X1 Technical Issues

Seems to be working fine now Ken. I'll just keep an eye on it. Yes, it does have the lastest firmware update. 2.10   I was just questioning the XRE Server version number that went from 1.75 down to 1.74, but as long as it works that's all I care about. Thank You.

firemandude, that sounds good. Keep me updated. 

ComcastKen, this is sort of related to a topic tctc brought up a few weeks ago regarding buffer on live TV.

For a year, mine worked great. For example, if I knew I was going to be late getting home to see the beginning of a show, I judt made sure the box was tuned to that channel and I could rewind to catch the previous 25 minutes I missed. That changed about 1 or 2 months ago.

I work from home and leave the TV on in my office for background noise, such as a news channel. Something would catch my ear and I'd want to rewind. As soon as I press any button (including the rewind) the screen would blank for a second and "switched to HD based on your preferences" would display, as though the box retuned the channel. The buffer would be empty and no rewind would be available. Only then would it begin to buffer.

Then I began noticing that this same screen blank (with Switched to HD) was happening several times throughout the day if I hadn't changed channels all day. This was happening on its own without any interaction from me.

Now I've begun seeing that if the channel hasn't been turned in a while, even if I press pause, where no buffer should have been needed, I get the blanking screen, it won't pause and I get a blanking screen, I press pause again it still won't pause. I have to press pause 3 times to actually get it to pause.

OK, so given these symptoms, I thought maybe the flash memory was failing. So I returned the box to the local Comcast office yesterday and got a new replacement. Hooked up the new one, and it's doing the same thing.

It's as though the box stops buffering live TV if it hasn't seen the chanel change for an hour or two. I know it's fully communicating with my LG TV because it recognized the TV by brand when I set up the new box.

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@PowerTool wrote:

ComcastKen, this is sort of related to a topic tctc brought up a few weeks ago regarding buffer on live TV.

 

For a year, mine worked great. For example, if I knew I was going to be late getting home to see the beginning of a show, I judt made sure the box was tuned to that channel and I could rewind to catch the previous 25 minutes I missed. That changed about 1 or 2 months ago.

 

I work from home and leave the TV on in my office for background noise, such as a news channel. Something would catch my ear and I'd want to rewind. As soon as I press any button (including the rewind) the screen would blank for a second and "switched to HD based on your preferences" would display, as though the box retuned the channel. The buffer would be empty and no rewind would be available. Only then would it begin to buffer.

 

Then I began noticing that this same screen blank (with Switched to HD) was happening several times throughout the day if I hadn't changed channels all day. This was happening on its own without any interaction from me.

 

Now I've begun seeing that if the channel hasn't been turned in a while, even if I press pause, where no buffer should have been needed, I get the blanking screen, it won't pause and I get a blanking screen, I press pause again it still won't pause. I have to press pause 3 times to actually get it to pause.

 

OK, so given these symptoms, I thought maybe the flash memory was failing. So I returned the box to the local Comcast office yesterday and got a new replacement. Hooked up the new one, and it's doing the same thing.

 

It's as though the box stops buffering live TV if it hasn't seen the chanel change for an hour or two. I know it's fully communicating with my LG TV because it recognized the TV by brand when I set up the new box.

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not sure why you don't just hit record on the app to fix this problem (hot or 'series'). Do you have the DVR busy with 5+ recordings at one time that would occupy the tuners? What is the model number of your DVR? Have you tried swapping the xiD for an XG2 (has its own tuners).

SO I have something strange that seemed to crop up a couple of weeks ago. I'm running 1.75.06  ..  I press the Xfinity Button to get to the sub-menus. Then Arrow to get to SAVED (or any of the selections),  go to SAVED to see what I have recorded, press OK.  Everything I press are SLOOOOOOW (Delayed). I can literally see the selected items almost display1 by 1 on the screen. If I get impatient and press the arrow too many times, the result will buffer my selections, and painfully advance to where I last pressed it.  I have to perform a RESTART of the X1 to fix this issue - and in fact it is fine after a restart for a few days.  But every few days I have to RESTART the box.  Anyone else seeing this?

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@Cody21 wrote:

SO I have something strange that seemed to crop up a couple of weeks ago. I'm running 1.75.06  ..  I press the Xfinity Button to get to the sub-menus. Then Arrow to get to SAVED (or any of the selections),  go to SAVED to see what I have recorded, press OK.  Everything I press are SLOOOOOOW (Delayed). I can literally see the selected items almost display1 by 1 on the screen. If I get impatient and press the arrow too many times, the result will buffer my selections, and painfully advance to where I last pressed it.  I have to perform a RESTART of the X1 to fix this issue - and in fact it is fine after a restart for a few days.  But every few days I have to RESTART the box.  Anyone else seeing this?

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I haven't noticed anything new, but I've had this type of behavior intermittently since X1 was installed.  For both saved on DVR and guide listings.

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@Rustyben wrote:

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@PowerTool wrote:

ComcastKen, this is sort of related to a topic tctc brought up a few weeks ago regarding buffer on live TV.

 

For a year, mine worked great. For example, if I knew I was going to be late getting home to see the beginning of a show, I judt made sure the box was tuned to that channel and I could rewind to catch the previous 25 minutes I missed. That changed about 1 or 2 months ago.

 

I work from home and leave the TV on in my office for background noise, such as a news channel. Something would catch my ear and I'd want to rewind. As soon as I press any button (including the rewind) the screen would blank for a second and "switched to HD based on your preferences" would display, as though the box retuned the channel. The buffer would be empty and no rewind would be available. Only then would it begin to buffer.

 

Then I began noticing that this same screen blank (with Switched to HD) was happening several times throughout the day if I hadn't changed channels all day. This was happening on its own without any interaction from me.

