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Panasonic DMR-E85H error U99
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compprog
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28. October 2005 @ 12:31 |
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Have not been getting any U99s for a week now and have eight days of listings. Based on messages on this thread, I became convinced that it was a download problem, not anything wrong with my unit. So, I did not do anything to my unit (not even a power reset). Just turned it on each day, recorded programs, turned it off at night, and waited for the U99s to stop popping up in the morning.
DMR-E85H
Time Warner Cable (no box)
La Jolla CA
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faure
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29. October 2005 @ 02:03 |
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CopperTop, what is your zip code and cable supplier? Your situation sounds like mine (Painassonic E85 that worked fine, then died) , with the CRUCIAL difference that my listings or TVGOS had never returned...;-(
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dukebruno
Newbie
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29. October 2005 @ 04:32 |
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My U99 woes started a couple of weeks ago when the power line in front of my home was cut by a fallen tree :0 I had a UPS on my EH85 but the battery ran out before the power company was able to repair the service. Since then I was getting U99 at least once a day. I did the firmware flash but that didn't help.
Earlier this week (perhaps due to the Gemstar fix??) my U99s stopped and my listings have been populating nicely. A daytime program record works fine, but since all of this happened, I am not getting my nightly recording of the Late Show with David Letterman. The show starts here at 11:35PM and ends at around 12:40AM. The scheduled recordings shows the program set each night, but when I check what has been recorded, the Late Show isn't there. A Jay Leno conspiracy, perhaps?
Cable company=Cablevision
ZIP=07675
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 29. October 2005 @ 04:32
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C0ppert0p
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29. October 2005 @ 11:48 |
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I have COX cable, in San Diego.
92109.
The EH85 has been stable since Wednesday now, "knock on wood".
As far as I'm concerned the problem was Panasonics. Even though TVGUIDE may have sent out a corrupt listing or something that had the same effect, the microcode that Panasonic used in it's firmware should have been robust enough to deal with a bad file, even if just to report the file was corrupt.
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sfstan
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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29. October 2005 @ 12:13 |
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dmr 85 has been stable for about 6 days. totally populated, ads and no u99s. seems good so far but since i am really skeptical, i will wait another week or two before i feel like i am now getting what i paid for. stuff like this just shouldn't happen, but, having purchase much graphic's hardware and software in the past 10 to 20 years, i have come to realize that all these companies do not test their merchandise enough and rely on the poor jerk consumer to field test for them every time they make a change in hardware or especially software.
comcast cable
no box
zip: 94111
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compprog
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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29. October 2005 @ 12:39 |
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Quote:
COppertOp says: As far as I'm concerned the problem was Panasonics. Even though TVGUIDE may have sent out a corrupt listing or something that had the same effect, the microcode that Panasonic used in it's firmware should have been robust enough to deal with a bad file, even if just to report the file was corrupt.
If it makes you feel better to blame Panasonics rather than Gemstar or TV Guide, then have at it. But, I must respectfully disagree. You state that Panasonic's firmware should have been robust enough to deal with a bad file [or equivalent], even if just to report the file was corrupt. Panasonic units did report a "corrupt file" by its display of U99. And it would be absurd to expect Panasonic units to come up with proper listings when dealing with a downloaded corrupt file, regardless of its robustness or lack thereof.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 29. October 2005 @ 12:45
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TForce1
Junior Member
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29. October 2005 @ 13:09 |
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They COULD have not disabled the unit (until manual intervention) just because of a corrupt TV-Guide download... That's where Panasonic screwed up: the error handling.
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VideoBob
Member
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29. October 2005 @ 15:18 |
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OK, I'm back after nearly two weeks and, as usual, with more than my share to add. But first, let me once again state that finding a common denominator--and thus common solutions--requires *full* information and *MOST* of the reports are leaving out critical information. Thus, I will make a couple of loose assumptions based upon the data I *have* Seen:
1. The contents of your DVD Drive upon failure is *ESSENTIAL* data. Most of you are leaving it out and I'll bet that a great many of your failures happen with a disk in the drive. The ones I've seen that state they leave disks in and don't have problems have all referred to DVD-ROM (which I will for the moment assume includes DVD-Video [finalized]) and the ones that have failed with a disk in usually refer to DVD-RAM.
