About santa-clara

Thank you screename137 for checking availability of 5.1 surround sound. I verified that my system is setup correctly and works fine with digital optical sound from my computer and DVD player.  I then interchanged optical connections with the X1 and the DVD player.  Next  I went through my Comcast favorites list (the only channels I ever watch) and found ONLY 6 out of 36 (that's 17%) had actual 5.1 sound as of 3:45 PM to 3:55 PM.   501 TCM = Stereo 516 Encore = Stereo 518 Encore = Stereo 520 Encore Love = Stereo 522 Encore Suspense = Stereo 524 Encore Westerns = Stereo 528 Encore Drama = Stereo 530 Encore Action = Stereo 536 Starz Edge = 5.1 537 Starz Black = Stereo 538 Starz Cinema = Stereo 539 Starz = Stereo 540 Starz Comedy = Stereo 551 HBO = Stereo 553 HBO2 = Stereo 555 HBO Signature = Stereo 557 HBO Family = Stereo 559 HBO Comedy = Stereo 560 HBO Zone = Stereo 561 Cinemax = Stereo 562 Cinemax = Stereo 565 MoreMax = Stereo 566 ActionMax = Stereo 567 ThrillerMax = Stereo 578 Showtime = Stereo 580 Showcase = Stereo 582 Showtime Extreme = Stereo 584 Showtime Family = Stereo 717 KCSM = Stereo 786 Tennis Channel = Stereo 801 HBO HD = 5.1 809 Encore HD = 5.1 816 Starz HD = 5.1 825 Showtime HD = 5.1 838 Max HD = 5.1   Since 6 X1 channels actually do provide 5.1 sound in all speakers, there is nothing wrong with my setup. The problem is that very few of the channels I care about have surround sound!!  Is this a Comcast limitation?  Next time I visit my friend I'll try the same experiment with his Direct TV setup.  If as you found, other commercial channels have 5.1 sound that is absolutely the last thing in the world I would ever want: COMMERCIALS IN SURROUND SOUND - that is utterly rediculous.   Based on your test results and mine, it seems the 5.1 surround sound issue may not be limited to the X1, but more likely is the result of misleading Comcast advertising.  Note there are 6 and ONLY 6 HD channels in my favorites list - that is only 17 %.  Comcast radio & tv commercials, their web site, and flyers/promotions  sent directly to my home certainly mis-lead one to believe that ALL the expensive  premium movie channels are HD with full 5.1 surround sound! ... View more

I forgot to mention in my previous posting that the X1 does not appear to support DTS sound.  DTS is far superior to Dolby 5.1 and many movies have both a DTS and Dolby 5.1 soundtrack.  Case in point, "Men In Black" is currently playing on several of the premium movie channels.  All I get from the X1 is 2-CHANNEL STEREO sound, even though the X1 is set to surround and the JVC receiver displays Dolby 5.1.  Last night I happen to put in the "Men In Black" DVD and WOW, JVC switches to DTS or Dolby 5.1 and suddenly GREAT SURROUND SOUND, especially with DTS - this is what I expect when paying $200 per month for TV.  I am retired and on a fixed income so every $ is important and must provide good value.  Crappy 2-channel sound when paying a lot each month for premium movie channels is NOT a good value! ... View more

@gate1975mlm wrote: @ComcastKaraT   Can you tell us if Comcast is aware of the sound issues with the X1 box?   There are 3 issues going on.   1. The sound keeps going on and off for a split second at random times. And it happens a lot!!   2. Under the audio settings I have selected "Surround Sound" however it keeps swithing to "Stereo" on my 5.1 Receiver at random times!   3. Also a lot of TV Shows that are broadcasted in 5.1 are not coming though my speakers as 5.1 sound!   The sound cuts out with both HDMI and optical cables. And my Receiver changing on its own from "Surrond Sound" to "Stereo" only when using HDMI cable. I do not have this issue when using optical cable.   I would like to know if these 2 issues can and willbe fixed in a future software update? Or it it a hardware issue and will need a new improved box?   It's really driving the whole family insane! :(   Thanks  I continue to have sound issues with the X1.  I've posted several times in the past.  In my configuration, the X1 connects to the TV via HDMI and to a JVC receiver via optical.  The sound will cut out anytime you change input on the TV.  Several people have suggested this is due to the X1 re-negotiating the HDMI handshake which may be so, but it's still VERY annoying AND other DVRs such as Direct TV do NOT have this problem - my friend has a Direct TV DVR and I've tried the experiment personally!   The intermittent sound drop out is actually minor compared to the real issue and that is lack of 5.1 surround sound.  You can set the X1 to surround sound as many times as you want and the result is always the same - the JVC receiver switches to Dolby 5.1, BUT THE SOUND ONLY COMES OUT THE LEFT FRONT AND RIGHT FRONT SPEAKERS.  THERE IS NO SOUND FROM THE CENTER CHANNEL OR THE REAR SPEAKERS for 99 % of the programs, even when watching a premium movie channel where the intro to the movie says Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound!  On rare cases, typically only an HD premium movie channel, do you actually get 5.1 sound.     ... View more

