New Navigator Software in Texas, Handy Checklist

Apr 23 2010

New Navigator Software in Texas, Handy Checklist

We’re rolling out a series of software upgrades to our set-top boxes across Texas starting on April 26, finishing on May 15. The deployments start in waves, starting in Austin, TX on Monday, April 26.

The new Navigator software/on-screen guide has improved parental controls and enhanced DVR capabilities as well as easier access to program searches, settings, DVR programming, and more.

And look: we know that not everyone is going to love this at first. A lot of times, it feels like right when you get comfortable with a user interface it goes and changes and you have to learn it all over again. I just got a new computer with an updated version of MS Office and it’s making me nuts right now. So trust me, I understand.

But ultimately, this is going to be better in the long run.

We’ve designed this to be a seamless transition, and everything should go smoothly. However, before this rolls out, please take a minute to check your settings and write them down. In the unlikely event that there are glitches, bugs, or Gremlins, we want to make sure that you experience the smallest interruption in programming as possible.

Prior to the conversion, take a minute to check the following settings on your box and write them down:

• Parental Controls: Make sure all channel, rating and other blocking settings are in place.

• Favorite Channels: Verify that the channels selected as favorites are still selected.

• Timers: Check any time settings (power on/off, reminder or sleep timers).

• HD Aspect Ratio (for HD service): To make sure the aspect ratio is correct after the upgrade, press Settings, select Display, then Aspect Ratio.

• DVR Settings: Settings for shows airing within seven days should not be affected by the download. However, for a recording set for a series that is not airing within seven days will need to be rescheduled on the DVR.

We’ve actually created a checklist in PDF form that you can print out and keep by your TV, too: Navigator Checklist

This checklist is part of a larger brochure (also a printable PDF) that will guide you through a number of the functions that are new or different with the new Navigator software. You can download that PDF here: The New Time Warner Cable Navigator

We’ll also be creating a series of blog posts in the coming weeks that will show you tips and tricks to getting the most out of your software. We know the change may take a little getting used to, and we want to do everything we can to ease this transition into a better platform.

If you need help with Navigator, find something difficult or want to see a post that explains some aspect of the new software, I’m happy to take requests — just let me know in the comments section.

Categories: What's New

69 Comments »

69 Responses to “New Navigator Software in Texas, Handy Checklist”

Michael
Apr 24, 2010
at 7:22 pm

Why can’t you use external drives with Navigator on anything but the 8300HD boxes? The hardware is there on the new 8640 and samsung boxes but the software doesn’t work.
Gareth Price
Apr 26, 2010
at 8:52 pm

The new software isn’t too bad — I know our area is one of the later ones to get it so a lot of the kinks have already been worked out. However, having left Time Warner three years ago and being with DirecTV for the past three years before now returning to TIme Warner it’s really dissapointing to see that there is still no keyword search (to allow searching for words in the program description, actor, director, etc) and no remote DVR programming (via the Internet). Also, the guide doesn’t take advantage of all us folks who have HDTV’s — we really need an HD widescreen guide that provides more rows/columns. Please give us some of the these features that your competition is providing. Thanks for this web-site… it’s great that your sharing in this way and being open to listening to your subscribers!
Don
Apr 27, 2010
at 11:10 am

Where can I get information on when my area will be receiving the updates. I live in the North East Ohio area (NEO), specifically the Akron/Cuyahoga Falls area. I have been told anywhere from a few days to within the year. The Samsung 3270 was supposed to be the best HD box available (this from the TWC service rep) but has worse software than the SA 8300 Explorer that it replaced.
Thanks. Any help would be appreciated.
WRCFanatic
Apr 27, 2010
at 12:29 pm

NEO should already have Navigator by now. The 3270 runs Navigator and the bugs should be worked out in later versions. Those SARA areas will get converted shortly.
Joe
Apr 27, 2010
at 6:51 pm

Greetings TWC,

There are some things I like about the new Navigator and some things I don’t. I like the DVR% space indicator, and the Series Manager does a pretty good job of resolving conflicts. Here are some things that need improvement:

The Keyboard: The “B” Find Shows option only works in sorting shows by TITLE. If the first word is “A” or the second word is “The” it is the second letter of the first word that begins the search. However, customers need the ability to be able to use the Keyboard to find Keywords in program descriptions as well as titles! I would like to be able to key in the word “Italy” and have a list returned to me showing all shows that have to do with “Italy” on the left side of the screen. I cannot understand why a 2010 guide would lack this feature?

