Background: Much of this was edited, updated, and tested from the SA3250HD/SA8000HD posts by AVS Member 'vegggas'. Others were added from personal experience and suggestions, with literary license taken.

Suggested Links to SA8300HD threads/sites that may be of further interest:

• SA8300HD DVR User's Guide
• Vegggas' original SA8000HD DVR - Cox - SARA - Setup and Review Guide thread
• SA Diagnostic Screens Explained
• Time Warner Cable - SA 8000HD & 8300HD w/ Passport software thread
• 8300HD and External SATA - It Works!! thread
• SA's PowerTV Developers Page
• SA's PowerTV CreativEdge Developers Guide

Additional Items of Interest

Xnappo's SATA Expansion Databases. Tracks compatibility issues between SA8300HD and various SATA drives/enclosures:

• SA8300HD eSATA Compatibility Database (SARA)
• SA8300HD eSATA Compatibility Database (Passport)

How To Determine Software Being Used. Interactive Program Guide Images are useful for determing which software is being used:

• Image of SARA IPG
• Image of Passport IPG

Another way is to look at the A-B-C button labels at the bottom of the guide:
Hot Topic Of The Day

• Cable's OCAP Wish List

TIPS & TRICKS (separated in the following categories):

• Setup
  Setup Wizard
  Change Default Format
  Removing Bars On SD Channels
  Reverts To 480i
• Settings
  General Settings Option Info
  Audio Out Using HDMI Connection
  Display Format Summary
  Audio Range Settings
  Auto Shut-off Workaround
• Recording Options
  Extend Recording Time
  Change Recording Time
  Recordings With Manually Set/Altered Start Times
  "Save Time" and "Until I Erase" Options
  Checking Status Of Current Recording
  Lost or Missing Recordings
  Blank Recordings
  Place-Holders For Future Recordings (1.88.x.x)
  Potential Recording Conflicts
  Auto-Erase
• Playback Controls
  Slow Motion Mode
  Frame Advance Mode
  Fast Forward/Rewind
  Mimic Tivo Jump-Back
  Resume Playback
• Diagnostics
  Diagnostic Mode
  Disappearing Diagnostic Window
  Finding SARA Software Version
  Reboot
  Forced Reboot (without unplugging unit)
  Hard Reboot
  Last Resort (Reformat)
  Total Reset
  HDD Defrag
  V/H Resolution Information
  Memory Info
  Signal Levels
  SDV Diagnostics
• Miscellaneous
  Clearing Pop-up Windows
  Program Distribution
  Viewing A Third Program
  Macro - Automate Remote Turn On
  Anamorphic DVDs
  New Features - 1.88.x.x
  New Features - 1.89.x.x
  Bug(s) Fixed in 1.89.x.x
  Bug(s) Remaining after 1.89.x.x

Setup
Setup Wizard. UG-3 Instructions for Advanced Setup Wizard to choose TV type and resolutions, done after the box has received it's initial download from your cableco.

1. Using Power button on unit (not remote), turn off power, then press both GUIDE/INFO at same time.
2. Choose Easy or Advanced setup - Easy selects 1080i output only - Advanced provides options for TV type (4x3 or 16x9) and user selected outputs.
3. Follow instructions on the screen. Read instructions carefully. If screen goes blank, it is trying to display a resolution not supported by TV - disable resolution.

Change Default Format. Default format can be changed without going through Setup Wizard:

1. Press/hold Select until Mail LED lights.
2. Press Vol Down (-) button - display changes to "HdSr" (HD Screen Resolution)
3. Press Ch Up (+) for 480i
4. Press Ch Down (-) for 480p
5. Press Vol Down (-) for 720p
6. Press Vol Up (+) for 1080i

Note: Does not appear to work using remote.

Removing Bars On SD Channels. Factory default displays side bars on non-HD channels. Toggling zoom modes eliminates them, but this often cuts much of image. Adding resolutions allows TV to stretch images and avoid uneven phosphor wear (burn-in). Use Setup Wizard to enable resolutions other than 1080i. Also set picture format to Pass-Through (press Settings twice, scroll to Set:Picture Format, select Pass-Through).

• With box OFF and TV ON, press Info /Guide (on box) together, then follow on-screen directions to enable 480i and others. Cable passes 720p (ABC, FOX, ESPN), 1080i (all other HD channels), 480i (SD channels), and 480p (music channels). If you do not see difference between 1080i/720p, enable only one to minimize reformatting while channel surfing. Note: The 480i/p Widescreen options allow 8300 to stretch image. Do not enable if you use TV to stretch image.

Reverts To 480i. If your setup reverts to 480i and a reboot doesn't resolve the problem, refer to Post #10 in This Thread.

Settings
General Settings Option Info. After pressing Settings twice, scroll to any General Setting option and simply press Info for description/other information.

Audio Out Using HDMI Connection. UG-2 HDMI connection will automatically select 2 channel stereo if TV does not support Dolby Digital (DD). In order to restore DD audio to receiver, change automatic setting. Press Settings twice and scroll to Audio: Digital Out. Change setting from HDMI to Dolby Digital. This will force DD audio to HDMI, as well as digital/optical audio outs.

Display Format Summary. UG-5/6 Press Settings twice, then scroll to Set: Picture Format.

• Fixed - Displays all content at whatever resolution you selected in Setup Wizard.
• Pass Through - Passes input signal through with no change unless you disable a resolution. For example 480i in - 480i out, 720P in - 720P out, 720p disabled - 1080i out, etc.
• Auto HDMI/DVI - If you use HDMI, this option replaces Pass Through option. Resolution is automatically formatted to scan rate supported by TV.
• UpConvert 1 - All 480i/480P signals converted to 480P. All 720P/1080i signals converted to 1080i.
• UpConvert 2 - All 480i/480P signals converted to 480P. All 720P/1080i signals converted to 720P.

Audio Range Settings. Audio Range options are for Dolby Digital output signals and refer to digital "Dynamic Range".

• Wide Dynamic Range will render audio that will go from faintest audio level of a whisper at an extremely low level to thundering boom at ear-shattering levels giving great impact to action movies, but calls for good audio setup to properly hear normal dialog without blasting speakers during loud scenes.
• Narrow Dynamic Range keeps lower volumes at higher level while muting higher level sounds to lower level. Whispered dialog is not much quieter than explosion and all sound levels are "Narrowed" to a certain level.
• Normal Dynamic Range basically splits difference.

These are not specific numbers, but think of it something like this when setting the volume level to about 33% for same scene. Using Narrow Dynamic Range, whisper might be 45db and explosion 85db. Using Wide Dynamic Range setting, whisper might now be 15db and explosion 105db.

Auto Shut-off Workaround. Auto Shut-off feature can be defeated by setting General Settings/Timer: Turn Off option and setting Timer: Wake-up option for 1 minute later to keep unit on virtually 24/7. Useful if 8300HD is connected to Replay TV or other devices that rely on 8300HD for channel change, etc.

Recording Options.
Extend Recording Time. UG-21 Extend recording time of recording currently in progress by:

1. Press LIST.
2. Press "A" to switch to Scheduled Recordings list.
3. Find in-progress recording program (it will be highlighted in RED).
4. Press SELECT to access options.
5. Change End time to desired time.
6. Press the "A" to accept changes.

This is particularly useful for extending time for sporting events that may run over.

Change Recording Times. UG-21 Recording times can be changed by editing Start/End times when scheduling recording or any time before recording begins. This is useful to avoid scheduling conflicts caused by networks who think beginning programs early or ending them late hooks viewers. However, there is a problem whereby contents of buffer is incorrectly added to beginning of recording whose start time has been changed. The problem only occurs if you happen to be tuned to same channel prior to start of recording.

"Save Time" and "Until I Erase" Options. "Save Time" and "Until I Erase" are separate options designed for different purposes.

• The term "Save Time" is misleading and has little to do with how "long" programs will be saved, especially when it comes to available space and "Auto Erase". It simply gives one the option to record 1-5 or All episodes of a given program and oldest will be erased when selected option starts recording, etc. This is the case wheher or not Auto Erase is turned On.
• However, if "Auto Erase" is turned On, oldest recordings (not just the oldest episodes of a given program) will be erased regardless of "Save Time" settings. If all are tagged "Until I Erase", further recording stops and message is displayed indicating drive is full.

Checking Status Of Current Recording. You can use PIP to check status of a program currently being recorded. Recording program will be displayed in PIP window. If you are watching program being recorded while recording a second program, second program will be displayed in PIP window.

Lost or Missing Recordings. Most of us probably schedule several All or New episode recordings when fall season starts and then forget about them. However, the success of these scheduled recordings depends enirely on the title of the program matching the title when the recording was scheduled. Oftentimes, the title in the IPG changes, sometimes as often as weekly, and that can wreak havoc with your schedule. While it's impossible to attribute every lost or missing recording to a title change, it seems worthwhile to periodically check your scheduled recordings list against IPG to make sure recordings are highlighted properly.

Blank Recordings. Sometimes recording may appear to be blank when attempting playback:

• If you get blank screen, try selecting another recording from list, begin playback of that recording, and then re-select original recording. If it still doesn't play properly, try a hard" reboot before giving up and deleting recording.
• If you get Playback Channel screen, try a "hard" reboot before giving up and deleting recording.

