Received 7.15 from Cox Palos Verdes Calif (L.A. suburb).
There is about a 5 second delay while the 6200 re-establishes the handshake on the 6200 DVI. Then the screen will be split wrong. Changing channels on the 6200 fixes this.

I'm about to get set up for HD, and had a question regarding the audio.

The OnDemand menus say that some movies are available with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. Where does the audio signal come from? Is there an optical output on the back of the tuner (I assume will be the 6200), or do I need the outputs on the back of the TV? I don't want to spend all this money on everything just to find out I can't get 5.1 through the cable.

Many thanks in advance for your assistance!

-Jim

The 6200 (and later) boxes have optical and coax out for 5.1, you can snd this straight to your HT receiver.

JimF, 6200/6208 has Optical and SPDIF Dolby-digital connectors. Haven't tried DD5.1 via OnDemand yet, but all else sounds great. Push for the 6208 if you can get it...the DVR is worth it for reference alone. The ability to freeze 1080i reference material was really helpful in fine tuning my set...and nice for recording some real good HiDef material to show-off to your friends. There is nothing worse than having everyone over to show your new setup and have no high quality HD programming on at the time. I keep some of the INHD and DiscoveryHD Theater stuff in the DVR to impress. Enjoy!

Chris.

IF you go to the enclosed LINK you can then FIND the Manual(s) for Comcast's DCT's:

http://www.comcastnw.com/support/tv/ ;)

lmplot, progear, cyberized: Thanks for the info! That's what I was hoping to hear! :)

As far as the DVR goes, I'd definitely get it if it were available in my area. But as of my last check, sadly it's not.

Thanks again!

-jim

Originally posted by JimF_NJ

As far as the DVR goes, I'd definitely get it if it were available in my area. But as of my last check, sadly it's not.

-jim [/B]

Depending on where exactly you are in NJ, 6208 may actually be available now even though it has not been officially announced. They exist at least in some areas of Union County at this point.

-mike

anyone with 7.15 able to use component 720P on a Sammy DLP HLNW1 or later?

tia, jb

Originally posted by ZMike
Depending on where exactly you are in NJ, 6208 may actually be available now even though it has not been officially announced. They exist at least in some areas of Union County at this point.

-mike

good news (i'm in essex county, but i believe i'm in the union county area for comcast). Anyone in union county have 7.15 for the 6200 yet?

here in atlanta we're still on 7.07 - what's up with that?

will this keep me from recording HD with a JVC d-vhs deck? i was thinking of picking one of those up.

also, i'm not having any DVI issues with 7.07 - what handshake problems are there that the 7.15?? is it problems with certain switchers?

Originally posted by oleus
here in atlanta we're still on 7.07 - what's up with that?

will this keep me from recording HD with a JVC d-vhs deck? i was thinking of picking one of those up.

also, i'm not having any DVI issues with 7.07 - what handshake problems are there that the 7.15?? is it problems with certain switchers? 7.07 - I think you should be able to record to DVHS if you have a 6200, but not a 6208 (that required 7.10). Also, DVI works just fine w/ 7.07 since there was no copy-protection enabled on that version. Ver 7.10 turned on DVI's HDCP copy-protection, and thus introduced the infuriating HDCP handshake bug (which 7.15 allegedy fixes).

so, i might as well hold off on the 7.15 for now if i'm using a DVI connection, shouldn't I???

still, it's very frustrating to know that if i bought a dvhs deck, i wouldn't be able to record to a DVHS deck with my 6208.

Originally posted by oleus
so, i might as well hold off on the 7.15 for now if i'm using a DVI connection, shouldn't I???

still, it's very frustrating to know that if i bought a dvhs deck, i wouldn't be able to record to a DVHS deck with my 6208. Um, you don't have any choice or control over what firmware version you have. Comcast will just send it over the cable lines to your box one day, whenever they feel like it.

Suggest you read the FAQ about the Motorola HD cable boxes:
http://cjhengineering.com/DCTHDFAQ.htm

well i guess i meant to say i'd hold off on complaining to comcast until i know i could get 7.15 from them (instead of 7.10)

i'd rather skip out on buying a dvhs deck and keep my dvi connection than mess with 7.10 if there are going to be problems with the dvi....

of course it's probably all a moot point since atlanta seems stuck on 7.07 until the rollout of the new boxes (6212?)

I have 7.07 and the dvi only passes 480p, the menu says it is set at 1080i. My Mits only shows a blue screen for HD on dvi, but is ok on the 480 dvi. I have the firewire hooked to the JVC 30k and hooked up the dvi just to check it out. Any thoughts? I'm wondering if the Mits isn't handshaking with the lack of HDCP.

wiz - my dvi is working really well with 7.07 on my 6208. that's strange that 1080i isn't working on your setup....

can you record via firewire with 7.07 using the 6208? i see you mention you had a JVC 30K. i really want to pick up that or a 40K, but i doubt atlanta comcast is upgrading from 7.07 anytime soon.

Im using the 6200

I have Comcast in Atlanta, they just added WB (813) , Discovery (844) and Braves (755) in HiDef today, woo hoo!!!! Firmware is 7.07.

755 was added in atlanta a while ago, although today was the first time in a week i haven't had bad breakups on that channel alone (still some small ones, but nothing like before).

the "headend" near stone mountain was to blame and they're working on it supposedly.

discoveryHD is great. they added it with ZERO fanfare. same with WB. all we're missing is ABC and UPN and we'll be set.

as for firmware 7.07, a lot of other cities are up to 7.15 - with 7.07 the firewire outputs don't work right.

So my Moto 6208 currently has 7.10 and I get the error about copy protection when using my DVI out. Insight is gracious enough to update me to 7.14 but they say they wont be able to push you 7.15....but that is the firmware version that fixes this problem, right? What options do I have (short of filing an FCC complain) when Insight starts to drag their feet like I know they will?

Originally posted by MassNerder
...What options do I have (short of filing an FCC complain) when Insight starts to drag their feet like I know they will? Use Component?

So my Moto 6208 currently has 7.10 and I get the error about copy protection when using my DVI out. Insight is gracious enough to update me to 7.14 but they say they wont be able to push you 7.15....but that is the firmware version that fixes this problem, right? What options do I have (short of filing an FCC complain) when Insight starts to drag their feet like I know they will?
I don't use DVI because my display is component only for HD but it seems I have seen a lot of people have that problem on this forum. It seems there is a certain order you have to power things on and off. Try to search the AVS and I think you will find a lot on this. (Certain displays seem to be particularly vulnerable to this. What model display do you have?)

