• Ashu
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  • Registered: 2010-11-23
  • Posts: 7

Topic: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

I have had the Insignia Infocast for a few months. After going through the last upgrade a few weeks ago - I am having consistent activation problems. As long as I do NOT power off the device - it is all seems to be working. Every time I turn it off (remove the power adapter) or use the power button to power down the Infocast  - when I turn it back on it loses its activation.

This appears to be a really bad SOFTWARE design or something. So to re-activate it - I have to first delete the device from my dashboard, attempt several times to activate it before I can use it ....

Is there a fix for this? Or the simple answer is NEVER power it off?

  • Duane
  • Duane
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  • Registered: 2006-08-24
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Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

Please contact customer support  they should be able to help you .  This should not be happening.

Duane's Website

  • Registered: 2010-11-27
  • Posts: 7

Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

We are having the same problem. Since the last software/firmware upgrade, we are getting the same message to reactivate. It won't reactivate ... It will come up after several power offs/ons.

There is obviously some issue with this upgrade ... why don't you post the fix? We'd appreciate it.

  • Duane
  • Duane
  • Blue Octy
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Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

We don't know if there's a problem - actually the better answer than mine is to contact Insignia's support people.

Duane's Website

  • Registered: 2010-11-26
  • Posts: 19

Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

On a similar note, are there advantages/disadvantages to activating your device on chumby.com vs. insignia.chumby.com?.   I activated a 3.5" insignia today via chumby.com, although I did read some posts that suggested doing so.  I assume since the 8" is a different animal, I should use the insignia site?  Or doesn't it matter?

thanks....

  • Duane
  • Duane
  • Blue Octy
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Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

It doesn't really matter which version of the site you use.

Duane's Website

  • Registered: 2010-06-27
  • Posts: 16

Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

I'm currently struggling with a forced re-activation of my infocast 8".  The problem I am having is the activation page does not post a device ID.  Have gone through the Rorschach test several times now, but no ID.  Going to try to "several times power off/on" method and see how that works out.

There's no reason the device should lose its activation settings, it has no problem remembering network settings, et. al.

  • Ashu
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Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

I am having the same problem. I have also noticed that it shows 2 different types of activation screens - most of the times it shows the standard Chumby panel on the screen. But sometime it fetches the "activation" panel that looks specifically as printed in the Infocast manual that came with the box.

Many times during activation it fails to activate because the Device ID is not sent back by Chumby to the Web Servers? In any case today after managing to activate I observed another problem - the apps DO NOT display - the channel being played back does not display.

Very, very annoying ....

  • Ashu
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Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

I finally managed to re-activate it one more time .... Called Insignia support, made me wait for 30minutes or so and still they could not understand the problem I was having .....

  • tone
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Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

I had this problem for several days after having a working infocast for a matter of about two hours (picked one up on black friday at the $99 price) and finally gave up.  After literally hundreds of reboots, I got the device to boot correctly ONE time.  I didn't do anything different on that boot up other than to "try it again".

I returned my unit to BB, and they had another in stock.  I opted to exchange it, and everything activated nicely on the old firmware.

This time around, when it asked me if I wanted to apply the update, I said No, then rebooted into the Special Options mode and applied the update from the Network Update option there.  Everything updated correctly this time and has been fine after many restarts.  I don't know if there was a bum update out there that got fixed, if there is a bad batch of hardware floating around, or if manually applying the network update actually had any effect.

Good luck, it was a really annoying problem that was driving me crazy.

  • Registered: 2010-11-27
  • Posts: 7

Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

There's a bad update and these support people are not acknowledging the problem.

I emailed Customer Support about the reactivation problem that I and others are reporting ... no response yet to my email.

I think the support personnel have no clue what is wrong ... They need to test/troubleshoot on their own devices and figure out what is going on.

Please fix the problem with the reactivation!!!

  • Registered: 2010-11-26
  • Posts: 19

Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

Geez - it's not like they sold very many of these last weekend!  What a major screw up......

  • Ashu
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Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

I think given that Chumby is the entity that licenses the software for companies such as Best Buy/Insignia, and also provides the services for activation to them (as a white label) - they need to ensure in their software design that such things do not happen. I had posted this same question on the "Software" section, I wonder if the SW team @ Chumby even looks at them?

It is a major screw up .... are Best Buy engineers or support people on this forum monitoring?

  • Duane
  • Duane
  • Blue Octy
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Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

We're investigating.

It does not appear to be a software problem.  I can't really give you more details since it's not our product.

