilipDC (Aug 16, 2006)

Software loaded overnight Wed./Thur.--had a lot of short audio dropouts last night on my Mpeg 4 local NBC affiliate (WRC Washington, DC). Rewinded a few times and recovered the audio...


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## spolaski (Sep 12, 2006)

I haven't noticed any audio dropouts on mine. I have had them before but wasn't sure if it was the HR20 or the signal that was dropping out. 

I like your test of rewinding and seeing if the audio drops out the second time through in the same places. Next time I have a dropout I'll have to try that. 

My issue right now is that despite it being addressed in the release notes, I still lose connection to the server when playing shuffled music. I think it's still an unsupported feature, but it would be nice if they could get this fixed for good.

Steve


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## legacydoor (Dec 13, 2006)

I had a complete lockup last night and had to RBR. This happened right after a recorded show would not play or even FF over black to real show. Have had audio and video dropouts as well that come and go in severity depending on version but it has never gone away . 

I'm really getting tired of making excuses to my wife for the HR20. Some updates have been better than others but it's becoming clear they can't find a way to solve some of these issues. I'm starting to wonder if it is in fact a internal hardware issue. "D", it's getting awfully hard to be patient much longer.

My HR10 had an issue once in a while but nothing like this.

Clock is ticking "D"


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## Tom_S (Apr 9, 2002)

It's funny, with each previous release at or around day 3 funky things would start happening. With this release the opposite is happening. It seems to be more stable now than when I first downloaded it.

No lost recordings in days. Keeping my fingers crossed.


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## sailjr (Jan 30, 2007)

Does anyone know what is happening with updates? I had 0x11b but instead of getting 0x120 I was reverted back to the older 0xbe. The update back to the old version was at 1:30a.m. on 2/2/2007


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## Shake Well (Apr 12, 2006)

Downloaded and started using x120 late Wed night. Had a couple of shows that were black screen that went directly to "Keep/Delete" so I hit the Big Red Button (or is it Little Red Button?) and everything seems to be ok now.

Fortunately, The Office, Earl, Grey's, CSI, and ER came through the recording process all fine last night. I am not using OTA though, I have the locals via sat.

Quick question: Easiest way to clear the buffer? Change channel, shutdown, reset?

Thanks.


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## lpctv (Aug 26, 2006)

sailjr said:


> Does anyone know what is happening with updates? I had 0x11b but instead of getting 0x120 I was reverted back to the older 0xbe. The update back to the old version was at 1:30a.m. on 2/2/2007


Scroll down 1 line in the display....BE was the first commercial release and it will tend to always display no matter what the current version is. The info you want to verify is on the line directly below.


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## LameLefty (Sep 29, 2006)

> ....BE was the first commercial release


Really? My box says its initial version was 0xAC.


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## redfiver (Nov 18, 2006)

I think others have given this bug a name, but I'm not sure what others are calling it. Anyway, I've had this bug through the past several releases but it still exists in 120.

Everytime I go into LIST and choose an unviewed recorded program to play, the playback starts 2 minutes into the program. I then have to rewind back two minutes to get to the beginning of the recording to watch the whole thing.


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

redfiver said:


> I think others have given this bug a name, but I'm not sure what others are calling it. Anyway, I've had this bug through the past several releases but it still exists in 120.
> 
> Everytime I go into LIST and choose an unviewed recorded program to play, the playback starts 2 minutes into the program. I then have to rewind back two minutes to get to the beginning of the recording to watch the whole thing.


I've seen it a few times in this release, but not in prior releases. It's strange in that it doesn't happen with every program, but I have certainly seen it happen. I just checked the Colbert Report from last night and it was fine....I checked a Star Trek Voyager recording from the previous day and sure enough...there it was.


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## aquafuzz (Jan 17, 2007)

Just got confirmation that the techs in the Co. center check this site daily.  Good Deal!!!!!

I was also told to make a habit of doing a RBR every couple of days to clear the garbage out until the firmware is completly stable. This should keep some problems from creeping up.