Place-Holders For Future Recordings. The 8300HD sets place-holders to keep track of future recordings for recurring scheduled recordings (weekly or less frequent). These are set as soon as recording starts and are scheduled for 7 (1.89.x.x) or 9 (1.88.x.x) days out. Unfortunately, these place-holders, especially those in 1.88.x.x, can make things look incorrect when viewing highlighted items in IPG looking for potential conflicts or just reviewing upcoming recordings. An example:

• Justice on FOX airs weekly on Monday nights at 8:00 pm. When regularly scheduled recording starts, new place-holder is set for next episode, but it is dated for following Wednesday and will appear as such in Scheduled Recordings list. It is easily identified as a place-holder. When you press INFO, you get an empty display window.
• Criminal Minds on CBS and Lost on ABC both air weekly on Wednesday nights at 8:00 pm and when you view the IPG, both of these are highlighted for recording.
• Nothing is scheduled to record on FOX on Wednesday nights at 8:00 pm, so nothing should be highlighted. However, if you check further, you will see that whatever airs at 8:00 pm is also highlighted (MLB Post-Game as of this posting).
• Even though this appears to be incorrect, is it only highlighted because of place-holder for Justice and not because anything will actually get recorded. It does not need to be cancelled.
• In my test, place-holders are reset for correct day once next episode appears in IPG, usually after nightly IPG update. Others have had them reset shortly after mid-night, while still others have them wait to reset until the actual day of recording.
• It's important to note to be careful when reviewing IPG and Scheduled Recordings list for upcoming recordings, all may not be as it appears and you may inadvertently cancel recordings that are not erroneous.

Potential Recording Conflicts. There have been reports that "old" scheduled recordings of programs no longer on might cause 8300HD to get confused at some point. This can result in lost recordings or inability to set up new recordings for same timeslot. This can be minimized by cleaning out old scheduled recordings for shows that are no longer on. Also, see previous item before inadvertently deleting potential place-holders.

Auto-Erase. The Auto Erase function should work on programs recorded AFTER it is turned on and for those programs originally recorded without the "Until I Delete" option. Previously recorded programs that were recorded without those two options should not be auto deleted even after you manually change the save time settings (except for the amount of days you set it to) because they were flagged to not be Auto Erased as space is needed.
In summary, to use the feature:
1) Turn ON Auto Erase.
2) Change Save Time for Future Recordings to something other than "Until I Erase".
You should also clean out your recordings so that you have a decent amount of working space for the above rule. If you only have 5% space left, and try to start using the feature it's not going to work because you would only have up to 5% of available working space to begin with (hint 5% is not even enough to record 1 hour of HD). Programs originally recorded with those settings will comply with the rules.

Playback Controls
Slow Motion Mode. UG-14 While viewing a recorded program, press Play 2nd time to enter Slow Motion mode.

Frame Advance Mode. UG-14 While viewing a recorded program, press Pause, FF/REW now become Frame Advance.

Fast Forward/Rewind. UG-13 Pressing FF/REW starts desired action. You can press them up to 4 times to increase the speed; 4x, 10x, 30x, and 128x.

Mimic Tivo Jump-Back. UG-14 Tivo users have gotten used to how it 'jumps back' a few seconds when you hit Play after fast forwarding. You can mimic this behavior by hitting Replay, button with curved arrow on it, instead of Play. This will bounce you back 8 seconds and resume normal speed from there.

• One caveat. Next time you press FF, you will be given "next" FF speed, rather than FF1. If you were using FF2, hit Replay, watch some of show, and then hit FF, you will get FF3 instead of FF1. A better way might be to press Play and then immediately press Replay.
• Another way to mimic this action is by pressing Pause instead of Play to stop fast forwarding. This way, when you hit Rewind to back up to precise place to restart program, it will remain paused instead of immediately starting to play again.

Resume Playback. If you Pause, Stop, or simply tune to another channel while viewing a recording, you can resume playback from where you left off by simply tuning back to Playback Channel and pressing Play as long as you have not viewed another recording in meantime.

Diagnostics
Diagnostic Mode. There are two ways to enter Diagnostic Mode:

1. Press and hold Select on front of unit until Mail light starts to flash, then press INFO.
2. Press and hold Pause on remote until Mail light starts to flash (around 10-15 seconds), then press Page Up (-). On some remotes, Page (+) might need to be used instead.

Disappearing Diagnostic Window. Enter Diagnostic Mode (see above item). Change transparency of screens by pressing Select on front of box or "B" on remote. It goes from 100% opaque to about 50% opaque to about 5% opaque. You can then use Page Up/Down on remote to cycle through screens. This is useful when changing channels, noting signal levels/PQ, or trying to see levels fluctuate as glitches occur.

Finding SARA Software Version. Enter Diagnostic Mode (see above item) and scroll through screens until you find one entitled "Software Versions". Version number will be in a format similar to 1.85.14.3. Also, there are a number of different naming conventions being used and only one is really accurate in sense that PTV OS version number can differentiate SARA versions across platforms. For example, both SA8000HD and SA8300HD run SARA 1.89.18.1. However, SA8000HD runs PTV OS 6.12.18.1 whereas SA8300HD runs PTV OS 6.14.81.1. This probably doesn't mean much in big scheme of things and is offered only for information when viewing diagnostics screens.

Reboot. Unplug power cord for 5 or more seconds and then plug it back in.

Forced Reboot (without unplugging unit). On front of box, press/hold both VOL+ and VOL- , then press INFO.

Hard Reboot. Hard Reboot will refresh all available software and modules on system, as well as clear out memory cache. IPG and other data may take up to 30 minutes or more to fully download.

1. Turn off 8300 and wait 5 or more seconds.
2. Unplug power cord from 8300 and wait 5 or more seconds.
3. If you are resetting an external drive too, unplug it's power cord at this point and wait 5 or more seconds, then plug power cord back into external drive and wait 5 or more seconds.
4. Press and hold Power on 8300 front panel. While Power is depressed, plug 8300 power cord back in. Continue to hold Power until 8300 display says "boot" and/or begins to cycle a few times (usually about 15 seconds).

NOTE: Hard Reboot will resolve MANY issues with not only external drives, but memory issues too. You should WAIT until the reboot is completely finished before powering up. It usually takes about 5 - 10 min, depending on your application and IPG data. Best way to determine when the download is finished is to watch the front panel indicators. On the front panel, where the : (colon) seperates the hours and minutes, the bottom " . " dot will appear after all OS firmware has been loaded. An STB getting a download or initializing will be blank. Leave STB alone until dot appears.

Last Resort (Reformat). If for some reason you can't get STB to do what you want and you've rebooted it by unplugging it, etc., this is a "last resort" item - say just before taking unit back, you can try reformatting the HDD. The format operation resets all data on the DVR, including all recordings, preferences and scheduled recordings. It is a "factory fresh" reset.

When doing the format procedure, there are times where it won't always "take" and will have to be redone again. The procedure is to get the mail light blinking from the remote control by holding down the pause button. Once blinking do not press anything else except the page down (page -) button on the remote three times while watching the display. The display should say something like HDD-1 and then HDD-2 or HDD-F. Once on the setting you want (typically the third press) leave it alone and put the remote down. In a few minutes, the DVR will reboot and reformat on it's own. Once complete in about 10 to 15 minutes (depending on RDC and FDC signal level quality) the unit will be available to be turned on, but it's best to leave it off and come back at a later time after it has completely downloaded all of the guide data and info.

1. Press and hold PAUSE until Mail led is lit.
2. Press PAGE down or (-), and then press LIST three times.
3. Turn box off. When turned back on, formatting will begin.

Total Reset. From AVS - vegggas:

1. I don't think this is common knowledge, but it could save many users a lot of grief. Most failed units can be revived with total reset performed by user, depending on failure type. Instead of replacing unit and losing your shows, try this trick as last (or first) resort. This is known to reset unit no longer displaying Video, unable to lock on to one/both tuners, unable to read Hard Drive, or no longer able to get a download (display counting or hunting).
2. Complete reset can be done by removing power and all connections for an extended amount of time. This means remove power cable, coax cable(s), eSATA cable, everything, so it can fully discharge capacitors and memory. This can take anywhere from 4 - 24 hours (although it MIGHT work in less than 30 Min), so pick a time that you are not going to be using unit, like overnight and while at work.
3. After leaving it disconnected overnight, repower it (but don't turn it on) with just the basic connections (no eSATA) and let it sit until it gets a full download, which could take a long time. Basic OS download should be complete once you see time, or dot (depending on your settings), appear on front panel, usually within 3-7 minutes. IPG may take up to an hour, but unit could be turned on at this point.
4. If it works, unpower unit and reconnect as normal, consider yourself lucky you didn't have to swap it out.
5. BTW, leaving unit off while repowering and downloading is always a good idea and should be done whenver you may reboot unit. Powering on while downloading OS can result in early fragmentation of memory and erratic results.

HDD Defrag. To defrag drive:

1. Set unit's MAIN/PIP channels to non-bufferable channels, such as music channel, so that drive is not being used.
2. Wait a few moments to verify hard disk activity stops (listen).
3. Press Power on front to turn the unit off, then wait.
4. Drive should start defragging after about 5 minutes of inactivity.
   NOTE: Process can take several hours to all day and will restart if content is deleted or power down sequence is repeated. For maximum efficiency, consider turning off unit, then do a front panel soft reboot (VOL-, VOL +, INFO) and leave unit powered off until you hear it go into defrag mode. Then just leave it off while you go to work, to bed, etc.

V/H Resolution Information. If you are using SA8300HD/SA8000HD, diagnostic page 30 shows MPEG decoder input vertical/horizontal resolutions from cable company.