*ALL* of my drive-related failures involved DVD-RAM, but I rarely use DVD-Roms or DVD-Video, so the data is thin--which is one of the reasons I *BEG* you to include data on what's in your drive when it fails, when you post. Any permanent fix from Panasonic *must* address the Drive problem.
2. Many have mentioned doing soft or hard resets, but only a *FEW* have mentioned removing the power cable for 30 seconds--and almost none have mentioned they held the buttons for 10 seconds or so to get a *full* power down (i.e. nothing will be showing on the front panel except the time). If you fail *either* of these steps, the relief is temporary and the three most common problems (U99 errors, Failure-to-Populate Guide Data, and "Phantom Recordings") will almost shurely recur--if they ever really go away. On the other hand, doing *BOTH* (Full-Off followed by 30-second unplug) has *ALWAYS* cleared up *ALL* problems with both my E85 and E86--at least until the next time I break my protocol.
The only U99s I've had for weeks have been when I broke Protocol (see earlier in this thread). My E85 crashed last week when I forgot and left a DVD-RAM in the unit and then left it in stand-by for a few days of scheduled recordings. It crashed after two days of apparently sucessful recordings.
My E95 crashed after the *FIRST* recording, when I forgot to do a soft reset/unplug after deleting over 60 programs. This really pissed me off because I *KNOW* better, and the show that did record was recording when I put it in stand-by and went out the door for four days--missing nearly 30 hours of scheduled recording.
In both cases, a *SOFT* Reset/Unplug fixed everything--without losing any of my existing data (the new listings downloads during the "U99" time were missing, of course). In fact, I now *NEVER* do Ch-Up/Ch-Down (Hard Reset), because the "Power Button for 10 seconds" followed by an unplug for 30 seconds (Soft Reset) seems to do *EVERYTHING* the hard reset does *EXCEPT* destroy my settings. If my drive is empty when I reset, I keep *ALL* data--including listings and scheduled programming, and yet all of the problems have gone away (until the next time I break my protocol).
If I forget and leave a DVD-RAM in the drive when I reset, it *often* (not always) loses all data (as if I had done a Ch-Up/Ch-Down).
A Word on powering up after resetting:
You *MUST* power up *AT LEAST* two times (and I think three is far better--and may be necessary), because the first one only puts you in the "Power Off" position (what you get after a 10-second Power-Off Button press)--and not the "Stand-By" position (which is essential for both timer recording and downloads). The unit *CAN NOT* download in "Power Off." [My guess is, this is why some people have to wait 2-3 days for their data to download. It takes that long for them to do three power cycles.]
bob
Bob, Laguna Woods, CA 92637; Leisure World Analog Cable; No box
Panasonic DMR-E85HS (1 Year) and DMR-E95HS (6 Months) [TVGOS]
RCA DRS-7000N [3-day TVGOS]
ReplayTV 5504 (Monthly$ 14-Day ReplayTV)
Panny ShowStopper 1000 (ReplayTV 2000) [7-Day Free ReplayTV]
2 x Sony 1000 (Not currently hooked up) [Free TiVo]
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 29. October 2005 @ 15:56
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VideoBob
Member
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29. October 2005 @ 15:48 |
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compprog Wrote:
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COppertOp says: As far as I'm concerned the problem was Panasonics. Even though TVGUIDE may have sent out a corrupt listing or something that had the same effect, the microcode that Panasonic used in it's firmware should have been robust enough to deal with a bad file, even if just to report the file was corrupt.
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If it makes you feel better to blame Panasonics rather than Gemstar or TV Guide, then have at it. But, I must respectfully disagree. You state that Panasonic's firmware should have been robust enough to deal with a bad file [or equivalent], even if just to report the file was corrupt. Panasonic units did report a "corrupt file" by its display of U99. And it would be absurd to expect Panasonic units to come up with proper listings when dealing with a downloaded corrupt file, regardless of its robustness or lack thereof.
As I stated before, we tend to refer to "The Problem" and look for "The Culprit" and "The Solution," when in fact, there are several problems--some are *definitely* Panasonics, and others are just as obviously Gemstar's.
