Issues with the TV app Skipping and Rewinding shows from cloud DVR on Chromecast

Mamix65

Every time I am watching a recorded show from my DVR, the shows stops and rewind, or skips. Sometimes it even goes back to the beginning of the show. I am very tired of it. Yesterday, I took me about 1.5 hours to watch Station 19; which is a 1 hours show. Does anyone have the same issue? What did you do to fix it?

Randy_S

Good afternoon, @Mamix65 and welcome to the Spectrum Community!

I apologize for the frustration. I just have some follow up questions. Does this happen with all of your recorded shows? Have you already tried rebooting the DVR box by unplugging the power to it for 30 seconds and plugging it back in?

Thanks for the opportunity to fix this for you. We are here to help.

Randy

Mamix65

This is not for a box, it is for the app. I don't have a box anymore, I change to streaming. It happens with all the shows. When I said from my DVR, I meant the DVR in the spectrum app.

Every time I am watching a show, it stops, rewinds and stays on a loop, unless I forward it. It is so frustrating.

James_M

Thanks for clarifying! I have a couple follow up questions;

• What device are you using to watch the app and cloud DVR?
• When playing back a recording, is the recording in progress or has the recording finished?
• Are you able to test a different device, like a smartphone or a tablet to see if the same issue occurs?
• Last, can you also try restarting the modem on the account, to rule out a signal issue?

Looking forward to your response!

tmwhite64

I am having the same issue. I have restarted my modem, restarted my device (Apple TV 4k), uninstalled and reinstalled the spectrum app. Some response to this would be appreciated, as I am to the breaking point and ready to cancel this service altogether.

Mamix65

I did everything mention above and I still have the same issue. I am using the Spectrum app in my phone; which connects to my SONY smart TV. It is so painful to watch anything coming from my DVR. I start the show, then it either stops and goes to a previous time in the recording, then it keeps moving, but when it gets to the point when it stopped, it does the same thing. Sometimes, it rewinds all the way to the beginning. Other times it skips. I am really trying to stay with the spectrum streaming, but I can move to another streaming service as well. It is very frustrating.

JRW

I have experienced this problem and others ever since I got my Spectrum Cable Cloud DVR+ service with Apple TV 4K (bought from Spectrum Cable). I've spent many hours on the phone with many Spectrum Technical Support reps, Some of them have consulted with "Engineering Leads."

Almost all of the technical support representatives insisted that I try to let them troubleshoot the issues, or they would not create repair tags. They asked me to try everything under the sun, but nothing solves the issues.

When they "MASQUERADED" as me in my account, two technical support reps were able to see that two of my programs froze at a certain point. The screen turned black. Only the timeline remained.

Another problem that I experienced was the loss of two recorded programs from "My Library" when I had only partially watched each recording. An agent saw one of the recorded programs associated with my Spectrum account on their end, and they were able to return that program to MY LIBRARY.

I was told a lot of misinformation. One or two agents told me that programs recorded on the Spectrum Cloud DVR could be copied over to the Spectrum physical DVR, and visa versa, but another Spectrum rep told me that is not true.

There is a dominant consensus of opinion among Spectrum reps, with the bottom line being that that there are "KNOWN ISSUES" with the Spectrum Cloud DVR app — in particular associated with the Apple TV 4K that they are selling to me and other customers, and that they have been working on fixing the issues. However there is no indication when (or if) the issues will ever be resolved.

I need reliable program recordings and the ability to reliably play them, for my work as a member of the Press. Since Spectrum's Cloud DVR+ service is unreliable, this past weekend I picked up a Spectrum physical DVR. However, I am also continuing my Spectrum DVR+ service because I have 43 programs recorded and I do not know when I will have time to watch them. I am resigned to now having to program two DVRs (the physical one and the Cloud DVR), so that I will be likely to at least have a good recording somewhere. I recommend that you do likewise.

In case you are unaware, the minimalist Apple Remote that Spectrum is shipping with the Apple TV 4K is not what you should use. For example, the left arrow button that should be used as a rewind button, instead calls up the program guide. I discovered that on the Spectrum website a Spectrum-branded remote control, for use with the Apple TV, is available for $12. It has common TV remote control buttons. However, pressing the FAST-FORWARD button sometimes works as it should and other times causes the playback to instantly jump way back to the same point in the recording.

Also, the run times shown on the timeline do not change when these backward jumps happen, but then run time increases when you continue the playback. As a result, what was initially shown as a one-hour program, for example, will show longer and longer run times on the timeline. If this timeline shows time code — useful for video editing, those numbers are supposed to be unchanging video addresses. This suggests a serious underlying problem with the Spectrum Cloud DVR.

As for the freezing at a fixed place in each of my two recorded videos, perhaps there is corruption or bad sectors where Spectrum records these videos for each customer.

I have pages of notes from my conversations with many Spectrum technical support reps, from when I called every time one of the problems appeared. If everyone calls them every time any recording has one of these problems, maybe they will finally realize that there is something seriously wrong with Spectrum's Cloud DVR service, and then either fix it or stop selling it to unsuspecting customers.

I was a customer of Time Warner Cable since the 1980s, before Spectrum (Charter) took it over. Back then I had their "Whole House DVR." That consisted of a local DVR for recording, and optional remote receivers that could play recordings from the DVR in other rooms. Spectrum does not offer that. Their physical DVR will only play locally. To watch recorded programs from a single DVR in multiple locations, you must use their buggy Cloud DVR.

Mamix65

Thanks so much JRW. I understand that you need the recordings much more than me, in my case is more to watch my shows, not for work. I won't be going back to the physical DVR, since it is more expensive. I guess there are many more of us that have experienced the same issue. I don't have the apple TV, I have the app on my android Phone and stream to my smart TV. I would have guessed having the app in your TV would have been better, but now you are telling me it is the same. My smart TV is a SONY and the app is not compatible with a SONY TV, so not good either. I have been with, what it was in my area Bright house, and it was cheaper and better than Spectrum, I see you have the same experience. I am going to do a test for one of the other streaming services and see if I finally make the change. I really hate that this is happening, since I like my local news 24/7, but I also have a life and I cannot spend it all rewinding and forwarding a show :(

James_M

@Mamix65

When you cast to the SONY TV, are you using Chromecast (either built in or as an accessory)?

Does the same issue occur if you stream just from your phone?

James_M

@tmwhite64

When was the last time you restarted the modem? Are you able to duplicate the issue on another device, such as a smartphone or a tablet?

James_M

@JRW

Sorry for any issues with cloud DVR. If you need assistance with your issue, we encourage you to start a new post since your issue, while similar, is a separate issue with Apple TV and this thread is re: Chromecast. Thanks!

Mamix65

I have tried casting directly to the SONY Smart TV and with the Chromecast, the same happens with either. I rebooted the modem on Saturday, that didn't help. I clear the cache of the app, didn't help. What else can I do? I have tried to watch in another TV and I get the same issue. I haven't tried in the table, since I don't have the app in there. I will try that

James_M

@Mamix65

Thanks! let us know if the same thing happens on a tablet. That will help identify if the issue is with the app or with the streaming connection to the Sony TV.

Mamix65

It wouldn't be the streaming to the SONY since I tried in my old (not smart) Samsung TV, using Chromecast and it is the same