pacman_85's profile

Explorer

 • 

22 Messages

Wednesday, June 12th, 2013 7:26 PM

Closed

XBox One

So after Microsoft's initial XBox One console reveal and E3 I have some quesitons are am seeing if any of you guys found the answers that I didn't.  TV was a big part of the XBox One reveal but word got out that you will still have to have a cable box to plug into the HDMI In on the back of the system and HDMI Out to the TV.  Now I guess this is good as it cuts down on the number of inputs you have to use but have they said anything specific for UVerse and XBox One like they did for the XBox 360 where you didn't even need the cable box anymore?  It seems like UVerse was the only cable company to offer an entier app that provided the full cable box functionality and channel selection and I was wondering if something like that is coming to the XBox One.  Anyone know?

Accepted Solution

Official Solution

Expert

 • 

10.1K Messages

10 years ago

benperrysj - So, in addition to viewing the output of the DVR you are controlling the DVR with an IR blaster. I believe the IR blaster is overloading the sensor on the DVR. There are three things you can do -

1) Cover the front of the DVR with a towel to block any ambient light.
2) Cover the IR sensor on the DVR with the tape recommended below. (This will work).
3) Swap the DVR with another STB.

More -

IR Issues

Going back 5-6 years there are many posts about IR interference. Remedies included taping over the IR sensor, hiding the STB, turning off auto brightness on the TV.

A common fault was the info button press corrupting to an STB mute action. The number of reports of this have totally fallen away. My personal initial primary problem was getting the zero to register. But, one day long ago that just went away.

Niles Audio Corp. makes IR repeaters & has a video on their web site showing the fragility of the IR coding that is used for U-verse & other boxes. They said their new line of repeaters could handle it. Oddly, a U-verse customer posted in this community that they had a NIles install that was not working & after they contacted Niles they did not get any satisfactory resolution.

I came to believe that the IR sensor is too sensitive, That the DVR is worse than other STBs. That command type buttons are worse than the number buttons. That, somehow software updates can make it better or worse, So, it is a moving target. Hard to pin down.

I noticed that the U-verse remote does work better than my Logitech Harmony model 700. I looked at the IR signal through a digital camera. It appeared to me that the Harmony IR signal is stronger than the U-verse remote. This reinforces my theory that the IR sensor is too sensitive.

Recently, my most common problem was FF and Play Buttons often corrupted to chan up and chan down more than six times a night while watching recorded shows, exclusively.

I happened to notice that I had a specific kind of "duct tape" covering the blue light on the STB. Actually, it just looks like duct tape, but is electrical tape available at the Home Depot in the electrical dept. - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial-Electric-2-in-x-150-ft-Vinyl-Electrical-Bundling-Tape-Silver-30002664/202741845#specifications

This tape has a degree of transparency. I thought I would use it to cover the IR sensor. The remote has never worked better. In over 100 evenings since I applied the tape - watching recordings while FF through the ads - I have not had one chan up - chan down corruption . Previously, there would have been at least 6x100=600 occurrences.

Almost all button presses are accepted & none are changed to a different action.


RF Issues

It should not be a surprise, but it is, that half the problems with the RF remote are IR. I run an STB well hidden for a second TV. I had the IR sensor covered with black tape. I replaced the black tape with the "duct tape" & saw an immediate improvement in response to menu buttons. The number buttons were already good - see below for that solution.

The STB using RF must be hidden due to the dongle conversion of RF to IR. If it is not hidden it is subject to the following problems:

IR corruption - Ironically, the RF remote was often offered as a resolution for IR problems. But, if the STB is not hidden nothing has changed to eliminate theI IR corruption problem. If the corrupting light can be seen by the STB IR sensor it will continue to corrupt the IR signal.

If the STB IR sensor can see IR from another remote, it will respond to it.

If another STB can see the IR generated by the dongle, it will respond to it.

Note that hidden means the IR does not see outside light - If you have an optical repeater(like the Niles mentioned above) it is IR subject to corruption. If you have an IR receiver that produces RF to go through a wall, it is still IR subject to corruption. Any optical link open to the room is still open to IR corruption.

Only if the remote is RF (like the point anywhere remote) transmitted to a well hidden device will it ward off IR corruption. The ultimate solution is a wireless remote app. These are available, but incomplete & other devices do not yet support wireless remote. But, the Buddy TV remote can be used for a u-verse STB.

Previously, I found the RF remote lacking in RF power - in the same room, twelve feet away, hidden only by a thin sheet of cardboard. One method to increase RF power is to hold the remote under your chin while pressing a button - using your head as an antenna.

A better way is this antenna placed in the battery compartment - http://www.amazon.com/Cellular-Innovations-A-BOOSTER-Universal-Antenna/dp/B00009WCAP/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1366128630&sr=8-8&keywords=cell+phone+booster

With this antenna, the channel numbers are almost always accepted. With the "duct tape" in place, the other buttons work almost every time. The remote now works better than ever.