120 has fixed several of my problems for the exception of:

1. caller id

2. OTA HD channles for Charleston SC

3. slow population of menu information

aquafuzz


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## mgcsooner (Dec 18, 2004)

So far I am VERY HAPPY over the stability of 120. Not to be too optomistic though as 011B began that way and toward the end of the first week was absolutely miserable. 

Noted minor video tearing on system information page on page down. Trick play excellent for everything except trying to perform slow motion which is really nearly impossible to make functional use on when remote is on RF--guys really need to rethink that one--should be able to pause and begin from that point!


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## shendley (Nov 28, 2005)

I was just thinking that after almost a week with OX120 I haven't seen any of the pixelation and audio drop outs I was seeing occasionally with the last national release. So far I've had one RBR with OX 120 and no other problems. It's working pretty well for me.


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## r80sdon (Feb 3, 2007)

Since the latest download I have to do a RBR each day and am now having pixillation issues and sound dropouts. IS there any end in sight??


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## dsmith35124 (Feb 3, 2007)

I've had my HR20 for about two weeks and got 0x120 on 2/2. I haven't had any serious problems. I don't consider things like menu tearing or "pinky" bugs to be serious problems. I reserve that category for missed or unwatchable recordings or system hangs. I appreciate the added features of the HR20 compared to the HR10 and I think the picture is a little better on the HR20, both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. It took me a while to learn the new user interface, but I consider that to be "playing" - more fun than work. I do have a few observations to share...

1. By their very nature, forums like this are filled with reports of people reporting problems (which I don't doubt are real for some % of users.) Most people who are problem-free don't bother searching for "help and support" forums on the web, much less bother registering and posting. I'm here looking for (and finding) information about my new DVR.

2. Some % (probably a pretty high %) of complaints about MPEG-4 locals are caused by the local stations themselves. The HD stations in my area (Birmingham) are only marginally competent and my experience between OTA and the MPEG-4 locals has been about the same in terms of bad sync between audio and video, SD content for HD shows, missing audio, etc. A lot of these problems have nothing to do with D*.

3. The performance of the HR10 and HR20 on national HDs out of New York are about the same - occasional dropped audio, pixelation, etc. There do seem to be some video situations in which the MPEG-4 compression gets overwhelmed, at least at the current compression settings, but that's the nature of compression, especially of live video feeds. This will only improve when D* can increase the bandwidth of its channels when the new satellites come on line. Even as it is, I think it's acceptable. We should remember that we're watching TV - most of it's like popcorn - quickly eaten and forgotten. An occasional glitch during the "golf tournament of the week" is no big deal.

4. Since I've read so much negative stuff about the HR20 I'm still using my Season Pass list on my HR10 as a backup, so I can compare the two on an even basis. I've checked and the quality of the recordings is about the same and I haven't had to (or even wanted to) watch the backup copy of anything yet.

5. I teach electrical engineering at the University of Alabama in Birmingham and I've taught both coding theory (which covers things like MPEG compression) and embedded computers (which the HR20 is.) I know first-hand how difficult the job is that the HR20 is trying to do and frankly I'm impressed at how well it performs.

6. The frequent updates of the system software by D* seems to me to indicate two things. First, there are still a number of issues outstanding, and second, that D* really wants to get this right. Remember how long it took to get version 6.3 for the HR10? That's indifference.

7. I also realize that I may just be lucky and that my luck may run out at any time. If it does and the HR20 becomes a problem, then I reserve the right to be unhappy. Until then, though, I think it's an impressive and worthwhile product.


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## irie4ja (Oct 20, 2006)

Begging today, every time I change channel I getsearching for message on botom of screen!


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## Vinny (Sep 2, 2006)

dsmith35124 said:


> I've had my HR20 for about two weeks and got 0x120 on 2/2. I haven't had any serious problems. I don't consider things like menu tearing or "pinky" bugs to be serious problems. I reserve that category for missed or unwatchable recordings or system hangs. I appreciate the added features of the HR20 compared to the HR10 and I think the picture is a little better on the HR20, both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. It took me a while to learn the new user interface, but I consider that to be "playing" - more fun than work. I do have a few observations to share...


