[RainyCity4]

I've posted this question before (about a couple of months ago) and got few responses that they didn't have problem with their closed captions, so I thought it was just my imagination gone wild.

After watching TV shows since my DVR (Series 2) since June and I'm quite confident that my DVR is having problems captioning RECORDED shows properly (Live shows are fine). It was so apparent that even my wife noticed it when we started watching Prison Break (I recorded first 30 minutes), it was captioning two or three words late then it switched to live show when we caught up and suddenly, the captions were perfect.

Apparently, this captioning problem doesn't happen on every channel/show. Just that it is most prevalent on FOX channel (Prison Break, Reunion, House and Firefly - I KNOW Firefly is on SCI-FI but used to be on FOX, strange!).

The symptom is:

LIVE SHOW: Captions is fine. NO problem (It pops up split second before character starts to speak)

RECORDED SHOW: Captions show up late (after character says a word or two) and this doesn't consistently happen to all shows, just worse on FOX channel (House, Prison Break and Reunion) and so far, Firefly (first two were fine, but last few episodes has been showing this problem).

I called CSR department and they were very nice and helpful (seriously!) and they said that I was the only one who called them about caption problem and they didn't know any one else who had this problem. They suggested soft reset (didn't work), hard reset (didn't work either -- Reunion actually captioned several words TOO EARLY! ). They now want me to do a full Clear and Delete Everything and do the Guided Set up again.

I have about 50 shows on my SP list and I'd hate to lose them all and rebuild them (UGH!!!) if Clear and Delete doesn't help.

So, to the point, I'd like to know if anyone experienced this problem on a Series 2 DTIVO??? I'd like to verify that it is only me, instead of a software bug. D* said that if clear and delete everything doesn't work, then they will send me a replacement DVR...

I'd like to know if those who have Series 2 DTIVO have this same captioning problem or not. For those who have R10, do you see the same problem (captioning) on yours too?

Thanks so much for your input!

Brent

 

[RainyCity4]

HogarthNH -

Interesting that you brought it up. For most part, you are right, it is really intermittment and I don't usually notice it. However, since the upgrade to 6.2, my DVR has been consistently late with the captions on FOX, especially. It would be "late" entire show, unlike other shows such as Closer and Wanted, which would be on time pretty much entire show except for a glitch or two (I don't usually notice them). Firefly exhibits same problem, except it is on SciFi.

To clarify things, when I watch House, Prison Break, Reunion or Firefly, the captions are always late. When I watch those same shows live (while recording it so I could compare), the difference is day and night. Watching it live, captions are sychronized perfectly but when I watch that show right after it finishes recording, then the captions are totally out of synch and I can clearly see the difference.

I had to delete entire run of Out Into West because the captions were so horrible that I simply couldn't watch it. It was so late that the person would be finished SPEAKING when the captions would finally show up!

JSpence -

If I watch a TV show in buffer, it shows same symptoms just as if I was watching it recorded. It is only when I watch it live, when the captions are completely perfect (except for the glitch that HogarthNH mentioned). I find it quite bizarre but that's what happens. Seems like if I play a TV show from the beginning in the buffer, the problem shows up. If I watch it as it buffers, it is OK.

 

[RainyCity4]

Orinaccio,

I called DirecTV customer service who then passed me to "level 2" tech support and they denied any issues with captioning. They even sent me a replacement DVR to no avail.

They admitted that I was the first person to call about this problem and that they would pass it on to "higher-ups" and refused to promise anything. They even suggested that I call back in a "month or two" and remind them to follow through with it! I plan to call back on November 1, if they haven't progressed on this, then I will file a complaint with Jennifer Simpson again. I suggest that you call DirecTV customer service and ask them to transfer you to Level 2 tech support and report this issue so that DirecTV will know that I'm not only one with this issue.

I had this nagging feeling that it MIGHT be a local problem (I guess West Coast because you live in L.A., I live in Seattle) instead of nation-wide problem because I can't seem to find anyone else who has same issues as I do (although, I don't notice the captioning issues too much lately except for House because that show use "close-up shots" frequently and that's when you really notice it).

Navy-Man, can you also put in a complaint, so that they will notice that it is a growing problem?