Memory Info. Memory Map for 8300:

• Flash = 512Kb
• Application Dram = 64Mb
• Media Dram = 32Mb [SD versons have 16Mb Media decoding Dram]
• Mpeg Encoding Dram = 16Mb
• Non-Volatile Memory = 8Kb

Cab files for all recordings are stored in NVM, along with all other settings/preferences. Use of Favorites, among other settings, uses most of this memory. Hard reboot reads off drive and/or account memory to refresh NVM, whereas pulling power plug alone, does not. This is simplistic explanation, not gospel. Cable operators may also have ability to use some of Media Dram for overlay technologies when application dram is too full, thus reducing overall PQ.

Signal Levels. General info regarding diagnostic pages and signal level data displayed:

• ANSI SCTE 40 2004 "Digital Cable Network Interface Standard" establishes "acceptable" levels. Free download from SCTE Website.
• Digital QAM carrier, STB Input Level: -12 to +15 dBmV for 256QAM and -15 to +15 dBmV for 64QAM.
  Minimum S/N: 33 dB for 256QAM, 27 dB for 64 QAM and 43 dB for Analog. [Also known as C/(N+I).]
• FDC QPSK carrier, STB Input Level: -15 to +15 dBmV
  Minimum S/N: 20 dB
• RDC QPSK reverse carrier, STB Output Level: +25 dBmV to +53 dBmV. (+85 to +113 dBuV is specified in referenced ANSI SCTE 55-2 2002.) Since return loss back to neighborhood node will vary depending on where you are in power divider/amplifier chain, RDC value will be automatically adjusted for more/less equal strength as received at node. If RDC is at MAX, it may have run out of oomph....
• CURRENT FDC (Forward Data Channel) refers to I-N channel used to download software and program guide info to unit.
  Level: Should be -15 to +15 dBmV
  S/N: Should be 20 dB or more
• CURRENT RDC (Reverse Data Channel) refers to I-N channel used to send user's PPV/On-Demand and other commands back to node.
  Power: Varies depending on where you are in cable power amplifier/divider chain
  Delay: Signal Propagation Delay from unit to node (Q: One-way or Round-Trip?)
• CURRENT QAM refers to currently tuned video channel:
  Level: Should be -12 to +15 dBmV for QAM256
  S/N: Should be 33 dB (or more) for QAM256 [This is more important than level]
  Seconds: How long channel has been tuned.
  Corr Bytes: How many bytes were detected in error and corrected since first tuned
  Uncor Blks: How many data blocks that failed parity check, but could not be corrected.
  Errs Avg/Inst: Average and Instantaneous Bit (byte? block?) Error Rates.

SDV Diagnostics. For those interested in how SDV appears in the diag screens, new versions of the SARA firmware have some SDV specific screens:

Page 37 - Switched Digital Video
Page 38 - SDV MINI Carousel
Page 39 - SDV Session Info

Page 39 seems to display the most data of interest so far. Here is how some of the fields behave with different channel types:

Fixed QAM/analog:
Name-Status: SDV61444-Ready
SamSvcld/Type: <channel number>/Broadcast
Act Time: n/a
SDV Freq: 0MHz

SDV Channel:
Name-Status: SDV61444-Pending (until lock), then -Ready
SamSvcld/Type: <some number>/Switched
Act Time: <date and time status went to ready>
SDV Freq: Changes depending on SDV pool that gets assigned

Once you check the data for a few channels, you begin to figure out which QAM frequencies are assigned to the SDV pool and can identify them quite easily from the data on page 1.

Miscellaneous.
Clearing Pop-up Windows. UG-18 You can get rid of pop-up windows by pressing Exit.

Program Distribution. 8300HD has 2 tuners and 2 outputs that may be used at same time. Archive To VCR option uses Composite/S-Video connection to "archive" recorded program to VCR/DVD. However, it can also be used to "view" downconverted recorded program on alternate TV while viewing different live/recorded program on main TV or recording two other programs on 8300HD. Also, depending on software version/cableco, 8300HD may be similarly connected to one device via HDMI and another device via Component to view same recorded/live program on different TVs at same time. Component/HDMI no longer work for some, but Composite/S-Video still work with Archive To VCR option for everyone.

Viewing A Third Program. No matter how many tuners 8300HD has, there are times when they are simply not enough. There is nothing to keep you from hooking up an antenna to ANT input on TV and switching to that input to view third program, to keep you from splitting your cable and running 2nd line to TV, or to keep you from running 2nd line to VCR and then to TV to view/record 3rd program.

Macro - Automate Remote Turn On. To automate remote turn-on and stay on whatever channel you previously had on (instead of a dedicated turn-on channel) without using the power button, go to General Settings/Viewer:Power On option. In list of Power On channels, select Last Channel. Now, no matter how you choose to turn unit on (except when using a dedicated wake up timer), it will go to last channel viewed. If you want to set an easy macro, make sure General Settings/Set:Power-On Keys option is set to Power/Numeric. Then in macro, choose non-existing channel (such as "000") to turn on unit, it will turn on, but not change channels.

NOTE: Some software versions may react differently when entering non-existing channel number. In these instances, some folks have had success by entering channel number followed by "Last" to tune to previous channel.

Also, those of you with on/off issues, there are more tricks you can do. Someone mentioned that they can't use channel "0" because it changes to "1", and another says that the guide comes up whenever it's powered on. Use the "EXIT" button to clear commands before they are used. Example: to power on, macro in channel "0" with single press of "0", then press Exit. The channel never changes and the guide data is quickly erased too. The "EXIT" button clears all on-screen graphics and aborts commands any time it's used.

Anamorphic DVDs.
First some background. Basically, Anamorphic DVDs are SD DVDs that have wide screen image "Squeezed" rather than recorded in letterbox format (where upper/lower black bars are wasted). This results in DVD with more resolution. While some DVD recorders/formats support inclusion of anamorphic (16:9) flag, you do not really need flag if you can view DVDs in "stretch" mode. If DVD recorder does have ability to set this flag, then "stretch" will automatically occur in DVD player.

To make this work you need to get SA8300HD to "squeeze" images. 8300HD will do this on Composite/S-Video outputs when in SD mode. Once in SD mode, Zoom button (usually #) on remote will go to "Stretch 480i" mode. This results in 16:9 image being squeezed into 4:3 space so you can record it. It is recommended you use S-Video connection on 8300 for these recordings. Note: when 8300HD is in SD mode, Component outputs will be magenta in color - so you need to be watching what you are doing through DVD recorder output.

Instructions:

1. With TV tuned to 8300 input, turn 8300 off.
2. Press both Guide/Info on front panel of 8300.
3. Setup Wizard will come up - Simply press "A" to go into SD mode.
4. Do Hard Reboot (described earlier).
5. Select program to be recorded and make sure DVD recorder is ready to record.
6. Start DVD recorder, play program on 8300, and press "#" once to get into Stretch (actually Squeeze) mode.
7. When done and ready to return 8300 to regular HD operation, go through Setup Wizard again. This time press "B" to set up HD mode with desired resolutions and then do a Hard Reboot again.

Note: The Hard Reboot steps were needed with 1.88.17.100 because 8300 would randomly drop out of SD mode, go back to normal letterboxed mode, and then come on in SD mode when turned on next day. Hard Reboot with desired mode (SD or HD) seems to force 8300 to remember correct mode. This does not apply to 1.89.x.x or later software.

New Features - 1.88.x.x (May not be applicable to every cableco)

• Enhanced HDD Spin Down - After 15 minutes of inactivity between 1:00am and 1:15am, the HDD will spin-down without powering off the STB, and a screen saver with an MSO configurable logo/graphic will be displayed while the HDD is spun-down. If an external SATA HDD is attached to the DVR, it will also spin down when the internal HDD spins down.
• Currently Recording Option - When the user selects a currently recording program from the Recorded List, DVR will always display a Currently Recording Program Options screen with “Play from beginning” as the default highlighted option.
• Kick Out To Live - Let's say you schedule the recording of a program and go out for dinner. When you get home, you begin watching the recorded program from the beginning while the rest is still recording. When the recording ends, you are no longer 'kicked out' of your viewing.
• Live Or Time Shifted Video Indicator – Added the API for indicating whether user is watching Live or time-shifted video.
• Activated Front Panel AUX Input - Front panel auxiliary input is activated.
• Macrovision On AUX Input – Turned on the macrovision protection on AUX input.
• Return To Live Button - While watching a DVR recording playback, pressing the LIVE remote button will tune the last Live TV channel that was previously viewed.
• 4th FFWD/REW Speed – Adds a 4th fast forward and rewind trick mode speed at 128x. A fourth arrow will be displayed on the trick mode banner for each direction.
• Broadcast Flag – Broadcast flag is activated.
• 1394 Support On 8300HD – 1394 port is active on 8300 HD boxes.
• Improved Picture Quality With "Copy to VCR" Recording - This was inadvertently broken in version 1.87.19a and then inadvertently fixed in version 1.87.27, which was not widely released. Most users are probably seeing it with version 1.88.x.x, so it has been included in ths list even though it is not a new feature.

