Shaw Direct 630 Official Problems / Issues / Resolutions Thread. Read posts 1, 2

[57]

We have a thread on the owner experiences and several people mentioned they'd like to see an "issues" thread. Here it is.

Please try to limit discussion to "real" issues and possible resolutions, workarounds, etc.

Try not to post "I tried to record and it wouldn't. After a reboot, it recorded OK" since that's pretty self-evident.

[57]

Reserved post.

If anyone would like to create a summary of the issues (and resolutions/workarounds), this is where we can place that list, or place a link. Please simply post that list and one of the mods will figure out what to do with it.

[ElenaH]

Tuner lock-up
scheduled recordings do not record, even though the rec light(s) show on receiver. May be just a "fluke" but is happening often…
Workaround: reset receiver by pressing and holding front power button for 10 seconds

Skip Forward Rewinds
pressing the skip forward button the first time actually causes it to rewind slightly
Workaround: press skip forward again and it will actually go forward that time

Picture Freeze while Sound Continues
picture will freeze but sound will continue uninterrupted, no buttons will work and receiver will not turn off.
Workaround: reset receiver by pressing and holding front power button for 10 seconds

Guide Not Displaying NEW
guide does not show the NEW icon in show information for new episodes
Workaround: set recordings to All

[tico]

"Sticky Remote:" Acts as if button on remote is stuck until you press another button. ie Press "7" - receiver acts as if you are pressing 7.7.7.7.7. Also happens with "skip forward".

Recording Reset: When trying to skip forward and then skip back to pass commercials the show either restarts from the beginning or stops playing altogether and must be restarted.

[BCScott]

Forcing a download to get from 0.10 firmware to 0.13 FW
Options, 4,9,7,7,2
Highlight "Download" and enter.

[GillesRich]

"Sticky Remote:" Acts as if button on remote is stuck until you press another button. ie Press "7" - receiver acts as if you are pressing 7.7.7.7.7. Also happens with "skip forward".

I've had that happen on mine as well and I use a Harmony 550 remote. So it seems like it's a box problem and not a remote problem. It happened twice in the first 3 days of me owning the 630.

[Ochato]

- If three onetime recordings are set and they overlap at some point, after one of the recordings is over the 630 will start taping the third show.
Ie:
Show#1 starts @ 9pm until 11pm
Show#2 starts @ 9:30pm till 10:00pm
Show #3 starts @ 9:30pm till 12:00am.

Show#1 and show#2 will start taping at their respective starting time. When Show#2 is over the 630 will start taping show#3 (starts @ 10:00pm).

- When finishing watching a recorded show the 630 returns to the top of the pvr list instead of highlighting the watched show to allow it to be deleted.

- Any pvr maintenance is too slow. It takes more than 10secs to update any changes made (like set up new recording, deleting, changing priorities)

- in guide mode selecting a show to be recorded it should show the extra options window if the series recording is selected. Currently after selecting the show to be recorded as series, one has to click menu, scroll to pvr, scroll to pvr options, look for the added show and press enter to change the options like record new/all episodes, only XXX channel/HD only, etc. Too cumbersome and too slow.

- Search feature includes shows from unsubscribed channels and theres no way to determine visually that the listing is on an unsubscribed channel.

- Can't filter porn stuff from the search feature.

[JPQsat]

DISTORTED HD RECORDINGS

With the 0.13 firmware, every HD recording have random pixel glitch, more than once per minute. It's like when the signal is poor. But I have an average of 78 % signal and live tv is perfect.

The glitch are on the recording itself, if I rewind and play the same portion, the glitch is at the same spot.

Tried 6 different channels today, no matter if it's recording only 1 channel or two, the recording are bad.

Probably have to send the receiver back.


EDIT ; 30 minutes ago my receiver failed. It stop by itself and wont power back on. The receiver and the power supply were extremely hot when it stop. Call Shaw and they are sending a new one tomorrow with a return box. It may be the only bad receiver in the whole lot but it suck to wait again for the Puro guy.

[tico]

A couple of Q's.

Regarding the guide not displaying NEW. This has been verified by more than one user. Is it intermittent? Is it true for all programs, or only missing on some? Has it recently been resolved? I find that my 630 is reporting NEW on some shows, so I'd like more info on what to look for.

Next possible glitch (I mentioned it in the owners thread, but..) PVR history goes up to 90 days - apparently recurring recordings will not trigger re-recording of the same episode of a show even when the (first) recording has been deleted from disk. However, in the "upcoming" list, the option to "do not record this program" just causes it to reschedule the same episode later on.

[Sharper101]

DISTORTED HD RECORDINGS

With the 0.13 firmware, every HD recording have random pixel glitch, more than once per minute. It's like when the signal is poor. But I have an average of 78 % signal and live tv is perfect.

The glitch are on the recording itself, if I rewind and play the same portion, the glitch is at the same spot.

Tried 6 different channels today, no matter if it's recording only 1 channel or two, the recording are bad.

Probably have to send the receiver back.

JPQsat,

Could you please keep me posted when you get the new receiver and how it works out for you?
I have had the same problem as you. A few times now, specifically while watching the HD channels. Soft reboots seem to fix the problem for a little while than it acts up again. Signal strength is good at 92/88 on the lines. Now I am wondering if I should get a replacement.

[rrcole]

I went to record American chopper last night and found some information mismatch. I did a search for the program with a title search. It came up fine and I was able to set the recording. When I went back to the actual guide it showed LA INK on during that time, but American Chopper was actually on. What Gives? I know that SD guide has kinda been wonky sometimes and I never paid much attention to it but I'm thinking this might cause a problem with a PVR.

[Momorider]

The guide information comes from another source so it is not a SD issue. They just upload what they get.

[smp01]

I have also had blotchy pixelation during playback. But it it not limited to just HD channels. As with others, my signal is strong, >85, and when I replay, the blotch occurs in same spot.

When it happens, it occurs about every minute. But it does not happen all the time.

[Ouser]

blotchy pixelations sounds like a hard-drive issue. Im sure that percentage wise, there are some 630's with harddrive failures 'out of the box'.

Doesnt make you feel any better, I know, but Im sure SD will replace them stat.

[peano]

Originally Posted by zebb2000

Has anyone come across this icon in the links below? I have 2 programs with it on and you can't play it from that screen.You have to push the right arrow button next to the "enter" button to open a new window which allow you to play it.
Does it have anything to do with a power outage by any chance? Thanks.
http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/a...2/Shaw6302.jpg
http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/a...2/Shaw6301.jpg

I set multiple timers last night to put the 630 through its paces. Turned the TV on today and get a blank screen. No sound or video but the receiver is on. Press the guide button and change channels and video and sound return.

Proceed to check my recordings and they are all there. Selecting "Watch this Recording" on any of them does nothing. None will play. No icons are beside any of the recordings.

Perform a soft reboot and same thing - recordings shown but none will play. Perform a hard reboot and now all my recordings have the icons shown above.

I absolutely, positively did not have any power failures last night. The 630 is on a UPS anyway.

I am afraid to say the firmware in the 630 is not ready for primetime. It is very buggy.