My *personal* and *unofficial* suggestion is that you exchange the unit at Best Buy.

Duane's Website

  • Ashu
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Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

Thanks Duane.

I am guessing and willing to bet that Best Buy/Insignia got the entire Software running on the Infocast from Chumby, so I think even though Chumby physically NOT building the product, not thinking of its your own, will only hurt the Chumby brand. I did not buy the Infocast because it is Best Buy, I bought it because it runs the Chumby Architecture & Design.

I am also having trouble understand how the SW or rather the Update does NOT have anything to do with the problem. This problem did not exist prior to the upgrade.

But thanks for looking into it ...

  • Duane
  • Duane
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Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

Well, there are many, many, many thousands of the same device out there , running *exactly* the same software, that are *not* exhibiting the problem.

I have a production unit that I personally bought from a Best Buy, running the bit-for-bit identical software you are and this failure does not occur.  What's the difference between what you have and what I have?  Nothing from a software standpoint.

It's not uncommon for a software change to expose a subtle hardware issue.

In any case, we have contractual obligations with Best Buy that cover how these things are handled and that's the process being done at the moment.

Duane's Website

  • Registered: 2010-12-02
  • Posts: 4

Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

I am having the same activation problem with a newly purchased 8" infocast.

If I don't connect to internet (i.e. no download), the screen is correct for the 8" infocast. But once connected to internet, it downloads the 3.5" chumby console, with blank ID which cannot be activated. Only once out of 20 tries did it download the proper console, which was lost after turning it off.

  • Duane
  • Duane
  • Blue Octy
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Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

We've finally found a unit here that's exhibiting the same problem - we're investigating a possible solution.

Duane's Website

  • Registered: 2010-12-02
  • Posts: 1

Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

Look forward to fix.... Bought 2 infocasts today, first setup was great, after auto update downloads the small chumby one control panel and wants activation again which of course doesn't work.  Not sure its something I want to give to my tech challenged parents/inlaws!  Day or two for fix or back to the store on this one I think...

  • Ashu
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Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

Looking forward to a fix....

  • Registered: 2010-12-02
  • Posts: 4

Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

Great news that you can also see this problem. Can't wait to see a fix.

  • Registered: 2010-11-27
  • Posts: 7

Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

We are still experiencing the same problem. Support personnel in an email says they think it is a weak wireless signal. Well, as I said before ... it worked perfect for six months! But after the software update it started with the 'reactivation' message.

Our Insignia device is on the other side of the wall where our router is located. There is nothing wrong with our wireless router. We can get signals to laptops located on a lower floor on the other side of the house. I even get a signal when outside on the deck with my laptop. So it is NOT a weak wireless signal.

I believe you have a problem with a new version of the software/firmware or perhaps a problem at your servers. But it is time to investigate thoroughly and find a solution.

I do not want to be taking a device I bought last summer back to Best Buy when it worked fine for six months.

Please if there is anything I can do to help with the troubleshooting ... such as checking an software/firmware revision, model numbers, etc on our device.

Thanks.

  • Duane
  • Duane
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Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

The hardware and software engineers are working hard on this issue.   My own personal unit has been contributed to the cause - as a control, since any patch we make should not adversely affect units that are currently working.

We should have more information on this next week.

Duane's Website

  • Registered: 2010-12-04
  • Posts: 1

Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

Just purchased two of the Infocast 8" models and, after reading this thread, have NOT updated either unit. I'll wait for a further response from Duane/Chumby but, in the interim, here's the "production code" & Serial No. information:

Code - 10D26B
Serial - Both units in 0001XXX range

I'll be happy to test any revised software on either unit if it will help!

25 Reply by Ken

  • Ken
  • Ken
  • Chumbian
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  • Registered: 2006-08-26
  • Posts: 213

Re: Activation Challenge - Insignia Infocast 8"

We have a potential fix for this issue.  Unfortunately, we do not have any units in-house that can reliably reproduce the issue, so I've sent an email to several of you that have units exhibiting this problem to help us test the fix.

The issue is actually due to the fact that there is some variance in the main processor (on some units) that causes data corruption when attempting to read the device ID and hardware version numbers from the crypto processor.  Corrupted IDs can cause the client to either download the wrong control panel or force the user to reactivate.  A small workaround in the boot loader is expected to address the issue on those units.

If you have a unit that is exhibiting this problem and did not receive an email from me, please let me know and I will forward the link to the firmware update right away.

If those of you helping us test the fix report that the update resolves the issue on your units, we will work with Best Buy publish the fix in an OTA update early this week.

Ken's Website