Manual Recording: Customers should have the option to set up a show that over-rides the Time Grid options. Currently in Navigator, there is no automatic option to record only parts of a show you want to see.

DVR Remote Control: Please also consider the ability to program the DVR through a web-connection, Smart Phone, in conjunction with a customer’s “My Services” Account

Other Issues:

Why do customers have have to go back to the Letter “A” in the “Find Show List to start a search? Shows should begin on the station being watched or where the cursor is in the Time Guide?

There is no ‘View This Channel Now” when taking action on a future show. It should be included in a future update?

Why do users get the Message, “No Upcoming Shows Are Available for this Title” in the Show List? In other words, if “No Upcoming Shows Are Available For This Title” the show should not be in the system.

Why do users have to Navigate through multiple title listings of the same show title? I wanted to watch a Baseball Game the other day, and about 5 duplicate entries of the word “Baseball” were included in the search results. Search results really need to be expanded to includes the NAMES of TEAMS and games without having to press Select each time to open up a tier to see what team is playing!

The big pluses are Caller ID on TV and the Start Over feature.

Joe
Dylan Tynan
Apr 28, 2010
at 8:12 pm

HOW TO ADVANCE THE NEW PROGRAM GUIDE BY DAY(S)
For those of you missing the ability to easily pick a date via the ‘B’ button on the Guide in order to browse through shows several days in the future, there is a workaround. See my blog for this tip, plus more to come. It may be painful, you may lose some IQ points, but we’ll figure out how to work the new “upgraded” guide…. i hope….

http://austincablesoftware.blogspot.com/

Dylan
Joe
Apr 28, 2010
at 8:16 pm

The new Navigator is completely inadequate (at least for the past two days I’ve had one of my set top boxes infected with it)… Sara was so much better… I called TWC support and first got to wait thru a non-skippable advertising message about the new Navigator for 30 seconds.. Then did the automated operator thing, just to be forced to listen to how to fix the screen size issue that I guess a lot of people are having even though I WASN’T having the issue.

Then AT&T dropped my call so I went to dual chat phone call mode to see who I could reach first.

The chat rep was nice and understanding. He who escalated my how do you change date on the guide. Found out they didn’t know, but after doing a little more searching found out that you can be in guide, press a number and then right arrow and it will advance you that number of days forward. Not exactly user friendly. Today is what wednesday? how many days till monday? 5? ok. Press 5, right arrow. Unless this is a leap year, in which case you have to account for the vernal equinox. So that would be up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, , B, A, start.

At least I’m not forced to use Ansi escape codes to tune my remote. Ye ole B button was sooo much simpler though.

Now for the lag issue.

Changing the channel
10
Press button to move channel toward desired show,
wait,
begin questioning whether or not you pressed the button,
remember seeing the light,
wait some more,
nothing,
wonder if the box got the signal,
must not have,
press the button again,
box advances immediately,
cool..
box advances channels again..
Grrrrr.
Goto 10

This new system seems too buggy and lame to be replacing good ole sara. I hope Navigator will improve, but I think it’s time to seriously start looking into the Tru2Way with my own choice of home theater software. Luckily TWC supports Tru2Way!

Anyone out there using Tru2Way right now? I’m waiting on the Ceton Quad tuner to come out.
Bill
Apr 30, 2010
at 2:16 pm

Got the new navigator and like it so far. I have a 1080p HDTV and used to set resolution to ‘auto’ to always ‘fill’ screen with highest resolution. What setting is best on new navigator to accomplish this?
Cash
Apr 30, 2010
at 6:28 pm

Is there a way to check our scheduled date for the rollout? I’m actually one of the seeming few who is looking forward to this.
Newman
May 02, 2010
at 4:49 pm

Wiped my external drive. Went from 75% Full to 7% Full.
Brian
May 03, 2010
at 8:55 pm

Is North Texas going to be included in this update? If so any idea when?

I recently came from Central Florida (Bright House) where all STB’s ran the navigator software. It’s not the greatest, but it’s miles ahead of what I have now in North Texas. I am currently running a DCH6416 and a DCT64616 III. Will they be capable of running the new software? What I have now reminds me of the very first STB GUI’s. Nostalgia in this case is greatly undesirable.

