Yep. I'll bet it's an HDMI handshake issue with the Comcast DVR.

 

The tech came out and replaced the box. Said to wait a couple of days to make sure it's working OK before doing anything else. So far, so good!! BTW - all the boxes are refurbished, so I'm guessing the one I had missed something in the refurb.

 

I've heard lots of horror stories about their current HD DVR.
mine is a touch flaky now and then but not bad enough to bring back.
occasionally it doesn't like the pause and back up feature on live programming.

 

Yep, it's called taking obsolete boxes out of circulation. The issue is called EDID (Electronic Display ID, I believe is what the acronym stands for, as Dean pointed out, it's a handshake/communication issue). If the TV can't read the EDID of the box or vice-versa, it wigs out. They need to actually test their units when the "refurb" them. I know for a fact, that they do not, or at least they didn't in the past, (part of my past fun with the lovely folks at Comcast).

 

Drop 'em and go to DirecTV.

 

Nah...still working great. We do have alternatives in the building, though, should I change my mind.