Delay in Starting Program

[Lasarre]

I continually get this message when I go to watch a recorded program.  "Delay in starting program, Please wait."  Waiting doesn't do anything.  Generally, I can go back and press it again and it will start.  Not the case this morning.  So I decided to reset the box.  I pressed and held the start button for 5 seconds until all the lights went out.  All I got in return was the U-Verse banner and a thing in the corner swirling.  Then I decided to do a hard reset.  Unplug the power for 10 seconds, hold down Ok and arrow down key.  The only thing I ended up with is a big red x.  Decided to try it again without holding down the ok and arrow down button.  Now, I just have two gears and nothing seems to be happening.  Anyone have any ideas.  This is getting really frustrating.  

[aviewer ACE - Wizard]

To determine if it is the box or the connection swap it with a working box.

[bigd332]

Same problem here any help out there

[langetr1955]

Same problem here, in southeastern Wisconsin.  Can't get a receiver to reboot cleanly.   Other TV's (and STBs) can watch TV without problems. 

[bigd332]

Just got thru to tech support and as soon as he came on the line everything started working.  Made me appear like a real fool.  I'm also in S.E. WI, must be something in their system.  For now mine is working fine.

[langetr1955]

Mine came back around 9:45 am CST.   After the third power disconnect reboot.   Another 50 minutes of my life wasted on U-verse troubleshooting.  

[jbdet313]

For future reference:

If you are having problems when watching DVR, and decide to "pull the plug", exit to live TV if you can. In most of the times where I've gotten the "Delay in starting this program. Please wait" error, I can press STOP, and get presented with the usual menu, that includes "Watch live TV".

If you simply pull the plug, you'll be going around in circles, as the box will want to tune to 9999 (your DVR channel) when it comes up -- the last channel it was on. The DVR always takes around 3-5 minutes after a reboot to be "recognized" by the box, it doesn't come up right away.

Usually, if you go back to live TV, and give the DVR a little "rest", it seems to stop the hiccupping. At least in my experiences.

[marcindublin]

This is one of a series of persistant problems that started with Stage 3 of THDVR. The others include the list of recorded programs disappearing and then reappearing and most annoyingly, a general slowdown in the responsiveness of the boxes. As far as I'm concerned, the benefit of being able to rewind/pause live TV is a poor trade for the introduction of this amount of problems/bugs in the service and if returning to the previous level of the client was possible, I would do it.

Of course, technical support says I am the only person in the entire country experiencing these problems.

[karlfs99]

I know this thread is a bit old now but I wanted to mention that we are constantly experiencing the delay in starting program issue too with our uverse (and have been for 4 or 5 months). Issue occurs when trying to watch a recorded program or when trying to delete a recorded program.

Karl

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

Have you tried a Restart of your box?

Press and hold the Power button for 5 sec., then release, and wait for reload.

Or from the remote:  Options > Restart

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karlfs99 wrote:

I know this thread is a bit old now but I wanted to mention that we are constantly experiencing the delay in starting program issue too with our uverse (and have been for 4 or 5 months). Issue occurs when trying to watch a recorded program or when trying to delete a recorded program.

Karl

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[bcanella]

Your 11 06 2011 post is one of the best post to the delay in starting playback.

Is already late  April 2013 and this is a persistent problem.  Is not a matter of reset the boxes.  Is an intermittent mess.  It works, it doesn't work.  You wait five minutes, try again and it will work.

I don't know what's wrong.  But is an intermittent problem.  I hat U-VERSE for years and never had that problem.  Now is something that I will not recommend U-VERSE to a friend.  ATT, hope you read and fix this before I switch.

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marcindublin wrote:

This is one of a series of persistant problems that started with Stage 3 of THDVR. The others include the list of recorded programs disappearing and then reappearing and most annoyingly, a general slowdown in the responsiveness of the boxes. As far as I'm concerned, the benefit of being able to rewind/pause live TV is a poor trade for the introduction of this amount of problems/bugs in the service and if returning to the previous level of the client was possible, I would do it.

Of course, technical support says I am the only person in the entire country experiencing these problems.

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[aviewer ACE - Wizard]

bcanella - Are you primarily a COAX install? Make sure the DVR is connected to the RG cat5.

What is your RG? If it is a 3800, you might try to get a 3801. Or, are you on INID/Pair bonding?

If you have standard NID install, what is your wiring? The DVR is connected to the RG via cat5.

My thing is the COAX/HPNA is fragile. Opportunities for failure include - Bad COAX, diplexer, splitter (also connected to wrong port) cable ends not compression. Unknown splitter or barrel connector. Cable kinked.

Can you look for any of these?

How do you trouble shoot this? - Isolation. Can you connect just NID-RG- (cat5) - DVR? Then build slowly by adding component/leg to see what introduces the jitter?

Before you get into that - pull the plug on all devices. Replug RG. Wait for all green. Replug DVR. Wait for picture. Replug STBs.