Great comments...:welcome_s to the forum.


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## jmh27 (Jul 3, 2002)

I am still experiencing sometimes frequent DD audio dropouts (almost freezes really) on mostly my local HD channels via OTA. I don't experience any of these while watching the TV tuner which I occassionally do when it's so bad you can't hear any dialogue. 

I thought this was going to get better with one of these releases but so far nothing has solved it...


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## Capmeister (Sep 16, 2003)

dsmith35124 said:


> 7. I also realize that I may just be lucky and that my luck may run out at any time. If it does and the HR20 becomes a problem, then I reserve the right to be unhappy. Until then, though, I think it's an impressive and worthwhile product.


I tend to agree with this, and the rest of your post. My problems have been pretty minor, other than closed captioning problems (which have been quite improved, though still not completely fixed) which I admit is a niche issue.


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## AlexCF (Oct 14, 2006)

120 seems to have fixed the crop video bug that had been driving me crazy. I haven't seen it happen a single time since the update.

EDIT: Spoke too soon, I guess. Turned it on, was on a local HD. Hit the list, hit the guide, chose an SD channel, and the crop bug was back. Bummer.


The only negatives I see are that the MPEG4 channels look horrible now, I almost think the SD channels look better. I get frequent DD audio drop-outs on those channels too. They're not unwatchable, but they're not pretty either. I'd be ticked if all the channels looked that bad.


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## moonman (Oct 27, 2004)

I have had my HR20 since Nov. For the first time since then, I have gotten the BSOD today. When I first turned the unit on no video, no audio...thinking
that I had left the box on a non-used channel, I punched the channel nbr in
directly from the remote...the picture and sound returned as expected, how-
ever when I used the chan. up/down rocker switch, the screen went black
again...ver, 0X120 started this behavior for me. All the regular menu functions seemed to work. I had to restart the box and it is ok now.


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## Gbsnplr (Nov 10, 2006)

I have the 120 update now my optical output to my receiver doesn't work. I have tried rebooting the system does anyone have any suggestions?


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## moonman (Oct 27, 2004)

Update: For the second day in a row, as I turned my box on, I was presented
with the "black screen of death" ...no pic no sound no banner etc. just
black screen. OX120 has been the worse for me so far...if I punch in a local
channel nbr., the picture and audio comes up with all other functions intact
EXCEPT I cannot tune any channels that are not local....I have to reset
the box to get back to normal....now it looks like I will have to reboot each
day I turn the box on( a reboot usually lasts the day with several on/off
commands)...I hope they fix this quickly with a new version...is their any
way to go back to a more stable version?? I think this one is a PITA.....


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## h0ckeysk8er (Oct 12, 2006)

HDMI Update 0x120

Well, looks like they broke HDMI between the HR20 and my Sharp LCD panel in this release. Regardless of the sequencing of turning on my panel or the HR20, I get blank screen. Sigh....

-) Sharp LC-45GD6U
-) Probably late 2004 or early 2005 build date (but has had firmware updates and some internal board replacements)
-) Main Version 1.32 (2005/11/11)
Card Version 2.02
Monitor Version 3.09
-) No switches, etc....direct from HR20 to panel via HDMI
-) Optical digital audio from HR20 to Denon 2805

Note: Although both component and HDMI inputs show no signal when HR20 in standby, the Denon still shows signal on the optical digital audio port.

Problem: No picture on HDMI


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## PajamaGuy (Aug 21, 2006)

The game's going to run long. I'm scheduled to record Criminal Minds. How do I pad just this time's recording for an extra 30 min. The dialog seems to indicate I'll be padding the whole series, not just one show.

So now it's 9:01 and HR20 thinks it's recording "Minds", while it's recording, can I add a pad extension? How?

Thanks! (I set it to record the 10:00 show as a workaround)


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Recorded Kickoff Show, SuperBowl, and padded 30 minutes for Postgame - concurrently both OTA and local CBS on D*TV. All recorded and played great, including padding. Audio clean, both videas virtually identical.