I was within a few clicks of switching to DirecTV before I came across this blog and the article of the pending software upgrade. I hope TWC can come through for me!!
WRCFanatic
May 04, 2010
at 12:03 pm

TWC had a deal to develop a middleware that could allow Navigator to work on Motorola divisions. That unfortunately fell through and the Motorola areas will stay on iGuide for a while. Maybe they are working on Navigator for Motorola but they probably don’t want to spend that money on something that the majority of their subscribers don’t use. TWC North Texas does have the DCX3400 with a 320 GB HDD. You might want to try that box before switching to Satellite.
Unhappy Camper
May 04, 2010
at 8:35 pm

I just wish the switch to Navigator hadn’t lost some of the scheduled recordings and scrambled the settings for the ones that didn’t disappear.
TimeForUVerse
May 04, 2010
at 9:20 pm

This new software sucks. My parents are in Lincoln, NE and suffered through the original Navigator debacle. I have never had signal issues with this DVR, but guess what, the first day it is rolled out and I couldn’t watch anything that taped. First, Lost only taped for 53m, with the last 15 minutes unwatchable. I tried to fast forward, but the interface is so laggy, I questioned whether I actually pressed the button. I do like how I press List and instead of see my shows, I get some stupid popup while I wait for 10 seconds. I have used this for a total of 1hr and came up with 12 things that suck about this SW, and only 2 things that are better. Thank you TWC for screwing this up again.
Annie C
May 05, 2010
at 12:22 pm

I had the SA 8300 HDC with a WD 1TB DVR Expander. After the navigator upgrade, the 8300 went whacky. Numerous reboots later, the DVR would go from 0% to 27%. Then after time, the DVR would go back to 0%. So I exchanged the 8300 for the SA 8240 HDC, and put the expander on eBay. Hmph.

I had a second unit – SA 8240 HDC with 1TB WD DVR Expander. It worked for one day after the initial navigator download. Then within an hour of watching a DVR program, it went to 0%. A reboot made it go to 7%. I tried watching a DVR program, it was black, and then it immediately went back to 0%. Drats!

I’m wondering if there is an incremental download for TWC that’s wreaking this havoc on the DVR. I rebooted w/out the DVR expander, and will let the unit update for several days. Not sure to try again or put the second DVR Expander on eBay.

Hmph Time Warner, I called three techs and went into the office. I got the run around. I’ve been a customer for ever. You all should at least have information stating that the DVR Expander will or will not work. I’ve gotten conflicting answers. One higher tech say its supposed to work. Isn’t there a law or regulation stating that the eSata has to be turned on and workable?
Alex
May 05, 2010
at 1:27 pm

The navigator could be worse. At least we aren’t still looking at graphics that were only adequate in 2001, let alone 2010.

However, it really seems like it could have been a whole lot better. Much of it seems like just a new skin for the existing technology. It even loses some features that were good. Also why doesn’t it properly default to using a full screen for 16×9 tvs, surely they are becoming the standard now ? I know there is a supposed workaround where you mess with the settings and leave stretch on, but that’s not really the best option.

Overall you guys are not adjusting to the changing times well enough and your competitors are leaving you in the dust. Don’t even get me started about the service drop outs, flickering channels and macroblocking which occur from time to time.
Jason H
May 05, 2010
at 2:24 pm

I am having the same problem as Annie. After the upgrade I could not watch any programs that have been recorded. The box states it is at 0%. After rebooting it shows 12%, programs can be recorded, and recorded programs can be watched. However, if you try to pause live TV the box goes back to showing 0%.

If you reboot again you can watch the programs. Try to pause TV and you are back in a vicious circle of reboots. When I got up this morning the box had gone back to 0% overnight and had to be rebooted before we could record anything.

I’m not at home so I can only say that I believe the box is a SA 8240 HDC. The DVR Expander is from Iomega. It worked fine before the upgrade.
Jack
May 05, 2010
at 7:38 pm

I have to agree with Alex above,

While there are some improvements to the Navigator Guide such as the DVR% indicator, the Caller ID on TV feature for Digital Subs, and the Start Over function, the overall skins and appearance of the guide looks like updated technology if this was 2001, not 2010. I have already talked about some of the issues, but just to summarize for our new users:

1.) You can’t do Keyword Searches using the Keyboard. You can only use the keyboard to search by Title. Full Description word searches have existed on competitors IPG’s going back a decade. In fact, the competition studies show that customers love the ability to do customized word searches using the Keyboard, but you can’t do that on Navigator in 2010, Why?

2.) Program descriptions are ridiculously incomplete, you can’t see things like on the old Passport Software like full descriptions of shows, actors, directors, categories of where a show fits already included in the description. Passport did that but not Navigator, Why is that?

