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Post by beananimal on May 3, 2016 18:29:33 GMT -5
I grabbed a UMC-200 to replace my aging Sunfire processor and move to switched HDMI instead of coax/optical and component. I was able to get the UMC-200 direct on the eBay stock closeout. This was sometime at the end of last year.
I am far from thrilled with this product or Emotiva for many reasons and am posting here to relate my experience.
I had experienced terrible audio drop-out re-sync issues shortly after buying the UMC-200 (FiOS TV) and attempted to contact support at that time. W was never able to get directly in touch with support and decided to just live with the issue. I saw a thread here blaming the cirrus logic chipset and/or the STB. I limped along with the unit but pretty much avoided the home theater out of frustration. The audio drop-outs were only part of my issue and the other quirks (bugs?) made the entire experience something I simply wished to avoid. Often the power had to be recycled several times for the sources to sync and sometimes the UMC-200 booted with a mismatch error. I have seen posts here and in other forums that report the same exact issues.
Anyway, after reading advice here a month or so back, I attempted to re-flash the UMC-200. What a nightmare, to say the least. Mind you, I own an IT consulting company, am an active coder (C++, .NET, assembler, etc.), an avid electronics hobbyist that designs and builds both digital and analog projects, including microcontroller based projects, etc. Insanity....
I attempted to call support NUMEROUS times but never got a live person, just a voicemail box. I sent a very frustrated email to support and several days later was replied to, asking for proof of purchase. I promptly responded and then waited....
waited....
waited....
Responded AGAIN and waited....
waited....
I called a few more times....
FINALLY more than a week into the ordeal I get somebody on the phone and sensing that I am extremely irate, tells me: "Keith is actually working on your case RIGHT NOW".
So I have a fairly long and pleasant conversation with Keith and he offers to send me beta firmware. I agree to give the UMC-200 a second chance with an open mind and the understanding that many of my questions and concerns have been answered and that the re-flash I just finished appears to have helped.
I decided to use the UMC-200 for a few days before trying the beta firmware. Sadly, that was a bad idea. The internal HDMI switch and output appear to be failing. I am mostly unable to get ANY output and the display device shows HDMI invalid format most of the time. Randomly the UMC-200 will switch to one of the other sources and it may, or may not sync up properly. I have verified the cables, display devices and sources are all good.
So, you guessed it... I emailed Keith back and
Waited...
Waited...
Waited...
I emailed support and
Waited...
Waited....
And here I am. A dead UMC-200 and no support anywhere to be found. Angry is an understatement.
In any case, the boat anchor has been removed from the rack and I have purchased a Marantz 7702 to replace it for now.
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Post by Gary Cook on May 3, 2016 20:32:55 GMT -5
Sorry to hear about your issues, I have had a UMC-200 since they were launched and it works perfectly, I have updated the firmware twice, admittedly not a straight forward task, but following the forum method it works. The first time I thought about doing the firmware update I consulted my son in law who is an IT guru, big mistake. My view is that it's best undertaken by a compete IT novice, just blindly following the instructions. He automatically did things that a normal IT nerd would do, me I just followed the instructions.
Reading through the posts on updating UMC-200 firmware it occurred to me very early on that IT guys seem to have more problems than us, the unwashed.
If you are located in the US my suggestion would be to return the uMC-200 to Emotiva and let them update it for you. They can also check it for any errors at the same time. Then you can choose to either sell it in working order or keep it (which I suspect you will) because it sounds way better than a 7702 to my ears.
Cheers
Gary
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Post by melm on May 3, 2016 21:23:36 GMT -5
You seem to be having a rather odd experience. I almost alway get a real person when I call Emotive support. I have a UMC-200 which has been quite reliable. I'm using it currently in the home theater with a DirecTV box.
Of course any equipment can fail, and the firmware update process IS the worst firmware update process I have ever seen. The people who let that out of HQ should be forced to update UMC-200 firmware every day.
Happily, the XMC-1 firmware update process is far better, and has worked every time. Obviously, Emotive learned from their mistake.
I am sorry for your problems. Keep at it, send it back and let Emotive sweat the updates and make your repairs. I've always found them very helpful, especially Keith.
- Mel
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klinemj
Emo VIPs 
Official Emofest Scribe
Posts: 15,088
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Post by klinemj on May 3, 2016 21:42:40 GMT -5
What you describe is highly unusual. I have been a customer for several years, and I almost always get through to a human when I call on the first try. And, they are much more helpful than most places I call.
Regarding the update process on the Cirrus units...yes, it has been problematic for some. I have a UMC-1, and I have updated it 2-3x with no issues as have many others. But, others seemed to have had massive issues. I don't know why me and others get along fine and others do not.