Originally posted by MassNerder
So my Moto 6208 currently has 7.10 and I get the error about copy protection when using my DVI out. Insight is gracious enough to update me to 7.14 but they say they wont be able to push you 7.15....but that is the firmware version that fixes this problem, right? What options do I have (short of filing an FCC complain) when Insight starts to drag their feet like I know they will?

I saw this problem for the first time last night. I ended up turning the cable box and TV off and back on but it was still there. Then I started changing channels and the message simply disappeared after a few channel changes.

I have a Mits 55513. I am using component now, but really want to use the pure digital signal. I have read the difference is subtle between the two connections, but I paid all that money, I might as well be able to use the DVI port on my TV and not be hung up with some BS from my cable co......or am I looney?

I have tried searching for this info on this forum, but I havent found anything good....and I have done a ton of searches. I know there is an order in which I can hook up the box and the TV, to make it work..but when you are laying down this much money for HD service and an HD PVR you shouldn't have to monkey around with it...it should just work. Maybe I am off my rocker, but I thought companies were supposed to provide working solutions to their customers, not make them jump through silly hoops.

I talked with someone at my cable co and she didnt even seem to know what firmware was, so she called the techs and the tech guy said he would check the new boxes he got in to see what their firmware version was. I think they are wholly unaware they can even send out firmware upgrades. I really am adrift in a sea of stupid here.....if it werent for the fact that I cant get my locals OTA, I'd drop my cable company in a heart beat for a company that actually has a working product.

Originally posted by MassNerder
So my Moto 6208 currently has 7.10 and I get the error about copy protection when using my DVI out. Insight is gracious enough to update me to 7.14 but they say they wont be able to push you 7.15....but that is the firmware version that fixes this problem, right? What options do I have (short of filing an FCC complain) when Insight starts to drag their feet like I know they will?

http://www.cjhengineering.com/hdtv/cablehdtv/dctfirmware.htm

this talks about the power on-off sequence.....

Originally posted by MassNerder
I have a Mits 55513. I am using component now, but really want to use the pure digital signal.
RPTVs are not digital. So you don't have the ability to use a pure digital signal. Digital signals are converted to analog in your mits before they are used.

I have read the difference is subtle between the two connections, but I paid all that money, I might as well be able to use the DVI port on my TV and not be hung up with some BS from my cable co......or am I looney?
[/B]
The difference is not subtle - Its more like zero. Digital tvs, like plazma, are the devices that benefit, not rptvs.

I choose to not call the cable company. It helps keep my bloodpressure down. Try not thinking about the cable company or dvi for a few days and see if you don't appreciate your equipment more. Just my .02.

well i switched from DVI to component on my motorola 6208 while i wait on a switcher, and i think the difference is pretty significant on my projector. the DVI is much much sharper.

component still looks really good fwiw.....

PS - my local atlanta Comcast also had no idea what firmware was (5 or 6 different calls). what a joke!

RPTVs are not digital. So you don't have the ability to use a pure digital signal. Digital signals are converted to analog in your mits before they are used.

Wait a moment, some RPTV's are digital. RP/FP just indicates where the projector is located relative to the screen. It certainly doesn't indicate the display device technology (which can be CRT, LCD, DLP, etc. in either case). In fact, you can take a projector designed primarily to be used as an FP, mount it behind a translucent screen, and you have an RPTV. If it is a fixed pixel projector, it can be digital all the way until the light bounces off the display chip.

That said, I have no idea what technology that particular MITS uses. The best thing to do is to try both inputs & see what is preferable.

Originally posted by MarkStega
Wait a moment, some RPTV's are digital. RP/FP just indicates where the projector is located relative to the screen. It certainly doesn't indicate the display device technology (which can be CRT, LCD, DLP, etc. in either case). In fact, you can take a projector designed primarily to be used as an FP, mount it behind a translucent screen, and you have an RPTV. If it is a fixed pixel projector, it can be digital all the way until the light bounces off the display chip.

That said, I have no idea what technology that particular MITS uses. The best thing to do is to try both inputs & see what is preferable.

Im not going to get into the whole semantics thing here, even though I've never heard anybody call DLP an RPTV - but yes, I the Mits is a standard CRT RPTV (with a great picture) no mater which input is used.

miatasm and others, thanks for your help clearing this up quite quickly. I'm going to take the advice of just not dealing with my cable co, as it does get me worked up for no reason. The power on/off sequence thing will be an okay work arround, since I can just reprogram my remote to get it to work. Much thanks for the help!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by HD Rookie
Im not going to get into the whole semantics thing here, even though I've never heard anybody call DLP an RPTV - but yes, I the Mits is a standard CRT RPTV (with a great picture) no mater which input is used.

How about the manufacturers? How do you think that picture gets on the screen with DLP or LCD?


Jim

Originally posted by HD Rookie
Im not going to get into the whole semantics thing here, even though I've never heard anybody call DLP an RPTV - but yes, I the Mits is a standard CRT RPTV (with a great picture) no mater which input is used.
You know what a Mitsubishi CRT RPTV is. It won't hurt you to also know what LCD, DLP, LCoS RPTV sets are. :)

As one of our past president used to say, "It's the semantics ******!" ;)

Im not going to get into the whole semantics thing here, even though I've never heard anybody call DLP an RPTV - but yes, I the Mits is a standard CRT RPTV (with a great picture) no mater which input is used.

I wasn't trying to be controversial -- I just wanted to make certain that there was not confusion that all rear projection TV's were not digital.

As to who calls DLP & other fixed pixel displays RPTV's, I can only point to the trip that I had on Tuesday night to help a friend sort through a new TV purchase. In Best Buy & The Big Screen store, the common term was RPTV, regardless of whether the technology was CRT or DLP.

Similarly, TWICE (The Week in Consumer Electronics), CNET, Amazon, all call DLP, D-ILA, etc sets RPTV's

Originally posted by MassNerder
...The power on/off sequence thing will be an okay work arround, since I can just reprogram my remote to get it to work. Sounds pretty easy .... until you try it, and discover the #@$%% Motorola boxes have no discrete on/off commands. I ended up using {MENU,delay,POWER} to simulate discrete off, and {MENU,delay,POWER,delay,POWER} to simulate discrete on. Lots of ugly flashing on the screen, but it works - sort of.

Originally posted by MarkStega
I wasn't trying to be controversial -- I just wanted to make certain that there was not confusion that all rear projection TV's were not digital.