@roncali wrote: I am in the San Jose, CA area.  I have an x1 DVR (PA PX001ANM) and 3 boxes (PA PR150BNM).  The system has been in since January, and I had been using DVR manager on my computer, iPad and iPhone with no problem.  A couple of weeks ago, there was a nationwide problem with the X1 system (or so I assume from info on the internet).  Since that time, I cannot access any of my boxes on the internet or my portable devices.  Previously, I could see and address every box in the house; now, when trying to set up DVR manager on the internet, it tells me that service is available in my area, but my equipment is not compatible.   I have called Comcast numerous times, and no one seems to know how to rectify this problem.  Can someone out there point me in the right direction?   Thanks! Hi Ron,   I'm not sure these suggestions will solve your problem but they may give you a clue as to what's happening:   1. Login to your Comcast account and under "My Account", then "My Settings" you should get a list of your equipment along the right side.  Verify that each model number and serial number match your actual gateway, DVR and other 3 cable boxes.  If they don't match, then this is likely the problem and Comcast will have to update their database.   2. If the numbers match, then try clearing the cache and all cookies from your iPad.  Comcast uses cookies to remember things about your setup and this information may have gotten corrupted.  After clearing the cache and cookies, login to your Comcast account and try to access your DVR manager.  Note that the default device Comcast tries to control may not be your DVR but one of the other 3 cable boxes.  You may have to re-select the DVR in one of the on-line pages (I don't remember just how I had to do this, but for a while my living room DVR manager wasn't working because Comcast was trying to control the bedroom cable box instead - once I changed the setting, it worked).   3. If clearing the cache and cookies still doesn't work, take your iPad to a nearby public hot spot.  Try logging into your Comcast account there and accessing your DVR.  If this works, then the problem is something in the configuration of your gateway and Comcast will have to help you.   If none of these work, then it's time to up the ante with Comcast support and get them to resolve the problem or else give Direct TV a call.  I find the X1 interface very cumbersome and difficult to setup recordings so I use my desktop on-line all the time.  The only very annoying issue I've encountered is that if you try to schedule a recording more than a couple of days in advance it always fails :-(   ... View more

sdjs asked: Was there any setup you had to do to make the Audio/video plugs active?   No - I just connected them to my devices and they worked.  Just did an experiment and NTSC video output works with my Pioneer DVR. ... View more

I am using the hdmi, component video and NTSC video outputs simultaneously.  Both hdmi and component video are set to output 1080p and the NTSC outputs at 480i.  Multiple outputs are handy for using more than one TV, say a large screen in the family room and a small screen in the kitchen which is next to the family room and share a common wall, thus cabling is easy.  This allows watching the same program with one or more persons in the family room and someone cooking in the kitchen.  Just one example of many possible uses for multiple video outputs from the X1 or any other receiver.  I've setup media systems for several friends and know for a fact that DirectTV DVRs have multiple outputs (hdmi, component, NTSC video) active simultaneously.  Another example use for the NTSC output is to drive an RF modulator connected to as long a coax cable as you need (300 ft. with no problems).  This allows driving an auxillary TV in the garage or anywhere else you want. ... View more

My first 9 weeks with Comcast TV is very disappointing for the following reasons:   1. All of the X1 issues - this should never have happened to paying customers and is totally unacceptable.  I expect a full refund for two months of botched TV service or I will cancel.  I've tried to schedule recording of programs while I was unable to watch them so I could watch them later and it's VERY hit and miss - mostly MISS - totally unreliable and UNACCEPTABLE!   2. Very few actual HD movie channels even though I have the most expensive package - only 6 by my count, ONLY ONE HD CHANNEL FOR EACH PAID MOVIE PACKAGE, HBO, Cinemax, Starz, Encore, and Showtime plus one from Turner Classic Movies.   3. Extremely few actual programs in full 5.1 surround sound.  X1 set to surround and connected to receiver via optical cable - receiver always says Dolby D - but actual sound only comes from front right and left for 98% of movies, even when at the beginning of the movie it says Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound!  It is the rare event when sound actually comes out of the center and rear channels - usually only silence!   The other two Xfinity services, Internet and Phone seem to be ok.  I will attempt to drop Comcast TV and switch to Direct TV but keep the high speed Internet and digital phone service.  I've posted several times about the apparant fundamental design flaws in the X1 system and have HEARD NOTHING FROM COMCAST.  I can only assume that my analysis is correct AND that Comcast is unwilling to admit their mistake and correct it, thus making their TV service unacceptable. ... View more

