# 8300 HD DVR won't pause live TV...



## bfreshour

Occasionally my 8300 HD DVR from Cox will not allow my to pause or rewind live TV. The buttons don't work. I can press record and start recording, but then only backup to the point where I started recording. Is my unit bad or is there another issue?


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## bfreshour

Anyone able to give some advice on this issue?


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## jazz_24_7

I have two of these boxes and they both do it on occasion. Not very often but is annoying.


I forget what I did to clear it. Maybe just putting it into standby and then back on or going the recorded program list and back. I didn't have to re-boot it.


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## dataman100

I've noticed this happens in two situations. 1) When I first power up the DVR and leave it on the channel that it was on when it was powered off. I can't rewind or pause until I first change it to another channel. 2) It also happens when I'm watching TV and change to another input on my DVDO Edge processor/switch. If I change to my PS3 then back to the 8300HD, I won't be able to pause or rewind until I first change it to another channel and then back again.


I thought it might have something to do wth the HDCP negotiation that goes on bewteen the switch, TV, and the DVR. I'm not sure what the logic is, but I know I can't get it to pause or rewind until I first change the channel. I'm on Cox Phoenix.


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## adladl

Sorry I don't have an answer, but I have the same problem and I hope SOMEONE has an answer....


I've had a Scientific Atlanta 8300HD DVR from Cox Cable for a couple of years. It has always worked as expected until several months ago.


Now, when I first turn the DVR on and start watching a show, it almost never buffers the live show as it used to. I can't pause, rewind, etc. The only way to start buffing live TV is to start recording any channel (the one I'm watching or any other channel, even for just a few seconds, I can even stop the recording right after it starts). Or if I start watching something that's been recorded on the DVR, then the buffering starts working for live TV. I could watch a channel for several hours, and there is no live buffering unless I start some other recording processes first. Sometimes this gets corrected by turning the DVR off and back on again, but not every time.


I have swapped out my DVR with Cox cable for another box, and I have talked with Cox support many times, but they have no solution. I've done the hard reboot, and as I said, even swapped the box for another.


Running SARA v1.89.27.1.


I'd really like to get this fixed...


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## Vince2909

One of my 8300's won't pause live, or even record if the stated capacity is within say 70% of being full. How full is your HDD/PVR?


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## kemetblk

No solution, but I wanted to add my 8300HD to the list as I am having the same exact problem.


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## cmmillionaire69

My box starting having the same problem. I have just changed from component to HDMI. The HDMI is feed into a receiver with other HDMI's and then one monitor HDMI out to the TV. Does everyone have HDMI that is having the problem? It also stops the pause and rewind any time I change to PS3 and back. The only solution I see is a switch back to component.


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## knirving

I also have the problem and have isolated it to a change in the box software that invokes the HDCP software when connected with HDMI to DVI cable. As long as your TV is HDCP capability it should recognize it and work correctly. But the software does not recognize the older sets. I have a JVC AV-56WP30 which definitely is HDCP capable via the DVI connector.


It just goes to show all this copy protection is a pile of crap and the only people that suffer are the good citizens that paid good money to be early adopters and are now being hung out to dry.


Even though I know the problem I am running my cable company crazy trying to figure it out. My way of fighting back.


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## HiJeffinition

I'm having the same problem with my SA 8300HD, but I'm using component cables. I went away for the weekend and when I came back the DVR was 100% full. After watching a few things, I noticed live TV wouldn't pause/rewind. I deleted a bunch of stuff to get it down to 65% but it still won't work. However, the pause/FF/REW controls for recorded programs is working fine.


Anyone figure out what the problem is? Should I reboot?


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## xbrittanyy

I also have this problem. No solution.


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## lakingslayer




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *knirving* /forum/post/15895598
> 
> 
> I also have the problem and have isolated it to a change in the box software that invokes the HDCP software when connected with HDMI to DVI cable. As long as your TV is HDCP capability it should recognize it and work correctly. But the software does not recognize the older sets. I have a JVC AV-56WP30 which definitely is HDCP capable via the DVI connector.
> 
> 
> It just goes to show all this copy protection is a pile of crap and the only people that suffer are the good citizens that paid good money to be early adopters and are now being hung out to dry.
> 
> 
> Even though I know the problem I am running my cable company crazy trying to figure it out. My way of fighting back.