There is no question in most of our minds that the recent rash of U99 errors occurred in conjunction with a Gemstar system changeover. What this consisted of is fodder for lots of pissing contests, but for the most part is irrelevant. We'll probably never really know and they will probably eventually isolate the problem(s) and fix it(them).
Several of us have posted quite satisfactory work-arounds for the interim.
On the other hand, the actual "U99 Error" (or more accurately, "Errors" because the U99 is, in fact, a whole *FAMILY* of errors), are 100% Panasonic's problem--as they are internal and Panasonic-specific. They are triggered by any of multitude of "Internal Communications Errors" inside the Panasonic unit itelf.
These errors could be between two circuit boards, a board and either of the drives, or a board and the input data stream. It is the latter error that is often triggered by the TVGOS signal. Notice, I said "Triggered" and not caused. What causes the error is Panasonic's inability to *COPE* with the data it receives. Properly written code would identify data errors and discard them without crashing. It is the Panasonic code that is faulty and causes the crashes. It is the TVGOS data stream that is faulty and *triggers* the Panasonic error-handling routing--which then fails.
*Either* company could come up with a "fix" that minimizes (if not eliminates) its contribution to the problem: Gemstar could isolate and correct the problems in its datastream--thus eliminating one "Trigger." However, the *OTHER* dozen or so U99 errors could still occur. (One of those is the board-to-DVD-Drive communication error that occurs when I leave a DVD-Ram in my drive *and* a scheduled recording occurs in stand-by *and* a third (unknown as yet) condition occurs. Nothing Gemstar can do will prevent this error.
Also, where Panasonic *MUST* apply a fix is to the "U99 Error-Recovery Routine." Rather than "Display 'U99 Error' and Halt" (which is what it currently does, it should go through the following routine:
1. Save U99 Error message--including time, action attempted, recording and drive(s) status, faulty components, and action attempted--to the "Messages" folder (which it doesn't seem to use for anything but TVGOS serial number).
2. Level 1: Check and log status and attempt to continue, if satisfactory.
3. Level 2: If unable to continue, attempt soft reset (Since you can do this manualy, it is being monitored by software, so there is an entry-point to jump to). Log all pertinent information to "Messages" and display "Message" on front panel. Tell user to unplug unit for 30 seconds at their soonest convenience.
The only problem here is that a soft reset returns to "Off" and not "Stand-by," so that routine would have to be tweaked by adding a flag to set when it is called from the program itself, allowing it to come back up to full-on for final testing and then shut down to Stand-by after a few minutes.
4. Level 3: (Last resort) If a soft reset won't fix it, then do a "Hard reset," but *ONLY* after logging all pertinant data to "Messages."
Given access to the source code and a couple of development units, I could easily write, debug, and beta test these changes in less than a week--from a cold start, knowing no more about the units than I do now.
bob
Bob, Laguna Woods, CA 92637; Leisure World Analog Cable; No box
Panasonic DMR-E85HS (1 Year) and DMR-E95HS (6 Months) [TVGOS]
RCA DRS-7000N [3-day TVGOS]
ReplayTV 5504 (Monthly$ 14-Day ReplayTV)
Panny ShowStopper 1000 (ReplayTV 2000) [7-Day Free ReplayTV]
2 x Sony 1000 (Not currently hooked up) [Free TiVo]
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 29. October 2005 @ 16:03
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VideoBob
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29. October 2005 @ 16:10 |
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compprog Wrote:
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IMO, it is extremely improbable that a slew of E85H owners would encounter the U99 problem at or about the same time and it be a result of faulty memory chips.
1. *ONE* of the (many) problems we are experiencing comes from a Gemstar system change two months ago. Not all of them.
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Furthermore, the data for the 200 channels and ads is, unquestionably, written to the hard drive as it is being downloaded. Thus, there is really no need to store large amounts of data in memory chips (RAM).