As to who calls DLP & other fixed pixel displays RPTV's, I can only point to the trip that I had on Tuesday night to help a friend sort through a new TV purchase. In Best Buy & The Big Screen store, the common term was RPTV, regardless of whether the technology was CRT or DLP.

Similarly, TWICE (The Week in Consumer Electronics), CNET, Amazon, all call DLP, D-ILA, etc sets RPTV's

The DLPs and RP-LCDs are in the RPTV section of the forums here:

Rear Projection Units
Rear Projection CRT and Digital sets (DLP, LCD, etc) questions and answers. (RPTV)

Originally posted by keenan
How about the manufacturers? How do you think that picture gets on the screen with DLP or LCD?
Jim

Relax Jim. Who talking about manufacturers?

I don't dispute Marks statement that many display devices can be called RPTVs. I'm simply saying that its splitting hairs to even bring it up. When somebody says RPTV, they are talking about a CRT RPTV. How many of your friends with DLP sets have you heard say "Come on over. I have a new RPTV"? None, end of story.

Any reason we need to clog the thread with "trolling" chatter?

Originally posted by MarkStega
I wasn't trying to be controversial -- I just wanted to make certain that there was not confusion that all rear projection TV's were not digital.

As to who calls DLP & other fixed pixel displays RPTV's, I can only point to the trip that I had on Tuesday night to help a friend sort through a new TV purchase. In Best Buy & The Big Screen store, the common term was RPTV, regardless of whether the technology was CRT or DLP.

Similarly, TWICE (The Week in Consumer Electronics), CNET, Amazon, all call DLP, D-ILA, etc sets RPTV's

Life is good - No controversy! I'll take your word for it on the RPTV lingo. From this day forward I'll say CRT RPTV when I'm talking about an RPTV (at least I'll consider it).

Originally posted by HD Rookie


Any reason we need to clog the thread with "trolling" chatter?

I couldn't agree more, but your initial statement could cause confusion among people who didn't know any better or who trying to learn.

Jim :)

Any reason we need to clog the thread with "trolling" chatter?

and

Life is good - No controversy! I'll take your word for it on the RPTV lingo. From this day forward I'll say CRT RPTV when I'm talking about an RPTV (at least I'll consider it).

I can think of only one reason: It takes our minds off of the incredible frustration with the firmware, DVI, and other picture quality issues that should be simple, but instead are so arcane that one almost starts believing in the power of magic over science (and leads to 165 pages of questions, guesses and answers)...

:-)

Originally posted by HD Rookie
Im not going to get into the whole semantics thing here, even though I've never heard anybody call DLP an RPTV ...

Right, no need to get into it here, you can just go read about it in the rear projectors forum ;)


Anyone yet running 7.15 able to test 720P component to DLP?
thanks, jb

Originally posted by jb33
Right, no need to get into it here, you can just go read about it in the rear projectors forum ;)


sorry all - was stuck on the last page of the thread. See this (above) has been thoroughly covered already.
jb

I can think of only one reason: It takes our minds off of the incredible frustration with the firmware, DVI, and other picture quality issues that should be simple, but instead are so arcane that one almost starts believing in the power of magic over science (and leads to 165 pages of questions, guesses and answers)...

I could not agree more. A well designed device should not take up this much bandwidth. I hope, though I doubt, the people from motorola look at this forum and see that they need to really do this better when they release the 120gig version of this bad boy come fall.

Here is a completely off topic question, why doesnt moto just buy the Tivo software so they have an actually decent device?

The software isn't provided by Motorola. Moto provides hardware, not software. The Cable providers decide which software to use.

Here's another fun puzzle for the experts...

My system includes the Comcast 6200 box, DVD player (which doesn't enter into this tale again), my HDTV (Panny PT50-LC13) and a standard VCR. I am trying to simply receive SDTV to the VCR to tape late night Cartoon Network...

- If I run a cable from the cable box to the VCR in addition to component or DVI in to the HDTV as indicated by the DCT6200 instructions, the TV displays a large black box in the middle of the screen if the VCR is on and receiving, whether or not the HDTV is displaying the VCR input, and whether or not I route the VCR to the HDTV through a coax or through a video RCA out.
- If I send the line out from the TV to the VCR, black box as above.
- If I split the cable feed before it gets to the Comcast box, black box as above.
- If I split the cable feed as above and run component/DVI from the 6200 to the HDTV and *also* the split cable to the coax on the HDTV, black box. Oddly enough this was the way the installer tried initially to resolve bad SDTV picture from the 6200 before we (installer and I) agreed to use just an unsplit cable and one input, and it didn't have this trouble then.
- If I unplug the Comcast box entirely and just go coax-VCR-HDTV, black box as above.

- Before I got the Comcast box, there was no trouble, and a second setup in the house with a SDTV and the same VCR works fine.

Arghhh.

Can I use a OTA antenna with the 6200?
If so where do I plug the antenna in?


Thanks

OTA antennas do not work with the 6200's.

Help request for a 1st time HD'er!

Picked up my Moto 6200 from Comcast yesterday, and all the connecting business seems straight-forward--EXCEPT that I can't seem to get the optical audio cable to plug into the STB recepticle. How much force it necessary (don't want to damage it)? Same true to plugging it into my AV receiver. The plug on the cable seems to big, but took it back to Comcast and they said that was the one the came with the box.

What am I doing wrong????

First thing to do is make sure the dust cap is not on the end of the cable:D!!! It is usually a black rubber type sleeve that slips over the end where the end of the optical fiber shows and transmits the "light" to the receiver.

A good tip is to hold one end up to a light bulb and see if you can see light shining through the cable.

DHarp193: That was it--the dust cap on the end of the cable! (It was a clear plastic cap.) Thanks so much! (It's amazing how many litle things like this there are that no one tells you about beforehand!)

No Problem. Now if I could only help people out here with real problems;)!!!

Originally posted by DHarp193
No Problem. Now if I could only help people out here with real problems;)!!!

I don't know how to operate my coffee machine, do you need to put water in there???:D

I just got the 7.15 firmware upgrade for the Moto 6500. It resolves the problem with the DVI port deactivating when you switch to another HD input. (I have the Samsung DLP RPTV.) Before both the sound and picture would turn off and I could only get it back by pulling the plug on the 6200 or disconnecting the DVI connector. No the sound remains the picture goes to "snow". But when I go back to the DVI input on my TV the picture re-activates. The only minor problem is the picture is out of sync (almost like a split screen). Changing channels gets the picture back in sync.

Moto 6500 Huh?

it's the model that makes coffee.

