Problems with "Enhanced TV" messages ruining recordings

[tvmaster2]

I too have just discovered this problem with Cox Communications.

Old set-top box: Motorola 3200, attached to a HD-PVR via Firewire channel change.

No Tuning adapter connected, but still, this appeared 1:12 into a recent recording:

"Press select if you are still watching the channel. Otherwise, it may become temporarily unavailable"

that message stayed up for three minutes, disappeared for thirty seconds, and then CHANGED CHANNELS to CBS Channel 2 Standard Def (I was recording channel 1073, Fox Sports 1 from a Firewire 1394 channel change)

I've never actually seen this before on a recording, but I have had many recordings ruined because the Motorola thought it was on the correct channel but was actually on CBS Channel 2 SD. The Motorola is obviously changing the channel when it needs to, which is strange, as this is an older box with no tuning adapter.

Anyone else with Cox and Sage have a solution for this

UPDATE: Cox says there's no solution for this. Switched Digital is theirs to inflict upon us, and if I used one of their DVR's, then "you wouldn't have this problem, sir".

[KryptoNyte]

I have TW cable and it exhibits the same silly issue after 4 hours as I recall. It's rare that I need a recording that long, but that one time that I thought I was recording the 24 hours of Daytona ... well, you know.

[tvmaster2]

I guess the simple solution is to select a channel you DON'T want to record from while idle, and then when Cox shuts me down in the middle of the night, the right channel will be selected when the recording starts, triggering the four-hour start cycle

[KryptoNyte]

Can't say. There's always the recurring recording ... I guess ...

[DaveS]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

I too have just discovered this problem with Cox Communications.

Old set-top box: Motorola 3200, attached to a HD-PVR via Firewire channel change.

No Tuning adapter connected, but still, this appeared 1:12 into a recent recording:

"Press select if you are still watching the channel. Otherwise, it may become temporarily unavailable"

that message stayed up for three minutes, disappeared for thirty seconds, and then CHANGED CHANNELS to CBS Channel 2 Standard Def (I was recording channel 1073, Fox Sports 1 from a Firewire 1394 channel change)

I've never actually seen this before on a recording, but I have had many recordings ruined because the Motorola thought it was on the correct channel but was actually on CBS Channel 2 SD. The Motorola is obviously changing the channel when it needs to, which is strange, as this is an older box with no tuning adapter.

Anyone else with Cox and Sage have a solution for this

UPDATE: Cox says there's no solution for this. Switched Digital is theirs to inflict upon us, and if I used one of their DVR's, then "you wouldn't have this problem, sir".

I too am on Cox and was getting the same message after an hour on certain HD channels. After I eliminated FireWire channel changing and reverted to USBIRT for channel changing I never had another problem with the message...even during recordings several hours long. I think the issue is related to FireWire and the set to box not receiving commands via IR which apparently resets the switched digital video related timer.