 

Now I've begun seeing that if the channel hasn't been turned in a while, even if I press pause, where no buffer should have been needed, I get the blanking screen, it won't pause and I get a blanking screen, I press pause again it still won't pause. I have to press pause 3 times to actually get it to pause.

 

OK, so given these symptoms, I thought maybe the flash memory was failing. So I returned the box to the local Comcast office yesterday and got a new replacement. Hooked up the new one, and it's doing the same thing.

 

It's as though the box stops buffering live TV if it hasn't seen the chanel change for an hour or two. I know it's fully communicating with my LG TV because it recognized the TV by brand when I set up the new box.

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not sure why you don't just hit record on the app to fix this problem (hot or 'series'). Do you have the DVR busy with 5+ recordings at one time that would occupy the tuners? What is the model number of your DVR? Have you tried swapping the xiD for an XG2 (has its own tuners).

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Hitting record does not record buffer as far as I know, that's been a pretty long ongoing discussion topic.   And I don't think that would stop the re-tuning issue, so there wouldn't be any buffer to record.  So while sure, plannig ahead and recording everything would work, the issue is more related to seeing something interesting when you first turn on your TV, and wanting to back up and watch from the beginning.

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@PowerTool wrote:

ComcastKen, this is sort of related to a topic tctc brought up a few weeks ago regarding buffer on live TV.

 

For a year, mine worked great. For example, if I knew I was going to be late getting home to see the beginning of a show, I judt made sure the box was tuned to that channel and I could rewind to catch the previous 25 minutes I missed. That changed about 1 or 2 months ago.

 

I work from home and leave the TV on in my office for background noise, such as a news channel. Something would catch my ear and I'd want to rewind. As soon as I press any button (including the rewind) the screen would blank for a second and "switched to HD based on your preferences" would display, as though the box retuned the channel. The buffer would be empty and no rewind would be available. Only then would it begin to buffer.

 

Then I began noticing that this same screen blank (with Switched to HD) was happening several times throughout the day if I hadn't changed channels all day. This was happening on its own without any interaction from me.

 

Now I've begun seeing that if the channel hasn't been turned in a while, even if I press pause, where no buffer should have been needed, I get the blanking screen, it won't pause and I get a blanking screen, I press pause again it still won't pause. I have to press pause 3 times to actually get it to pause.

 

OK, so given these symptoms, I thought maybe the flash memory was failing. So I returned the box to the local Comcast office yesterday and got a new replacement. Hooked up the new one, and it's doing the same thing.

 

It's as though the box stops buffering live TV if it hasn't seen the chanel change for an hour or two. I know it's fully communicating with my LG TV because it recognized the TV by brand when I set up the new box.

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Glad I'm not the only one who's seen this behavior.  Was thinking maybe a change in the HD preference would help, but it happens when the channel is already on HD, so that may not make sense, unless there's some programming that isn't checking what channel it's on, but still auto-re-tuning to HD channel just to be sure.   

I'm disapointed that Comcast did not respond to my question. I also noticed that when tctc posed his similar question a few weeks earlier, the Comcast responses seemed to abruptly end without further comment.

That suggests to me that this is a known issue that is being swept under the rug, hoping people won't question it. I got a similar response from the in-store clerk when I replaced my X1 box for a new one, before I posted my question here on the forum.

As an electrical engineer, I suspect that this is a deliberate software change to extend the life of the continually-rewritten flash memory, but that is no excuse for trying to hide this from long-time customers. Comcast touted/marketed the X1 system as being able to rewind live TV, but they have apparently quietly disabled that capability.

FWIW I had my first incidence of the 'buffer reset' on an xg2. I had been running a test daily (overnight) by putting on a channel and then checking it in the morning. It seems that the 'reboot' overnight causes the buffer to be in the off position until and unless you do 'something'. I hit the OK button and the buffer begins to record. It appears to be a firmware issue for the xg2. I have not seen this problem at all on the 3 Xg1 DVRs I use.

RustyBen, it's not related to the reboot, as it also happens during the day. (I'll have to check one of these mornings, but I suspect the buffer would actually be recording after the ereboot.)  It's also consistent and occurs after a few hours of not changing channels, or other interactions. It has all the symptoms of being a sleep-mode, and that's why I think it is deliberate.

I have a fun new bug.  For the last 2 nights, each time I tune to a different channel, it plays for approx. 10 seconds, then it goes black and re-tunes to the channle again.

Happens on my main DVR, not sure about my other boxes...

Anyone else seen anything similar?

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@lightstorm22 wrote:
Yep.

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Hah, well I can tell you that it's not happening because they rolled out a fix to the delete bug, since that's still there...

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@tctc wrote:

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@Cody21 wrote:

SO I have something strange that seemed to crop up a couple of weeks ago. I'm running 1.75.06  ..  I press the Xfinity Button to get to the sub-menus. Then Arrow to get to SAVED (or any of the selections),  go to SAVED to see what I have recorded, press OK.  Everything I press are SLOOOOOOW (Delayed). I can literally see the selected items almost display1 by 1 on the screen. If I get impatient and press the arrow too many times, the result will buffer my selections, and painfully advance to where I last pressed it.  I have to perform a RESTART of the X1 to fix this issue - and in fact it is fine after a restart for a few days.  But every few days I have to RESTART the box.  Anyone else seeing this?

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I haven't noticed anything new, but I've had this type of behavior intermittently since X1 was installed.  For both saved on DVR and guide listings.

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Have not seen the issue anymore, kock on wood.  Seemed to have stopped about 4 days ago. I *DO* notice that an UPDATE was sent out & installed.  1.76.02  06/16/2017