Issue with 6200HD box - guide changed.

[Paul C.]

I recently decided to try out HD programming. Previously I owned a standard digital terminal (not sure about model number) so I needed to upgrade. When I first got the new HD box I could only view some channels so I used the 1-800 Rogers number & used the reset digital terminal option. After some apparent downloading things were working but the strange thing was the menus in the box had changed! Instead of the colorful original menus the box was now displaying menus the exact style of my old digital box. (tan background, I assume this is the tan guide mentioned in other threads?!)

So did something go wrong & I somehow received an older version of the menu software ? Can the other menus be restored ? It seems strange that a firmware download would downgrade the box ?! Perhaps it had something to do with previously owning a regular digital box ? Everything is working but I'm just confused about why the menus would change the way they did. Did I do something wrong by using the reset terminal option ? There was nothing to warn me not to do it....

[Paul C.]

so it's safe to assume this is a really weird thing that no one has experienced ?

[57]

I can only assume that the STB originally was running some demonstration/Beta firmware or something. This could have been used by some technicians for example - we have seen it from other technicians on this site. Where did you get the STB? When you downloaded the appropriate firmware and all your channels were enabled, you are probably now seeing the "correct" guide.

[Paul C.]

I rented the STB from the local Rogers video store. It appears to be brand new with protective plastic still over the clock. The original menus had more choices like color schemes for the menu & the tv listings guide showed 2 time periods in the grid at once for each channel instead of one like the older guide.

Reading about different parts of the country having different menus made me think that perhaps when the boxes are new they all have the same menus out of the box & that they are updated after you get them. I'm going to talk to Rogers today on the tech support line as they couldn't resolve it by email. (you would think they could at least tell you if they heard of it happening before or if it was normal!oh well no doubt I can look forward to them treating me like an idiot like most tech support lines do )

Nice to have these forums though, I never even considered the idea there would be forums on this topic until I had a problem! (that probably happens a lot I suppose )

[que3jxp]

Paul, if you have a DCT6200, then you are stuck with the "Tan Guide".

In NB, only the DCT6208 (Single tuner HDPVR) has a half decent guide (Blue Guide) and that is overstating it a bit.

As for getting anything different? No one knows and that includes Rogers. We were supposed to get new guides if we had ever got the DCT6412 (Dual Tuner HDPVR) but that box is now going on over 3 years of "Coming Soon".

So to deal with this, some of us have invested in fairly well built Windows Media Center 2005 or Vista Premium based HTPCs that can be tweaked to run the 6200 and 6208 via the firewire port.

[DCTGoddess]

Heh, Paul actually got a sneak peek at what the i-Guide (the most current guide S/W, which I think Shaw and Cogeco use), looks like!

[Paul C.]

There's something weird going on though, I went to check the HD box on display at a local Rogers outlet store & it had the guide that I originally had as well. (before the reauthorization procedure) Tech support doesn't seem to understand the issue, they can't seem to grasp the concept that there are two different menu types BUT they have never denied that there are. I can live with the old style guide if necessary but you think someone at Rogers tech support would know enough to say that it IS the proper guide & that what I received is correct.

[Paul C.]

Ok here's a couple of images just to clarify:

What I had out of the box:



is this what people call the blue guide ? Because that is what I had originally.

and this is what I have after the update (couldn't find a color pic, the real guide is tan in color)

[que3jxp]

Yup!

That is the way it is!

The unit you saw at the store was likely a DCT6208 HDPVR. The ONLY difference between the 6208 and the 6200 is the abscence or presence of an 80 GB hard drive. Otherwise, you cannot tell the difference between them. Even the newer 6412 and 6416 are outwardly identical to the 6200 and the 6208.

And thanks to the pictures you posted, yes, the guide you first saw was the "Blue Guide". If you get an HDPVR, you get the "Blue Guide". If you get the 6200, you get the "Tan Guide".

If you note in my signature, I have both a 6208 and a 6200 so I know all about the stupid "Tan Guide".

[Paul C.]

Fair enough, but the 6200 DID have the blue guide out of the box & only changed to the tan guide after I was forced to use the reauthorize digital terminal option in order to get all my channels working. The guide itself was working but most of the channels were showing as not authorized even though they were channels that I previously had.

I'm not sure if I'll keep it in the long run, HDTV picture is amazing to be sure but so far a lot of my favourite shows either aren't in HD or are on channels yet to have an HD version. HDTV sure does ruin you though, it's very hard to watch non HD broadcasts when you know how much better things can be!

[DCTGoddess]

My bad, I thought you were talking about the i-Guide. The blue guide is sort of a transitional guide between the tan and the i-Guide.

[que3jxp]

The guide itself was working but most of the channels were showing as not authorized even though they were channels that I previously had.

That is why it redownloaded its software from the network and also why it pulled the tan guide as that is the one that is assigned to the 6200. Mine was on the blue goude for the briefest of moments as well when I first got it home.

What all shows are you looking for in HD? The bulk of the shows in HD are only network series from ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and PBS. Beyond that, the only other stuff in HD are movies, Discovery and the stuff they run on HDNET. And of course sports.

HDTV sure does ruin you though, it's very hard to watch non HD broadcasts when you know how much better things can be!

Darn tootin'! I have lost many $$$ to the HD "bug" that I am chronically infected with!

[Paul C.]

That is why it redownloaded its software from the network and also why it pulled the tan guide as that is the one that is assigned to the 6200. Mine was on the blue goude for the briefest of moments as well when I first got it home.

Ahhhh thanks, at least I know I'm not alone, I thought it was just some weird confusion due to me previously having a standard def box which might have led to the tan guide being downloaded in error. I don't like it but I can live with it knowing it's not just some weird error. At least the response time is quicker (except for ROD my god that thing is sloooow!) That plus it's no fun trying to explain a problem to tech people on the phone who clearly have no clue what you're talking about & assume that you're an idiot.

What all shows are you looking for in HD? The bulk of the shows in HD are only network series from ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and PBS. Beyond that, the only other stuff in HD are movies, Discovery and the stuff they run on HDNET. And of course sports.

Oh there are some shows on the existing channels I'm just not sure if it's enough to spend $12.99 extra/month on.(probably less reason in the summer with reruns aplenty on the way) I guess if I had ASN & Space in HD versions I'd be a pretty happy camper, being a sci-fi fan & all. The other option would be to just buy a box which would make me break even in about 2 years instead of renting one. or wait a while to see how it all develops. Ah well, I'm in for a month at least then I'll have to decide.

Anyway thanks to all who commented, my mind is at rest now & I can happily avoid Rogers employees for a while.

[ve9arb]

It would almost seem that "WE" are our own tech support. Because as you just pointed out, Rogers thinks that all of its users are for a lack of better words "stupid". Usually within a hour or so someone has the right answer for us and we try to help each other out as best we can. Welcome aboard! Just as a side note, you should add your location (other than just NB) to your profile on the left of this screen as this helps when trying to help someone out.

[Danster]

I second what ve9arb says: We ARE the tech support for NB. Either we have experienced all of the troubles most people have had or we came up with our own way to solve the problems. The Atlantic forums contain more info than what the CSR's can ever tell you. We know oue doomed box by heart. And we take pride...