New Features - 1.89.x.x (May not be applicable to every cableco)

• Support for Daylight Savings Time (DST)
• Second line of text now includes show's rating if available.
• Categories (Talk Shows, Sci-Fi) are now shown in description details.
• NEW Flag now displayed in IPG (displays on date/time line in Menu and on last line of Program Description). Note: requires Tribune Data Version 2, otherwise all programs may be listed as NEW.
• Memory management improvements coupled with application server settings to prevent loss of IPG data and improve 3rd party app loading.
• Switched Digital Video (SDV) support.
• Recording future-dated episodes provides options for those wanting to record episodes other than First Run, but not all rerun episodes:
  On this channel this day in this time slot
  On this channel at any time
  On this channel any day in this time slot
• Program description is now available with Info button while watching recorded program instead of only showing Playback channel. Note: Cableco option.
• If you block a rating, lets say PG-13, then all references anywhere in system to any program with PG-13 rating says "Title Blocked" until you enter four-digit code to unlock system.
• DAY UP and DAY DOWN buttons on remote (if you have them) are fully operational.
• If you enter channel number that doesn't exist, rather than flashing ??? in channel number field and then doing nothing, it instead switches to next channel above channel you requested.
• Enhanced Channel Maps.
• MPEG Splicing API on all DVR boxes to support Liberate “On Ramp/OCAP".
• High Resolution screens on 8300. Note: Not recommended for deployment at this time.
• Fix for On-Demand Quick button.
• EAS fixes within ATI drivers.

Bug(s) Fixed in 1.89.x.x (Not all-inclusive)

• Turns On In 480i Mode - If General Settings/Viewer: Power On is set to HD channel or Last Channel (if that was HD), unit used to be in 480i mode when you turned it on. If you then tuned to an SD channel and back, it changed to correct HD mode. However, this could be minimized by setting Power On option to SD channel. It used to then power up in correct mode and change to HD when you tune dto HD channel. Another workaround was too simply cycle through zoom modes using "#". You no longer have to do either.
• Start From Beginning/Kick Out To Live - If you select a recording in progress from Recorded List, you get Start From Beginning option. If you select this, you can watch recording through to end without getting "kicked out to live" when live program ends. However, if you now simply tune to desired program and rewind to beginning, you no longer get "kicked out to live" when program ends.
• Padding Start/Stop Times - Start/Stop times for scheduled recordings set for more often than "once a week" can be altered. However, any changes had to be made while scheduling those recordings. Once scheduled, they had to be cancelled and rescheduled with desired changes. Now changes are saved without need to cancel/reschedule.

Bug(s) Remaining after 1.89.x.x (Not all-inclusive)

• Start/Stop times for scheduled recordings set for more often than "once a week" can be altered and changes saved. However, changes for weekly or less frequent recordings are only applied to next scheduled recording and not saved for future recordings.
• When switching from live TV to previously recorded program, channel indicator does not change to Playback channel number, it remains where it was before switching. Might cause some confusion.
• Issue not resolved (same as before): When you are in FF mode and hit Replay, then hit FF again, you go to next higher FF step instead of FF1. When you are in top step FF and hit Instant Replay, then hit FF again, you go to Play instead of FF1.
• When Auto-erase is on, "NOT ENOUGH SPACE" screen may be shown.
• Cancelling changes during editing may remove program from Series recording list.
• Unit display and channel banner indicate recording in progress, but program may not be listed in Recording List.
• "NOT ENOUGH SPACE" overlay does not display when editing future recording and disk is full.
• Wake-Up Timer uses incorrect duration during HDD Spin-Down.
• End time of scheduled recording not extended past end of program.
• After firmware upgrade, video may be output via Composite when unit is off. Simple reboot will fix this.

Lucky Shannon! Wish I had that software.

I see download information for SARA on the page listed Component Information. Don't know exactly what page that is but that's where it has a date and the version of SARA.

This would be great if it is in a future verion of the SARA software. However, ShannonT probably has the PASSPORT software.

One question regarding SARA software version:
Is there a location in the diagnostic mode that lists WHEN the last version of SARA was downloaded? I couldn't find it. If anyone can, please list the page # & location when in diagnostic mode.

Albany NY TWC is currently running SARA version 1.85.17.3.

After my post I went back through the thread and tried to read most of it.

I'm a TWC customer in NC, so maybe it's something that TWC has enabled in the software. I'll try and find the version of the software I'm running when I get home.

As to the Season's pass manager, my 8300HD has what's called a "Series Manager". Once you press list, you hit "B" (I think, from memory) to get into the Series Manager. Once there, you can select a show and you have options (including priority) for that series. I can take a pic tonight if it will help.

I have a question as well: I have some of the same problems with side bars that many are complaining of. I feel it's that my unit wasn't set up properly (pass-through, output resolutions, etc.) when it was delivered, but I can't get into the setup wizard screen by pressing Info and Guide after turning the unit off. Is there something else I need to do or is it possible that TWC has disabled this option?

Thanks, I will give that a shot when I get home.

But, those bits and bytes can be in either RGB or YPrPb colour space, so the question was totally valid.

The answer is, AFAIK at least, no. It's probably YPrPb.

The following is just one (of many) quotes from the HDMI spec:

Here is another:

Just to clarify, when I said "The answer is, AFAIK at least, no. It's probably YPrPb." was in reference to the output of the 8300HD. There is no choice in the HDMI format that it outputs.

Does anyone experience a delay when outputting Dolby Digital 5.1 from the 8300HD to your surround reciever? I can only use PCM out with the 8300HD to avoid delay.

No. I wonder if it is an issue with your receiver. I have experienced some lack of sync when there are drop outs (seems like more video is lost than audio). Pausing the playback gets them back in sync. But I think this is a different issue, and occurs with both DD 5.1 as well as straight stereo (PCM) and it happens only occasionally.

Lip sync or video delay is a common problem, when audio is fed to an AVR, bypassing the TV. That is why many of the newer AVRs have an audio delay feature. The newer micro display TVs are the biggest culprits. The more video processing a TV has to do the longer it takes to complete. When the audio bypasses the TV, the sync between the audio and the video is lost. I had a lip sync problem with a new 1080P DLP and solved it by purchasing an audio delay device http://www.felston.com/ . I didn’t want to purchase a new AVR to correct the problem and this device works very well.

telemike, is the audio ahead of the video, or is the video ahead of the audio? Adjustable delay in the receiver will only help with the first part (audio ahead of video).

Thanks for your help Vegggas. I tried resetting the box and a number of things, could not get the component to look right, it was all pink. Then, I figured it out. When trying to set up the STB, through component output, for HD (pushing Guide and Info on the box), the screen only gave me one option, "press A for SD mode". I was muttering to myself "I don't want SD Mode" and getting very frustrated, after a while, I just hit B anyway, and sure enough it started outputting HD no problem. (I will set aside the HDMI for now, oh well, it was just too much trouble having to re-set up the box every time I switched TV inputs or even channels sometimes.) (Incidentally, now if I press Guide and Info and enter HD setup mode, it only offers "B" choice, no "A" for SDTV. Over HDMI it always offered both choices.)

Some other issues to work out, but if anyone else had had this problem (not getting a "B" choice to set up HDTV) let me know.

I've been lurking for a long time before I bought the HDTV, and really appreciate the help.

________________________
QUOTE:
Your display is forcing a non-supported STB resolution (probably 640x480i or 576i) via HDMI. Component would work better, since it depends on source material formats instead of display timings based on PC resolutions.
You say you can't use component (that's really weird - sounds like it's looking for RGB instead of Y-Pb-Pr signals), but if you MUST USE HDMI, throw out the TV's ability to select the best resolution for each format. Instead, use a FIXED resolution from the STB of either 1080i OR 720P for all content. This way the display won't send PC formatted resolution timings to the STB that force it to the default of 480i.

Just got the SA8300HD (YEAH!) --- I know there must be a way to download recorded programs to burn to a disc --- can anyone help, or is this not an option with this box?

Thanks!

It's not an option, at least not for HD, and SD is letter-boxed out the S-Video/Composite ports.

I have the SA 8300HD DVR set up with component cables to my Samsung HL-R5667W and the picture is stunning, and Digital Out (5.1) works great through my Sony HT. However, I'm trying to improve the audio for the channels that don't output 5.1. Can someone briefly describe all of the audio options and what is the best set-up:

Volume Range: Wide/Narrow? What do these actually mean?
Volume: Fixed/Variable?

The volume on the box is turned all the way up to 30.

Thanks.

sheppardwk:

AFAIK, those audio settings don't affect DD 5.1. If I remember correctly, volume control has no effect either, although I could be wrong because I don't use it.

I leave audio on DD 5.1 for everything. I don’t know if switching to anything else will make a positive difference. The settings you mentioned will come into effect if you switch to an audio format other than DD 5.1. I forget what it is offhand because I never look at it.

Experiment with it, but I doubt you’ll want to switch audio settings all the time. Worst case, you’ll go back to 5.1 and leave it there. I assume you want to control volume through your Sony anyway and not through the cable box.

I don't have those volume range choices with my system (1.87.16.109) but I understand that they relate to dynamic range on DD programs. DD has the ability to operate in a "night mode" where the dynamic range is compressed. This setting is usually on DD receivers (mine is called Dynamic Range and the choices are Maximum, Standard and Minimum). I think that your "Narrow" is equivalent to Minimum and your "Wide" is the same as Standard. My receiver's Maximum clearly exaggerates the dyamic range and I have it set at Standard.

Jim is right about the volume, it makes no difference on the digital out.

Although I have to admit, I have been curious about the Wide, Normal and Narrow settings for analog audio. I've tried them all and can only conclude that it refers to the sweep of the volume control. That is, on narrow you would have to move the volume many more tics to get the same increase in volume compared to Normal or Wide. Am I right on this?

Also, I've noticed that even when I have the volume all the way down, I can still hear it.

Yes, I enjoy the DD 5.1 on those channels that support it, but I was actually referring to the cable box settings and the audio through the TV - not through my stereo system. I'm just curious as to what the different settings/variables are and how it affects the volume through the TV.

It seems like my previously recorded episodes of LOST were deleted automatically tonight. I had several episodes saved "Until I Erase", but 4 previous episodes were deleted automatially, leaving just last week's and tonight's episodes. ALL other programing was still available, including a recording from February, but only the LOST episodes were gone.