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## Tighe32 (Oct 12, 2006)

During the Superbowl I got severe audio dropouts on all commercials. It was fine during the game but on a lot of the commercials I could hear the background sounds but no voices and the other commercials it would cut out about every 2 seconds . I am using x12 software with optical connection and I even switched DD on and off with no change. I was watching on OTA 8-1 (Indianapolis) I have always used this channel with no problems and this is the only time I have experienced problems, after the game everything was fine again. Very strange any Ideas or did anyone else have this problem?


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## joej (Sep 29, 2006)

Hey Tighe32

I had the same problem here in Denver using the MPEG-4 local. My pre-amp would kick in and out of Dolby Digital all the time during the commercials. It got to the point that I switched the pre-amp off and used the RCA out to my TV. It audio still dropped out. First time I every had this type of problem.

Later
Joe


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## cygnusloop (Jan 26, 2007)

I was watching OTA in Denver, and had the exact same issue on the DD audio.
this is clearly a problem with the source.



joej said:


> Hey Tighe32
> 
> I had the same problem here in Denver using the MPEG-4 local. My pre-amp would kick in and out of Dolby Digital all the time during the commercials. It got to the point that I switched the pre-amp off and used the RCA out to my TV. It audio still dropped out. First time I every had this type of problem.
> 
> ...


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## bnglbill (Nov 29, 2006)

joej said:


> Hey Tighe32
> 
> I had the same problem here in Denver using the MPEG-4 local. My pre-amp would kick in and out of Dolby Digital all the time during the commercials. It got to the point that I switched the pre-amp off and used the RCA out to my TV. It audio still dropped out. First time I every had this type of problem.
> 
> ...


I have had this problem here and there with the other releases but with 0x120, it is almost constant and Fox is the worst. It only seems to happen on the HD local channels, mpeg 4 is the worst mpeg 2 not as bad, non HD, non existant.


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## HDNut (Aug 28, 2006)

I had not used the native res mode for the past 5 months untill last Saturday. It seems that this mode is working very well now with my Westinghouse 42W1 LCD monitor. The only difference I notice is a slight delay when I switch from one channel to another that works in a different resolution.


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## jeffroe996 (Feb 5, 2007)

I got my HR20 yesterday just in time for the superbowl. It immediately downloaded 0x120 and I recorded the superbowl from satellite and watched it via OTA. I was able to pause, rewind, fast forward fine on the OTA buffer. I checked the local mpeg4 recording after the game and it all appeared fine. 

It properly recorded Rome on HBOHD, but then when I sat down to watch it, I realized that the remote was unresponsive. So I went and tried the buttons on the front panel and nothing. Interestingly, the live feed of NFL Gameday was still running and playing fine, just couldn't do anything else. 

I had read in the forum that sometimes the HR20 gets busy and wont' respond for a little while, so I went and did something else for 30 minutes, then came back and it was still playing NFL Gameday live, but I couldn't do anything with it, so I went ahead and did an RBR.

It came up fine and I watched Rome, which worked just fine. Then I decided to go ahead and reformat the thing since it was empty anyway and I hadn't been able to set all my tivo season pass equivalents because the guide hadn't finished downloading. I had read that many people advocated reformatting when you had an old version that was upgraded so far (0xbe to 0x120). 

So far today, it has been working fine. We'll see if Heroes records properly in HD this evening.

I still have my Samsung SD DirecTivo, but I can't use it as a backup until I run two more cables to the living room and buy another multi-switch.

BTW, you guys are great and super helpful! If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have realized that Dolby Digital defaults to Off.


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## jpercia (Jan 10, 2007)

Just wanted to take a minute to say how pleased I am with 0x120. The biggest problems I had with earlier version was that trick play usage caused so much pixelation and audio dropouts it was virtually unuseable on my HR20. I have not had any problems since 0x120 rolled out. Even when recording OTA HD and using trick play on OTA HD at the same time (a killer combination in earlier versions for me).