As to your original problem, I know many with UMC-1's had similar issues with early FW's but it got very stable a thnFW updates. And the UMC-200 was quite good in this regard for most. But, certain STB's which are not compliant with digital rights rules can be an issue. I don't know them well enough to know which ones are problematic. Mayeb the root cause is that your STB had digital rights issues and Emotiva's gear won't violate those rules...but others do.
Mark
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Post by geebo on May 3, 2016 22:00:47 GMT -5
Call and get an RMA to return the unit. It sounds like there is a problem with it and needs to be checked out.
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Post by Jim on May 3, 2016 22:03:04 GMT -5
Call and get an RMA to return the unit. It sounds like there is a problem with it and needs to be checked out. I could be wrong, but it might be possible to get an RMA from sales. I think that more than just support can help with RMAs. |
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Post by meldhache on May 3, 2016 22:25:16 GMT -5
Funny, I never hard a problem with my umc-200 except for the hard firmware upgrades which we solved using Keith modified method
I sold the unit last year in order to pourchase their flashiip UMC-1. The last time I checked, my old unit is still working fine and it's sound quality is top tier..
Mel
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Post by teaman on May 3, 2016 22:28:19 GMT -5
Hey beananimal, you are one of many posters here in recent memory that have had nightmare purchases through the Ebay store. Big Dan has addressed his unhappiness with the situation so you may have better luck discussing your issue with him directly. Sorry to hear about your unfortunate situation. Personally I have bought a half dozen pieces from the Ebay store but nothing recently (when all the problems started)
I should add that I believe your UMC has a one year non transferrable warranty. They should take care of it for you
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Post by Loop 7 on May 3, 2016 23:47:06 GMT -5
I bought a UMC-200 in late 2013 and I have experienced some HDMI issues regarding sound but only with certain sources (Apple TV 4) and never deal breakers. Other than that. I've been really happy with the 200. Actually, I think it was a total steal.
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hemster
Global Moderator 
Particle Manufacturer
...still listening... still watching
Posts: 51,951
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Post by hemster on May 4, 2016 0:32:13 GMT -5
Personally I don't think email should be the primary method of communication and people should call Support whenever possible. Although I know that for some this is not convenient due to international locations, time differences, etc.
Remember we're talking about a processor here. By their very nature they are complex. There are many factors that could potentially be affecting the situation and everyone's setup is different. A conversation allows a meaningful dialog to take place where Support can ask questions and the answers may help rule out a bunch of factors, hence reducing the cone of uncertainty. So call and remove that frustration of a long wait.
FWIW, my UMC-200 worked great until I sold it for an XMC-1.
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Post by bolle on May 4, 2016 2:36:22 GMT -5
Just return it and get it fixed or a refund.
I am still using one of the first UMC-200s. Had to replace the power supply but apart from that the unit runs great.
I can confirm that Emotiva´s support is always a bit problematic especially for international buyers with the great time difference. Email doesn´t work very well. Interestingly regarding sales it is much better - which shouldn´t be so imho.
Regarding HDMI handshake I only had problems with Pioneer DVD-player (668 and 989), but both are also problematic with other devices. No problems ever with:
- 3 different HTPCs
- Playstation 3
- Pioneer BDP-450
- LG BD-550
- Amazon FireTV Box
- Sony KDL55-EX500
- Benq HT4050
- Benq TH681
So I think that it is not the UMC in general but that your special unit is faulty.
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Post by audiophill on May 4, 2016 6:32:47 GMT -5
I have Verizon fios for stb and they are terrible! Some of your hdmi issues I think are certainly from your Verizon fios tv. I had all sorts of hdmi issues with my umc-1 with Verizon, switched to direct tv, all hdmi problems solved! Not saying nothing is wrong with the umc-200 as there may be but I would get rid of Verizon if you can. Also I never had any trouble when calling Emotiva, only played the waiting game with e-mails. Hope you get your issues resolved. Too much bs with hdmi they need to make it better some how.
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Post by wilburthegoose on May 4, 2016 7:05:09 GMT -5
beananimal's experience is very similar to my own, unfortunately. I'm not going to rehash my tale, but to summarize, Emotiva was completely unresponsive thru e-mail and telephone for months until I finally gave up and bought a Parasound A21.
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Post by vneal on May 4, 2016 7:07:11 GMT -5
I have used a UMC200 for 2 1/2 years. I purchased it new. No issues ever. I understand your frustration. When dealing with any issues with any product/company I suggest phoning them first, followed by an email/letter. I think your issues would be solved faster
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Post by Hair Nick on May 4, 2016 10:11:18 GMT -5
beananimal Please check your PMs. I'm reaching out to you to follow up on this to see whats going on.
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Post by geebo on May 5, 2016 16:02:25 GMT -5
beananimal Please check your PMs. I'm reaching out to you to follow up on this to see whats going on. Did anything ever come of this? Just curious... |
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Post by beananimal on May 6, 2016 7:42:20 GMT -5
Thank you for all of the responses.