3.) The Sports Now Category has been incomplete for my division showing the same 4-5 channels for the past year. Sports that are the local channels never show in Sports Now Sports channels that are 24×7 never show in Sports Now, (at least for my division.)

4.) You can’t set up Manual Recordings to over-ride the Time Grid to record only parts of shows you want to see. This existed in Passport, it is gone in Navigator.

5.) The Customer Service Reps on the phone are CLUELESS: While my division has been nice and helpful, they are given so little information that I feel sad for them not being able to help. The poor reps a lot of times don’t even know what Navigator is! A very kind CSR that I talked to once said, “I wish there was better contact information for us CSR to talk to the techs and engineers, but they never tell us ANYTHING! We usually have to wait about five days out before we get any updates that we can give to customers.

5. b.) I know people across divisions who have said the same thing. There is such discrepancy in management training, knowledge, and competence from division to division that results are woefully inconsistent. From the customer information that I have heard and read over the years, the North Carolina division is among the best and most regions of Ohio are the worst. Here in Wisconsin, I would grade my division to be C+/B-

6.) Give us more information about Navigator Updates even APPROXIMATIONS for some features to look forward to! The Firefox web-browser after an update has an option to tell people and show them what was done and why. For example when are we going to start to see things like:

a. Longer program descriptions
b. Keyword Search
C. DVR Remote Management

On the boxes? And along that issue, why was Sort By Favorites removed from most Navigator boxes? Someone told me this is supposed to be coming back with the new Guide Filtering Option coming later. But why TWC took it out in the first place remains a mystery. Sadly, there was no input from TWC asking customers about this feature, and I know that many customers miss it.

Please understand that I think that this blog is WONDERFUL! And I think you guys are really doing a good job! But for keeping the public informed about when Guide Updates and changes are coming, you could be doing so much better!!!!
Brooke
May 06, 2010
at 12:22 am

We got the upgrade on Monday night. I just have one major problem which I can’t find addressed anywhere.

The old way, I could manually enter a start time and end time for a program. I like my shows to start 2 minutes before and end 2 minutes after. That’s not a problem unless I have several things to record, which I used to do the first program and the end time was 2 minutes after the last program ended. Now, the problem is that I can still start 2 minutes earlier, but if I have 3 1/2 hours of programming on the same channel, my end time goes off of the first program. If the first program is 30 minutes, I still have 3 hours to cover. I can only end programs 2 hours past the finish time of the first program., so if my first program starts at 7:00 and ends at 7:30, two hours from the 7:30 end time would be 9:30, but I actually need the time to go unitl 10:30. This is a pain in the rear, and I want to know why manually entering the program time is not able to be done too. I think we’re going to look into another cable company.
Jeff
May 06, 2010
at 12:55 pm

Experiencing annoying problems, and have complaints about new feature set:
Problem:
1. Problem with audio settings defaulting after power off: When box is powered on, volume is fixed and not variable by the remote. To fix I have to change audio output from “HDMI” to “other,” then change volume control from fixed to variable. I cannot change to variable until after I change the output to “other.”
Once I power off and back on again however, these settings go back to HDMI output and fixed volume.
Interestingly I noticed that the setting for volume range is retained after power off, so some settings stick and some don’t after power cycling.

Feature change complaint:
1. In the guide menu, you can no longer browse by date. This is extremely annoying. Now if you want to go to a later date to browse, you have to hold the the right arrow and wait for it to scroll from the current time till the date you want, which takes too long. Why would they get rid of this basic browsing feature we were accustomed to having???
2. It appears that all repeats of a tv show are labeled as “new” in the guide, so if you set the dvr to record only the new episodes of a series, it will record all repeats as well. You can no longer record the “1st run” of a new show. The only way around this is to set to record a specific airtime, but the problem is that sometimes the original airtime is changed by the network, e.g. if it is preempted by a football game or presidential address or it’s shifted for some other weird reason. As such, you run the risk of missing a show.
Why don’t we have the option we used to have of recording the 1st run of a show anymore.
Jeff
May 06, 2010
at 1:00 pm

Follow up clarification: my audio set up is that I have analog stereo speakers connected to the audio output rca jacks. I am plugged into the tv via HDMI, but I don’t use it for audio (my tv speakers are off)
Michael
May 06, 2010
at 3:34 pm

Anyone that is using an external drive. If you have any box EXCEPT for the 8300HD (this means if you have the 8300HDC, or any of the samsung DVRs) your external drive will not work with navigator. There is no point in trying to make it work, it does not work. The only box that external drives work with for navigator is the Scientific Atlantic 8300HD box (NOT THE HDC).
Clement Kichuk
May 08, 2010
at 6:10 am

On Tuesday (5/4/2010) I was the unfortunate recipient / victim of the Navigator software. I have spent many years in IT systems work and I have never experienced a vendor who would so heavy handedly force a software change on its user population.