Originally posted by PaulGo
I just got the 7.15 firmware upgrade for the Moto 6500. It resolves the problem with the DVI port deactivating when you switch to another HD input. (I have the Samsung DLP RPTV.) Before both the sound and picture would turn off and I could only get it back by pulling the plug on the 6200 or disconnecting the DVI connector. No the sound remains the picture goes to "snow". But when I go back to the DVI input on my TV the picture re-activates. The only minor problem is the picture is out of sync (almost like a split screen). Changing channels gets the picture back in sync.

[/No the sound remains the picture goes to "snow". But when I go back to the DVI input on my TV the picture re-activates. The only minor problem is the picture is out of sync (almost like a split screen). Changing channels gets the picture back in sync. [/



You mean these are new symptons with 7.15 ? Or still rehashing the 7.10 symptons ? Sorry, I'm not sure you are saying here

Originally posted by PaulGo
... the sound remains the picture goes to "snow"...
Sounds familiar. I've had the 6200 for just over a month, starting out using component. Two weeks ago 7.15 was rolled out and I tried the DVI connector. The picture looked great, but several times a day would go to "snow". Changing the channel or cycling power on the 6200 cleared it up. Considering I need to maintain the WAF with all this stuff, I'm back on component.

That happened with 7.10 on non-HD channels with the DVI connection, on certain boxes. One of the 6200s I had (changed out a number of times) had that problem. I just took it back and got a dfferent one.

Before with 7.10 firmware when I went to a component input both the sound and video would shut off with no recovery possible unless I disconnected the power cord or pulled the DVI plug on the Moto 6200. Now to me it operates as it should (almost), when it does not detect the HDCP handshake it deactivates the picture, but this deactivation is recoverable when you go back to the DVI input. Before (with 7.10 firmware) my only solution would be to shut off the Moto 6200 before going to a component input (for the DVD player). Now I do not have to do this.

lost "Menu" with 7.15 download - the one that gets you to the list of Movies, Sports, etc. (adult ;).

Anyone else?

Originally posted by PaulGo
Before with 7.10 firmware when I went to a component input both the sound and video would shut off with no recovery possible unless I disconnected the power cord or pulled the DVI plug on the Moto 6200. Now to me it operates as it should (almost), when it does not detect the HDCP handshake it deactivates the picture, but this deactivation is recoverable when you go back to the DVI input. Before (with 7.10 firmware) my only solution would be to shut off the Moto 6200 before going to a component input (for the DVD player). Now I do not have to do this.

Thanks PaulGo.

It looks like Comcast is trying to distribute the 7.15 firmware because a couple of us in my area started getting download errors on our 6200s this morning.

The display showed

hunt
Fr 1
E619 (or is that Eb19?)

over and over. More recently its just taken to displaying the hunt/Fr 1 combination without the E619. Then the Fr number counts up to 10 before starting over again.

The Comcast service guy checked the signal level and said it was good and that he didn't have a 6200 box with him to try swapping out. But the house he was at just before mine had the same download errors.

Any ideas what's going on?

does comcast enable HDCP for all channels or just the HD discovery, etc?

A novice question: How does one set the cable box to output 720p, 1080i, etc.?
Thanks much!

look below

Thanks very the vector!

Originally posted by cyberized
Thanks, guess I will "have to learn to live with it". The PQ is excellent anyway - even IF it is not Full -screen - maybe because in Setup of te 6200 I changed the default for 4x3 override - from 480i to 480p?
I have written these broadcasters and asked them to PLEASE broadcast these in ALL FULL Screen 16x9, 1080i.
Sure looking forward to watching some NFL in HD this year - especially my SeaHawks - on the road to the SB!

TKS Michael;)

is it possible in the future to have a firmware update to the motorola cable hdtv recievers, to allow the users to stretch the 4:3 hd broadcast with the bars on the side. i know the 811 reciever from dish network allows users to stretch this type of programing. i would rather watch the digital feed of the local channels rather than the analog, but i dont want burn in. i dont think its impossible to add this feature to the motorola recievers. i hate the analog portion of comcast cable, and wish that they would just convert to all digital already.

Yes it is possible.......

I have a question about my Motorola HD STB, and i guess this is the right thread to ask. I have a 6200 box that is connected with fiber optic cable to my AV receiver. The box used to pass three "types" of audio depending on the channel;PCM 48khz, Dolby Digital 2.0, and DD 5.1. The PCM was on the analog SD channels, and the DD was on all the digital and HDTV channels. Anyway, as of late the box doesn't seem to be passing DD, the display on my reciever indicates everything as PCM. Even when the program guide bar indicates the program as having 5.1 audio, it still comes out as 2 channel audio. Also, there used to be a big volume difference between the analog and digital channels, but this seems to be gone. I don't think that there is a problem with my receiver, as it plays 5.1 from DVDs just fine. Did Comcast just recently decide to stop broadcasting digital sound? I live in Montgomery County, Maryland, if anyone else there has been experiencing this problem.

disinfestator,

mine too. looks like my firmware is 7.15. I wonder if there is a problem with the 7.15 firmware that is screwed up.

anyone?

btw, I am in san francisco, pleasonton specifically,

Davis

still waiting for the upgrade here in San Jose, 95126

currently no hd dolby digital audio either. north bay CA. v715

If you just got 7.15, there is a bug that screws up DD if you are using it. I called comcast and they walked me through getting it back on. Just go into "setup", select audio, go to audio setup and go to "output". The default setting is TV, change it to advanced, then exit out. Enabled my DD5.1.

I guess my local Comcast finally figured it out, 'cause download of v7.15 is now succeeding in my area. It was just getting errors at everyone's house yesterday and our 6200s were dead all day with error messages on the display.

Thanks deskjockey for the tip about getting DD working again. As with yours, the audio setting was TV after the v7.15 download.

Originally posted by deskjockey
If you just got 7.15, there is a bug that screws up DD if you are using it. I called comcast and they walked me through getting it back on. Just go into "setup", select audio, go to audio setup and go to "output". The default setting is TV, change it to advanced, then exit out. Enabled my DD5.1.
Thanks for the fix, my DD is working now too.

i think my receivers TRIED to get 7.15 here in atlanta (looked like it was downloading something at midnight), but the cable box menu screen is still showing 7.07 - weird.

I'm on Adelphia here with a 5100 and we just got 7.15 a couple of days ago. It's nice to have my DVI connection back and free up the other component input.
Jim

Originally posted by PaulGo
I just got the 7.15 firmware...
But when I go back to the DVI input on my TV the picture re-activates. The only minor problem is the picture is out of sync (almost like a split screen). Changing channels gets the picture back in sync.

