Motorola PVR FF driving me nuts!

July 20, 2008 10:33 AM

Motorola PVR fast forward freezing, and no ability to jump when it makes me go back to the start. Argh...

I've been recording the Tour de Fance on my Motorola DCT3416 PVR. I'm using it through the Shaw Cable service in Calgary. I'm sitting here watching my recording of today's stage (5 or so hours). When I fast forward through the commercials and/or through flat/boring bits the playback regularly freezes and then asks me whether or not I want to delete the recording. I don't, of course, and I've found no way to do anything but go back to the beginning of the program and then fast forward through to my spot. During a 5-hour feed this can take more than 5 minutes. It's driving me crazy. So...

1. Is there a way to continue playing, even when the 'fail' dialogue box comes up asking me to delete, rather than starting from the beginning?

2. Is there a way to select a given time in the program to jump to? Say, if I enter 255 on the keypad it'll take me to 2:55? This seems too obvious, and yet I can't do it.

Thanks...

posted by jimmythefish to technology (4 comments total)

Ah, you have my deepest sympathies. We had similar problems with our Motorola PVR that Comcast provided. We kept having them come and switch out the non-functioning one until they finally brought a newer model (which I had found online and insisted on); this one is much more functional, though not at all perfect. If you google your PVR's model number, you'll see that you are far from the only person with problems. All Motorola PVRs appear to be crap. You should contact Shaw and keep harassing them until they bring you a PVR that is acceptable. You're paying for a functioning recorder, make them give you one!
posted by TochterAusElysium at 12:29 PM on July 20

I agree with TochterAusElysium, I've had similar issues with a Motorola PVR via Comcast, to the extent that some recordings were simply unwatchable, they'd freeze mid-playback, not even when trying to fast-forward or rewind, then 60-90 seconds later the screen would go black and 60-90 seconds after that I'd be asked if I wanted to delete, and I'd try to start the program again, fast forward to where it quit, and it'd do it all over again.

Our solution, once the damn thing is empty, will be switching to Dish Network. It's cheaper anyway.
posted by Dreama at 7:33 PM on July 20

I've not had your problem but a software update might help. Look in the bugs section of this Motorola wiki for "DVR Authorization and Factory Full Reset".

2. Would be so useful, but no.
posted by Fins at 7:40 PM on July 20

Whenever I have issues with the Motorola DCT6416 III PVR, I turn it off and unplug the power for five to ten minutes and plug it back in again and it usually corrects the problem. I haven't found a way to jump to a certain point via remote control.
posted by plokent at 8:18 AM on July 21