There is a very definite pattern to most of the X1 problems users are experiencing.  Note the similarities (highlighted in red) in all these postings: gate1975mim wrote: "All 3 of my X1 boxes were so slow last night!!!  It was so bad I ended up just going to sleep. Everything was slow and it seems to happen almost every night now. What is going on with these X1 boxes? They are so buggy it's not even funny! :-(" clays wrote: "I did notice the slowness last evening. It had been working well lately, but last night was so laggy that it made it virtually impossible to do simple things like delete a recording or even bring up the scheduled recordings list. " bradbortner wrote: "Tonight at 10 pm, tried to play recording of Vikings. Dvr would not start no matter how many times I clicked play. Just froze. Annoying. " bmsatsf wrote: "I have had nothing but trouble with the new x1 box. Freezing, not recording, awful guide, etc. I can't believe that I paid $50 to have this piece of junk installed." gate1975mim wrote: " My whole family hates these X1 boxes. They are just way too buggy to be used in normal situations. I am tired of the freezing,Lag,Ghosting guide see through, Sound issues and so on! The last few nights have gotten so bad I can not even watch any of my DVR recordings. The DVR says I have no recordings even though I have over 50% on it :-( And I keep seeing these so called "Maintenance" being done messages and all my recordings are not available when this happens!" ALL of the above X1 LONG LATENCY, NON-DETERMINISTIC RESPONSE TIMES, MAINTENANCE BEING DONE MESSAGES, and IRRATIC, UNRELIABLE BEHAVIOR problems are typical of a centralized design requiring constant communication with central servers.  Sending messages back and forth between the X1 box and a centralized server to do even the simplest task is a fundamental design flaw, not a software defect.  No amount of "bug fixes" will solve this type of inherent design problem.  X1 performance will only get worse and worse as more X1 boxes are deployed and more users attempt to use them, especially during peak usage hours.  Think about it - when would your local X1 box ever require "MAINTENANCE BEING DONE"?  Only a CENTRAL SERVER has problems and downtime due to "maintenance". In the rush to try and "fix" the myriad of X1 problems, the result is "1/2 step forward and 3 steps back".  In my own case, scheduling the X1 to record using the on-line web TV listing used to work fairly well, but now is broken with the latest software.  All I get now is "There was a problem with your request to record.  Please try again later."   You can try again and try again and try again and always get the same error.   Keep in mind that the X1 as well as all other modern DVR boxes are computers.  Most run some form of Linux or other embedded (real-time) operating system.  The box is quite capable of performing all normal user initiated tasks locally and quickly without the need to communicate with anything!  Only an on-demand search might require fetching information from a server or watching a pay-per-view program. Watching a program you the user recorded on your DVR in your house should NEVER require accessing anything!  ... View more

The issue screenname137 and many others are having with % full on the X1 are again an example of trying to store inappropriate X1 state information on a central server rather than locally in the X1 box.  The X1 box is the only device which should keep track of it's own state information such as how much space is used on its local hard drive.  The % full number would then be accurate and timely as new shows are recorded and old ones deleted on the X1.  Attempting to keep everyone's X1 state information on a central server is extremely problematic.  If any message gets garbled or isn't processed properly by the central server, then the server's X1 state information is no longer correct.  Depending on the reliability of the database implementation on the central server, the % full number will vary with time as seen by screenname137 and others - example: the number could be 54% at one time and 82% at another time with no actual change being made on the X1 box - just attempts to "recover" or "synchronize" database information on the central server. ... View more

phmatt11 wrote: "Second, and I think I saw a few people post about this, but when pressing the Xfinity button to get to my channel guide or DVR, half of the time the screen is two slow to respond. Pressing any button on the remote does nothing (even though I sometimes see the green light on the box respond that I've pressed a button). The whole interface freezes for minutes at a time until it eventually let's me exit. Sometimes it'll work immediately after that, but many times it'll still just freeze if I go back. This probably happens the most when looking at the DVR portion of the Xfinity menu."   Irratic, unpredictable and non-repeatable behavior like this is exactly what happens with a centralized design. You press a button on your remote and the green light on the X1 blinks indicating the signal from the remote was received by the X1 box, but then nothing happens for an indeterminate amount of time.  That's the unacceptable latency caused by trying to communicate with a central server rather than performing the action locally on the X1 box.  This type of sluggish, frustrating, and unusable behavior is inherent with centralized designs which send messages back and forth from the X1 to a central server. ... View more