Same new bug with my 6200 and v7.15. I get a vertical split screen with left half on the right and the right half on the left and a grey vertical bar separating them. Much like an old analog TV when it gets the horizontal sync in the wrong place.

San Jose, 95126 - noticed the 7.15 update yesterday. Finally...

Got 7.15 today in Mongomery County, MD. I'm not sure what's different from 7.10. Never had handshake problem...

do all of these 7.15 updates occur at midnight, or do they just happen randomly depending on what area you're in?

Southern Calvert County, MD still at 7.07 on 6208.

does anyone know if there is any sort of timeframe for ALL of the "headends" to provide 7.15 to us?

when i call comcast about firmware, they think i'm making up the work "firmware".....

Originally posted by oleus
does anyone know if there is any sort of timeframe for ALL of the "headends" to provide 7.15 to us?

when i call comcast about firmware, they think i'm making up the work "firmware".....

It's a mystery to me. I get the announcements that say the NAS systems will be updated, but never any DAC announcements. My home system is NAS and 7.15 pushed as scheduled. Looks like DAC systems do it whenever they feel like it - my DAC areas are getting 7.15 here and there.

When you call, do you speak with engineering or sales/service?

i speak to general customer service....

they basically refuse to transfer me to engineering unless a tech has already been to the house for the problem. it will do me no good to have a tech come out for firmware issues.....

for a while i thought atlanta was the only area stuck on 7.07 (or at least the part of atlanta i live in) - obviously we're not the only ones judging by this thread.

Originally posted by oleus
...
for a while i thought atlanta was the only area stuck on 7.07 (or at least the part of atlanta i live in) - obviously we're not the only ones judging by this thread.

Union County, NJ 6208's are still on 7.07. Upgrades just happen in the middle of the night around here without any announcements.

-Mike

Originally posted by ZMike
Union County, NJ 6208's are still on 7.07. Upgrades just happen in the middle of the night around here without any announcements.

-Mike

A bit more specifically, a firmware upgrade is made available by the headend (seems to be middle of the night around here) and upon next power-up your STB downloads it.

The STB only needs to be plugged in with a active Coax cable connected to the input.

what (if any) is the price difference between the 6200 stb & 6208 stb?

the rental price charged by the cable co.

already pay more for the HD box.

Originally posted by OZZY84
what (if any) is the price difference between the 6200 stb & 6208 stb?

the rental price charged by the cable co.

already pay more for the HD box.

I believe Comcast charges around $5 a month for the HD box (6200), while standard box should be around $2.50. There's an extra charge of $10 for PVR box/service (6208). Price may vary for different cable providers.

thanks, also have 7.15 on 6200 STB (since 8-6-2004)

since upgrade? (did fix DVI problem) but caused new ones

can't seem to access VOD & flip bar doesn't always show what type of sound (pcm, DD 2.0, DD 3.2.1) but my receiver shows.

anyone else experiencing these problems.

Originally posted by oleus
do all of these 7.15 updates occur at midnight, or do they just happen randomly depending on what area you're in?
I would guess random in my area. My box downloaded 7.15 a little after 5:00 pm a couple weeks ago.

Will the box download the update if it's turned on? I leave my box on most of the time (since i use my TV as an alarm, i leave the cable box on overnight and set the TV to turn on to channel 3 in the morning).

If it needs to be turned off, I guess i'll start doing that, since i use DVI and really want this update.

Originally posted by renpar61
I believe Comcast charges around $5 a month for the HD box (6200), while standard box should be around $2.50. There's an extra charge of $10 for PVR box/service (6208). Price may vary for different cable providers.

My cost = $5.00 monthly for 6200 and $9.95 monthly for DVR/HD 6208.

Install cost = $49.00 for 6200 and $15.00 for 6208 DVR/HD...

Go figure.

Originally posted by MaxPower2k4
Will the box download the update if it's turned on? I leave my box on most of the time (since i use my TV as an alarm, i leave the cable box on overnight and set the TV to turn on to channel 3 in the morning).

If it needs to be turned off, I guess i'll start doing that, since i use DVI and really want this update.

Yes, mine was on once before an update came in. It turned off and received the download. I think it stayed off after it was done.

-Mike

Anyone in Chester County, PA have their DVR box??? I put my name on the stupid list and got an email this weekend. I call to ask when I can swap out my box and am told the boxes aren't available yet and that the email was just to get my name on the list. Comcrap wonders why they've got such a lousy reputation...

Bill

I got three of them in Elizabethtown, PA last week. Just keep trying and ask to speak to a supervisor. They told me they didn't have them yet too, but then I insisted and next thing I knew, I had an appointment to have them drop them off a couple days later:)!!!

i'd almost be willing to trade in my 6208 for a 6200 unless my comcast provider gives us the 7.15 firmware - i'm tired of waiting to use the firewire output for dvhs recording!

even though it's not a pvr, at least the 6200 will output via firewire......

I still have one 6200 also oleus:D!!!

if i owned the unit, i might consider it !

Originally posted by DHarp193
I got three of them in Elizabethtown, PA last week. Just keep trying and ask to speak to a supervisor. They told me they didn't have them yet too, but then I insisted and next thing I knew, I had an appointment to have them drop them off a couple days later:)!!!

They are probably hesitant to provide 6208's since 6412's will probably be available soon (within 2 months???) and they assume that everyone will want to swap their 6208's for 6412's.

Just a guess.

i sure hope the 6212's come equipped with the firewire output working properly and/or the proper firmware, i doubt comcast will provide me with 7.15 before then.....

Dave,

You may have them out in Lancaster County but the Coatesville Office in Chester County apparently doesn't.

The part that REALLY pisses me off is that they're also requiring a tech to come out to install it at a cost of $25. That's B.S.

Continuing to be disgusted with Comcrap.

Bill

Originally posted by Bill_B4
Dave,

You may have them out in Lancaster County but the Coatesville Office in Chester County apparently doesn't.

The part that REALLY pisses me off is that they're also requiring a tech to come out to install it at a cost of $25. That's B.S.

Continuing to be disgusted with Comcrap.

Bill

Yes Sir!!!

All you have to do is prove you know more than them (not too hard to do!!!) and then they miraculously agree to just drop them off for you to install yourself;):D:)

i got it! I figured i'd try turning the box off for the night and i woke up in the morning with a working DVI port! no longer am i a slave to unplugging and re-plugging a DVI cable! Picture quality also seems slightly better, though that may just be a placebo thing. none of the GUI stuff works on the coax output still, but that's okay.