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## Justinto (Jul 15, 2006)

cygnusloop said:


> I was watching OTA in Denver, and had the exact same issue on the DD audio.
> this is clearly a problem with the source.


I am not sure this is an issue. I have the audio routed through my HK receiver. When the program audio switches from DD to analog, the receiver takes 2 seconds to play it it both directions. This is a quirk with the HK receiver not the HR20; however, I have not tried to listen to the audio track via the HDMI analog track.


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## kfcrosby (Dec 17, 2006)

After answering the pool that I had not had any problems, today I got my first BSOD.

RBR and I am back up and running....


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## scottrof (Nov 13, 2006)

This version seems to be a step backwards.

Last week's boston legal had many of the clicking sounds.

There are audio dropouts on most shows.

Friday Night Lights and also Bones from last week both only recorded the final 21 minutes.


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## superchief (Dec 22, 2006)

*0x120 - 3 RBR's required in a row tonight!*

What a piece of dreck!!!
I have been patiently testing/using/reporting on 0x120 since it's Beta release, and tonight it required 3, count 'em, 3 RBRs, due to the dreaded BSOD.

Why? Because I changed the channel!

I was watching OTA KLASDT Las Vegas (8-1) and I changed the channel to OTA KLVXDT (10-1) Las Vegas. First time, worked fine. Second time, worked fine. Third time, BSOD. MPEG4 locals, Sat channels, HD sat channels, recorded shows on SATA drive -- Nuttin' but a black screen. Waited 2 minutes, watching glorious blackness, then decided to move on.

OK, says I, I'll RBR -- cool, everything's working. Repeated the scenario above, and wham, BSOD.

RBR AGAIN, and everything worked, until I changed channels -- BSOD.

Third reboot, and everything was working, except by now, the shows that I wanted to watch were over. Thanks for a box that takes 7-10 minutes to re-boot. 
================
It really seems that as releases 'age in the box', they become more unstable. Smells of a memory leak, or something of that ilk.
================

I really would like the HR-20 and 0x120 to work reliably, but as far as OTA, the combination really sucks. And, results from satellite-only aren't much better.

I'd watch the MPEG4 satellite equivalent channels, IF they were close to the same quality, but they are not. OTA rocks, Satellite HD locals looks like they need a dose of Viagra (soft and sputtery in comparison to OTA).

What's a customer to do??


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## superchief (Dec 22, 2006)

scottrof said:


> This version seems to be a step backwards.
> 
> Last week's boston legal had many of the clicking sounds.
> 
> ...


Actually, I believe that was a Network problem, as far as I could tell.

OTA, West Coast Feed and local HD (MPEG4) all had the problem for me here in Las Vegas.

The problem was reproducible on my Samsung and RCA DTC-100 STBs.
\
Funny though how the commercials came through fine...


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## superchief (Dec 22, 2006)

dsmith35124 said:


> I've had my HR20 for about two weeks and got 0x120 on 2/2. I haven't had any serious problems. I don't consider things like menu tearing or "pinky" bugs to be serious problems. I reserve that category for missed or unwatchable recordings or system hangs. I appreciate the added features of the HR20 compared to the HR10 and I think the picture is a little better on the HR20, both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. It took me a while to learn the new user interface, but I consider that to be "playing" - more fun than work. I do have a few observations to share...
> 
> 1. By their very nature, forums like this are filled with reports of people reporting problems (which I don't doubt are real for some % of users.) Most people who are problem-free don't bother searching for "help and support" forums on the web, much less bother registering and posting. I'm here looking for (and finding) information about my new DVR.
> 
> ...


Welcome to the forum!

I would agree in principal with most of your observations, however, as a person that has tested several releases of the software on the HR-20, I would advise you to wait 2 weeks or so, and then reflect on your points above.

Specifically:

1) Yes, there are some whiners here, but by-and-large, I believe that we are reporting problems in the spirit of providing D* with as much information as possible so that they can create new downloads that are more stable and meet the written description of the operability and feature set of the HR-20.

