Two days ago I started having problems with the remote keys. The response time was very sluggish. I changed the batteries but that didn't do anything. Today I picked up a new remote at my local Comcast service store and programmed it for my TV. It is still acting the same way...VERY VERY painfully slow to respond and it's driving me crazy!! Could it be the cable box (Motorola DCX-3400)??. It's been great until now. I would hate to lose all my recorded programs if that's the problem.
Sometimes unplugging the DVR for a few seconds and plugging it back in
will resolve problems like this. Obviously, the problem is with the DVR
rather than the remote. If the problem persists, consider swapping the
DVR for a replacement. Either call 1-800-COMCAST or take the DVR and
the remote to the proper Comcast facility.
Comcast employees must be authorized to post in the forum in an official capacity. Employees posting here have their names in red and are designated as employees. Names not in red are customers.
I will try the unplug method, but I find it strange that we both have the same problem within days of each other. Was there a recent update downloaded to DVR boxes?
I am in the Baltimore County area and I have the same problem that started just this past week. I will try the unplug solution also but the timing may be more than coincidental.
Kind of hard to mess up the response time on remotes nationwide for various boxes on various systems. This just happens. Have had to do it myself in the past. I consider it more a function of the box itself and not Comcast controlling anything.
Heck they have enough trouble at times keeping my channel mapping correct how are they going to coordinate a nationwide slow down of cable boxes?
Thank you Queen-Evie. Unplugging the box worked. Commanguy: I am not sure why you bothered to post a response. It served no purpose and made assumptions not stated by anyone above. I thought this was a Help & Support forum. Have a good day.
I had this same problem with my old Motorola DVR. I first replaced batteries, then replaced the remote (long story on another bad problem there)...ultimately ended up with a new box and a new remote. But the lag problem still exists. Using the channel up/down switches can take forever, but the system is so slow to accept digits from the remote that you can never get it to take more than 2 digits before it tries to change the channel, meaning you can forget any of your digital or HDTV channels.
There is clearly a software/firmware problem in here somewhere
when any cable box starts responding slowly, its generally the box itself. an overheated dvr or any other box, if left on most of the day, will start to run sluggishly. power-cycling, unplugging the power cable, will get the box moving again, but its a temporary fix. just make sure that when youre done watching tv to turn off the box. it will save you a big headache.
About two or more weeks ago, Comcast/Infinity upgraded the boxes to a new platform. I really like the channel guide and information on the program. It is great. The only issue is, now all the boxes are slow to respond and get stuck on demand channels. It is very frustrating. We have tried the hard reset but the problem still exists including a total freeze of the cable box. At least the old platform didn't freeze or slowly respond to channel changes.
My Comcast DVR was doing the exact same thing. It refused to accept more than one or two numbers at a time, and even navigating through the menus was incredible slow. The unplug/replug fix did the trick, so thanks for the help (and saving me a trip to swap out the box for a new one).
Both my Comcast DVR boxes started doing the exact same thing a few weeks ago; can't input 3 digit or sometimes even 2 digit channels, slow response time when trying to use the guide or page up/page down button, etc. I changed batteries and it did not help. It was driving me crazy. i just found this forum today so i will try power cycling my box. Glad to see I wasn't going crazy!
I am having the same problem and it is driving me crazy! It was doing it at the end of last year and I finally got a technician to come out and have a look - he said there was no rhyme or reason for it to be doing it and I just had to live with it. It then spontaneously started working properly but the other night the box reset and now it is back to being slow. I have turned it off and on but that does nothing.
It makes it practically impossible to watch on demand.....
When I say I turned it off, I mean I unplugged the power from the back of the box and left it for 5 minutes and plugged it back in - made no difference at all
It makes it practically impossible to watch on demand.....
Is the problem when playing, pausing, fast forwarding and rewinding on demand only? If so that is how on demand behaves because it is "on demand". There is no hard drive buffering going, so the remote commands for play back are a little slower.
Mesage to Technician Fred or any other tech at Comcast: what are we supposed to do when the dvr is recording a program and we need to turn the tv off to leave the house or go to bed? The dvr is often still running when I wake upin the morning because it didn't shut itself off? IF thats what causes the remote to get sluggish what is the customer supposed to do?
The issue is with On Demand completely. It takes minutes to load when you press the on demand button on the remote, scroll through each screen, load the program, play, pause, exit etc etc etc. There is definitely a problem because when it is working correctly these things takes seconds not minutes.
So the issue is probablly with On Demand and not the remote. If it was with the remote then it would happen universally with everything. You might have a bad connection somewhere and it takes longer for the commands with on demand to pass each way.
And most annoying is that power cycling it flushes the schedule guide, which takes days to replenish. Thankfully...schedule programs still record at the proper time even if the guide doesn't know what's on at that time.
