I don't know about you, but I don't imagine that a new version will be released any time soon making the machine stable.

Send your DSR530 back to SC to get a full refund before 12 months have expired.

The DSR530 is a piece of crap - just like Charlie's first Dishplayer. A piece of crap now, a piece of crap tomorrow and a piece of crap next year.

Why SC is paying Motorola any more than $29.95 for malfunctioning junk from a bunch of 3rd rate programmers is beyond me. Nobody would put up with this nonsense from a $28.95 WallyMart DVD player - so why anybody does with a $700 purchase is way beyond my comprehension.

I'm one of the lucky ones whose 530 works fine. I've have 1 reboot since July 19'th. A vast improvement over BC. However people are asking about live tv and whether or not it is of any value. First off, I never turned mine off so I don't know if it was a factor in reducing problems with A8 or BC. For my viewing habits the live tv buffer is a good feature. Pausing while the phone rings is an obvious advantage, however if an event is coming on that I know I want to watch such as a baseball or hockey game in the evening I tune to that channel before the event starts. If I am called away I don't need to worry about getting back to the TV as the event starts because I know I have 90 minutes of storage in the buffer. I know that some might say that I could just as easily set it to record the event and watch it that way, however that fills the HD with recordings that I'll have to delete after the event anyway. I actually prefer to start watching an event somewhat after it has started, that way I can skip many of the commericals and other non important parts. My 530 does have issues,, I don't like the jump back that occurs on the first pause and I don't think that FF/REW work as well as they did with BC. But I wouldn't consider returning it at this point and Bell is not an option.

As a follow-up to the start of this thread - I'm back from vacation and my 530 has CC code. When I got back it was not functioning so I did a reboot (unplugged) and it worked again. The record functions are working now. I have been using it for two days and other than minor things, like ff/rew and jump forward/back not always working perfectly the unit is functional. The call display still does not work - does anyone have call display working on their 530?

I now need to decide in the next 5 days if this box will be reliable enough before the FShop return policy expires. Frankly, I think the way to go with these boxes is rent - at least if it blows up you go and get a new one. I think the overall design of PVRs is pretty poor and as many have pointed out they have thermal problems. I have a friend who has gone thru 4 PVR's with Rogers cable in 2 years. Maybe it is best to rent until the technology becomes completely stable over the next 2-3 years - then buy. Of course that is more expensive in the long run.

...The call display still does not work - does anyone have call display working on their 530?...
Call display is working just fine and has for quite some time.

If it doesn't work at all, then something is wrong.
Can you do a report back ok?

Are you on a nomadic VOIP service?

Have you made sure it it turned ON in the set up menus?

Call display is enabled.

Phone line is fully functional, plugged a call display phone in and it works fine.

Last time I called in to SC tech support the unit had never reported back (10 days ago) according to their records.

The unit shows the last report back (last night) as not successful, no answer.

The last time I checked with the SC tech the report back phone number was set ok.

I know there is a modem test function on the unit (forget where) but the SC tech told me that it does not do anything useful so there is no point in trying it!

The unit shows the last report back (last night) as not successful, no answer.

The last time I checked with the SC tech the report back phone number was set ok.

I know there is a modem test function on the unit (forget where) but the SC tech told me that it does not do anything useful so there is no point in trying it!

This is the same problem I've been having - except the caller ID works. It's just the reportback that doesn't - same message - unsuccessful, no answer.

Last time I talked to technical support they wanted to do a factory reset, but I'm worried about that since I don't completely understand what it does.

I tried the modem test and it gave me an error, but I don't know what that means either. And when you talk to the support people they often seem to be more unsure than I am about what things mean, or what certain functions do. I guess I will keep avoiding it until a PPV comes on that I really really want to see, now.

If you get your reportback to work, please let me know. Thanks.

Do either of you share the 530 telephone jack with a telephone that has a wireless handset? I ask because on many many occasions I've discovered that for some reason sharing a jack with a mains-powered wireless basestation has caused a reportback to fail.

Do either of you share the 530 telephone jack with a telephone that has a wireless handset? I ask because on many many occasions I've discovered that for some reason sharing a jack with a mains-powered wireless basestation has caused a reportback to fail.

No, mine has a jack all to itself.

It worked fine from July 19th to the 29th, sending 4 or 5 reportbacks, then stopped. Nothing changed that I can think of.

My unit is on it's own jack back to the main tel patch panel. I do have DSL on the same line, but I also have the DSL filter on the 530. I have verified the line works (using same cable from the wall with the DSL filter) - it can't be a line problem. There is a wireless phone on another jack in the house - but I never had a problem with my older SC box reporting back. I am not running any VOIP services. BTW, the report back message is "Failed, no answer". Just another 530 problem - I guess this means the box is a no go as far as PPV is concerned.

Any other ideas?

I guess this means the box is a no go as far as PPV is concerned. Any other ideas?
Earlier this year I tried to reactivate PPV on a 305 that had been unplugged from the phone lines for a couple of years. I was getting the same message and a couple of calls to *C revealed they were having call back issues. It did clear up after a couple of weeks, the CSR's flagged my file as having issues and as soon as their end was resolved a connection was made.

I guess this means the box is a no go as far as PPV is concerned.

Maybe as far as *instant* PPV in concerned. There are, of course, other methods for ordering PPV if the instant service doesn't work.

