Does anyone else have these DVR problems? Is there a way to fix them?

[Becknforr]

Hi all,

I must say that the DVR -- aside from the abysmall customer service -- is my biggest complaint.  IMO Verizon could gain a lot by reverse engineering DISH Network's DVR.

I have a 6xxx model non-multi-room DVR.   Several issues:

-With nothing scheduled to record or recording, if I pause the DVR and it rolls over the half hour or top of the hour, the DVR hits play automatically and starts playing live TV.  Sometimes it loses any recordings from that channel.  I always have to go back and find where I had previously paused.

 -With nothing recording, the sound and picture will pause for about half a second and then resume.  I lose whatever was said during that half second.  This happens more often and for longer time if something else is recording in the background.

-When set to record new episodes of a show only, the DVR will sometimes decide to record whatever episode it wants.  Reruns get recorded, new episodes do not.  This mostly seems to happen on Bravo with Project Runway.  While I could care less about the show, my wife does, so I do end up dealing with a miffed wife.

-Finally, when dual recording, I can hit the 'last' button to shift from one show to the other - once.  If I change over watch the second show thats recording, the DVR will stop recording the second show if I hit 'last' again to watch the first one again.

I'd love to hear if anyone has the same problems and knows of any work-arounds.  Better yet, a response from Verizon addressing these problems.

[tgkn1ght]

We have issues with the DVR as well.  It is recording all the episodes even though it says First Run Only.  I think the problem is the guide - it doesn't have new episodes marked as new and marks old reruns as new instead.  The DVR is doing what it is supposed to - it's the Guide that is the problem.

We also have had the problem where you are watching a show live, hit pause, but then the time changes to the next show and the DVR goes back to live.  Sometimes you can get back to where you were, and sometimes it says it can't rewind.

[KenAF]

Several of the issues that you both note are the result of faulty program information, rather than Verizon's own software.  The DVR relies on guide information to know what programs to record and when, and if that information is faulty (as it often is with FYI International, Verizon's chosen guide data provider), then you end up with new episodes flagged as repeats, repeat episodes flagged as new episodes, incorrect start and end times, incorrect programs listed in the guide, etc.

More information in this thread.  Most of these issues will persist until Verizon switches to a reliable guide data provider like Tribune Media or Gemstar.  Tribune is the guide data provider used by DirecTV, TiVo, and a few other cable companies.

For now, the only solution for these problems is to buy your own DVR -- the TivoHD.  The TivoHD downloads its own guide information from Tribune, so it is not affected by the poor guide data supplied by FYI International.  The feeless version of the TivoHD is $599, or you can buy the same box for $199-$249 that requires a $12.99 or $129/yr ($10/mo) fee.  With the TivoHD, you do not need to pay Verizon's DVR fee, but you do need at least one CableCard from Verizon for $3.99/mo.  More information on the TivoHD can be found in this post. 

[Becknforr]

Thanks for the info Ken.  Hopefully Verizon gets it's guide together within the year I have left on my service contract.  Otherwise, its back to DISH unless DISH is then significantly more expensive.  I will say Verizon has better picture quality (HD).  But I'd rather be able to watch shows in merely 'good' picture quality than not be able to watch them at all because the guide is faulty.  Hope you're listening, Verizon.