[ExDilbert]

It's got a good signal. Tried swapping the box with one that is working. Don't know if it's still activated or what the tech did on the account when it was replaced. Was looking for info on how to hard reset the box or get diagnostics when it won't boot normally.

 

[ANDYA]

@ANDYA : If you wish to do this, I would recommend putting the NB3 on channel 950 before leaving it overnight. If you have it on any of the TV channels or Stingray channels, the HDD will be buffering the programme and probably fail earlier. The music (radio) channels also don't get buffered. Channel 950 is also "black" when on.

The NB3 uses more power when "on" than in "standby", so it'll probably cost you around $5/year extra.

Thanks
I was concerned that the guide would not update properly

 

[57]

Diagnostics - usually only works once it's booted: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/30-...7719-57-faq-tips-sa-cisco-stbs-also-pace.html

For 9865 (NextBox 3.0) & 8642 (NB2.0) & 4642 with latest firmware using the remote:
1) Press and hold the Exit key for two seconds until the power LED flashes on the front panel of the PVR
2) In quick succession, press the down arrow button twice, then press the 2 button.

Some people have been able to make it boot by unplugging the cable, starting the boot process and then plugging in the cable feed. Good luck.

A call to second level may also work.

 

[ExDilbert]

The "----" is only there for a few seconds before it goes back to "boot" so it's not getting far enough for the remote sequence to work. It looks like Rogers has abandoned the box so calling then is not an option.

I'm amazed at the lack of any real technical information about the 9865. Most search results on the issue point to basic FAQs at Rogers or to this forum. I can't even find away to reset the box if it won't boot. Cisco has declared it obsolete and no longer supplies documentation on their web site. Rogers won't repair it. No wonder they have no resale value. It's the ultimate disposable product that cost $600 to buy or $300/yr to rent.

 

[JamesK]

^^^^
I got mine for free, but that didn't stop it from dying. :frown

However, they gave me a free Nextbox 4K to replace it.

 

[ExDilbert]

I wouldn't be surprised if Rogers is phasing out the 9865 by attrition. If I were buying today, it would be a 4K box. That's wouldn't be so much for wanting 4K as much as not being sold a 3 or 4 year old returned rental 9865 at full price. Getting a free rental for 2 years would be OK since by then I'd be looking for an X1 or another option.

 

[Square1]

NB3 Master Boot : Hold power button and unplug. Wait 5 seconds plug back in while still holding power button in. Wait 5 seconds and release power button. Bunch of stuff comes up saying this box needs to be updated when the network is available.

 

[ExDilbert]

@Square1, Thanks for the info.

Was going to try the reset but the box is now doing something completely different. Now it displays "boot" the "Conn". The TV displays:

"Factory Staging System Information"
...version&date
"Host Download Pending"
"CableCARD Download: Not Triggered"
"The software on this unit must be updated."
"The upgrade will be performed when the network is available."

Any ideas on what this indicates? I'm assuming Rogers must trigger the upgrade at their end.

Edit: Did the NB3 Master Boot and the same thing happens.

 

[57]

"The upgrade will be performed when the network is available."

This may indicate that the box is not communicating with the head end (return signal issue). I realize you checked your signal, but...

If you call Rogers you can get this confirmed if you ask them to check the signal on this specific box. Have the serial number of the box handy. If they can't see the box, there's your problem - a return signal issue. It's likely something in your home or neighbourhood, but in some rare cases could be an issue inside the box.

Have you tried the box at a location in your home as close as possible to the demarcation point (where the cable comes into the home) to avoid as much signal loss and any splitters as possible?

If Rogers can see the signal, it's usually possible to "force" a firmware update from their end (factory reset). Ask them to try that if they can see the box. Again, as I mentioned earlier, a second level technician may be required at their end to do this and/or activate the box properly.

 

[AVphile]

The "----" is only there for a few seconds before it goes back to "boot" so it's not getting far enough for the remote sequence to work. It looks like Rogers has abandoned the box so calling then is not an option.

My NB3 is now doing the same thing. Stuck in an endless boot cycle for days, after 4 years of reliable operation. Now owned and out of warranty looks like my last option with this box is to swap the HDD and see if it will start clean.

 

[AVphile]

^ HDD replaced and it's back up and running after a long process of formatting the new drive!

I am now trying the old drive again because it has lots of unwatched recordings, but it seems to be stuck in "boot" again. There must be something corrupt on the original drive preventing it from booting. No idea how to reformat it.

Fortunately I have a replacement drive so I can use the box, but lost years worth of recordings.

 

[ExDilbert]

Thanks for the info. It looks like I need to check the hard drive.

 

[57]

No idea how to reformat it.

A factory reset may reformat it, however, you would lose all your recordings and your various favourites, etc on the PVR. Settings - Scroll up one to Troubleshooting - Factory Reset.

If the drive is shot, this may not help and you would need to get it to boot first, perhaps with the new drive connected, or the old drive disconnected and then "hot connect"?