This unfortunately makes sense. Mine used to work just fine. Now when we pause live TV it will play anywhere from 1 minute to 20 minutes then switch to live tv with no warning. I guess I'll do the same and make COX try to figure it out. My TV is an older HDTV (Hitachi 50V500) with the DMI inputs so my box is connected with the component cables.


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## velocci

i'm thinking of buying this box. does it record shows at all times? lets say you don't want to record anything, you just want to watch TV. is the PVR recording in the background? I have a Pioneer DVR and if i want to pause live tv, i have to start recording the show first.


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## RussB




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *velocci* /forum/post/18020898
> 
> 
> i'm thinking of buying this box. does it record shows at all times? lets say you don't want to record anything, you just want to watch TV. is the PVR recording in the background? I have a Pioneer DVR and if i want to pause live tv, i have to start recording the show first.



The 8300 HD DVR can use one of three different operating systems based on your cable company equipment. The operating systems are either SARA, Passport or Navigator. To determine which operating system you have look at the first post in the SARA thread, click the SARA link in my signature to go to that post. I have the SARA operating system and it should buffer the current channel that you are watching. When you switch channels, the buffer should be cleared and the new channel should start to buffer.


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## velocci

shouldn't all the operating systems buffer the channel? the features list of the box says you can pause live tv, it doesn't say "you can pause tv depending on what OS is in the box." do you have an experience with the other OS's? can they not pause live tv? and is there a way to tell what OS comes with the box before I buy it? ie: by looking at the serial number on the box?



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *RussB* /forum/post/18024634
> 
> 
> The 8300 HD DVR can use one of three different operating systems based on your cable company equipment. The operating systems are either SARA, Passport or Navigator. To determine which operating system you have look at the first post in the SARA thread, click the SARA link in my signature to go to that post. I have the SARA operating system and it should buffer the current channel that you are watching. When you switch channels, the buffer should be cleared and the new channel should start to buffer.


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## RussB




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *velocci* /forum/post/18027245
> 
> 
> shouldn't all the operating systems buffer the channel? the features list of the box says you can pause live tv, it doesn't say "you can pause tv depending on what OS is in the box."



I think all the operating systems buffer the channel.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *velocci* /forum/post/18027245
> 
> 
> do you have an experience with the other OS's? can they not pause live tv?



I don't have experience with the other OS(s) but I have read some of the posts about them. Navigator was developed by Time Warner Cable and only works on Time Warner Cable systems.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *velocci* /forum/post/18027245
> 
> 
> and is there a way to tell what OS comes with the box before I buy it? ie: by looking at the serial number on the box?



Your cable company should be able to tell you what OS they use. You may have to talk to someone at your cable company familiar with the DVR. I don't know how to tell from the box which OS it uses. Also, someone at the store may be able to find out what OS the box uses. The cable company decides what OS the box uses based on the equipment and software used by the cable company. You can't select the OS.


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## bogey90

Same problem here. When I turn on the DVR, I must change channels once, or I cannot pause or rewind live TV.


It has been quite awhile since this was discussed here. Has a solution been found?


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## NeER

Came home from vacation after 2 weeks and none of our three SA8300HD would pause live tv any more. They are all different ages.


Tried unplugging them for a minute or so and letting them re-boot.


Seems fixed, at least for now. Provider is Rogers.


Don't know if it was a power failure (our clocks were flashing) or a bogus upgrade.


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## georgiasunflowe

I have had this problem in the past but not for a long time. Then it just happened. I don't know why but here's what happened, and what I did to fix it.


I was watching TV this morning, flipping channels and finally settled on something. After watching for a good 30 mins, I tried to pause something on Cinemax (I have paused this channel before with no issues so I knew something was wrong). I flipped around to other channels to see if any of them would pause, but they wouldn't either. I finally just powered the Comcast box off, waited a few seconds and turned it back on. Obviously signals had been crossed because, unlike normal, when I powered it back on, it was on a different channel. That never happens. Usually when I turn it back on, it goes right back to the channel it was on before. I tried to pause the new channel and it worked fine. Put it back on the Cinemax channel and it also paused just fine.


I don't know, or how, but clearly at times the signals can get confused (?) for lack of a better word. Powering it down so it clears the memory seems to work for this. At least it does for me.


GOOD LUCK!


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