Switched digital, cable set-top-boxes & channel shut-down

[tvmaster2]

Most cable companies have either converted or will convert soon to Switched Digital video.
A downside of this is that channels are shut down if left unattended after a certain amount of time.
When this happens, the set top box usually displays a warning, etc. stating " this channel is no longer available, at which point you must reselect the channel, or change to a different channel and then back again.

Generally speaking, what's the time, in hours, that cable companies set their boxes to shut down - four, five, six, ten hours?
And note your cable company.
Thanks

[will]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

Most cable companies have either converted or will convert soon to Switched Digital video. A downside of this is that channels are shut down if left unattended after a certain amount of time.
When this happens, the set top box usually displays a warning, etc. stating " this channel is no longer available, at which point you must reselect the channel, or change to a different channel and then back again.

I think I have this with Time Warner but I have never experienced any issues with my cable box recordings. The longest movie/show that I recall recording is 3 hours so I would be willing to bet that the message won't appear for 3.5 to 4 hours. As long as you have SageTV set to "always tune channel" it should resend the change channel command even if you are recording different shows on the same channel back to back and this should reset the clock on inactivity. So really only three hour plus programs are the ones to worry about.

You should try recording a 4 hour show to see if the message appears towards the end (maybe cspan has something that long).

[robk]

I have "Bright House" owned by TWC I believe. The timeout to "press A to continue" seems to be different depending on the channel. Stations like History, AHC, Military, NatGeo go off in 2 hours. Pay movie channels usually do not timeout with SDV here. It is a royal PITA.
Rob

[stanger89]

When I had Dish, the box would go into power save overnight (when it downloaded guide data) or after a timeout. What I did was enable "Always Tune Channel", and then defined a channel change prefix as "Enter", which was the button to bring the box out of sleep.

It seems something similar should work for SDV too, just add a tuning prefix so the first thing Sage does before every recording is fire the key to "wake up" the box.

[tvmaster2]

Thanks for the replies. I use 1394 tuning, and in the past, "always tune channel" doesn't always retune, or refresh the channel that switched digital turned dormant.

As a workaround (especially when travelling where I don't have direct access to the set top box), I set up dummy recordings on a channel that's different than the last one recorded from and the next one coming up. That way, the box selects a new channel, aka a refresh of sorts.

I can then delete the dummy recordings. The only time it's a problem is when there's a marathon longer than 4 hours. Then, it's up to the TV gods if I get a good recording.

@#$%$ cable companies - luckily my satellite box doesn't used swd yet.

[KryptoNyte]

Time Warner here, and 4 hours is the limit on one show recording with the set top box. I have noticed that the channel not available, try again later, message does seem to surface when there is a signal problem. I have also found that it does it more frequently when the box goes to sleep.

To solve the issue of successfully tuning a channel, I have found one specific channel (ABC Family) that always tunes and never sleeps (when I say sleep I really mean dropping the box to 480p even when all sleep settings are disabled), it either has a very strong signal, or possibly it's a non-SDV channel - so I have SageTV do a daily recurring 1 minute recording at 5:15AM to that channel, to be sure that the box is ready for a channel change and successfully tunes the next channel.

I have concluded that when a channel doesn't tune that it's a signal issue (and had Time Warner techs confirm), so when this occurs, I call Time Warner and make them send out a technician to resolve it.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by will

So really only three hour plus programs are the ones to worry about.

Which is pretty much every NFL game these days.

Not to mention playoff hockey games, major golf tournaments where they show 5-6 hours on Saturday and Sunday and the Ryder Cup.

[MattHelm]

Would a quick volume up/down work? You'd still need a program to do it, but that would seem to be the least intrusive.

[Tiki]

Originally Posted by MattHelm

Would a quick volume up/down work? You'd still need a program to do it, but that would seem to be the least intrusive.

Usually, the volume commands from your STB remote just adjust the volume on your TV (the STB doesn't even see those commands).

A lot of STB's have a Quit or Exit button for backing out of menus - that might work.

[tvmaster2]

I haven't found a single thing that works, but if someone wrote a tiny plugin that essentially sent a "Hi - reset the timing of this channel" hit to set-top boxes, they'd be very popular with a lot of Sage users. Something that was adjustable from one to 24 hours let's say? The real problem is when you travel, 'cause you can't do anything manually.
Anyone at all?
Slugger?

[stanger89]

There's this:
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/down...do=file&id=246

[tvmaster2]

That looks like a good possibility for USB-UIRT users.

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

That looks like a good possibility for USB-UIRT users.

You could just use it to keep the STB awake and whatever you currently use to tune in SageTV.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by BobPhoenix

You could just use it to keep the STB awake and whatever you currently use to tune in SageTV.

Even if I didn't have a USB UIRT?

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

Even if I didn't have a USB UIRT?

Just meant you could BUY one to keep the STB awake and still use firewire or whatever else you are currently using to change channels.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by BobPhoenix

Just meant you could BUY one to keep the STB awake and still use firewire or whatever else you are currently using to change channels.

Oh, ok. That's what I was confused about. So this little app needs a USB UIRT to function. Good to know. I'll ask my cable company to buy me one.... Lol

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

Oh, ok. That's what I was confused about. So this little app needs a USB UIRT to function. Good to know. I'll ask my cable company to buy me one.... Lol

NOTE It might work with other IR senders I've never needed/used it. I was just commenting that you could use the USB-UIRT that you mention as I'm sure it will work with that. With DirecTV I use HTTP tuning but if I had to start waking them up I would plug in one of my USB-UIRT and use the app to keep it awake but leave my channel changes on HTTP tuning.

Correction. I reread the description and it does imply it will only work with USB-UIRT since it does not mention any others that I can see.

[Dave47]

I have Uverse now and that shuts off after about 8 hours. I solved it with a microcontroller that I programmed to send the "OK" button once every 3 hours or so. The only drawback is a phantom 3 second timebar in some of my recordings.

I found that the STB Keep Alive didn't seem to work with Windows 7, so this was my best alternative.

David

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by BobPhoenix

NOTE It might work with other IR senders I've never needed/used it. I was just commenting that you could use the USB-UIRT that you mention as I'm sure it will work with that. With DirecTV I use HTTP tuning but if I had to start waking them up I would plug in one of my USB-UIRT and use the app to keep it awake but leave my channel changes on HTTP tuning.

Correction. I reread the description and it does imply it will only work with USB-UIRT since it does not mention any others that I can see.

Excellent info. Thanks

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by Dave47

I have Uverse now and that shuts off after about 8 hours. I solved it with a microcontroller that I programmed to send the "OK" button once every 3 hours or so. The only drawback is a phantom 3 second timebar in some of my recordings.

I found that the STB Keep Alive didn't seem to work with Windows 7, so this was my best alternative.

David

A micro controller?