8642HD really SLOW - is this normal?

[cdpage]

Hi there,

I'm new to rogers. Just got the NextBox 8642HD. 

It's been a slow learning curve, and as such i've accepted it's SLOW repsonce times, but after a couple months of use, I can't take it any more.

Is it normal for the cable box to be SO SLOW?

Can I fix this?

Do I have a Faulty Box?

I can not imagine that customers would accept this?

it take take seconds for a button to activate after pressing it on the romote. Worse, sometimes not at all.

It runs like a 3D program on a 386.

Any one else have a really slow NextBox?

***Edited labels***

[OLDYELLR]

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@mfait wrote:

Yes the NB3 is faster and better, but only comes in PVR version.

NB2 2 had 2 versions of the box.

8642 was the HD PVR version

4642 was the HD non-PVR version

If you just want an HD box it appears that they are now only giving out the 8600, which appears to be the 8642 without the PVR functionality (and probably with the hard disk removed).  The reason for this is that most likely they ran out of the 4642 and either can't or don't want to get more.

They must be getting a lot of 8642 returns that they are refurbishing into 8600 boxes for those that only want HD, without the PVR.

Since the 8642 and 4642 are essentially the same hardware it is highly unlikely that the 4642 will perform any better than the 8600.

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I have a SA8300HD PVR , a SA8300SD PVR, 10-year-old technology, and a DTA50. None of them are slow to respond. How is it that all those much newer STBs are such dogs and why is Rogers foisting them on new customers?

[57 · Accepted solution]

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@OLDYELLR wrote:

I have a SA8300HD PVR , a SA8300SD PVR, 10-year-old technology, and a DTA50. None of them are slow to respond. How is it that all those much newer STBs are such dogs and why is Rogers foisting them on new customers?

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The 8300HD/SD are now close to 15 years old. Using SARA firmware they are quite acceptable.  Rogers launched them in 2004.  I bought mine at that time and still have it, although I had to replace the iHDD twice and it doesn't get much use now.  The graphics are not "pretty" and are not HD.  For those people who prefer performance over looks, they function just fine.

The 8642 is almost 10 years old, launched by Rogers in 2010.  It was also fine using SARA firmware, however, it was then switched to RTN firmware which was "prettier" with more graphics and HD output which people wanted. It wasn't too bad on RTN, even though RTN made it slower than on SARA.  Some people complained and managed to retain SARA firmware on their 8642s, but even those people have now been forced onto Navigatr to simplify the jobs for CSRs who must help people troubleshoot their equipment.  The real problem came in 2015 when Rogers switched to Navigatr firmware. It was prettier still with pictures etc.  This software should never have been placed on the 8642 because the 8642 simply doesn't have enough horsepower to run it properly.  It is extremely slow for this reason.  Rogers probably had no choice in regard to the firmware due to arrangements with suppliers. As people got newer equipment or left Rogers, Rogers had an inventory of unused 8642 which they "hobbled" by taking away the PVR functionality, labelled them as 8600 and rent/give them out for people to use as STBs.

The 9865 is about 5 years old and was launched in 2013 by Rogers.  I purchased my main 9865 then and it's running fine still (knock wood).  It ran RTN firmware well and also has enough horsepower to run Navigatr. It responds with most functions as fast as I can press the buttons on the remote. The "list" functionality can be a bit slower, especially if you have a lot of recordings, however, it is quite functional, especially if you use it mostly for time-shifting instead of archiving, keeping the HDD below 50% or so.

I explained previously why Rogers is placing this older equipment with new customers - they have it lying around and are waiting for IPTV to launch new equipment.  If you complain, you can usually negotiate a 9865 or 4K boxes which are fine.

[OLDYELLR]

@57 Excellent explanation! of the evolution of those STBs! Personally I'm happy with the SD SARA interface of the 8300's because I prefer function and simplicity over pretty pictures and clutter.

[LimboMan]

I understand the reasoning as to why equipment has to turn over, natural evolution of things, etc. However what I was most upset about was the forced firmware upgrade away from SARA even on my purchased boxes. I happened to not mind the SD menu, since it didn't compromise the basic functionality of the box and menu system responsiveness.

[User0000624]

I totally agree, those of us with older boxes (especially purchased boxes) should have had the option to stay on the old guide.  I've been in contact with them about this as my two purchased boxes are basically useless since the guide was updated.  Supposedly there is a software update coming out soon that has apparently been designed to alleviate issues with the old boxes.  However, I've been told that repeatedly since the update so I have zero confidence it will ever happen.

[LimboMan]

Been told that "the next firmware" will address all my concerns but that magical firmware has yet to arrive...

[DrZEUS]

They have improved the responsiveness with an update last year. Although it's not perfect and still slow for today's standards, it's not as bad as some have described it to be. I am however looking forward to the "next" firmware update others have reported is "coming"! lol

[User0000624]

Well I don't know what special sauce you put on your box but I can assure you mine are as slow as ever, and if anything have gotten worse.  The response to all buttons is about 2-3 seconds, but even worse for accessing the list of recorded shows, that's more like 4-5 seconds.  It may not sound like much, but the response on our Nextbox3 rental box is more like .2 seconds, so at least 10 times faster.  Watching TV with these boxes is honestly a chore.  After about 30 seconds you're ready to chuck the remote at the TV.

This is the message I got from one of the admins on here regarding the apparently upcoming update: "This update is the first one that I am aware of that has been specifically designed for the older model of boxes".  Even if this update materializes, and even if it actually works, I've been dealing with these problems since July 2017, so being told to continue to wait patiently is wearing extremely thin.