9242: Firmware update V185 (Feb 03, 2010)

[hugh]

PLease keep the discussion on V185. Networking questions in the Home Computing forum.

[scrooloose]

My 9242 just updated to V185 (~10:45 am, Sat.). My Harmony One remote is now painfully slow controlling the box. The original Bell remote works fine, but the One is missing key presses even pointed right at the box. I'll have to see if I can adjust it back to normal!

-Mike

[scrooloose]

Had to adjust my Harmony One setting "PVR responds to some commands either too many times or only occasionaly", and changed the sensitivity from 2 to 4. Seems much better now.

-Mike

[jayoldschool]

Not unexpected, considering what the problem with V184 was. Thankfully the Harmony remotes are adjustable on the user end.

[hugh]

The lack of posts also suggests the fix was successful.

[FunkyTown]

I'm still on V184. Thanks for the heads up on the Harmony. I'll probably adjust mine if I get the 185 update.

[57]

I find it amazing that something like an IR sensor's sensitivity is actually adjustable via firmware. I would have thought such a device to simply be "fixed" in its capabilities.

Looks like BTV adjusted this sensitivity down below where it was before V184 - perhaps solving some other IR spray issues that were there to some extent even before V184.

Hope we now don't get flooded with complaints about how people have to put their remotes close to the STB....

[FunkyTown]

I'm very pleased. I got the V185 update at 1:40 PM. I heard the fan whirling while cooking lunch. I ran a few tests by archiving a show. The hard drive is still working.

What pleases me is the quick response by Bell to getting the firmware fixed, the fact they broke my original 9242 but exchanged it quickly, and the fact they said we would have our updates by Saturday and that's what actually happened. I'm not used to this type of service at all.

[scrooloose]

...but they broke things that even some rudimentary testing should have caught. I'm glad we're getting updates to the software, but they need to test it properly. Also remember we get these updates long after Echostar releases them on basically the same hardware in the US, so they have few excuses.

-Mike

[FunkyTown]

That really puzzles me. If this software is released long in the USA before we get it, how come it contains bugs? By the time we get it there should be no incidents.

I did lose all of EHD contents over this. However I think there was something wrong with my original 9242 that I bought brand new at the Source in September. I would occasionally see graphics errors on my screen and would need to reboot. The replacement doesn't seem to have that issue. The old 9242 would no longer accept my EHD even after a complete format. The new one does. Although I lost shows, maybe it was a blessing in disguise because my 12 month warranty could have expired and I'd be in trouble then.

I'm not used to a company providing a fix so quickly either.

I've noticed that my 9241 is showing up on the screen of the 9242 when I run the Homecomm test. That's cool.

[crusader9]

Originally Posted by 57

I find it amazing that something like an IR sensor's sensitivity is actually adjustable via firmware. I would have thought such a device to simply be "fixed" in its capabilities.

Looks like BTV adjusted this sensitivity down below where it was before V184 - perhaps solving some other IR spray issues that were there to some extent even before V184.

Hope we now don't get flooded with complaints about how people have to put their remotes close to the STB....

I do not find it amazing in the slightest. Look at a motherboard BIOS, just about every voltage, frequencies, etc can be adjusted, why should an IR sensor's parameters be fixed? Having such things not fixed gives the flexibility to address any kind of issue whether minor or major through such updates and avoids unnecessary replacement of hardware.

In any event, not a single issue since v185 for myself. I really dislike the use of the word IR 'spray' because to me it implies that the TV is blasting IR light interfering with the BEV receiver when in fact any IR caused by the backlight I would think is by design.

I do notice that when I first turn on the 9242 with v185, it will not accept ANY IR from the remote for a good 5-10 seconds, this behaviour is consistent with the v183 firmware. With v184 it was obviously accepting any good or bad IR signal immediately upon power on. I am quite content with it staying this way.

One very minor thing I see that could be fixed, in regards to the grouping/folder feature is that when a tv series is recorded under a different name (as published by BEV), it will not group properly. When I try to edit the name of a pre-recorded show, the title/name is restricted to X number of characters, but if the show is set to record by the PVR the default title name is much longer than X, hence the title is truncated. It makes it difficult to correct titles so they can be grouped properly.

A mute point IMO considering everything else which had gone wrong.

[FunkyTown]

You have made great points and that last one is not so moot. I've had this same issue. One night Smallville was added to the guide without the HD- in front of it. It did not fall into the group makes it a bit cumbersome because I want to watch the shows in the correct order. I was able to key the name HD-Smallville, but it still wouldn't group for some reason. Maybe because of the upper/lower case? I could only key it as:

Hd-smallville

I could not figure out a way to capitalize the D or S.

[scrooloose]

With V185 the slow deletes seem much faster now, but I still get that annoying delay when I hit the PVR button. Takes a few seconds while it does "something" with the EHD before displaying my recorded shows. I was hoping they would fix that as it didn't happen with V183.

-Mike

[thraxisp]

My DVR was updated about 11:00am Saturday. The IR sensitivity seems to be much better, but I also turned the TV's backlight down a bit.

I, too, am seeing a delay in processing the DVR button. It's do unresponsive that I'm hitting it a few times. The button pushes seem to be queued and I end up in the wrong place. I'm using a Harmony 550 remote.

I've also noticed that deleting a saved show is 2-3x slower then before on shows on the internal drive. External has always been slow. This may have started with v184.

[FunkyTown]

I am not having either of these issues. I pressed PVR just now and the screen appeared immediately.

I have 8 recordings and grouping is turned on. Perhaps this has something to do with it.