Immediately after Navigator took over my system (8240 HDC with external drive) I was able to see my catalogue of close to 200 recorded programs but was unable to play any of them. Over the next two days the “upgraded” software wiped my internal and external drive clean. I now only have access to the internal drive with none of my previously recorded programs. Customer Service agents have all been very nice and insisted that the external drive should work. The technician who came out was also very nice and very apologetic. He said that due to a problem in the software an external drive will not work. He told me that this is a recognized issue and that he has been assured that the programmers are working on a fix although he has not been told an ETA.

As I understand it, Austin is pretty far down the list of cities to receive this software. This implies that TWC is well aware of the external drive problem. Unfortunately, the lack of communication from TWC on this issue thus far, does little to enhance its customer service reputation.
john sullivan
May 08, 2010
at 11:57 am

Am N texas area…am hoping that we get more HD channels added
(And get NHL Center Ice HD/Game HD and NHL NetworkHD).
Have DCX6416 HDbox via HDMI…has the HDCP issue been fixed for the DCX3400, or is there a newer model that I can upgrade to? The CSR’s are clueless..and getting to any knowledgable tech is almost impossible…have been a TWC customer from the start, was ComCast before the ‘changeover’ and in the beginning, Arlington TeleCable, so we are talking approx 30 years. Am very happy to have found this site!
CableTied
May 09, 2010
at 2:47 pm

“The new Navigator software/on-screen guide has improved parental controls and enhanced DVR capabilities as well as easier access to program searches, settings, DVR programming, and more.”

It’s this type of marketing spiel that just enforces what’s wrong with TWC and why I would ditch the service at the first opportunity.

Navigator doesn’t improve any of these things if you had Passport software previously. Passport had 99% of these features in a nicer looking interface 6 years ago.

TWC chose to not continue to license Passport and all it’s subsequent enhancements (including SDV support and a “true” Tru2Way guide) in favor of rescuing archaic Navigator code from your failed Mystro project.

Navigator has been in the works for 5 years now. It should be better, not barely functioning on a similar level. Don’t try and sell it as an improvement when it’s only improving the areas you left to technologically rot.

TWC need to start using their massive profits to hire competent and cutting-edge software designers and upgrade their ISP network with DOCSIS 3, instead of just letting everything stagnate because there is no competition from other cablecos.
Joe Coolest
May 09, 2010
at 8:59 pm

Like: Nothing really

Dislike: TimeWarner “Eye” Logo bouncing around my living room any time the unit decides I have watched enough TV. I can not voice my displeasure strongly enough at this advertising invasion.

Dislike: DVR recorded show list now has “Mon-Sun” instead of dates and times of recent recorded shows. Then reverts to dates. Ignorant choice.

Dislike: Playback of a show on the DVR now plays one time then reverts back to last channel. I much preferred it to recycle. I often put on a show I could nap to (read a recorded show without commercials that are 75% louder than the show itself).

Dislike: Scrolling through guide the “highlghted” selection now stays in the center and the entire screen shifts around it. Again an ignorant user interface choice.

Dislike: This is not with the new “Navigoner” software, but the DVR equipment itself. I’ve had 3 units that all decide to dump any cached playback (i.e. when you rewind to rewatch a call in a hockey game you are watching the cached programming until you fast forward to catch up) With extreme frequency (90% of the time) the unit will dump whatever is in cache and take you to live programming. You miss what happened and there is no longer any cache to rewind back. This “bug” which seems pervasive (probably a bad sector issue) makes me want to toss this piece of junk out the window.

I’m going to be switching to either UVerse or satellite to get away from this crappy DVR.
Jason
May 11, 2010
at 12:54 pm

Here are the issues I have with the new Navigator software (fyi, I don’t have a DVR, if that makes any difference):

1) When I switch channels, I usually always simply type in the channel number, so, “1007″, “1010″, etc. But more often than not, the system does not pick up the first digit, so I end up typing in “007″, or “010″. A big problem with this is, sometimes it takes me to a channel that I don’t have access to, but when that happens, it stays stuck on that channel for about 5 seconds before letting me try to re-type in the channel I wanted to go to.