Did they download a new firmware for you to get the DVI working???

Originally posted by MaxPower2k4
none of the GUI stuff works on the coax output still, but that's okay.

I imagine that is because you have your Override set to 480p, because 480i is garbage over DVI. But doing so, you can't get the menus through the other connections (S-Video, etc.)

All you have to do is prove you know more than them (not too hard to do!!!) and then they miraculously agree to just drop them off for you to install yourse

When the tech cam out to install my 6200, he simply plugged in the coax cables and said "ok, you're all set". I asked him where the DVI cable was (since I specifically told Conmcast to send one), and he said, oh, you don't need that, you'll get HD with this set up. I laughed in his face and told him he needed to go back and learn what he's talking about. I started to explain the whole DVI to him, and he just sat there and looked totally dumbfounded. Then he says "I've hooked up a bunch of these like this, and the PQ is always better". I had to laugh again and just told him to get me the DVI, and I'd hook it up myself. Of course he didn't have one with him, and had to come back the next day. Stupid, just stupid.

It seems like I got the 7.15 upgrade over the weekend, yet I don't see anything different.
I use component out, so the DVI fix does nothing for me.
I didn't develop the PCM/DD problem (I even looked for it), but I DO hate the difference in audio output when on HD chanels (HBOHD is especially noticable)....
The 6200 I use has always had much lower volume on the HD channels, and that is using both the Fibre to Reciever and composite to TV, no matter the output the volume is GREATLY reduced.
I have gone into the cable box setup ( main menu ) and checked the sound, adjusted the sound etc ( perfect volume stuff etc...) to no avail.

Is there ANOTHER secret menu that will get me into the box (like the video one), where I am able to control different volumes?
I mean it is ridiculous how loud I have to turn up my TV and reciever (when on HD channels) to get equivalent sound levels (my VCR/DVD players sound fine, so my guess is that it is the 6200).

Not that it will make a difference, but I have Comcast, in the Brockton area.

Any help regarding this isssue would be greatly appreciated.

Check my site below under audio for more info on why this is, Comcast or the STB isn't doing anything to the audio signal.......They send it to you the way they recieve it.....

Originally posted by miatasm
Check my site below under audio for more info on why this is, Comcast or the STB isn't doing anything to the audio signal.......They send it to you the way they recieve it.....

Thanks for the link/s , I was honestly hoping that wasn't the case, as I always have to remember to set the TV ( or reciever) to mute when switching between content....
I have woken people up(forgetting to switch to soft/full mute) because of this nonsense.

O well.....

Thanks again,

m

Muzz, go into Menu>Setup>Audio and change the type of audio to Stereo or Advanced. One of them, or maybe both, I forget, will add new options, one of which is Compression. Change that to Heavy. It's not going to degrade your audio, it just compresses the DYNAMIC RANGE that the box allows, so the digital channels are almost as loud as the analog channels. Saved me a LOT of grief.

Yeah Max I tried that awhile ago (under advanced), and revisited it earlier today to see if I could get a grip on this ridiculous issue...
I does help regarding the level of sound, but I would prefer to not HAVE to compress the snot out of it if possible.

Thanks for the input MaxH

m

Motorola 5100 vs. 6200

My apologies if this question is already answered somewhere in the 3300+ posts in this thread.

I have a Motorola 5100. Is it worth swapping for the 6200? Any advantage in picture quality? A DVR box is not an option as it is not offered in my area.

Thanks!

The only advantage to the 6200 is DVI & Firewire output & that is only if you do not already have a 5100 with DVI. If so Fire wire is the only advantage.......

MUZZ & MAX - I too use the DCT 6200 and have to deal with the TERRIBLE VOLUME issue also - so I was glad to see the tip, to change Compression to the MAX. I just re-visited Setup and tried it, and also LIGHT - but I could tell NO DIFFERENCE at all - so I have gone back to no compression.
I am going to write EMail to Motorola via Comcast (hopefully) to suggest a software fix for this and also request they do the same to enable us to change the picture format when supposed HD programs are not in 16x9 format.

TKS michael;)

Try it on a HD channel (I tried it on HBOHD), it makes a big difference on HD channels.

That's exactly what I did BUT without your results.

TKS michael;)

Please revisit the audio section of my pages below......Comcast, Motorola, ect are send you the audio as they recieve it, no modifications. Also on that page it discusses what the compression settings do, as they DO NOT effect all channels & all outputs the same. The only way to get the volume levels the same you need to use Analog outputs for everything. I cannot see Motorola making this change anytime soon since it has been this way since the advent of the DCT5100, that box was the first Cable TV STB that allowed audio from analog programs to be encoded to the digital outputs.

Originally posted by MASteve
...I had to laugh again and just told him to get me the DVI, and I'd hook it up myself. Of course he didn't have one with him, and had to come back the next day. Stupid, just stupid.
Did Comcast actually end up giving you a DVI cable? When I got my 6200 (November 2003) they said that DVI wasn't supported yet. Are they actually supporting DVI now?

Originally posted by TooLittleTimeZZZ
Did Comcast actually end up giving you a DVI cable? When I got my 6200 (November 2003) they said that DVI wasn't supported yet. Are they actually supporting DVI now?

DVI was not active then. . .

David

Has everyone with the DVR box been forced to pay a $20 installation charge?

I called yesterday to see if indeed the hardware was available, after being told it was not, and it is. I asked the CSR if I had to pay for installation, she said no. I asked if she was sure, she said it was a free upgrade.

I called this morning to confirm my appointment and make sure they were indeed bringing the correct box. I was told yes that it was the DVR box. I asked the gentleman to confirm that installation was free and that I wouldn't be charged for the visit. He indicated that it was not a free upgrade and that the installation charge was $20. I asked what made this box different from every other box I've had as well as my cable modem that I wouldn't be able to install it myself. He couldn't give me an answer. I am waiting for his supervisor to call back.

THIS IS WHY COMCRAP SUCKS!

Bill

ok had the 7.15 firmware for about 1 1/2 weeks. some picture quality improvement, and fixed the DVI problem.

but, still not able to access VOD and sound display problems on flip bar.

now cable has gone back to 7.10? sure hope they fix the problem
(in house) before they re-release 7.15! anyone else experience this?

Originally posted by OZZY84
...
now cable has gone back to 7.10? sure hope they fix the problem
(in house) before they re-release 7.15! anyone else experience this?

Huh? They put you back on 7.10 ???