Maybe as far as *instant* PPV in concerned. There are, of course, other methods for ordering PPV if the instant service doesn't work.

Yes, but they charge you $1 for every automated order you place - not a lot, but frustrating on top of the $800 we already paid for the machine.

I totally agree, it this stuff does not work then the machine is going back and I'm switching to BEV (which hopefully is not worse!). Unlike many here I am not willing to put up with non-functioning crap. I'm not willing to spend hours on the phone to tech support to get equipment running that should just simply run by plugging it in. This is nonsense and is no way to run TV service. IMO, you turn it on, and it should work. SC does not appear to be able to make this happen. I'll give it one more shot with their tech support - then I'm done.

Thanks for all the help from others here - this forum is fantastic - with out it SC would have lost my business long ago.

I've seen many times unsuccesful reportback on house that had an alarm system. 315s, 505s, 530s and others do not work with some specific kind of systems

Nope, no alarm system on the phone line. I spent another hour today on the phone with SC, their solution is to swap my unit. Since buying this unit 3 weeks ago I have spent 4 hours on the phone with SC and it is still crashing with the CC code, still does not report back, no call display, not recording some programs (because it hangs), etc.

I've decided to take my money elsewhere and try my luck on the other side... I'll let you know how it goes. Long time SC customer (+10years!).... signing off and in search of a PVR service that actually works.

This morning I woke up and my 530 clock was off - the screen was black. Then I noticed that the blue cycle lights were cycling. I made breakfast, came back 15 minutes later and the lights were still going around and around in circles. Nice.

I pulled the plug and plugged it back in and it miraculously booted up properly. I believe there is some serious problem with this CC code.

Welll, my replacement receiver that I've had for two weeks crapped out last night. I tried to play a recorded movie and it played for 30 seconds, then it when back to the DVR menu and said my DVR Menu is empty, even though there were 4 movies there. Had to soft reboot, and tried a different movie and the same thing happened...tried it with all 4 movies and the same thing happened each time. Spent about 45 mintues with Tech and they did 2 factory resets and finally got it working again, but lost my movies.

Then about an hour later I bought a PPV and it constantly kept freezing during the PPV and I had to soft reboot about 5 times during the movie.

This morning it froze as soon as I turned it on. Tried a soft reboot and it would run for about 10-15 seconds before freezing. Talked to tech again and they tried a soft, then hard, then factory reset and it seemed to work for the 10 minutes I was on the phone with her.

Well, I just tried watching TV this afternoon and it's doing the same, freezing every 10 seconds, then you have to soft reboot to get it going again, then it freezes in 10 seconds. Spoke to tech again and they tried soft, hard and factory resets, and my trip counter won't budge. Sometimes it even freezes before I can get into the menus. This receiver is still on A8 (as if it matters which code)

Box # 3 is heading my way :(

If it doesn't function to my satisfaction, I'll be asking for my money back and buying my 3rd 505 and waiting for the next generation DVR from them...after speaking with the tech last night and the one this morning, they're even fed up dealing with this crap piece of equipment.

The thing that really ticks me off is that my original 530 functioned very well on A8 and within a week or two of receiving CC it died.

Received my 3rd replacement last night and it was actually a brand new 530.

As of last night it had A0 code on it and they siad it should update to A8 overnight last night. I didn't have a chance to check it this morning, but hopefully when i get home tonight it will have A8.

To finish this thread (at least for me) - I returned my 530 to futureshop and canceled StarChoice. I then switched to BEV. I have to stay it was a very easy experience - went to my local Bell shop - took 15 mins to get everything ordered, less than 48 hours later Bell showed up and installed the 9200 PVR system and it has worked flawlessly ever since - not one issue, no calls to tech support - ie, it does exactly what it should do. The installers were friendly, new how the system worked, showed me the basics (not that it is hard) and they got the job done quickly. (ok, it was an easy install since all the RG6 was in place and the antenna mount from SC was good).

In addition, the BEV 9200 is far superior to the SC unit IMO - the overal design of the UI, and many functions of using the PVR (as well as general Guide and other UI aspects) is MUCH better than SC. I have no loyalty to BEV or SC - all I wanted is a system that works and BEV delivers where SC could not even come close. No crashes, no lost programs, records everything perfectly, no reboots - it just works! Ok, I have only been using for a week or so - but still, the SC 530 didn't run for 1 hour without problems.

From my experience, if you want a PVR without crap - go to BEV over SC.

This is the same problem I've been having - except the caller ID works. It's just the reportback that doesn't - same message - unsuccessful, no answer.

Last time I talked to technical support they wanted to do a factory reset, but I'm worried about that since I don't completely understand what it does.

I tried the modem test and it gave me an error, but I don't know what that means either. And when you talk to the support people they often seem to be more unsure than I am about what things mean, or what certain functions do. I guess I will keep avoiding it until a PPV comes on that I really really want to see, now.

If you get your reportback to work, please let me know. Thanks.


My reportback had not worked since before July 29th, and all of a sudden, it worked again last Sunday, Aug 27th (I just noticed it last night). I changed nothing, I had not talked to tech support since Aug 16th, but now it works again. Another mystery, but at least it's a better type than things going wrong for no apparent reason...

I recorded 3 PPVs last night & today in case it decides to give up again.