2. This is just wrong, comprog. The data for the channel guide is unquestionably *NOT* being written to the hard disk. If it were, it would be persistant (survive crashes)--just like your recorded shows are. Panasonic has said that it is held in memory and, further, has said that in high-channel areas, the schedule will not populate fully, due to lack of space--unless you delete non-essential channels.
bob
Bob, Laguna Woods, CA 92637; Leisure World Analog Cable; No box
Panasonic DMR-E85HS (1 Year) and DMR-E95HS (6 Months) [TVGOS]
RCA DRS-7000N [3-day TVGOS]
ReplayTV 5504 (Monthly$ 14-Day ReplayTV)
Panny ShowStopper 1000 (ReplayTV 2000) [7-Day Free ReplayTV]
2 x Sony 1000 (Not currently hooked up) [Free TiVo]
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 29. October 2005 @ 16:10
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compprog
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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29. October 2005 @ 16:23 |
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Video Bob says: Given access to the source code and a couple of development units, I could easlily write, debug, and beta test these changes in less than a week--from a cold start, knowing no more about the units than I do now.
Only someone who knows nothing about the Panasonic unit and how it operates could make such a specious claim.
As far as the Panasonic unit is concerned, the problem could be due to a faulty download (occurring over and over again) or a fault in the unit itself. Who can say whether the Panasonic unit would go into a fault condition (U99) if it only received a few faulty download frames (with a large number of frames per download)? IMO, it is entirely reasonable for a consumer unit to go into an error shutdown, when it can not determine the cause of a problem, in order to prevent any possible further damage to the unit.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 29. October 2005 @ 16:25
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VideoBob
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29. October 2005 @ 16:28 |
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Coyote24 Said:
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RX7Fan: Right, VideoBob had already established that turning "off" a download channel does not prevent the download from that channel. However, perhaps it changes the "search" for a d/l on that channel to a "last resort" if it is turned off? Perhaps, as VideoBob suggested, the ORDERING of the d/l channels (and "potential" d/l channels) is also a large factor.
Actually, I said that turning off my *known* download channels did not keep it from downloading channel data (i.e. I didn't know all of the download channels). AFAIK, when you turn off a channel, it's *OFF* and cannot be accessed by either you or TVGOS. The more I turn on, the more reliably (and faster) my listings fill up. It still seems to step through the channels from the top down when searching, so ordering the channels becomes a critical "tweak" of your system.
*HOWEVER* if--as appears to be the case with the New Hampshire PBS station--two conflicting download streams put the same station on *DIFFERENT CHANNELS* I would bet that the system cannot cope with that and crashes (tries to access both channels at once, perhaps?).
Maybe one stream assigns the channels to one local, and the next stream tries to populate them from a different one and writes to channel numbers that are not on?
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This leads me to believe MSNBC is NOT needed at all for us, since antenna people presumably don't have it, and we certainly don't have "older versions" of the guide that Cheryl said it's needed for. Don't think many are recording MSNBC either, so this is definitely one to set to "OFF," along with any extaneous PBS channels. Thanks, just checking for ALL possibilites here.
MSNBC is probably not needed by most--but *may* be needed by some. Only experimentation with positioning and/or enabling will determine this for individual users.
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Btw, RX7Fan, thanks for reminding everyone that it WILL take about FIVE nights to get complete listings for ALL days after they are cleared.
When I first turned my units on, and left them 24 hours in stand-by (*after* the third time I powered up), I am almost certain that it populated *ALL 8 Days*. However, when I timer-recorded, or even powered the unit on during the first 24 hours, I got the 1-2-3-8 data load. I think there may be a flag that says "Initial Load--get everything" and which gets reset when you start using the machine.
Anyone else get days 4-7 without waiting a week?
bob
Bob, Laguna Woods, CA 92637; Leisure World Analog Cable; No box
Panasonic DMR-E85HS (1 Year) and DMR-E95HS (6 Months) [TVGOS]
RCA DRS-7000N [3-day TVGOS]
ReplayTV 5504 (Monthly$ 14-Day ReplayTV)
Panny ShowStopper 1000 (ReplayTV 2000) [7-Day Free ReplayTV]
2 x Sony 1000 (Not currently hooked up) [Free TiVo]
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VideoBob
Member
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29. October 2005 @ 17:22 |
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compprog chided:
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Quote:Video Bob says: Given access to the source code and a couple of development units, I could easily write, debug, and beta test these changes in less than a week--from a cold start, knowing no more about the units than I do now.