But, recently, I discovered that weakened batteries triggers poor results due to low power. If the remote starts acting up go for fresh batteries. Before I realized the batteries were low I was getting better RF by holding it against a metal arm of a reading light.

STB Issues

Once IR and RF issues are resolved, there are timing issues with the STB to contend with. Numbers process fast and Menu items process slow. You need quick, light touch on some numbers to avoid duplicates and a slow, strong press on menu activities. Effort is required to suppress the urge to press again while waiting for a response. It takes concentration to get effective results. Frequently a second press immediately cancels a slow responding first press. Current IR and RF issues amplify the effect of the timing issue.

Professor

 • 

1.3K Messages

11 years ago


@pacman_85 wrote:

So after Microsoft's initial XBox One console reveal and E3 I have some quesitons are am seeing if any of you guys found the answers that I didn't.  TV was a big part of the XBox One reveal but word got out that you will still have to have a cable box to plug into the HDMI In on the back of the system and HDMI Out to the TV.  Now I guess this is good as it cuts down on the number of inputs you have to use but have they said anything specific for UVerse and XBox One like they did for the XBox 360 where you didn't even need the cable box anymore? 

It seems like UVerse was the only cable company to offer an entier app that provided the full cable box functionality and channel selection and I was wondering if something like that is coming to the XBox One.  Anyone know?


There have been no answers from Microsoft on how TV will be integrated other than via HDMI passthrough. No other cable company has been mentioned as supporting the Xbox One as a cable box.

 

Since there isn't a CableCard slot on the back of the X1 it most likely will require pass through on every service provider's boxes.

 

My personal hope is that CEC is enabled on the X1 (and on U-Verse's STBs) to allow for direct tv control without having to use an IR blaster.

Explorer

 • 

22 Messages

11 years ago

Excuse my ignorance but what do you mean in the part of your post below?  Thanks

 

My personal hope is that CEC is enabled on the X1 (and on U-Verse's STBs) to allow for direct tv control without having to use an IR blaster.

Expert

 • 

10.1K Messages

11 years ago

pacman_85 - CEC is consumer electronics control to send commands back upstream on the HDMI interface to replace the IR control of the STB.

Even better would be if the x-box could replace the STB to decode the stream directly.

Professor

 • 

1.3K Messages

11 years ago


@aviewer wrote:
pacman_85 - CEC is consumer electronics control to send commands back upstream on the HDMI interface to replace the IR control of the STB.

Even better would be if the x-box could replace the STB to decode the stream directly.

Agreed.

Apparently the X1 does have CEC built in to it so when you say "Xbox on" it will turn on the TV (and HDMI Sound system if you have one) so that's a plus.

 

If the X1 can't (or won't because AT&T/Comcast/ Dish/DTV/etc) allow for direct encoding of the stream and act as a complete replacement of the cable box, I would ask for CEC to be enabled so I don't have to run a IR blaster from the back of the Xbox to the front of the STB.

Expert

 • 

10.1K Messages

11 years ago

Re: I would ask for CEC to be enabled so I don't have to run a IR blaster from the back of the Xbox to the front of the STB.

Not even mentioning the missing or incorrect actions because IR is not 100% reliable.

Seems like the wi-fi control interface would now be another option.

Tutor

 • 

4 Messages

10 years ago

Well, now it's out and Uverse does NOT work on the Xbox ONE without a seperate stb.  That's a total step backwards.  I'm frustrated and ticked off.  I will likely move my 360 to the tv I was going to use for the ONE.

We need an app (NOW!) for Uverse.  With Uverse being capable of running apps for Hulu plus and Netflix, don't even post gibberish about it not being possible.

Professor

 • 

1.3K Messages

10 years ago


@my thoughts wrote:
The Xbox 360 will not be supported after Dec 30....for those that bought the conversion will receive a $99 credit and need to order a receiver (set top box) $7 per month if desired to continue have uverse on that TV.

Seriously? I haven't gotten a notice about this.

Contributor

 • 

2 Messages

10 years ago

I have Uverse running from my motorola dvr to my xbox one, but it is not working very well.  The xbox begins to try to change the channel, but it misses a number or sometimes just stops.  It very rarely gets me to the correct channel.  Also the functionality of the remote is somehow affected by being plugged into the xbox.  I often have to press a button 2-3 times in order for the box to receive it.  Help!

Contributor

 • 

2 Messages

10 years ago

Wow, thanks so much for this post.  I put a towel over the DVR and it works!!

Not finding what you're looking for?
New to AT&T Community?
New to the AT&T Community? Start by visiting the Community How-To.
New to the AT&T Community?
Visit the Community How-To.