2) Somewhat related to my first issue… when I’m channel-surfing with the up and down arrows, it now includes channels I don’t have access to, which results in the 5 second freeze when I land on one of those channels. Very annoying when I’m just trying to go to the next available channel. Even more annoying when I get impatient, and start typing in numbers, which then sometimes catches up and then potentially screws things up even more.

3) Issues 1 and 2 end up making the entire navigation system seem very sluggish and slow.

4) I don’t like it how when I open the menu at, say, 5:25, the description is for the show that starts at 5:30, not the show that’s currently on. I assume this feature was intended, but I personally don’t like it.

5) When switching channels, the entire screen flickers and gives me this muticolored, static-y flash, prior to the channel actually showing.

6) When turning on my TV/cable box for the first time after coming home from work, or after waking up, it takes about 5-10 seconds for anything to appear on the screen.

7) When browsing through future shows in the menu, there’s no apparent way to tune a channel immediately from that interface.

Hopefully some of these issues are fixed soon!
Jack
May 11, 2010
at 1:30 pm

HDMI issues With TWC Navigator:

Greetings TWC,

Approximately, once every 4-6 months, I will have an issue with my SA-8300 MDN box. When I power up the box/TV by pressing the POWER button on the remote, I will get a “Mode Not Supported” message on the screen. This is a known “handshake issue” with the Navigator Guide and the boxes. “Handshaking” refers to how well the HDMI cable/box/TV synchronize with each other when they are turned on.

The workaround is to turn off the box and than reboot it. A warm reboot for the Navigator system is to do the following on the front of the box:

1.) Press and hold the VOL+ and VOL- button simultaneously.

2.) While holding down the VOL+/VOL- buttons, press INFO

3.) Let go of the buttons when the screen goes blank. The box will re-boot immediately.

Another issue with HDMI handshaking that I DO NOT have, but has been reported by several friends, is that some of the newer model SA/Cisco boxes will sometimes not hold the Output resolution Setting when they are turned off. (The selection of 480i, 720p, 1080i) This is also true of some of the Samsung boxes.

If you are getting handshake issues with “Mode Note Supported” using HDMI cable, you have three options:

1.) Reboot your box. (Turn the box off first and than reboot for best results.)

2.) Use Component Cable for your HDTV instead of HDMI

3.) If the problem persists, or recurrs more than every few months, request a box swap or try a new HDMI cable

MDN/ODN Navigator boxes should have a software update developed and downloaded to them, to better deal with these HDMI issues.
Javier Seda
May 11, 2010
at 8:23 pm

With the recent Android OS variations, I don’t believe task killers are required. On my N1 I find no deviation in speed when killing tasks; still, on my Hero running 1.5 there was a pronounced difference after killing some apps (like Google Maps).
Krinken
May 12, 2010
at 11:04 am

The new interface, particularly the underlying programming, is about as bad as you can get. First the intolerable time lags; what is going on? Don’t they test a product before release? Second the update randomly killed programs from recording queue (very bad if you have kids!). Third all settings DID NOT transfer. Fourth sort by favorites is gone so 1000+ channels are very tedious (you can pick your favorites just not sort them). Fifth it seem that you can not watch a previously recorded program while I record two programs anymore – very bad, very very bad! Sixth the navigation in the listed recorded programs jumps from last place you were to a different menu. Seventh programs are just deleted when out of space: very bad, very very bad. Plus too many more to list…
Jack
May 14, 2010
at 10:37 am

I have a general question about Navigator,

What exactly is involved when they do a software update from say MDN 2.4.6_19 to MDN 2.5? Is it really that long and hard of a project to go from one version to another? Is it just something like OK the test labs have it working well, than do they just flip the switch between 2-5 am. (The time most Navigator boxes get updated.) Or is it something much more involved?

For example, let’s say that all of the divisions in a certain location or many locations from a representative sample all have the same version. For this illustration, it doesn’t matter if its MDN or ODN, but lets say that Navigator version X is excellent and very well liked and customers really want version Y. And version Y has been tested and works well. The techs like it, the customers want it. And let’s say that three divisions, for instance San Diego, Florida, and North Carolina have version Y. And it’s AWESOME! Why can’t TWC just update everyone on Navigator version X to version Y within like a month of version Y’s release? Why can’t TWC be more forthcoming about release dates?