Only someone who knows nothing about the Panasonic unit and how it operates could make such a specious claim.
{Chuckle} ...and only someone who doesn't know me would think the claim to be specious. Since that's most of the world, no offense taken. However, I have spent a lifetime making (and spending) several fortunes by making (and fulfilling) similarly "specious" claims. You can check out http://abstract.us/ for one of my old companies.
Software, to be written and maintained by teams of programmers, must conform to a few basic standards. There are a finite number of ways to do specific things and most Corporate programmers restrict themselves to a very tiny subset of that universe. I tend to use it all and even expand it from time to time.
Over 30 years, I have solved many hundreds of similar problems in many dozens of different types of equipment--from the space shuttle project to ultra-high-speed ion-deposition printers. After the first few thousand programs, and the first few dozen languages, they pretty much fall into set categories--with formula solutions that just need to be tailored to the individual machines.
You err when you think I "know nothing about the Panasonic unit and how it operates"--I know quite a bit, having extensively researched and disassembled them over the last year.
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As far as the Panasonic unit is concerned, the problem could be due to a faulty download (occurring over and over again) or a fault in the unit itself.
Actually, it is almost certainly from both.
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Who can say whether the Panasonic unit would go into a fault condition (U99) if it only received a few faulty download frames (with a large number of frames per download)?
That's easy: any competent Panasonic engineer could determine that fairly readily--through experimentation as well as through analyzing the source code. It isn't rocket science (which, BTW, isn't that hard--I'm also a rocket scientist who completed several contracts for the TRW Ballistic Missile division and for Martin Marietta and Lockheed).
However, the *cause* in this case is irrelevant. I wasn't claiming to *FIX* the machine--only to add error-handling code that determines what happens *after* a U99 Error is trapped. Read that post again.
I simply stated (and stand by) that I can change it from its current "halt-and-display" condition on *every* U99, to four levels of retry--depending on the type and severity of the fault--in less than a week. Any of their own programmers could do the same--if asked to. In addition, I'll add data logging that will facilitate locating and repairing the *causes* of the faults. I stand by that offer, as it is based upon three decades of similar successes.
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IMO, it is entirely reasonable for a consumer unit to go into an error shutdown, when it can not determine the cause of a problem, in order to prevent any possible further damage to the unit.
I totally agree. However *you* are assuming that *all* of the U99 errors involve such a drastic case. It has been my *vast* experience that this is almost certainly *not* the case. I believe we are looking at lazy programming (as is evidenced by the multitude of dissimilar "Internal Communications Errors" that are covered under the umbrella of "U99."
I believe that, in fact, many of these errors can be fixed by soft resets--after all, quite often, all any of you do is simply hit "On."
Why can't the program do that?
In any case, my four-level restart algorithm would determine whether or not any of the cases are recoverable--and if so, which ones are, which are not, and why. It is an essential tool in full determination of fault--and the amelioration of the various problems.
Panasonic and Gemstar are both having problems determining fault in part, because they have insufficient data-gathering routines. Test routines are not hard to write--and yet almost no manufacturer ever writes enough of them to be truly efficient.
One of my companies specialized in just that--disassembling OEM firmware in a variety of equipment and then writing embedded test routines to check out each aspect of the units to pinpoint faults to the component level. Once done, I simply bought up all of the "scrap" inventory the manufacturers couldn't fix, fixed them myself and sold them back into the after market as either units or (much more lucrative) spare parts.
I have a hunch I may be buying a lot of Pannys for pennies a pound in the near future. ;)
bob
Bob, Laguna Woods, CA 92637; Leisure World Analog Cable; No box
Panasonic DMR-E85HS (1 Year) and DMR-E95HS (6 Months) [TVGOS]
RCA DRS-7000N [3-day TVGOS]
ReplayTV 5504 (Monthly$ 14-Day ReplayTV)
Panny ShowStopper 1000 (ReplayTV 2000) [7-Day Free ReplayTV]
2 x Sony 1000 (Not currently hooked up) [Free TiVo]
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compprog
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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29. October 2005 @ 18:40 |
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I wanted to respond to VideoBob's post in detail; but, it's very hard not to get bogged down in his love affair with himself. Who asked for a resume, anyway? Was I impressed? No! I think that a specious claim is exactly what it was.
