Bug in FIOS DVR "Manage Deletions" function

[JCN1908]

My DVRs:  Cisco CHS435HD.  Qty: 2

If I delete a recording and then restore it, the "PLAY ALL" functionality FAILS.  Returns to live TV immediately.  This happens with or without an expansion drive attached to the DVR.

So far I have only tried this with the starting point episodes (oldest first apparently is the "PLAY ALL" order).  Have not yet experimented with "middle of the bunch" deleting and restoring.

My guess on this:  The RESTORE function does not rebuild the linked list chain of episode(i) to episode(i+1).  So I would wager real Jeopardy $$$ ("I'll take DVR Screw Ups for $200", Alex) that RESTORING a middle episode will fail "PLAY ALL" @ that point forward: aka episode(i), i>1.

While you FIOS geeks are fixing this one, you might take a look at NOT LISTING recorded episodes that start recording but then are blown away for some reason (i.e., they won't play back either immediately after 5-10 of thinking about it, or within a minute or two -- perhaps a higher priority show superceded its time slot - unlikely since I check for conflicts).  Basically don't finalize the entry until you are sure it is there and accessible!

The former happens a few times per month on both of my 435s.

The second could be made tolerable if (a) I was informed about it and (b) if the BOGUS entered episode did not then BLOCK repeats from subsequently being recorded (perhaps correctly)!

The first problem I have (uselessly) reported to tech support several times and nobody seems to have a clue other than to follow the "how may we render you outstanding service today?" script:  unplug, reset, reload, reboot, check connections, scratch nose, rub butt, etc...  HAS ANY OF THIS every fixed any real problem?  Ever?

Wating for a famous place to freeze over... or for Godot...

---JCN

[JCN1908]

DVR "Play All" issues ROUND #2

So today, on the other DVR (Master Bedroom) it was "PLAY ALL" fails without ANY deletions!!!

Recorded 4 episodes of "Mafia's Greatest Hits" in order 9/24/2014 (Channel 125 AHC in No. VA):  5, 6, 7, 8 pm.

"Play All" plays back the first one only.  Then goes to LIVE TV.

Tried On-Line Chat.  Oh, boy....  Tech wanted to do a COMPLETE FACTORY DEFAULT RESET on my wireless ROUTER!!!  Excuse me?  This is a software bug in the DVR software!!  It has nothing to do with the router!  If it did that in itself would be a major security issue:  Gee, the DVR can watch my Internet traffic???  I terminated the session.

Notice that the promised "TROUBLE TICKET" and call back from my first posting below NEVER HAPPENED.  Do they ever?  HAS ANYBODY EVER GOTTEN A CALL or EMAIL back from anybody HIGHER UP or MORE KNOWLEDGABLE after reporting an obvious "their end" problem???  I doubt it.

Then I went through Heck and High Water to try and login to on-line FORUM support (again).  I have two forum accounts (don't know why), -- probably VERIZON and COMMUNITIY are different -- a misspelled first name (always get that) and a misspelled last name in my verizon.net which I am forced to live with FOREVER because there is NO WAY TO CHANGE THIS (!!!)   It takes my password(s) sometimes.  LastPass has a terrible time with the first and second login screens.  So I managed to lock the account.

Now there appears to be a new process for password reset -->

Sudden they CANNOT SEND the password reset PIN in a text message to my Verizon cell phone (literally a change within the last couple of days!) and when it went to my HOME PHONE (I assume as a voice playback) -- the line would do to dial tone on every pick-up!  Nice job testing this roll-out guys!!!

Note too that the FORUM support and VERIZON account logins appear to have completely different password requirements.  I had numerous problems with it recognizing that the length was okay (20 characters) -- cannot remember which on took which 20 char vs 24 chars; lower mandatory, numeral mandatory, etc.  The list of requirements is a page long for the VERIZON one.  And to top it all it says my new 20 char max length completely randomly generated password is only of "MODERATE" strength.  SHEESH, Louise!!!

Verizon:  Please fix some of this stuff before we all go totally insane!

---JCN

[JCN1908]

"PLAY ALL" issues now up to Round #3

Hey, guess what?  Another gem that kills "PLAY ALL"!!!

So in the middle of a 6 hour playback "ALL" the RECORDING side of my Cisco CHS435HD DVR reports a conflict with the current channel and two pending scheduled recording tasks.  Perfectly nice, innocuous notification, right?

NOT!  After thinking about for a few or 15 seconds the DVR decides that it MUST terminate the playback!  And it flips live TV over to one of the two recorded shows!!!

Don't suppose this one will get any more attention than my other two "PLAY ALL" bugs.

Wait, there's more!

I have yet encountered this gem on PLAY ALL but I assume it will be consistent with just normal PLAY ONE:  Those annoying EAS (Emergency Alert System) messages at  3-5 am.  These kill RECORDING (shows split into two pieces) and PLAYBACK.  Funny how COMCAST's version of EAS notification manages to display most of the program's screen (banner only at top and bottom, and of course the audio) but still returns to playback when the EAS finishes.

What I fail to understand it how all of that new QUANTUM DVR "Master Video Player" stuff is gonna work with 4 or 5 remote players in various room of the house (if mine is a baseline problem)?  Kids in every room starting and stopping playback, parents picking up from left over shows in the living room, etc.

Oh, now I get it.  There will be NO MORE BUG fixes in the older equipment because ALL HANDS ON DECK tech staff is now debugging the new QUANTUM gear!!!

I would have gladly switched to QUANTUM but it seems like we are in the 1980s or earlier:  QUANTUM DVR does not tolerate another "media player" on the same home network.  I imagine that somewhere back at VHQ the techs do not have this limitation 🙂  Imagine the test/debug lab set-up - one network per DVR -- if that back-office worked like our homes!

So those 200 hours of shows on my two existing DVRs would have to be chucked to upgrade to QUANTUM.  Nice compatibillity roll-out Verizon!  I can ever understand why the QUANTUM DVR does not allow expansion drives (12 video streams!  Yikes the bandwidth!), but this network limitation wrt older equipment is ridiculous.

Meanwhile over at the other "monster", COMCAST, the neigihborhood marketing "troll" came by to offer me a "return to the Motherland" upgrade.  I told him my VERIZON contact had to run until Oct 2015 but PLEASE DO COME BACK.  By then I think Comcast will have figured it all out on their new virtual DVR in the cloud - X2 -- and fiber to the home now too.  Maybe Verizon needs some more corporate mergers to get back on with the program!

Then all of us consumers can have all of our problems and busted stuff happening in the cloud!

---JCN