Why is it that people with version X may have to wait for 8-12 months for version Y, and other divisions might release version Y in 1-3 months? Sure, there’s differences in the division and head-ends, but is it really THAT different where there is such fluctuation in software release dates? TWC needs much greater improvements in making sure that Navigator software updates are applied WITHIN two months of general release across the boxes and divisions. The long waits are very frustrating for many customers.
Bob
May 16, 2010
at 6:44 am

TWC needs to bring back manual recording. I’m going on vacation more than 7 days before a sports event that I want to record (I will actually be attending the sports event). But I can’t set my DVR to record the event because it’s more than 7 days out and there’s no manual recording option. This really sucks. Why take aways a simple feature that many people in my situation have found useful. It’s yet another reason for me to consider switching to satellite sometime soon.
David
May 17, 2010
at 5:45 pm

It wiped my external HD also…I have a 1TB that was around 70%, so needless to say I lost a ton of shows I had recorded. Now, the navigator doesn’t recognize my external HD. As a matter of fact, if I have anything plugged into the eSATA port, the navigator will only send 480i/p. This sucks…
John Morris
May 18, 2010
at 5:46 pm

Got the update in Austin, TX, and have had nothing but problems!!

This biggest complaint I have is shows I have set to record often just STOP RECORDING in the middle of the show for no reason!!!

I had an hour long show sunday night record only 2 MINUTES! Some stop after 15 or 17 minutes. It is random. I never ever had this happen on the old software. This is at least the 5th time this has happened on different shows. I’m getting ready to go all “office space” on the box!

I contact service and they tell me to “just bear with us during the transition”. Real helpful guys.

I was perfectly happy with time warner until this “upgrade”. Now I am seriously considering switching to UVerse. Or possibly ditch the cable box and get an HD tivo.

You guys really screwed the pooch on this one.

If you roll back the boxes to SARA software, all will be forgiven.
Alex
May 20, 2010
at 3:49 pm

I hate the new software they uploaded on my DVR. I actually called them to ask them to change it back to the old one. The lady at Time Warner told me that this new software has more features. I beg to differ. In fact, it has fewer features than the previous version. My biggest complaint is what they did to the fast forward and rewind feature. They’ve stripped the 4x, and now it takes around 3-5 minutes to get to the end of a show. This is only made worse by the fact that they’ve taken away the option to ‘skip to end’. The guide is glitchy. It doesn’t show the last digit when you enter a 4 digit channel until it goes to that channel in the guide. They’ve also taken away the actual DVR channel. Previously, if i was watching a recorded show from the DVR, and I wanted to change to another channel, whenever I decided I wanted to go back to the DVR program, I could just hit back, or if I had tuned to multiple different channels, I could just tune back to channel 875 (my old DVR channel), and it would still be paused on my recorded program exactly like I left it. Now, instead of being able to quickly go to channel 875, I have to go back into the recorded list and find what I was watching then resume from where I left it. I also don’t like that with this new DVR software, if I’m recording two shows at one time, and I want to switch between the two, the DVR does not pause at the location I was watching before, when I switch back to a previous channel that I happen to be recording, it brings me to the live signal instead of, say five minutes previous, when I had paused and then switched channels. I’m sure I have more complaints, but my main complaint is the rewind/fast forward feature that automatically jumps back like 30 seconds when you stop fast forwarding or rewinding. It’s like I’m being penalized for having good hand eye coordination.
Bob
May 23, 2010
at 4:52 am

On both sets, the image quality has degraded to the point that that issue alone makes me so angry I turn to Apple TV and Streaming HD to watch what I can’t stomach to view over TWC now.
Robert
May 23, 2010
at 4:53 am

On both sets, the image quality has degraded to the point that that issue alone makes me so angry I turn to Apple TV and Streaming HD to watch what I can’t stomach to view over TWC now.
WRCFanatic
May 24, 2010
at 2:02 am

It’s all in the testing process. You test and test until you think it’s ready to be deployed.
Alex M
May 24, 2010
at 11:01 am

I have a SA-8300HD and a SMT-3270. On the 8300HD I can switch back and forth between two channels and the box will retain the rewind buffer for both channels. So I can switch over to the 2nd channel, watch it a while, then back to the 1st and rewind it to see what I missed. The 3270 doesn’t do this. I understand that feature was added in ODN v3.2.0_15. When will that be available in Austin?
Tom
May 24, 2010
at 2:19 pm

I agree with most of the negative comments on the new system. I can’t understand how a supposed “upgrade” can be slower and have so little in the way of improvements! TWC has done a sloppy job here.
Kathy
May 25, 2010
at 3:25 pm