GEEZ !

Did Comcast actually end up giving you a DVI cable? When I got my 6200 (November 2003) they said that DVI wasn't supported yet. Are they actually supporting DVI now?

Actually they gave me both a DVI and Component cables when he came back. He left both for me which was cool, or he was just stupid and forgot to take it with him :p

I just got the 6200 about a month ago, so yes DVI is active on my box.

I am having an issue with the 6200 since the 7.15 upgrade. If I leave the box on any HD channel and turn it off, when I turn it on again, I get a sort of PIP deal with a larger picture in the top right corner and a smaller one in the bottome left corner. Anyone else having this problem?


Thanks

What about the DVR box requires a tech to come out for installation?

Bill

Originally posted by Bill_B4
What about the DVR box requires a tech to come out for installation?

Bill
Their general electronics know-how, adaptability, superior home theater setup knowledge and love of the job. No, wait a minute, thats the type of person I meet here.

The service fee is what requires the tech to come out.
;)

The service fee is what requires the tech to come out.

I'll be fighting that.

Bill

Good luck on the fight. Here is my experience with then ATT Cable.

I moved into a new house, and the cable wasn't disconnected from the last occupant. I called up ATT (now COMCAST) and told them I wanted it in my name and to bill me. They said they would have to have a tech come out and it would cost $45. I told them I already get cable and just want to be charged. They said, "Oh, but we'll still have to charge you the $45." I should have been a bigger PIA. They wouldn't drop the charge.

I was just informed that I will not be charged for installation of the new box. God help the tech that comes out with a bill for $20...

Bill

Originally posted by Bill_B4
I was just informed that I will not be charged for installation of the new box. God help the tech that comes out with a bill for $20...

Bill

Just tell him you worked it out with CS on the phone. Most of the don't want a confrontation.

looks like about half of atlanta finally got 7.15 last night.

bad news is that everyone else in atlanta who had 7.15 got bumped BACK to 7.10 or 7.07

argh

Originally posted by miatasm
Check my site below under audio for more info on why this is, Comcast or the STB isn't doing anything to the audio signal.......They send it to you the way they recieve it.....

Yes and no. For digital channels (HD and SD) this is true since the dialog normalization value is passed from the set-top to the DD decoder. However, for analog channels the set-top encodes performs encoding for digital output so it's up to the set-top to deliver appropriate sound volume for analog channels.

just got 7.15 on my two 6208s, and i'm having BIG problems..

7.15 has wiped out my DVI connection to my projector apparently. When i went downstairs to see if my other 6208 got the update, i got a weird "HD SINGAL PROTECTION NOT COMPATIBLE - use PBR connection or alternate" screen and now whenever i turn the cable box on, i see a signal for one second then it's gone.

this must be some sort of "handshake" issue with my projector or switcher, right? is there any fix?

thanks comcast!

I'm having the same problem with the DVI connection on my 6200, all non 1080i channels are shifted and I get snowy screens inttermittent. also get the HD copy protection has been compromised message sometimes.. and have firmware 7.15 hope it is fixed in next firmware... as I went back to component video and am having no problems, it is DVI only

why is 7.15 killing so many of our dvi connections?

and why did cities like atlanta have many users get bumped back to 7.07 at the same time the rest of us were given 7.15?

Originally posted by oleus
just got 7.15 on my two 6208s, and i'm having BIG problems..

7.15 has wiped out my DVI connection to my projector apparently. When i went downstairs to see if my other 6208 got the update, i got a weird "HD SINGAL PROTECTION NOT COMPATIBLE - use PBR connection or alternate" screen and now whenever i turn the cable box on, i see a signal for one second then it's gone.

this must be some sort of "handshake" issue with my projector or switcher, right? is there any fix?

thanks comcast!

I tried a few things from other member's posts:

1 Pull the DVI plug and then plug it back in.

2 Turn the display on before the 6208, and turn it off after the 6208.

3 When I got the stupid protection message I turned the 6208 off and then back on using the Commie remote and video came back.

My problem was a lot worse--after video came back I tried recording on the 6208 and on the DVHS. While the DVI connection was active, the 6208 would reset at random while recording, killing the recording. After I removed the DVI and returned to component it was stable.

-Mike

Originally posted by The Drew
I'm having the same problem with the DVI connection on my 6200, all non 1080i channels are shifted and I get snowy screens inttermittent. also get the HD copy protection has been compromised message sometimes.. and have firmware 7.15 hope it is fixed in next firmware... as I went back to component video and am having no problems, it is DVI only

That is odd, after I received my 7.15 firmware download my DVI connection began to work correctly (ie: no handshake problem). My understanding is that this was the fix to the problems in 7.07. For me it was the solution to my guide problems as well.


Jimbo

Originally posted by Bill_B4
You may have them out in Lancaster County but the Coatesville Office in Chester County apparently doesn't.

The part that REALLY pisses me off is that they're also requiring a tech to come out to install it at a cost of $25. That's B.S.


We got a 6208 installed last Saturday in Malvern. I had called in earlier in the week on a whim and asked for a 6208, and they didn't bat an eyelash, just "when do you want them to come out?". Then on Friday I got the "6208's are now available" email. Amusing.

Came out, installed it. I paid the fee - I asked if I could pick it up, she asked her supervisor, answer was no - I'd rather have the box than spend time arguing with them. I was going to call the local service office and try to pick it up there anyways then cancel the installation appt, but I was too busy anyways, and I wanted it for the Olympics(!)

Other than them messing up our acct info it went great. (Deleting some of the premium channels, then when they came out to 'fix' that (again, too busy to argue and my inlaws are home anyways) then swapped our 5100 box for no reason - but in the process they deleted our cable modem, so we lost broadband access. Argh.) 6208 - guide still sucks (just a smidge less than on 2000/5100), lack of skip forward/back is a HUGE annoyance (we're used to ReplayTV - great guide, wonderful playback features, auto-commercial-skip (50xx models, not 55xx models), skip-to-next/prev-segment (50xx or 55xx), skip-N-minutes (forward or back), 30-sec-skip-forward, etc, etc.

Not to mention DVArchive, which allows you to move shows to your PC. (Replays can show programs on other Replays in your home network, and consider a PC running DVArchive to be another Replay, so they can play shows stored on the PC.) You can burn them to DVD, strip out commercials, manage the shows on all the Replays, etc.

Replay 5040's (refurbs) are $80+shipping at replaytvoutlet.com (run by ReplayTV aka Denon-Marantz). Sub fee is $300 lifetime or $12.95ish/month.