Can Anyone else confirm this on their DVR before I start getting postal?
Are time limited shows now appearing on cable DVR's from network programming?

vegggas

RE: audio delay issues. The video is ahead of the sound with DD5.1

I doubt this, but are you sure you didn't accidently have the number of episodes to save set to something other than All Episodes? I've never saved more than 2 episodes of anything, but it sure looks like there may be a bug in that part of the recording options. The options, other than All, go up to 5 episodes and you hit number 6, so my guess is that the number of episodes to save is not working quite right as opposed to something the networks may be doing. Does anyone have 6 or more episodes of anything saved?

That's interesting. I've always found the opposite to be true. Video delays are caused by things like 3/2 pull down processing. That's why audio delays are built into many processors/receivers. Delaying the audio compensates for the video delay and presumably reduces or eliminates the lip synch problem.

I have had shows that were set to Keep Till I Erase mysteriously disappear from my 8300HD too.

Dave,
I always use the "Save until I erase" and "Save all episodes" option for my recordings (default). The scary thing is that I had SEVERAL episodes saved from the past several weeks (all repeats and one or two original airings) They were there yesterday, as I was scrolling through my list of shows, but after last nights episode, suddenly only the last episode and the current one was available, and my available recording space increased.
I did a hard boot, just in case the virtual table was corrupted, but to no avail. Seeing how much available recording space had increased was the big tip-off that they were definately gone.
I had heard about time sensitive recordings that will erase after a predetermined amount of time, and I am wondering if it is starting. I will contact some people at Cox and the local ABC station to see if they are starting to do that.

vegggas

I'll have to double check which way is what again.....

Cox Fairfax, SARA 1.87.16.1

Were they recorded as "One Episode" or as "All Episodes" recordings?

If "One Episode" ... I've never had a "One Episode" recording be deleted for unexplained reasons. Can't help there.

But for "All Episodes" recordings ... there seem to be various bugs with them and save times ... surprised you haven't run into them before.

Basically:

1) "All Episode" Recordings will start getting Auto-Deleted if space is low regardless of "Save Until" setting.

This one I've seen lots of times. It doesn't matter if you flip them over to "Save Until I Delete". It doesn't matter if they're marked as "Save All Episodes". Auto-Delete will start erasing "All Episodes" recordings when space is needed.

2) "All Episode" recordings don't always respect the "Keep ___ Episodes" setting.

This one I've seen less times ... and it may actually be a result of #1. But, it sometimes seems like some random number of "All Episode" recordings will get cleared when there's a new recording of that episode regardless of the "Keep ___ Episodes" setting. Sometimes one old episode ... sometimes several ... I haven't seen much logic to it.

As a result of these (and other "All Episode" issues) I really don't use "All Episodes" all that often ... especially not for content I care about (or that's likely to raise conflicts). Basically I just use them for 1) shows for the kids 2) PTI, nightly news, and a few other daily shows 3) a few shows (especially some of my wife's shows) that I would otherwise completely forget about.

So ... I haven't tried to figure out exactly what the "All Episodes" save time bugs are. But be forewarned ... they are flakey.

Actually two other questions if "Lost" was an "All Episodes" recording:
1) Do you have anything saved that was recorded before last week's "Lost" other than "One Episode" "Save Until I Erase" recordings?
2) Was recording space full (or near full or almost full) when the old episodes got deleted?

Mine doesn't seem to work like this. If I do "save until I delete" it will cease any new recordings on the 8300 until I make room by deleting some programs.

For the record, I only had about 40% used space and continue to record and playback all other programs fine. If my drive space is full, the DVR will stop recording any further programs. That's a setting in the DVR that I use so that nothing gets erased. You can choose "Auto delete", which is the default, or delete only by user.
I have been using "All Episodes" for both seasons of Lost and "All New Episodes" for virtually all other programs without any problems.
I have recordings dating back to February 2005 that are still viewable. I still have the CBS viewings of Veronic Mars recorded and it's also set to record "All Episodes" in case CBS ever shows any more episodes.
Simply put, 4 weekly episodes of LOST, which I was saving to go back and review, were removed from my DVR, and no other programs were affected.

vegggas

vegggas, how many episodes of VM do you have? Do you have over 5 of anything?

I have two + entire seasons ( maybe 30 episodes?) of Amazing Race from the Game Show network with the Record All Episodes at Any Time (I manually delete the midnight repeats). Since it's a heavily compressed digital channel, and not in HD, it barely takes up any space. It always records and every few days, I go through and delete the ones I've already seen or duplicates.
I looked up some info about the TIVO red-flag incedent a few months ago. There was a flag set by the broadcaster that said to delete content after XX amount of time. It's part of the inherent Digital Rights Management (DRM) of digital broadcast flags and can be used by any broadcaster at anytime to prevent an active archive on a live DVR. I can only HOPE that my local ABC, or worse,the national network, was not testing this flag.
This is why I'm asking if anyone else had a similar experience with this show.
vegggas

I have a unique scenario in which I also have a Philips HDRW 720/17 DVD/DVR connected to my system. I have the 8300 connected to my Panasonic HDTV via HDMI. The Philips is connected to the 8300 via the S-Video connection. The problem: My Philips will only record from the 8300 if the TV is on. If the TV is off, I only get sound and an error message displayed that says my" TV does not support HDCP, please switch to component connection". If the TV is on, the Philips records programs perfectly. This is not a viable option since I'd have to leave my TV on 24/7 to insure my scheduled recordings on the Philips would take place. I like to use the HD8300 for HD recordings and leave the SD recording to the Philips. I remember reading somewhere that there is a command that can be entered via the 8300 remote that can disable the "HDCP handshake" requirement between the TV and 8300. Did I imagine this? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

PS - Using the component connection instead of HDMI is not an option I wish to use. I appreciate the quality of my HD picture too much with the HDMI connection and also am using the component connections on my TV for other devices.

Thanks.
Tom

Then it sounds like #2 above. Like I said ... I haven't seen it often but I have seen it. Although, come to think of it, the two examples that first come to mind were both on the same channel so perhaps it is something that is channel/show specific.

I've got "Bob the Builder" and "Thomas the Tank Engine" all-episode" "any time" recodings (like I said ... I use them for the kids shows) ... both from the same PBS digital station ... and a couple times ... it's dropped all but the last two episodes.

And unless it was refurbished, it has a very tired, 2-1/2 year old hard drive....

I currently have a problem where by cable box seems to be out of sync with my KDS-50A2000. Sometimes when I change from one resolution (720p to1080i or 480i to 720p) channel, the box just displays static on the screen. I'm still getting sound, but no picture. Switching to a different input on my TV and then back to the cable input seems to fix it, but it will happen again while switching channels.

I have the cable box and the TV hooked up via HDMI. Ths sound actually runs to the receiver, not through the HDMI. Everything worked really well until WideOpenWest upgraded their boxes like 4 months ago.

Any ideas?

Welcome to the world of the 8300HD. This has been happening to me since a software update on the 8300 a few months ago. The problem is the software in the 8300, complain to your cable company. They won't care because they know you have no choice, but it can't hurt.

I have a SONY combo VCR/DVD which is hooked directly to my SONY TV via plain red-green-blue component cables.

I connect from the 8300 to the TV via HDMI.

I can play DVDs, but when I try to play a tape, I get a DVI Alert and it says:

"Your HDTV does not support HDCP. Please disconnect the HDMI connector and use the YPrPb connection to continue watching TV."

I'm 99% sure this is a new development. I had the TV removed for service a few months ago and maybe connected something wrong, but I don't think so.

Soooo, is this common/expected?

If I want to use the VCR, do I have to throw away my HDMI cables????

thnx

I have a Sony combo DVD VCR and don't have this issue. I am using HDMI from the box through my home theater to the TV. For the combo I have two connections to the TV. Component (RGB) for DVD and Composite (Yellow video, Red, White audio) for the VCR.

Are the Component and HDMI cables connected to the same TV input? Were they before you had the TV serviced?

First thing I'd do is disconnect the HDMI cable and see if a tape will then play. If it does, then I'd reconnect the HDMI to a different TV input and check again.

...and if you still have the problem, please provide the model number of your Sony combo player in your next post.

1) Both before TV servicing and after, I have both Component and HDMI cables connected to the TV

2) Disconnecting the HDMI doesn't make the "DVI Alert" error go away & I still can't view a VCR tape, but the DVD works fine....

3) NOTE: I'm using Pr/Pb/Y cables for 2 connections (details below) instead of the standard Y/R/W cables which are all too short. (I've been careful to make sure I've matched the colors between the inputs and outputs)

COULD THIS BE AN ISSUE?

If not:

I have 4 components: TV, 8300, DVD Recorder, & DVD/VCR Combo

SONY HDTV connected to SA8300 via HDMI

SA8300 connected using Output 2 to DVD Recorder via Pr/Pb/Y cables (for "copy to VCR")

DVD Recorder to TV via S-Video cables

DVD/VCR Combo (SONY SLV-D550P) connected to TV via "Line Out Video/Audio L/R" using Pr/Pb/Y cables

Everything works fine except for VCR tapes!!??

I haven't seen any postings on conflicts in a while (at least not in my search) - has this gotten any better with a later version? I am in Morgantown, WV, and my Comcast doesn't allow me to flag first runs. So, when I record all episodes of Rescue Me, The 4400, and Army Wives, I get tons of conflicts due to the fact that it records each episode the 800 times each one is on each week, without even looking for duplicates.

Then, when I try to resolve a conflict by deleting an episode, it deletes ALL the episodes.