In an earlier posting snowrain and some others have hit upon the true problem with the X1.  The fundamental design appears totally flawed and should be completely scrapped.  The X1 appears to depend on central servers to do anything.  This is a fatal flaw since it puts single points of failure in series with every action performed by every customer.  With a centralized design there are MANY, MANY items ALL of which must be functioning properly for the end user to accomplish any given task, regardless of how simple the action may be.  Performance of such designs will only get worse and worse over time as the number of simultaneous users increase, components age, and servers or any number of networking devices saturate or fail.  "Software updates" will never solve the major defects inherent in such centralized designs.   I have a master's degree in computer science and worked 28 years for a major computer company.  I specialized in performance analysis of computer systems and managed a team of engineers who worked with large Internet accounts.  Anytime a centralized design such as the X1 was deployed, inevitably it suffered from unacceptable latency problems and dis-satisfied end users.  People are very sensitive to latency and any response delay greater than 500 mS (yes, that's only 1/2 second) will feel extremely sluggish and slow.  A response delay of 1 second is almost unusable and contributes to many of the issues Comcast customers are experiencing with the X1.  The absolute maximum tolerable delay on a very occasional basis is 7 seconds.  Anything over 7 seconds is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!  Anything over 1/2 second for 99.9% of all actions is also totally unacceptable in the long run.   Having used the Direct TV DVR, I can tell you it does not suffer the long latency issues of the X1 since it is not reliant upon centralized servers.  If Comcast persists with this type of fundamentally flawed design, it will definitely lose customers and market share.  I chose Comcast instead of Direct TV because they offered phone and Internet service in addition to TV.   This is my first experience with Comcast, having become a new customer at the end of January.  I am very disappointed with the X1 situation and the near $200 per month I'm  paying for mediocre TV service.  So far the phone service is good - I am happy with it.  Internet service is much faster than my old DSL when it works properly. ... View more

I seldom use the guide function on the X1 due to it's extremely slow response time.  Instead I use the computer where I can see 5 hours and 19 channels at a time - large computer monitors are great!  Further the responsiveness of the guide on the computer is very fast.  I've also setup a favorites list so I only see the channels I'm interested in - it's very easy to add or delete channels to the favorite list on the computer unlike on the X1.  I also use the computer to change channel on the X1 - when I find a program in the computer guide I want to see, just select "watch channel" and the X1 changes to that channel.  And lastly, I choose programs to record using the computer, it's much faster and easier than using the X1 - the only issue is that the program has to be at least 30 minutes in the future or you get a message saying it might not be recorded even though it always has been so far.  Fortunately I have a computer as part of my multi-media setup and the computer is always on so it is a good substitute for the channel guide.  I don't understand why the X1 should be so slow and sluggish with the guide unless it's constantly trying to communicate with some server in the cloud which would be a terrible mistake!  I've used both ATT U-Verse and Direct TV DVR boxes and both of them have much faster response time in the guide than the X1.  The VERY OLD non DVR Direct TV box was slow and sluggish like the X1.   As for thoughts on the X1 guide button, I agree that the customer should be able to select in the settings menu whether to display the mini guide or the full guide on the first press of the guide button.  This should be in the same place where you can enable or disable the pop up info which I find annoying so I've turned it off.  I always believe the customer should be able to configure the behavior of devices since only the customer knows what they want to do at any given time and how they expect to accomplish it.   ... View more

I only use the optical audio output from the X1 - never the speakers in the TV.  The optical output is connected to my JVC receiver. The X1 box is connected to the TV's HDMI1 input for video.  If I change the TV's input to something else, say VGA for my computer, the optical audio from the X1 will drop out momentarily.  If I change TV's input back to the X1 (HDMI1) the optical audio from the X1 will also drop out again.  It appears the X1 has a defect that causes it to drop out the optical audio output while negotiating the HDMI handshake. The optical audio output should have nothing to do with the HDMI output - it should be totally independent and never drop out.  I haven't used the analog audio output of the X1 to see if it also drops out. ... View more

