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“New” Spectrum DVRs

herbs
herbs Posts: 3 Spectator

I find the new DVRs being installed by Spectrum to be less than as functional and user friendly as the “legacy” DVRs. I would go back to legacy without question. The DVR shuts off after a few hours and I do not want that but there is no way to disable that. The menus that used to be so useful and quick are now cumbersome and take way too much time to find something or to change some settings. What happened to the “Movie” search and “Sports” search, etc., that showed everything currently playing in those categories? If I have a series of a show recorded and finish one episode, I do not get an option to delete and leave, but I can delete and watch next making me have to then wait for it to start, exit and save recording. WTH? So many useful and easy things in the legacy DVRs are apparently gone forever as we continue to pay higher prices for less desirable service without any input or consent.

Answers

  • Satch
    Satch Posts: 5,906 Contributor
    edited April 4

    Hello @herbs

    Here's how to disable power shut down on a Xumo box:

    To disable the auto-shutoff or energy-saving on your Spectrum Xumo Stream Box, navigate to Settings > System Management > Power Preferences and disable "Auto Standby" or "Auto Power Down". Here's a more detailed breakdown:

    • Access Settings:
      • Press the "Menu" button on your Spectrum remote. 
      • Navigate to "Settings". 
      • Select "System Management". 
      • Go to "Power Preferences". 
    • Disable Auto Standby/Power Down:
      • Find the "Auto Standby" or "Auto Power Down" option. 
      • Set it to "Off" or disable the feature. 

    Was this a new install or a box swap? You can go back to a traditional DVR, just go back to a Spectrum store and say you are having non-stop issues with the XUMO box and you want a traditional DVR back.

    That should be fine. If for some reason they won't do that, call customer care and mention the problems you are having with the Xumo box and that you want a service call and a standard DVR back.

    The tech will come out, and check for any issues and give you a standard DVR.

    Satch

  • Kelly_M
    Kelly_M Posts: 68 ✅ Verified Employee Moderator

    Hello @herbs and Welcome to the community forums!

    We understand that sometimes changes aren't always something people are ok with, but hopefully we can help ease some things!
    When you refer to the box turning off, perhaps are you referring to the power saver option? That's a setting if so within the box that you should be able to turn off!

    As for the delete and next episode option, we will forward the feedback in regards to it!

  • herbs
    herbs Posts: 3 Spectator

    Yes and thanks for the instructions on disabling that and the possibility of going back to the legacy boxes. I might do that. I do have a legacy though that seems to have determined its favorite channel and without instruction after a few hours changes to that channel. I do not know why that happens. Do the Uxmo boxes have a bigger recording capability or multi recording capability than the legacy boxes? Just wondering what benefits theee are to the newer boxes, not being a fan of streaming formats.

  • Satch
    Satch Posts: 5,906 Contributor

    Good Evening Herbs,

    There are pros and cons to streaming boxes, but this is the new route in technology that all the TV vendors are gradually moving to as they rely more and more on Internet and streaming technology. The XUMO moves the customer from a cable TV box experience to a streaming box experience. There is a learning cure with the guide and remote being different. Let me provide some pros and cons of XUMO boxes.

    Pros:

    1.) TV services stay exactly the same.

    2.) The old cable box channels and streaming apps are all in one place.

    3.) Shows are stored online in the cloud with two DVR options from Spectrum:

    A.) Cloud DVR- Store 50 shows for 90 days.

    B.) Cloud DVR Plus- Store 100 shows for a year. (Best value)

    4.) Because shows are stored in the cloud, you don't lose them if you have to trade in your XUMO Streaming box.

    5.) The cost is cheaper than a traditional box or DVR.

    Cons:

    1.) The Guide interface and buttons are very very different, and some say too basic compared to the box concerning guide data descriptions.

    2.) The new system takes more steps to do tasks that on a standard DVR box you could do with shorter steps.

    3.) Old School cable TV people and elderly people have reported frustrations in using the XUMO box concerning usage and navigation.

    4. Standard) DVR's in general can be more reliable that streaming boxes/cloud DVR's because they are hardware-based. Streaming boxes depend solely on the quality of your signals and Internet WIFI.

    5.) No previous channel recall button on Xumo remotes.

    6.) Subscribers who subscribe to Spectrum Voice (Landline Phone) will lose the Caller ID on TV prompt on a XUMO box.

    Satch

  • herbs
    herbs Posts: 3 Spectator

    In this thread is a list of steps to disable power shut don by going to settings and system management. System management does not exist as an option under settings on my DVR and there is really not a close second option.

    After all the exchanges of the legacy boxes to streaming boxes, almost every time we ty to watch anything on demand, the product is so pixelated that we cannot watch it: I am extremely disappointed with my Spectrum system that has “improved” so much over the years that I now get no more than Basic service while paying for premium.

  • Satch
    Satch Posts: 5,906 Contributor

    @herbs,

    On Demand pixilation is almost never a box problem, regardless of whether you have a traditional DVR or XUMO streaming box. Pixilation is almost always a signal or line problem.

    First try resetting your modem and router. Unplug each for five minutes. First modem, than the router After five minutes. reconnect modem first than the router. If you are still having On Demand problems, call Spectrum to check the signals going to your On Demand channels. Tune to an On Demand Channel when the tech is there so that he/she can take a signal reading. Could be ingress in the lines.

    Satch