Keith has emailed me and asked me to try and update to the beta firmware and/or offered an RMA to do the update and check things out.
At this point, the frustration has pretty much taken its toll. The Marantz (as expensive as it was) is happily humming along and the Warden is happy that she doesn't have to reboot it 72 times to get it to sync up or rewind 72 times to catch what was said during an audio dropout.
At some level, after the initial conversation with Keith, I was willing to ride this out and try one of the new models that were announced. However, given the fact that the UMC-200 went from quirky to unusable and triggered a new round of communication problems, I have reached my limit. Given the substantial investment in the Marantz and the UMC-200 I am looking to just get this thing in a saleable condition and move on from this frustrating experience.
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Post by geebo on May 6, 2016 7:52:59 GMT -5
Thank you for all of the responses.
Keith has emailed me and asked me to try and update to the beta firmware and/or offered an RMA to do the update and check things out.
At this point, the frustration has pretty much taken its toll. The Marantz (as expensive as it was) is happily humming along and the Warden is happy that she doesn't have to reboot it 72 times to get it to sync up or rewind 72 times to catch what was said during an audio dropout.
At some level, after the initial conversation with Keith, I was willing to ride this out and try one of the new models that were announced. However, given the fact that the UMC-200 went from quirky to unusable and triggered a new round of communication problems, I have reached my limit. Given the substantial investment in the Marantz and the UMC-200 I am looking to just get this thing in a saleable condition and move on from this frustrating experience.
Are you sending it to Emotive to get checked out? |
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Post by beananimal on May 6, 2016 14:07:12 GMT -5
UPDATE:
I setup the UMC-200 on the bench this afternoon and set out to update to the beta firmware.
Plugged in unit - Orange Standby Light - Press power button - Blinks to BLUE momentarily than both the button and display are black,
I recycled the power and plugged/unplugged unit a few dozen times, nothing worked and the cycle repeated as above.
Eventually, after leaving it plugged in for 20+ minutes, pressing the power button would yield a blank display but the button would stay blue.
After another 20 minutes, a power cycle and pressing the power button yields a "Loading......." display that flashes (strobes) epileptically, almost as if the CPU is stuck in a loop at that instruction.
USB is not recognized (several PCs tried, the same PCs that were capable of the previous firmware updates).
Given the other reports here and at other forums, I would guess that the power supply has failing capacitors and/or other components. Is that has what has been the root of most of my other problems? I don't know, nor do I really care. While some of you folks the umc-200 is the next best thing since sliced bread and that Emotiva has "support next to none", My experience and my research shows exactly the opposite.
So am I shipping this thing back?
Honestly, I can am hesitant to spend another minute or penny and shipping will cost $25 in postage and packaging. If they wish to refund my full purchase price, then yes I will ship it back. Otherwise, I honestly don't want this hunk of crap back even if they "fix" it just to get another few months out of it before it dies again. I suspect they will not refund my money and this instead will be a $500 loss.
I honestly would have preferred this to work instead having to spend $2000 on the Marantz that does no more for me than the UMC-200. So $2500 lesson learned and unfortunately one more company to avoid in the future.
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Post by geebo on May 6, 2016 14:25:14 GMT -5
UPDATE:
I setup the UMC-200 on the bench this afternoon and set out to update to the beta firmware.
Plugged in unit - Orange Standby Light - Press power button - Blinks to BLUE momentarily than both the button and display are black,
I recycled the power and plugged/unplugged unit a few dozen times, nothing worked and the cycle repeated as above.
Eventually, after leaving it plugged in for 20+ minutes, pressing the power button would yield a blank display but the button would stay blue.
After another 20 minutes, a power cycle and pressing the power button yields a "Loading......." display that flashes (strobes) epileptically, almost as if the CPU is stuck in a loop at that instruction.
USB is not recognized (several PCs tried, the same PCs that were capable of the previous firmware updates).
Given the other reports here and at other forums, I would guess that the power supply has failing capacitors and/or other components. Is that has what has been the root of most of my other problems? I don't know, nor do I really care. While some of you folks the umc-200 is the next best thing since sliced bread and that Emotiva has "support next to none", My experience and my research shows exactly the opposite.
So am I shipping this thing back?
Honestly, I can am hesitant to spend another minute or penny and shipping will cost $25 in postage and packaging. If they wish to refund my full purchase price, then yes I will ship it back. Otherwise, I honestly don't want this hunk of crap back even if they "fix" it just to get another few months out of it before it dies again. I suspect they will not refund my money and this instead will be a $500 loss.
I honestly would have preferred this to work instead having to spend $2000 on the Marantz that does no more for me than the UMC-200. So $2500 lesson learned and unfortunately one more company to avoid in the future.
If it's under warranty I'll pay you double the actual ground shipping charges to send it to me. That's better than a $500 loss. |
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