 

[AVphile]

^ I put back the old drive and this time it finally booted but wasn't healthy. Settings were preserved but the recordings were all gone and I couldn't make new recordings. I then tried a factory reset and it reformatted the drive but still had no recording functionality.

So I put the new drive back in and started fresh. Works great now, so I obviously had a failed HDD.

Cheers

 

[ExDilbert]

More 9865 SNAFU

Tried watching the recording of the Grammy Awards the other night. It ran 15 minutes over, according to the guide, so I missed the end. The time extension did not work, as usual, due to there being another recording in the same time slot. So much for Canadian channels and Rogers PVRs being more reliable.

Fortunately, the west coast channel repeated it during their prime time so I made a second recording and manually extended it for 30 minutes. That worked so I was faced with the task of fast forwarding 2-1/2 hours into the show. Now, if this was Netflix, a Shaw 630 PVR, Kodi or one of the many other PVRs available it would have been a matter of a few button presses or dragging the mouse pointer across the location bar. Problem solved in about 2 seconds. Not so with the 9865. Fast forwarding through 150 minutes seems like an interminably long time to watch screen flashes that make my eyes flinch and brain shudder. (Such flashes can cause epileptic type seizures in some people.) So I decided to press and hold the 3 minute skip button until it repeated enough to get near the end. That works badly at best but this time it was even worse. After a few second the 9865 froze, solid as a brick. After unplugging to reboot, I was faced with pressing the 3 minute skip button over 50 times to get to the end of the show. It's no wonder my remote is wearing out and I have repetitive stress injuries in my thumb.

 

[ExDilbert]

Speaking of BAD Design Decisions

There are so many in the 9865 that it would take a book to catalog them. It's been especially bad since the NavigatR fiasco but here is one of the worst.

In order to reboot using software the 9865 Troubleshooting menu must be accessed. There are two options. One is a rest to factory defaults which will wipe out all user settings and format the drive, deleting all recordings. The other is a software reboot. The default is to reset the box to factory defaults. What an incredibly idiotic menu layout. What an incredibly stupid design decision?! This type of menu design is what caused the false missile attack alert in Hawaii last week. The person who accidentally chose the wrong menu item was fired. They should have fired the people who designed and approved the software.

 

[JamesK]

Tried watching the recording of the Grammy Awards the other night. It ran 15 minutes over, according to the guide, so I missed the end. The time extension did not work, as usual, due to there being another recording in the same time slot.

What I do, when there is more than one channel number for the same station, is use a different one for the following show. This fools the PVR into thinging it's a different channel. However, with all the "tunners" in these PVRs, why must they use the same one when shows overlap?

 

[ExDilbert]

Exactly. The software in the 9865 still acts as if there are only two tuners and fails to "split" a single tuner output when two recordings on the same channel overlap. That applies to other channels. I don't think there was a following recording on the same channel, just two other recording taking place in the following time slot on other channels.

Whoever designed the Nextbox platform knew next to nothing about how modern PVR software works and Rogers has done too little to improve it. NavigatR just made thing worse and it now looks like they have abandoned Nextbox firmware development. Their failed IPTV development project probably siphoned all their development money and it is probably now all going to the X1 rollout. Rogers TV customers who purchased hardware are being treated with disdain and disrespect. I wouldn't mind so much but Rogers charges way to much for their hardware and resale prices are pitiful, in part due to their failure to provide repairs or replacements.

As much as I detest Bell and dislike Shaw, at least they offer repair or replacement services and extended warranties for their hardware. They also appear to provide firmware improvements and bug fixes on their hardware for much longer than Rogers. It seems like Rogers can afford to throw away $billions on failed projects that never return a penny but cannot spend a few $million to support hardware in the hands of paying customers.

 

[oldyellr]

Exactly. The software in the 9865 still acts as if there are only two tuners and fails to "split" a single tuner output when two recordings on the same channel overlap.

Actually, that would be acting like there is only one tuner. I can overlap recordings on the same channel with my SA8300 when not watching live TV. I often do that with shows following live sports that are likely to run overtime, delaying everything else.

 

[ExDilbert]

Bugs, bugs, bugs, ...

Tried to record Electric Dreams. This is a real PITA since it is repeated frequently, Rogers/Space only supplies an identical generic description for all episodes, new episodes are not marked in any way and episode numbers are not provided. What else could they fail to do? Make it record incorrectly as well? I set two timers, as usual, in case one fails. Fortunately, one recorded as required. For the other, it recorded 2 minutes of Star Trek, the previous show and two minutes of After Trek, the following show. That's just odd. I've seen it do similar things with other shows. Definitely a bug in the timer record function.

In addition there are issues with timers for returning shows. I checked the guide to make sure the existing timer is working. There is no indication (red dot) that the series episode is being recorded. I try to create the timer but it raises an error that the timer already exists. I create the timer on another channel. The indicator shows it's set to record. There is a similar issue with another show. This time the recording indicator on the other channel doesn't show either. All of a sudden I feel like a character in The Twilight Zone. Beam me up Scotty, there's no intelligent electronic life here.