HELP! TWC 8300hd suddenly lost some channels. Any experts out there?

whirl

If someone can help me, it would be REALLY appreciated. I have a TWC sa8300hdc box, connecting to a 1080p samsung plasma via hdmi. Everything was working fine for about a month. Then suddenly, some of the channels would not go thru.

Suddenly random channels such as 10, 11 works, 12 (lifetime) doesn't work, 13 (pbs)works, 14 (abcfamily) doesn't work, 15 (cnbc) doesn't work, 16 (a&e) works, 17 (history) doesn't work, 18 (discovery) works, 19 (vh1) works, 20(mtv) doesn't work. and so on. However, I do get the info screen and tv guide screens from the cable box itself. All my HDTV channels work tho.

At first I thought the cable box froze (again), but after 3 or 4 resets by pulling out the power cord and rebooting, I gave up and exchanged the box for a new one from Time Warner. Once the new box was installed the exact same thing happened, same channels not working.

What's funny, is that if I have something scheduled to be recorded, it works. Say I decide to record something on mtv channel 20, the program WILL record it, and when I playback, it works absolutely fine. However, I still can't watch those channels live, even if I press record. I would have to record something in order to watch it hours later. The screen is black, there is no audio. I even connected the box to a regular analog coax input small tv w/ exactly the same results. Like I said, I do get the cable box info on these blank channels, but no signal goes thru.

So what do you think could be the problem?
1. The 8300hdc box? No, because I exchanged for a new one.
2. The Plasma hdtv? No, because it was working fine for a month, and problems appeared all the sudden while changing channels, not touching TV. Also, when I plugged in an older 20" analog coax cable, same exact issues occurred.
3. Cable wiring? Doubt it. If I program the DVR to record a show out of the missing channels it will record and play back perfectly. If it was bad cables, how would the DVR get the signal in the first place? Also, on an old analog cable box, these channels go thru perfectly.

I am at a loss. I don't know what could possibly be the problem. Do you think it's a setting on permission thing from Time Warner's end? But that wouldnt' make sense, since I'm able to record, it, and the analog box works. I'm not talking about premium channels, just basic standard cable channels.

Even, if you don't have a solution, at least let me know I'm not going crazy hehe.
thx much
jeff

paulc

Far as we know, 8300HDC boxes are running Nagivator, TWC's disaster of an IPG. This software (based on hundreds of reports from users) appears to be late alpha or dev version, not really even beta. So it doesn't surprise me in the least you seem to be having this issue.... FWIW, this is the first time I've heard of this exact problem, normally one wouldn't look at the IPG first, but this IS Nagivator!

whirl

Yes, my parents have the older version of the same box, and the software is much more stable. Arghh I dont' know what to do, I have to wait 5 more days for TWC guy to come.

mothugsta

Time warner tech here. Ask them for the new HD Box. they are OCAP Running Mystic / Java. ALOT better IMHO

paulc

Funny, said boxes are referred to as the Ocrap boxes... by actual $ paying customers. Only anecdotal, but I'd bet 98% of those that got stuck w/Nagivator wish they could have their older boxes w/Passport/SARA back.

What REALLY scares me is that I have a functioning 8300HD. At some point they WILL push this crap on me. AND making things worse, I understand that it is going to be a different version than the one installed on HDC boxes... apparently due to a difference in onboard RAM on the HDC (being more of).

Probably won't matter that much as my "top media market TWC system" has the fewest number of HD channels of any system in the country, cable or satellite.