2) I would not necessarily blame the Engineering staff at the locals for poor MPEG-4 performance. In my case, the difference between OTA local broadcast quality and re-distributed MPEG-4 is markedly different; that is, the OTA signal is constantly BETTER, by a large margin. Higher video frequencies (i.e., a crisper picture), no "stuttering" (motion artifacts & what appears to be dropped frames and smeared motion artifacts), sound quality & consistency.

3) Improved MPEG-4 bandwidth allocation and prediction algorithms are surely required on the part of D*; in addition, until the additional 2 planned satellites are launched and operational, limited bandwidth is, I believe, the main gating factor to improved MPEG-4 locals. This issue will, in my opinion, be addressed as we move forward.

4) I have a DTC-100 HD receiver that (via modification) allows me to record the raw HD bitstream to a HD, and I agree that the HR-20 does record "faithfully".

5) I too am greatly impressed by the HR-20 and what it can do, when everything works as advertised. I think about the complexity of recording up to 3 bitstreams simultaneously, while decoding and outputting a 4th, and it really is quite a feat of engineering. My background is in computer networking and protocols, and a device of this capability is awesome.

6) Agreed. This is evidence of an organization trying its' best to satisfy their clients. One could argue that the HR-20 was 'pre-released', but after reading these posts for several months now, I honestly do not believe that any organization could have released such a product/technology so advanced without flaws. In my view, D* has created the PC, Operating System, Applications, Networking and an Advanced U/I all at once. It "only" took the computer industry 35+ years to do the same things!

7) As I said in the beginning of my reply, the HR-20 seems to really preform well for a few days, and then the nasties arrive. Dunno if it is a memory leak, embedded L*nux, file system or other issue(s), but the boxes do seem to become more unstable as time goes by.

Thanks for your comments!


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## Djscoe (Feb 8, 2006)

I've had audio dropouts with every release and up until this latest release I was forced to reboot the damn thing at least twice a week. I'd turn on the system and get the BSOD. Reboot and it was fine for a couple days, then nothing.

I don't watch that much in SD but the PQ definitely is not as good on this release.


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## edmcgee (Jan 23, 2007)

I am getting red dots flashing at various times all over my display. I went to the direct tv forums and there were a lot of people having the same problems. At first I almost had a heart attack thinking it was my plasma.

It only started happening after Thursdays software update.

Eddie


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## tommygun_00 (Jan 9, 2006)

I just got the HR20 installed yesterday. Would I have gotten the 120 update when they installed it? Need to know if I need to download it. Also, I don't have an internet connection hooked up to it. Is that a problem?

Thanks


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

tommygun_00 said:


> I just got the HR20 installed yesterday. Would I have gotten the 120 update when they installed it? Need to know if I need to download it. Also, I don't have an internet connection hooked up to it. Is that a problem?
> 
> Thanks


If the installer didn't force a download of 0x120 as the last step of the install, it likely downloaded automatically overnight. You should be good. A quick check under Menu->help & settings->setup-> info (hit select on the info) will tell you many things about your HR20 including temperature and the software level.

Nope you do not need either phone line or network for the HR20. Without phone line you can't order PPV via the remote control, but you still can order via the directv website.

Cheers,
Tom


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## bmwillett (Jan 24, 2007)

Tighe32 said:


> During the Superbowl I got severe audio dropouts on all commercials. It was fine during the game but on a lot of the commercials I could hear the background sounds but no voices and the other commercials it would cut out about every 2 seconds . I am using x12 software with optical connection and I even switched DD on and off with no change. I was watching on OTA 8-1 (Indianapolis) I have always used this channel with no problems and this is the only time I have experienced problems, after the game everything was fine again. Very strange any Ideas or did anyone else have this problem?


I had the same issue but only seemed to occur after rewinding some during the game to see something we missed - then fast forwarded to catch back. After doing that, the audio would severely drop out during commercials until I changed the channel then changed it back - that seemed to resync things.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Version 0x12a is now the current national release.
So this thread is closed... and unstuck


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