Guess tonight was my night to encounter X1 software defects:   1. not sure exactly the sequence of buttons to cause it, but have ghost listing on right 1/4 of screen - had to cycle power on X1 box to get rid of it 2. this afternoon I scheduled two programs to record tonight - verified they were listed in scheduled recordings - this evening checked scheduled recordings again and both programs are not listed - checked guide and both programs still show red recording dot - neither program actually recorded :-( 3. scheduling a program to record using PC sometimes works - other times gets unknown error - when get an error, can schedule program using remote, but painful to do since program is one week in future - takes FOREVER to scroll guide into future - must press button, wait for guide to advance, press button, wait for guide to advance - can't hold button down or press button repeatedly as that causes X1 box to get totally confused and only power cycle will revive it - this is really lame! 4. did a restore of deleted recordings and disk full indication increased by 4 % - strange since data was already on the disk - just removed deleted tag 5. scheduled recordings list is useless - only shows date and time - have to manually select each item to see name of program - listing must show date, time, name of program, channel to be useful   It's obvious that whoever programmed the X1 box never used the DVR function.  The DVR function is almost totally useless due to poor reliability, no record indicator, missing info in guide, scheduled items disappearing, etc.  Some of these issues have already been reported by others, but I included them here for completeness. ... View more

Cloud based recording is an extremely bad idea for so many reasons:   1. Invasion of privacy straight from the pages of George Orwell.  What I choose to record, when I choose to record it and when I choose to watch it is my business and no one else's.  There are already too many instances of "big brother is watching you".   2. Multiple points of failure - "the cloud" is a marketing euphemeism for large, expensive, complex systems in some remote data center.  I know because I used to work with large accounts for a major computer company. With a recording in the "cloud" MANY, MANY items ALL have to be working to watch it.  WIth a recording on a local box, only that box has to be working and it's MTBF is MUCH longer than the "cloud".   3. Bandwidth usage - with a local box, show only goes over the "network" once.  With "the cloud" show goes over the network everytime you watch it and all that data counts against your usage.   4. Expensive - the primary reason for Comcast to implement "cloud" recording is forced PAY-PER-VIEW.  If anyone thinks "the cloud" is free, just wait and see.  Local storage is inexpensive - 1 TB drive for less than $100 or < 10 cents/GB.  Cloud storage is VERY expensive - just check out the cost/GB for an EMC disk array not to mention the computers to manage it and the high bandwidth networking infrastructure and the redundant cooling for the data center and the security system and ... ... View more

Thank you ebow for the pointer to the instructions for creating a favorites list.  It takes a while and lots of button pushes, but at least it works and I no longer have to scroll through channels I'm not the least bit interested in.  I appreciate your prompt reply. ... View more

Thank you gate1975mim - after reading that your Denon is working I swapped inputs on my receiver and finally got 5.1 Dolby D working.  I swapped the cables back and also got 5.1 Dolby D working. This is good news. The receiver always indicates Dolby D whether the show is in 5.1 or not.  If the show is in 5.1 I now get sound from all 5 speakers.  Thanks again. ... View more

Received Pace PX001ANM box on Tuesday.  Encountered several problems:   1. Record light doesn't work - this is fundamental to a DVR - can't belive box would ever be shipped with non-functional light - box does record, but you can't tell when it's recording by looking at it.   2. Surround sound is two channel only - this is huge issue - audio setting is "surround" - box connected to receiver via optical cable - receiver sees digital stream and goes into Dolby D mode as it shoud - BUT sound only comes out of front left and right - the 5.1 sound is being down mixed to 2.0 stereo either by the X1 box or Comcast doesn't provide high quality sound for it's movies - doesn't matter what channel being watched or whether it's an HD channel - always get only 2 channel stereo - receiver works perfectly with DVD player and computer and get all 5 channels with either Dolby D or DTS.  Does anyone know how to get true 5.1 sound?  I am remodeling the house and installing multi-media room with professional JBL 15" speakers and 18" powered sub-woofer.  Stero only sound is totally UNACCEPTABLE!   3. Box is very sluggish - have to press a button on remote then wait - if press another button box gets confused - had to contact support when box quit responding altogether - their solution was to unplug box to cause reset and reboot   4. Haven't found a way to create favorite channel list - there are only about 25 channels that I would ever watch - it's easy to setup favorites on a Direct TV box.  Does anyone know how to setup favorite lists on this box? ... View more