Is this how it is supposed to work? Is there software coming that will fix this? Is this true everywhere? I know this is not TiVo, but how do you all handle this?

When you press record, you should get the option of recording all episodes. If you choose all episodes, you should then get another screen with options of recording all episodes at any time on this channel AND record all episodes on this channel AT THIS TIME. Choose the later and it should not record other episodes during the week.

It has gotten better with SARA 1.89.x.x. The "On this channel this day in this time slot" recording option was added which eliminates a lot of the conflicts. This is near the end of the first post. You should try to get your cable company to update the program guide with the first run flag. This is a tremendous help in eliminating conflicts. You can use the "On this channel any day in this time slot" recording option which helps some. The other option is to record either single episodes or set up manual recordings that repeat weekly.

Yes, but doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of the season pass? Three examples:

1. Army Wives is doing a marathon - we need to catch up!
2. Rescue me starts and ends at different times each week
3. We missed an episode or two of Rescue Me and want to get back episodes

Even if you had the First Run flag that wouldn't help with what you are trying to do, the episodes you are trying to get are reruns. You'll have to tell us what options you currently have before we can suggest something specific.

As far as a Season Pass goes, it in and of itself, isn't a panacea for what you are trying to do. You also need Tivo-type priority conflict resolution and that just isn't available on the 8300 yet. But even then there is no guarantee you'd get the episodes you want unless you made them top priority and then you'd still get more than you want and maybe miss other stuff.

You are further hindered by your cableco being way behind the times with regard to recording options and IPG data. SARA 1.89 does have some conflict resolution now, but nothing that is going to help your situation.

You should be able to identify the needed eps of Army Wives/Rescue Me and record those individually. After that, you should be able to record the same time each week and get the new eps, unless they alter times. In that case, your only option, without the First Run flag, is to set a Manual Recording to cover both early/late starts/ends. If they generally start around 9:00 and end around 10:00, set the times to 8:55 and 10:05 to get all. It would be a lot easier to just make yourself a note to record it each week and schedule it manually until your cableco catches up on recording options.

I would hypothesize you have the DVD/VCR Player connected ONLY via it's YPbPr
(Component Video) port to your HDTV's YPbPr port.
This is the PREFERRED connection for the DVD, but the VCR signal is not output
on this port (per note in Op Instr pg 34).

To see VCR, you would need to ALSO connect DVD/VCR Player's Y/R/W
(or S-Video/R/W) output to an UNUSED port on your HDTV.

Should revise as follows:

1. SA8300HD to TV via HDMI (TV port 6).

2. SA8300HD (Y/R/W) to DVD Recorder via "Line In 1 Video/Audio" port.

3. DVD Recorder to TV via S-Video/L/R cables (TV Port 2 or 3).

4. DVD/VCR Combo (SONY SLV-D550P) to TV:

a. "Line Out Video/Audio L/R" output to Y/R/W (or S-Video) input (TV Port 2 or 3).
[Interlaced scan--VCR and DVD.]

b. "Component Video Out" to YPbPr (C.V.) input (TV Port 4 or 5),
plus "Line Out Audio L/R" to L/R input on same TV port.
[Progressive scan--DVD Only.]

============================
You can "upgrade" to Component Video cables (R/G/B) instead of Y/R/W cables,
although the reverse substitution is to be avoided.

============================
The VCR viewing problem "should" be totally separate from the "DVI Alert" problem.

Some SA8300HD's may not support simultaneous HDMI and C.V. connection.
Try disconnecting C.V. and see if the "DVI Alert" goes away.

If you can't get this error to go away, you are not alone in having trouble
getting SA8300HD's HDMI port to work reliably....

At least you have an open Component Video input on your HDTV.....

Thanks for the input and help. There is no way I'm paying $10 a month extra per receiver to make a note to record things myself - that's what I'm paying Comcast for. We switched back to DirecTV yesterday and we are going to send these boxes back.

That is certainly your perogative, just be sure to tell Comcast exactly why you are returning them. If enough folks do that, or complain, maybe they'll get a clue. Oh, and be sure to let us know how your D* HD DVR handles your situation without recording mulitple episodes, or having conflicts, and dealing with the altered start/end times.

You wrote:

My DVD/VCR has 2 output sections...one for DVD only and one for DVD/VCR. I'm actually connecting from this "combined" section's Y/R/W output (using YPbPr cables which you indicate shouldn't be a problem) to an unused Y/R/W input on my TV.

Sooo, I think I'm pretty much set up the way you've recommended, except I'm using YPbPr cables as a convenience for the Y/R/W connections.

Question 1:

You said:

"4. DVD/VCR Combo (SONY SLV-D550P) to TV:

a. "Line Out Video/Audio L/R" output to Y/R/W (or S-Video) input (TV Port 2 or 3).
[Interlaced scan--VCR and DVD.]"

Is this "Interlaced scan" a specific setting that I have to make on the TV???

Question 2:

Since disconnecting the HDMI didn't make the DVI Alert go away, should I try a hard reboot of the SA8300 and then disconnect the HDMI to see if this message goes away?

thnx

Errata: After reading QuickStartGuide tiny type, Port #2 above should be Port #1.

I was hoping you would double check your DVD_VCR Player cables and find that
you ACTUALLY connected just the (DVD Only) Component Video.....Oh well.....

Getting a standard video signal to work should be a simple plug and watch....

Does the VCR play a store-bought tape?
If it's only a problem with SA8300HD recordings, maybe it's a copy protect "feature".

I would methodically check to make sure the Player is even outputting
video (or S-Video) signal when playing a tape....try with another TV.

Although unlikely, I would also double check HDTV's Port #1 and #3 inputs, just to make
sure they're working by connecting to "Yellow" (or S-Video) output on SA8300HD.
These are always active, no "setup" required.

=================================
Answer 1:
The "Yellow" (Composite Video) and S-Video outputs are ALWAYS Interlaced
(e.g. Analog NTSC), so no setup entries are required.
Note: The "Progressive" selection in DVD_VCR Player Manual (pg69) only applies
to the higher quality Component Video output (480i or 480p, DVD only).

Input Port #1 and #3 on the HDTV will automatically accept either "Yellow"
(Composite Video) or slightly higher quality S-Video input...don't connect both on same port.

Answer 2:
ANYTIME SA8300HD acts up, it's a good idea to either hold power button
down till it reboots....or if that doesn't work, remove power for awhile.
(Typical problems: "missing" free HDD space, "missing" or stereo-only Optical/Coax audio output).

I plan to let them know.

My HR20 will work very well, if it works anything like the R15's I already have - I used D* for 7 years before I moved. While their new units are not as good as the old TiVo OS I had, I routinely handled conflicts quite easily.

About the SONY DVD/VCR issue,

If the DVD/VCR Composite (Y,R,W) output is connected to the Composite input (Y,R,W), are you on that input when you get the HDCP message from playing a VCR tape?

v/r,
C-F

Mind if I ask why you switched to begin with? I'm always curious as to why people used to Tivo, etc., switch to cable, especially with all the info here on AVS discussing current cable DVR limitations.

Yes, I am on this input when I get that DVI Alert message- for VCR tape only....DVD plays fine. (This input is used for both DVD & VCR)

Gonna try an SA8300 reboot.....

OK...I figured it out!

Reboot of the 8300 didn't help, so I started to seriously watch the tape and although the DVI Alert message was there, it was kinda jumpy.

Turns out it was the last tape I used 6 months ago when I tried to copy a program that was playing on my TV and all I got after the first 60 seconds or so was that stupid message!

It was a replay of my prior failed experiment!!!!

Sooooo, I can watch tapes, but if I watch a tape filled with that stupid message, that's all that shows!!

DUH.................

Thanks to everyone who tried to help!!!!!!!!

Yep, I've complained about 4 times now over the course of the last 3 months and their solution each time has to bring a new box. The last time, I told them that I didn't want one, since that obviously doesn't fix the issue.

The technician said he would take a note back to his people and see if they could figure out something. He said to not be too optimistic and that it would probably take at least a month to know anything.

Not to pick on you, but these kind of posts don't help anyone when they don't contain a better location (Ohio is a large state and I'm sure it is served by more than one cableco), the software version your cableco uses, and the cableco itself. Since many of us are not having the problems you are, oftentimes they can be traced to a specific software version or cableco. You are not the first person somewhere in Ohio to have such problems.

I am still having problems with my TV/Cable Box. I have the SA 8300HD and a vizio vp50 plasma tv. They are connected via HDMI cable. I have called both companies (vizio/TWC Houston) and they both blame the other. When I switch from an analogue station to a digital hd channel, the screen flashes off and on with the picture. If I change stations it will go away. This only happens a few times a day, (not every time) but it is annoying. I am going to try switching out boxs again today, simply because that is easier than taking a 120 lb tv back to exchange. I am going to try a new HDMI cable as well. I do feel like it has something to do with the cable box because if I turn it off and then back on it goes away for a little while. If I turn off/on the TV, it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Any suggestions, or has anyone else seen this.

Thanks in advance.

I seriously doubt changing the box or TV will help. Your best hope is looking for a firmware update for your TV.

HDMI/HDCP sucks and there appears to be next to no compliance testing standard performed by companies in order to be able to say they are compatible.

Your best option is probably just using component. It doesn't really make that much difference quality wise on most TVs.

xnappo

I have a friend with the same TV/Cable with no problems. This is why I think there is a problem with 1 or the other.