By the way, did you ever hear of a rhetorical question, Bob? When I wrote "who can say ...," I was referring to the people on this thread, not Panasonic engineers. If you lightened up a bit, this would have been obvious.
Now to address a previous post of your's:
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Compprog: Furthermore, the data for the 200 channels and ads is, unquestionably, written to the hard drive as it is being downloaded. Thus, there is really no need to store large amounts of data in memory chips (RAM).
2. This is just wrong, comprog. The data for the channel guide is unquestionably *NOT* being written to the hard disk. If it were, it would be persistant (survive crashes)--just like your recorded shows are. Panasonic has said that it is held in memory and, further, has said that in high-channel areas, the schedule will not populate fully, due to lack of space--unless you delete non-essential channels.
Sorry, Bob. I stand by my claim that the listings are stored on the hard drive. If you don't believe it, turn off the power to your unit(s) for a long period (20 or more minutes). You will find that the listings persist throughout the power outage. And, yes, I've familiar with battery backup of RAM and non-volatile storage in EEPROMs. I just don't believe that either technique is used in these recorders to store listings. But, if they were, the listings would persist through a power outage as well! So, your argument that the listings are not stored on the hard drive based on no persistence -- a wrong assumption -- is completely invalid.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 29. October 2005 @ 21:27
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buddy77
Newbie
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29. October 2005 @ 20:11 |
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Like Coppertop, I live in SD area with Cox as my provider. No U99s since last Sunday-a FULL week. Hold your breath-I deactivated my TVGOS by entering 00000 for zip code-let it ride for 2-3 days-then did a reset with Ch up and down buttons and it has worked well since. Maybe a Pansonic issue; maybe TVGOS-but it's working for now.
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compprog
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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29. October 2005 @ 21:50 |
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I'm going to move on from this thread since my DMR-E85H is now functioning properly (seven days and counting). Before I do, I'd like to thank all the contributors to this thread.
Before this latest series of U99s, I had my unit in the shop continuously for two months (under warranty) because I had a U99 problem: unit locked up completely and could not be "reset." When I got it back from service, it was functioning just fine.
You can imagine my distress when the U99 started popping up each morning a few weeks ago, and my unit was no longer in warranty. I ran across this thread and, after reading many posts, became certain that it wasn't my unit at fault.
Thanks again and good luck to anyone else whose unit is not yet functioning without the U99s.
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Coyote24
Junior Member
1 product review
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30. October 2005 @ 03:46 |
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Oh, no. Please, no flame wars.
VideoBob: Thanks for all the info and for going point by point. Thanks also for supporting your comments (i.e., "I know what I'm talking about when I express things as certainties") with your history. This is NOT being "full of" oneself, IMHO.
FYI, the last "phantom U99" I had was indeed on a day I had a program scheduled to record to a DVD-RAM. I will admit they seem to be related. However, I KNOW that I was recording to both DVD-RAM and the hard drive for almost a YEAR with no problems leaving a disc in the drive. So why now? There must be a "third factor" (factor X) that occurred in Aug-Sept that clashes with what should be "normal" operations of the unit. So what, I can easily record to ONLY the hard drive, but again, this work-around/preventative measure angers me as it takes away from the functionality of the unit, which was FINE before "factor X" appeared.
As far as where TVGOS is saved, I suppose it's kind of a moot point. Interesting that my first U99 appeared within a day or two of a four hour power outage. I'm pretty sure I still had scheduled recordings when power returned, but don't remember about the listings. Unlikely but not impossible that the unit has a large capacitor/battery/programmable ROM to save select elements of memory during a power outage (but 4 hours?). By the way, ADS are the FIRST thing to go, even during a five second power interruption. Anyone have the schematic?
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 30. October 2005 @ 04:32
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sfstan
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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30. October 2005 @ 04:09 |
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ups info. i purchased a tripp 1000 watt unit from a costco store for $99. one hour backup
when power is out.
still no u99, over a week now. all listings, ads and machine seems to be functioning as it
was advertised and as it was before all this started. the time changed last night as it
should to go off dst. keeping my fingers crossed!!
comcast cable
no box
zip: 94111
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 30. October 2005 @ 05:04
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Beth555
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30. October 2005 @ 18:44 |
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I haven't had TV Guide listings for at least two weeks. But, I've had no U99 recently either.