Brent

 

[RainyCity4]

UPDATE:

I realized that when I called DirecTV, they tried to blow me off because I was the only one that complained. So, I decided to hedge my bets by sending Jennifer Simpson an Email complaining about the whole issue and DirecTV's response to me.

I encourage you and any closed caption users on Tivo Community forum to call DirecTV and send Jennifer a letter. I don't know how many deaf members there are on this forum, but if you know anyone who uses DirecTiVo and is deaf, tell them to call DirecTV and send a letter to Jennifer.

Thanks.

Brent

 

[RainyCity4]

Hogarth,

Thanks for clarifying this because last year, all TV shows by FOX were basically unwatchable (CC were mangled or extremely late) and all other channels were OK. I finally gave up and complained to FOX and their VP of Tech/programming or something found out that West Coast transmitter had new hardware and it had a glitch. They fixed the issue and everything were fine after that. Ironically, this problem is IDENTICAL to what we are experiencing right now. So, I was thinking, maybe it WAS same problem, just that now DirecTV is using same equipment. But I guess not because Live shows are OK, just when it is recorded. The FOX issue was on both non-DVR and DVR (that's how I identified it as a FOX problem).

The irony is that when I complained, FOX followed up quickly and sent me Email updates EVERY WEEK. They would keep me appraised what was going on. DirecTV? NOTHING in two weeks! They had the nerve to tell me to "call back in a month and remind them about the problem". SHEESH.

Brent

 

[RainyCity4]

I guess following up on them is pretty much out of question...I called them last month and they repeatedly denied responsibility too and finally said they would pass it on to their programmers and asked me to call back in a month.

Here's process we need to do in order to get DTV off their collective asses and do something about it. I got it from Jennifer Simpson at FCC.

Dear Brent Anderson,

Thank you for sending in a concern to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about closed captioning. I am sorry to read of these difficulties. I recommend you take the following steps:

1. Send a letter directly to DirecTV about the problem, with all the specifics.

I am attaching to this email a copy of the letter that DirecTV sent two years ago in response to the previous problem you raised. I recommend you include a copy in your complaint to DirecTV.

There has been a change in the contact information for DirecTV. Here is the new address:

DirecTV
444 North Capital Street, Suite 728, Washington, DC 20001
Attn: Stacy Fuller, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs

You can copy this letter to the FCC if you wish (FCC, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554, Attn: Complaints & Inquiries Division).

2. Enter a comment in the open FCC Docket about Closed Captioning. This can be found by going to the FCC web site at http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/ecfs/Upload/ and click on the open public Closed Captioning Docket (FCC 05-231) and make recommendations for any changes you would like to see. It is a quick electronic process.

For instance, you could enter a comment about how equipment associated with TV receivers does not always "pass through" the closed captioning you expected that it would, and provide some examples of such equipment and the problems and make some recommendations how FCC regulations for closed captioning could address this problem.

Regards,

Jenifer Simpson
Consumer Inquiries & Complaints Division
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
FCC

 

[RainyCity4]

Orinaccio,

It must be a luck of draw because I called DirecTV customer service and got a pretty nice fellow who expedited the request to fix the CC issue to the engineers and when I mentioned how another CSR blew you off and he got pretty mad and said that it was extremely insensitive of that CSR.

He said that he felt bad that deaf users (I didn't bother to correct him that some of the users are hard of hearing) had to suffer from this as a result of poor testing by TIVO engineers.

He said he would tell the engineers to look at version 3.1 and figure out what went wrong between versions 3.1 and 6.2 and program a new version that would fix this.

I'm also planning on sending a letter to VP of Regulatory Affairs at DirecTV and CC it to FCC just to turn up the heat on them.

Brent

 

[RainyCity4]

Update: I'm still in frequent contact with the VP and things are progressing slowly (as expected) but at least they are STILL keeping in contact with me!

Brent

 

[RainyCity4]

This issue occurred on older version (I'm lost with all those verisions now...) and DirecTV managed to fix the problem with version 3.1.1. This explicitly proves that CC and picture are NOT recorded together.

With the 6.1 update, they "broke" the CC again.

The problem lies in how the video is played back (I'm not an expert in audio-visual component), I know it doesn't make sense because the video is "buffered" but, whenever I go back in the buffer or watch a previously recorded show, captions suddenly go out of sync. When I catch up with the buffer and start watching it "live" and then it goes back into sync.

Brent