I am in the process of moving so I am having my cable transferred to the new address. So I took the box over since my TV was already moved. I wondered if I could watch my recorded stuff while I want for the cable hookup. Looks like I can't since it tells me the box isn't authorized. I can't get past the screen which sucks. I guess the Cable co sends out a signal and talks with thebox before I can browse it. Now I am using the same box and everything. When they activate the service at the new address will the box want to reformat my external drive? Or will everything be kept intact on the drive?

You should still have all your stuff. The same thing would happen to you if you were still at your original address and just yanked the cable out of the back...after a while, the box would give you that same message.

Once you plugged the cable back in and it talked to the head end, it'd get happy and let you watch your shows again. Same thing should happen once the cableco has your account configured for your new address.

In your instructions that you got with your remote there is a way to auto set your remote so it will work with your TV. I'm assuming this is a new model Sony so one of the codes should work.

I assume your talking about the aspect ratio key. The only reason that I can think of why this wouldn't work is if you reprogramed it somehow. Now believe it or not I think the numnuts at Adelphia know how to reset your remote so enjoy the experience of calling them and see if they can help.

Also you can change screen size by pressing settings and scrolling to the screen size bar.

Keep in mind that your Sony picture will not change aspects while in HD. It goes to full screen and you cannot change that through your Sony remote. You can do it with your regular remote.

In your intital settings you should have your screen on normal. But it really won't make much difference because once you get to the 720p or 1080i screen Sony will automatically go to full.

Thanks for the quick reply hookbill

To clarify a bit:

the sa8300 remote works for all other functions except the screen aspect ratio and video source switching. I've tried a few of the other codes in the remote manual and they don't work...

Yeah I tried that and it won't work in there either.


This has me a little confused - I can change aspects (with the sony remote) in HD and SD without a problem....

The cable company in my area says they are expecting a firmware update from SA next week to fix the HDMI issue. After some questioning they tell me that all the updates come from SA and they have no control over them, so all software issues according to Charter cable here in Fort Worth is controlled by SA. I was able to get the hum out with a very expensive aviation hum buster (bandpass filter). Still can't and won't be able to get CBS in HD here because of some local politics and bad blood between Charter's CEO and the Local CBS affiliate. Can I just hook up an antenna?

Are the HD (cable company) feeds compressed like Satellite?

spank,
It sounds like you are not viewing the STB through the HD inputs of the TV.
This happens when you are viewing RF, composite, or s-video downconversions.

The Sony will not change aspect ratio when fed an HD signal on an HD input. This seems to further point that you are not using the HD inputs of the TV.

vegggas

Hey Veggas


I may be responsible for the confusion here - perhaps I'm not using the correct terms...

1) I'm 99% certain that the stb is hooked up to the television through component inputs - I haven't gone back around and checked but the installer asked if it was ok to remove the dvd player which was setup through the component inputs. I will double check this evening.

2) I'm using "screen size" and "aspect ratio" interchangeabley when I probably shouldn't. When I said that I can change the aspect of the sony in hd and sd I meant screen size. (normal, full, zoom, wide zoom). I can see now that aspect ratio probably means 4:3 and 16:9. My mistake. If so I have not tried to change that...

3) If I'm not using hd inputs on the tv than I'm pretty impressed with picture quality so far!!

4) So this kinda leaves me where I started ...no video source control and no "screen size" control on the SA remote. I will try and resolve with my cable company and post the results...

Sorry I can't help you on the screen size control. That should work.

However, the video source button on the remote will NOT change the video source on your TV. It is a reserved button for future use - my guess would be that you could somehow select the video inputs on the front of the box (when and if they are ever activated) with this button. This is pure speculation though.

On the 8000 and 8300 remotes there is no "video source" button that controls the video source TV. There was one on the 3100 and 3250 box remotes, which I previously had.

Because of this and other shortfalls of the new remote, I have been looking into getting one of the Harmony remotes or another universal remote that can control both the PVR and TV better than the one supplied with the 8300. If anyone is using a Harmony or other remote with the 8300 I would sure like to know the model # and how it is working out. I tried contacting Harmony technical support to see which (if any) of their remotes would control the PVR and other functions of the 8300, but they have not answered back....

Keith

I have a Harmony 676 and it works great with the 8300HD. I actually got the remote when I had an 8000HD and there has been no need to change the codes. The remote was very simple to set up, easy to use, and easy to tweak.

I use the Harmony 688. It is designed for PVRs and works great for me. I had to program the LCD buttons for LIST, A, B, and C, otherwise it has FF, REW, Pause, Stop, Play, etc. I also reprogrammed some other buttons for Replay, Settings, Favorites, etc., so that I wouldn't have to use the LCD much. The only time I use the LCD now is if I want to do something special with any of my equipment that the main buttons are not set for.

The remote lists for $250, but I paid $150 and change for it at newegg.com and am very satisfied. One caveat about Newegg. They will only let you return for exchange, so you need to be sure you want it before you buy from them.

Some folks don't like the Harmony series because you have to have an internet connection to program it. The process is pretty painless, though updating the remote on a dialup connect might take a while. On broadband, it is quick enough. You can make all your changes and then connect the remote to make the updates, really pretty easy but not for everyone.

I got my 676 from newegg. Great company. The one thing I like about the 676 for an SA box is that it has hard "A" and "B" buttons. I programmed the "Prev" button as "C" and the setup works well. I'm gonna stop talking about remotes now as we're getting kinda off topic.

Thanks for the info.....

I didn't mean to get off topic with talking about remotes.....
I was already planning on getting one of the Harmony's from Newegg, and they don't allow for returns so I did want to make sure they would work with this particular box. Now that I know that these two models will work I will feel alot more secure in my purchase.....

Keith

Well, looks like many of us in Cablevision-land got our first run flag today.

That's pretty nice.

No other apparent changes, no new SARA or any other updated software on the box, but it's a start.

Interesting. When I got up this morning I noticed the box had rebooted. I did get an update from SARA 1.85.14.2 to 1.85.17.3.

I have no idea at this point what this update did. This is Adelphia Cable in Cleveland area.

Wow, Adelphia in Cleveland is much nicer to you guys than it is here. I checked my SARA version a couple of days ago and it was only 1.85.8.3!

lol....no, they are not exactly nice guys.....The version they issue is whatever is compatible to their system. Since most of these cable companies "inherit" systems from other companies who's to say what is compatible where. I've seen higher versions then mine in other threads, including this one. And I've noticed that some of those versions can't do everything my older version did.

I'm just moving from Dishnet to Cable (Adelphia) and am learning how to use the 8300HD. However, I currently still have a Dish 921 PVR which is being returned, and have two 508PVRs and one 510 PVR. They are NOT Tivo's. However, they have the ability to enter the entire title name, or parts of it, and then it searches through the next 7 days to find all matches. Not that difficult. Though I'm happy about some of the stuff with the 8300, this search is absolutely worthless on the 8300. What kind of crack were the SA engineers smoking when they designed this feature? As an engineer, I'm amazed at the poor design!

I just got my 8300HD, was using a Tivo Series2. While I like now having 2 tuners and HD recording, I agree, the designers must have been totally ignorant of good user interface design.

In addition to lack of search features, the FF appears to be very sensitive. Many times when I press it, the marker advances without the picture in sync - VERY frustrating. I was also just had my 1st experience with the "kick-out" bug during playback while recording. Hope we see some improvements soon.

I agree about the FF. I hope the upgrade I got today fixed that. I haven't really had time to figure out what differences it has between this version of SARA and my old.

Just curious Rod...Why not go satallite and get a D-Tivo. 2 tuners and you don't loose any of the features....except HMO.

I can answer at least part of that. The DirecTV Tivo's cost $1000 cash. Plus, there's a good bit less HD content (including no HD locals for most of us) on Direct. Dishnet is even worse.

I also should have mentioned that the FF sucks, as does getting kicked out during playback when recording stops. Very poor UI design.

I just got a new Beta software build (not just an updated revision) to test from the cable company... The 8300 was treating me well without many, if any problems. I will have to get back to my contact and see what specific changes were made and what I'm allowed to say.
First impression is that it appears more refined and smoother in the UI screens and control. The previous build, seemed more like just an improvement over the 8000 with a few new features, but almost the same interface and control (like the 8000 was the base code modified for the new box). This new build seems more like a build made specifically just for this hardware.
quick notes. The frozen image glitch while FF and Rew is completely gone, and the currently recording shows in the List are now highlighted the same way as the guide would show.

More details during/after the weekend and some much needed rest.
Sorry to be so vague right now, but it may only be a temporary test...

vegggas

The only thing I noticed about my SARA upgrade is that the frozen image glitch is now gone. I tested it several times last night, not once did it freeze up.

To the best of my knowledge, SARA 1.85.17.3 is not exclusive to my area, and of course it's not a beta test (at least I don't think so).

I'm having the same problem. DVI-HDMI from 4200HD worked fine. Now 8300 HDMI-HDMI does not work.

What display is your friend using? Maybe it is vendor specific problem.

You have me excited that some of these issues are going to be fixed. The biggest one in my book is being kicked out to live tv when a recording ends, and not being able to start a recording from the beginning when its in progress recording. Do you know if these have been addressed...come on, what can you tell us?

DN

I noticed some different strange behavior on the 8300HD last night. I have the 8300HD through Cablevision.

While trying to record 2 shows at once last night, I couldn't get one of the channels to record at all. Instead, it was recording 1 HD channel (that I had set up) and 1 SD channel (that I had not setup). When I tried to cancel the SD channel, the 'yes' button wouldn't work. Also, this SD recording was not showing up in the recording list (King of Queens was recording, but it was not in the list). After a few minutes of frustration, I looked at the list of weekly recordings I had set up. There were a few in the list that were series that were no longer on (i.e. Survivor). The recording settings for those old scheduled recordings matched the time and channel of the mystery SD channel that was currently recording (got that?). It looks like the system got confused and was applying the old scheduled recording even though the names didn't match in the guide. I did find a new "Survivor" recording in the list, but it was marked with a time of -59 minutes and clicking on it led to a black screen.