I have many of the same complaints already gone into here. My biggest complaint and the one that will cost TW-Austin my account most likely is the loss of my external expander. As others have written, poof over 150 hours of programming wiped out without warning. Really TW? Did you think this was going to cause customer satisfaction? Today I got email from them saying the external hard drive could be used but only once the dvr was full. But it didn’t tell me how to enable this or how to access anything stored on the external hard drive IF I managed to get it there in the first place. This is absurd. None of us would have spent our own money to buy these expanders if the capacity of the dvr itself wasn’t ridiculously small. And why disable their use when they don’t compete with anything TW sells? Obviously we are way down the road in terms of getting this “upgrade” installed so they knew this was going to occur. Why not fix it before installation? Or will these external drives ever work again? That seems to be the $64,000 question.
William
Jun 05, 2010
at 9:38 am

The “new” interface could hardly be slower or more annoying. The signal quality on all of my non-HD channels has deteriorated significantly and are not centered on my 37′ Visio HD TV. The inability to set a recording more than 7 days in advance is ridiculous. The rewind function cause the recorded program to consistently jump 5 to 10 seconds forward as soon as one hits “play”. I can see nothing about this change that actually benefits the customer – of course I was able to get right through to Time -Warner about these problems and they immediately dispatched a repairman – Whoa! I must have been dreaming, having passed while on endless hold. On the upside, Time Warner does answer the ‘terminate service’ extension very promptly.
Robert
Jun 14, 2010
at 9:25 pm

I have to agree with everyone, the quality of the software on DVR boxes is ridiculous and I am seriously considering dropping my account. I have experienced numerous issues with programs not recording (error message is the channel was unavailable – even though I happened to watch the entire episode that was supposed to be recorded), numerous issues with the box hanging and not doing anything – pretty strange, I can be watching something, decided that I want to change the channel and the box will not respond – I can actually turn the box off and have the show continuing to play, but now without sound.

Please get it together soon TWC or I will be going back to Direct TV.
George
Jun 15, 2010
at 6:34 pm

A problem which no one else has mentioned is that I have 2 programs set to record at 7pm, Wheel and Millionaire and was watching the news on another channel when called away from the tv a few minutes before 7. Well the DVR only recorded one of the 2 shows!

I did some tests and the navigator tells you that there is a program scheduled to be recorded and do you want to record it or cancel the recording. If you are not there to pick up the remote and approve the recording, it assumes that you want to cancel the recording.

That is crazy!
WRCFanatic
Jun 23, 2010
at 12:42 am

ODN v3.2.0_15 was recently deployed in Austin.
Jeremy
Jun 25, 2010
at 7:36 pm

Did ODN v3.2.0_15 disable the eSata port on my Samsung smt-h3270?

It was working great. Then one day the box updated itself, and my “full” went from something in the 20s to something in the 70s.

I’ve tried reformatting the drive; unplugging/replugging the drive; plug in after reboot; reboot while plugged in; etc. Nothing has made the box recognize the drive.

Anyone else having this problem? Anyone know how to fix it?
WRCFanatic
Jun 29, 2010
at 12:26 am

Charlotte is getting Multi room DVR in the next couple of months with Cisco boxes. I think it only works with 1 DVR and you can have up to 3 client boxes, but you can’t just use any old box. Only the latest Cisco box with Multi room can access it. No plans on a 16:9 HD guide but the Samsung boxes can stretch the guide to make it look 16:9, but it’s not real HD.
WRCFanatic
Jul 09, 2010
at 10:56 pm

I’ve thought that they never enabled that port. I think they broke it and they might fix it, but TWC hasn’t enabled that on the older boxes.
WRCFanatic
Jul 12, 2010
at 5:16 pm

Charlotte might deploy ODN v4.0 in the next few months. Hawaii has no time frame from converting from SARA to Navigator. I’m sure Hawaii’s hurdle is that bill pay channel. I’m sure they are waiting for the new versions which will support paying your own bill. Once they get that feature and test it up the wazoo, then Navigator can be deployed in Hawaii.
Genie
Jul 12, 2010
at 7:20 pm

I didn’t have a problem with the new software until I tried to use my DVD. I have an older tv with only one set of ports so I had my DVD player plugged into the cable box. Well, I was just informed that the ability to change the video source to my DVD player was disabled! Just completely done away with and there is no workaround. So, I guess I either have to buy a new tv or get rid of TW. That’s a pretty easy choice.