HR 20-700 - problem fast forwarding

sellbonds · Post by **sellbonds** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 7:33 pm

I called DirecTv today. Apparently, they sent out a software upgrade yesterday that screwed up my fast forward ability on DirecTv's DVR. Any recorded programs I have saved on hard drive will not forward at 2x or 3x speed. The picture freezes up on frame it's currently on. I have two HR 20-700's and it does the same thing on both of them...Why did DirecTv have to screw up my receivers without telling me. Is anybody else having this fast forward problem with the HR 20-700?

akirby · Post by **akirby** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 9:01 pm

I'm having a similar problem but only on the HD Locals. And it's not just 2x and 3x - I can't fast forward at all sometimes - it just freezes and jumps between 2 frames. When it does FF it pixelates. ESPNHD and FX (SD) work just fine. I think the signal from the new sats is too low due to misaiming and/or my dish being too close to the roof overhang. I'm going to try adjusting it myself before I call them.

sellbonds · Post by **sellbonds** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 3:30 pm

I have had the HR 20's (two of them) since early Sept. Never had this problem before. They sent out a new update on 10/11/06 that screwed something up. I don't know when they will fix it but I am furious over this problem. It only screws up HD channels that have been recorded. It used to work fine. Call them to complaign and maybe if enough people complaign, they will do something about it. In the meantime, you can use the little button above FF (which goes 30 seconds forward) because that one is working...you just have to press it a few times.

akirby · Post by **akirby** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 8:24 pm

But that's just it - on mine even the 30 second skip doesn't work. My symptoms are similar but different from yours - mine never actually locks up. I just hit play and it starts playing again. I just can't fast forward. That's why I think mine is a signal strength problem (combined with shoddy software).

sellbonds · Post by **sellbonds** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 4:32 pm

OK. You are right. It doesn't lock up...I can push play too and it then starts playing. It won't fast forward on Local HD's or programs recorded off of local HD channels. I recorded a movie on HBO HD and it will FF fine. That's just weird !!! People at DirecTV say they have had some complaints and are working on a software fix...I can't even forward local HD channels that aren't recorded but if you watch for a few minutes, rewind live TV, then try to fast forward, it won't work...it keeps repeating the same frame and a half over...like it's hopping back and forth for less than a second...it's hard to describe but I think you are getting the same problem. I am in Fort Lauderdale, FL...are you in same area as far as Local SAT being screwed up? What did DirecTV say when you called them on this?

akirby · Post by **akirby** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 7:30 pm

I'm in Atlanta. I didn't call them yet because I wanted to try fine tuning the dish aiming in case that was the problem.

It does sound exactly the same - I suspect it's the MPEG4 software. All the non-locals are MPEG2.

sellbonds · Post by **sellbonds** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:08 pm

OKAY. Here's the problem and what I did. In another Forum on the web, a lot of people are having the same problem. It is only on MPEG 4 local channels and I think only on ones that are 1080i...because my channel 10 which is only 720p works fine. The last update fixed, supposedly, the problem when you couldn't use pause or fast forward on channel you were recording at same time...when you went to watch the program, it was a black screen. This is now fixed. The update on 10/11 fixed that...but screwed up MPEG 4 channels FF. I have called so many times and only answer I got was that they were working on a fix. I told them to compensate me somehow. What they did was note on my account ( they will give me a discount...not discussed what that is...that is active from today until the problem is fixed...and make sure you get a case number so they won't deny the discussion in the future). It's not fixing the problem...only making me feel better about them screwing up my ability to fast forward.

akirby · Post by **akirby** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:47 pm

According to dbstalk, the problem is a software glitch (called FF frame loop) and it's fixed in the latest software that started downloading yesterday.

At least I know it's not my dish.

sellbonds · Post by **sellbonds** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 6:03 am

Well, I got my updated software, the one you spoke about, at 4:44 AM and I tried it and itr WORKS. I have my FF back on MPEG 4 channels. I think it is 0aEX. I don't know if it screwed up anything else but at least the FF is working !!!! Finally.

akirby · Post by **akirby** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 9:41 am

Hopefully mine came in last night, too. After reading the release notes I realized that it did seem to only happen on 1080i mpeg4 and not the 720p shows like Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, etc.

A DVR that can't FF is pretty worthless to me.

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