I eventually got it worked out (after missing 15 minutes of the show I wanted). The moral of the story is to clean out old scheduled recordings for shows that are no longer on. It looks like the 8300HD can get flaky if they are still on the list (even though they shouldn't affect new recordings).

hookbill, I have a non public beta test build that is Light Years beyond that revision... In fact, it's way beyond the 1.85.x range. It's a new build, not a revision upgrade. I have to do some specific testing and provide feedback before it can be released on my local system. Unfortunately, I won't have time until this weekend. It looks like most of the changes are copy protection, add on storage, and HD notification related.

jonnyb,
That's very good advice and makes a lot of sense. It has also happened to me on the 8000. I think Dave should post a summary at the start of the thread as another tip.

vegggas

Hi!
I have an 8300HD connected via an HDMI/DVI cable to my new Vizio plasma and find that while watching HD the picture "jumps" every few minutes or so from dropping some frames. It is very quick but bothers me each time that it happens.

Is this a common problem using the HDMI output of the 8300? I suspect that the 8300 can't keep up with the required processing. I haven't tested it with component cables yet so i don't know if it happens then as well...

Will the new beta release address this as well??

Thanks for your help from a newbie to the forum (and I apologize if this has been discussed before but I couldn't find it in my searching).

Marc

I understand. I'm just happy that the freezing ff is fixed with my latest download.

What would really make me happy is to hear you report that they are making improvements on the search feature, which imho is basically useless as it available now.

Done!

BTW. If anyone ever wants something specific added to the first post, simply let me know. Many items posted here appear to be single anamolies and generally won't get added unless there are multiple posts cofirming the problem, workaround, tip, etc.

Cox Cable told me that the SA 8300HD would do everything my TIVO would, including move media to my computer via their firewire plug. I just spent $120 on rendering software and a 30ft firewire cable...just to find out that the firewire port is disabled.

A tech-rep mgr at Cox seems to think there's software "out there" that I can download and apply to my box to enable the port. I'm familiar with Firmware updates, so if you know of where I can get my mits on this, I'd be greatly appreaciative.

tks
mike

Ps, is it true that data on the drive is scrambled? that would just be cruel.

Veggas can probably confirm what I'm about to suggest, but all updates have to come from the cable company. That was what I was told when I contacted SA about how updates were done. The reason for this, as discussed in previous posts is the software has to confirm to the cable companies equipment.

As far as doing everything a TiVo will do. Pardon me while I just sit around and laugh.

I have learned that 95% of what comes out of cable techs mouths is not true. Most of the time they just want to come in your house and get you off their list of things to do. I had to show the one who installed my 8000 when I first got it how to do the set up, he couldn't get it to work. While he was fooling around I went on line to SA's site and got directions.

Thanks Hookbill, makes sense to me. The tech rep at Cox was trying to get me to beliieve that there's a driver on the web that I could load myself, to enable those ports. I asked him "how can I load a driver, through a port that's disabled...the only live port on your box is cable jack?"

Alright, so what I'm hearing here is that TIVO is a more powerful medium...is that correct? I know that they, indeed, are releasing a program that will enable me to dump programming to my computer (via a wireless USB adapter - thru my network), by the end of this month. The only down side is that their boxes won't record HD programming...dang!! Any other Strong recommendations? I'm new to this DVR stuff.

tks again,
mike

I think it's ridiculouse how widely patents such as Tivo's are being enforced and applied. Tivo has patents on things such as "watching one recorded program while recording another" and they are trying force other companies to pay massive sums for doing the same thing, but DISH's and other's DVR technology was developed COMPLETELY independently of Tivo's. The hardware, firmware, and software code in the various DVR's for cable and satellite are COMPLETELY different from Tivo's. These patents are just TOO broad. It's like the inventor of the "locomotive" to get a patent on "wheeled, powered transport vehicle" and then trying to extort money from the inventor of the auotmobile because technically his invention does the same thing. Now, i will admit that that is a bit of a wild analogy and not completely fitting, but it does get my point across. Cable companies and Dish companies came up with these features completely independently of Tivo given their customers' wishes. Tivo wants a huge monopoly on the DVR services, but they cannot even offer what cable and satellite providers can. The problem is that Tivo is not even a "TV provider," so they are basically saying that since they were the first to patent these ideas, ALL people who want to enjoy them have to pay $100+ for TV service (cable or satellite) and then buy the TiVo service for an EXTRA $12 or so/month and have the hassle of a much less convenient/capable system in which at least 2 boxes are set up. So, it seems like Tivo just wants EVERYONE to jump through hoops so they can get more money.

I will concede however, that if i were the CEO of Tivo, i would go after DISH and all other companies providing the DVR services, because it is vital to Tivo's survival. I just think the way the system (patents), at least the way it is implemented, is kind of weak and tends to screw either big companies, or the consumer.

As promised :

These are all snippets from TCF's Dale Dietrich's blog, who is a practicing IP laywer :HERE



Let's see... Echostar had a prototype, was shown how it worked internally, and didn't give it back. So, TiVo was more than willing to share the tech involved and partner up with EchoStar.

The media switch is the heart of the patent.


Gee, doesn't the 8300 have all of those features ? Why'd they chose to include those features, and not anything else ?


So, TiVo's licensing fees aren't insane ? A buck a day ? Also, TiVo spent and arm and a leg developing this technology.


Outside of the shady timeline given by the EchoStar suit, not so much solid information given (you'll see this pattern a lot from the E* guys).


Lots of good stuff here. Echostar's entire argument focuses around the mis-assumption that TiVo's patent only covers converting analog -> digital and subsequent storage to MPEG-2. Ummm.... wrong!


Lots of other fluff and kinda goofy testimony from the E* omitted. E* was actively looking for DVR alternatives, but decided to go it alone.


Lots of good stuff here. Ergen is a well-known hot-head, liar and snake. Always thinks he's the smartest guy in the room. Very evasive under cross-examination.

The media switch is the heart of this patent.

The use of TiVo's name in their ads show a willingness to mimic functionality, but trying to undercut them price-wise (easy to do when you copy their work and don't pay the licensing/royalties). E* other DVR ventures didn't seem to work very well...

The basis for TiVo's patents, and relation to prior art. They invented a unique system, which was a large leap in technology.


The next day, the verdict came down with a win for TiVo. We have still to hear from the judge whether or not E* willfully violated the patents, which will lead to a 3x of the damages.


More delay tactics by E*. Will also provide more definitive evidence of the patent's validity.

What is intuitive and easy to understand now wasn't so easy in the mid-to-late 1990's. Thus, the patent was issued for a new and creative invention.

TiVo isn't trying to extort anyone. Companies can choose to license the technology if they wish. However, should they make use of the patented tech, beware to suffer the consequences of a lawsuit.


Doesn't matter under the current patent scheme.


Valid to a degree. The patent system has been abused over the past few years.


First of all, your numbers are way off. TiVo's deal with DirecTV gave them $1 per DirecTiVo customer per month. Surely, a staggering fee which would cripple any corporation. [/sarcasm]
DirecTV customers who wanted TiVo had to pay a $5 service fee. Guess where the other $4 went ? DirecTV.

TiVo doesn't want to monopolize the DVR industry. That's insane. The just want to protect the hard work that they did to invent this technology. Any company can license it for a reasonable fee.

Paul, you assume Tivo offered all their features to everyone equally for use and I don't believe that is the case now and I don't believe it ever has been. It will be interesting if Cisco buys them and puts them together with SA.

All conjecture. We'll never know the details. Obviously, what TiVo offered E* in 1997 would be different than what the could have offered SA in 2001-2005, since time had passed and TiVo had added more features.

I have a hard time buying the whole "Cisco or Apple's gonna buy TiVo" argument. The time for the takeover was when Tivo's stock was in the toilet a year or two ago. Not now, having seen the stock price jump up as a result of this lawsuit victory.

edit : What's the most reasonable thing to assume in all of this ? The relatively small and money-losing TiVo denied SA the opportunity to a fair deal and denied themselves a lot of revenue ? Or, the fairly large and established SA decided to go it alone ?

I agree, the patent stuff would probably sustain its own thread.

[immediately going hypocritical]
RE: buyout. Yes the 'best' time to buy would have been during the low prices.

But whether it makes sense [cents?] for Cisco now - would that not be a balance between [purchase and integration costs] and Cisco's future plans with respect to the expected licensing costs or even TIVO's willingness to bargain given they just got a win?

It just does not seem worth it to predict - without Cisco's vision and road-map and some analysis of how the patents affect that.

[/hypocrite]

v/r,
C-F

Wishing I could prognosticate and make millions on speculation.

Paul,

For once I can agree with you. We'll never really know just what, if anything, transpired between SA and Tivo.

I can also agree with your edit somewhat, but at the time all of this would have transpired, 4-5 years ago, if not more, I don't know that Tivo was losing money like it was whenthe Comcast agrement was worked out.

The other part of this that I believe I've read over the years that there was a lot of bad blood between Tivo and cableco's in general. I could be wrong, but I've always been under the impression that Tivo simply wanted too much from cableco's way back when. Tivo then took their technology and went the DirecTV route. They played nice with some companies that weren't directly involved with cable, but didn't play so nice with those that were. And here we are.