New Bright House DVR software rolling out en masse to Central Floridians
By Darren Murph 
posted Oct 8th 2008 10:34AM
posted Oct 8th 2008 10:34AM
A select few Bright House Networks subscribers in Central Florida have already been blessed (if you want to call it that) with the carrier's new "Digital Navigator" DVR software, and for better or worse, it's coming to even more of you soon. BHN has put out an announcement to notify customers in the region that the rollout should hit everyone by the end of this month, and while it claims the new look will make it "easier to find programs, give parents more parental control options and allow Digital Phone customers to have Caller ID displayed on their TV," we know all too well how these refreshes can end up in reality. Unfortunately, we have a feeling most of you won't be enjoying the change.
Uggh. I hate it. I've had it since July, and the interface is horrid. It is slow and laggy. "Based on Java" is the splashscreen that shows first during the 5 minute (literally) boot-up. If I had visibility, I'd switch back to Dish Network in a hearbeat. Better service, much better quality picture, and their DVR rocks.
It's cleaner, and if searching for a new show, you can search over a week in advance instead of just two days. However the keyboard is more difficult to use. The worst thing however is it has an annoying popup after every little change you make that says this change will take a few moments, hit A to continue doing what you want while this change occurs in the background. If you don't hit A it will go away in 3 - 5 seconds. Seriously, every time you decide to record something, or modify a recording's setting.... Most ridiculous thing ever!
I agree, I just got the download yesterday and it doesn't seem better, just different. Also the guide doesn't seem to do 16:9 like the old version did, kinda upsetting.
It erased half of my series recordings and added two shows I have never heard of! Luckily none of my recorded shows were lost. I had this software back in April when I was given an 8300HDC, I kept it for like two weeks before returning it to get an older 8300HD. It's slightly faster now then it was before, which isn't saying much. I just hope they fixed a lot of the other issues it had.
I woke up yesterday morning to this horrid update.
I could not watch the morning news because there was no video... only sound.
After spending an hour with tech support, I came up with a solution myself.
I used some old component cables, and removed the HDMI cables that had been working fine for years.
It turns out that the software update defaulted the resolution to 480i instead of "Auto Select" mode.
Because I had my HDTV configured to only display 720p and 1080i, I had no picture.
I couldn't even get to the setting menu till I removed the HDMI cables.
**Oh yeah. As an added bonus I lost all my recorded programming [Bejing Opening Cerimonies in HD]
and the cable box now lost all it's PVR functionality. Yep, the damn thing doesn't pause live TV or
record any programs anymore.
The interface is also slow and lags as others have mentioned.
To say that I hate this update would be an understatment.
I've had the "update" for a month now, and truly dislike it. Appears to have been speced and coded by a class of 8th graders taking Programming 101. It is very slow, the interface is quite amateurish and anything but intuitive. I much preferred the old version.
raymac
Okay, kinda okay. But 3 days after the software installed...
Box Crashed and freezes on the "Mistro" boot up screen on the third bar. And BHN is charging ME for them to come out to do a "service call".
Final straw, I'm just gonna get a TiVo w/ cableCARD.
This is absolutely the worst thing Brighthouse has done yet. I absolutely loved the Pioneer Passport software. It had as many customizations as one could possibly want. This POS they updated it with is a step back in time. I'm looking for alternative television!!!!
The guide is HORRIBLE! Favorites might as well not exist. Trying to find a specific football game is like a needle in a haystack. But missing the last 20 minutes of the game because it stopped at scheduled time tops that. The giude always starts at default settings... much "better" than starting at least at the genre of the program you're watching. Wait. Where is the genre even listed on most of the movies or shows? Cast? Not important?
Try turning ALL of the lights on the front LCD display off. FF speeds? Fugget aboudit! What the heck are they thinking? My $170/month that Brighthouse has been getting for years may just find it's way to another provider.
I hope they change it back. Can I request that it be changed back? HEEEELLLLP!