I'm in Missouri--63119
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faure
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31. October 2005 @ 00:49 |
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VideoBob,
I tried your multilple power off-on. However, after the power cord pullout, the dvr tries to scan all the channels on the cable box (presumably foraging for programming data). SHould I let it finish (takes a LONG time) and only then power off and on again?
thanks,
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shaolin00
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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31. October 2005 @ 03:57 |
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Quote:
2. This is just wrong, comprog. The data for the channel guide is unquestionably *NOT* being written to the hard disk. If it were, it would be persistant (survive crashes)--just like your recorded shows are. Panasonic has said that it is held in memory and, further, has said that in high-channel areas, the schedule will not populate fully, due to lack of space--unless you delete non-essential channels.
bob
Not exactly, it would still crash the unit if it was on the HDD or not IMO given the current programming. The information that you were given from Panasonic, was it given by a engineer or by tech support personnel? The crash looks to me, takes place due to a corrupted download.
On a different note, I believe that Panasonic is partially at fault here. One, they shouldn't of had the unit fail completely on such a simple error. Two, since they marketed it as a feature, they are
responsible to make sure it works as described.
As for TVGOS, they obvious rushed this product out the door without properly testing it so they could reep the advertising revenue. Looks like to me, it was programmed by a bunch of idiots, because it should ALSO have it's own error handling routines to prevent this. Redundancy only comes through properly testing the equipment and software. When I write software, I try to think of ways that could crash it no matter how bizarre it might be because you will never know WHO might be operating the equipment once purchased.
Lastly, lets not get into a argument over this. Our main focus should be combined and focused on Panasonic and Gemstar until the problem is
resolved. Can we all get along? :-)
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sfstan
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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31. October 2005 @ 04:34 |
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i agree with shaolin00. there is no need to attack another forumn member no matter what
the attacker thinks. just sift, sort the info you want to pay attention to or not.
i don't know what combination of all the elemnts involved (cable carrier/zip code/setup/
cable box or not, etc.), but i have had trouble free operation for over 10 days now. all
listings for 8 days, ads, scheduled records through tvgos success, record to hard drive
from tivo feed, much shortening of programs on the hard drive, dubbing, etc. i will still
keep posting to let others know my experience.
comcast cable
no box
zip: 94111
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 31. October 2005 @ 04:42
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kossello
Junior Member
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31. October 2005 @ 06:23 |
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Placing blame does not get results. Addressing issues does and this forum has had a lot to do with getting things corrected, either by user error education or by work arounds (DVD in drive).(period)
I also want to add that I have not had the U99 since October 23. This has only been 8 days but as often as I was getting them before something must have changed.
As of today I have not reset TVGOS in any way. All I did was just turn the unit on and let it go through the "Self Check" and continue.
From reading the list somthing at TV Guide must have been released accros the country. I do not want to ruin my luck but I was quick to write when I received a U99 I feel I should do the same when it is working like it is supposed to work.
Keith
Insight Cable
South Central KY Zip 42101
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daughn
Junior Member
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31. October 2005 @ 07:06 |
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From Alabama 36066, Knology cable, cable box, E85H: No problems for the past 11 days. I did get an email from a supervisor at TVGOS stating they were rolling back a software change and everything on their side should be "good." And, it has been here. The only problem I had was a short power outage causing a loss of some data, but have prevented further problems with that by buying a UPS. I really appreciate the detailed explanations from VideoBob and others. Knowing more how "things" work always helps.
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Mossler
Junior Member
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31. October 2005 @ 07:30 |
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Glad to hear some people are having a positive experience with TVGOS lately. My unit has been working flawlessly since I reset it nearly 2 weeks ago. (Knock on wood.) I have had the full program guide (8 days) for over a week now. Each night it just downloads the eighth day. I've also kept the ads this whole time. I think something must have changed because up until that time I had been getting several U99's a day. I just hope that it lasts. Once I went for about 16 days without getting a U99 so we'll see if I can do better this time.
Wapakoneta, OH
TSC Cable
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