If it wasn't for HDTV PVR capability of the 6208 I'd be using all Replays. I still use Replays for most stuff (gonna be weird when I go hook up one PVR (Replay) to another (6208)....).

Originally posted by jesup
lack of skip forward/back there is a hack available for Skip on Pronto remotes. Search the forum and you will find how to program your pronto remote to skip ahead 30 seconds. There is a replay on the moto remote...replays the last 15 secords or so.

"Page Down" also works as replay.....

Has anyone returned their 6200 or higher because of PQ problems?

Hi,
Just got a Motorola 6200 yesterday from Adelphia Cable in Ashburn, VA.
DVI port is not working... Cable installers (knuckleheads) were no help.
Component is working OK, but this port
on my projector is for the DVD. I want to hook up the 6200 via
the DVI Port. SW: 51.42-2002, FW: 07.15.
Any suggestions on how to get the DVI port to work?

if it's like my projector, it is not HDCP compliant.

the new 7.15 firmware on my 6208 added the hd copy-protection code that is driving my projector crazy.

since i invested in a 2x1 dvi switcher for the cable box and dvd player, and since the projector SHOULD be hdcp compliant, i am returning the projector to Infocus for service.

it's funny....after getting used to DVI, going back to component from the motorola box is a huge letdown. it's a bigger difference that the dvi/component differences on my dvd player. component still looks really good, but dvd is amazingly crisp.

My projector is a Sanyo-Z2 and I think it is HDCP compliant.
So, the 6200 DVI port is the problem, I think. How do you
think I'm supposed to get this port "enabled"? Guess I'll call
the cable company, but the Cust Support Rep usually know
nothing. Any ideas?

the dvi ports should be enabled, no matter what firmware you're using.

i thought my projector was hdcp comliant too (it's running it's latest firmware) but a call to infocus proved otherwise.

but you're right it could just be a faulty dvi port. if a replacement unit doesn't work with DVI you might want to consider the possibility your projector isn't hdcp compliant since projectors seem more susceptible to this than tv's with dvi inputs.

Ok, got it working with the DVI Port between projector and 6200.
(A little reading of the
Projector owners manual said to change the setting to
DVI with HDCP, not DVI with Scart.) But, now that I've been looking at the
Component input for a while, when changing to the DVI-input,
I'm not sure the picture is even better through the DVI port.
Any suggestions on why the DVI connection between projector and 6200
is not even marginally better than using the Component connection?
I was expecting a noticably improvement in the picture...
Thanks.

Give it some more time.......DVI PQ isn't likely to be overwhelmingly better......but the longer you watch more & more programming the differences will become a little more noticable. Why did you expect huge gains in PQ? Just because I don't remember anyone stating here, or anywhere else, that it looked that much better.

Originally posted by miatasm
Give it some more time.......DVI PQ isn't likely to be overwhelmingly better......but the longer you watch more & more programming the differences will become a little more noticable. Why did you expect huge gains in PQ? Just because I don't remember anyone stating here, or anywhere else, that it looked that much better. I agree but it is marginally better than component. A calibrated component will look amazingly good compared to a DVI. DVI is all about copy protection and controlling the users HD experience. I hate this HDCP crap...it negatively impacts the HD experience.

hmm...i think DVI looks a good deal better than component on my projector. the sharpness and image depth (and especially contrast range) seemed a lot better.

I was thinking that DVI should give me a noticably better picture, but in
my configuration, it is actually just a tad bit worse than the Component.
When I hook up my Sanyo-Z2 both ways, with two different cables,
then use the INPUT to switch and compare pictures, the Component
is actually a tad bit crisper, brighter, and more colorful than the DVI
input. Is there some tuning that you did to get a better DVI picture.
Because, as I said, I want the DVD to use the component on a more
permanent basis.
Thanks.

Have had exactly the same results using the DVI output from my 6208 box!!! Really excited to see what the difference was going to be like, but very disappointed!!! I have the Panny 42PX20U plasma with an HDMI input. When I bought the tv last October, I read in the manual that Panasonic was offering an DVI to HDMI conversion cable for $29.00. Bought it, but still could not use it until Comcast had the newer boxes.

Picked the 6208 up about a month ago. Immediately hooked up the Panny cable, and saw a more washed out and NOT as sharp a picture as my Monster 3 component cables were giving me. Called Comcast ( Pittsburgh, PA. region), and they actually send out the lead tech from the Greensburg, Pa. office. After about a half hour of viewing the various input modes and thinking how to maybe tweak it, the DVI to HDMI was NO were near the picture we were getting on the component cables. Must also let you know, that before Comcast sent out the tech, I went to the local Best Buy store and did purchase the Monster DVI to HDMI conversion cable for $119.99!!!, thinking the more cheaper Panny cable was the culprit. NOT the case.

The lead tech did leave my house, stating the he did not want me to disconnect the DVI to HDMI cable just yet as he was going to speak with the head techincal person for the Pittsburgh region. He would be back in touch in several days. Much to my disappointment, he has never called back.

Trying everything, I did get in touch with Motorola tech support. There was NO doubt in my mind that I was talking to an outsourcing tech in India. Here was their response to my inquiry as to why my component cables were giving me a better picture than the DVI t o HDMI cable. "Once Comcast buys the boxes from Motorola, Motorola is NOT responsible for any techincal assisstance!!!. Must make all inquiries thru the cable company". He also told me that the DVI on the back of the boxes supposedly not working correctly with other digital components as well. That is all, he would say to me.

If anyone else has a solution, please let me hnow. Thanks!

My experience is that DVI provides a marginally better picture than component. The difference may be more dramatic if your component cables are of low quality or your display does a poor job handling either DVI or component (e.g., I've read of some digital displays that convert DVI to analog, scale it, and then convert back to digital...I would not expect better DVI performance for these displays). The magnitude of the improvements will also be somewhat dependant on the viewer...more apparent to some, less to others.

I do think it's reasonable to expect that you will have to calibrate your display for the DVI input separately from the component input. The settings that work best for component won't necessarily be correct for DVI. When I say calibrate I don't necessarily mean professional calibration...choose your preferred method...ISF/Avia/DVE/Steaming Rat/whatever.

If you feel your display should do a good job with DVI and component, and you have calibrated each input equivalently, and DVI still does not look as good...then I'm out of suggestions.

Ok, your reply is interesting to me...mostly because I haven't got into
the calibration issue yet.
Some questions:
1) Can you calibrate both input separately, INPUT1 for the best component
picture and INPUT2 for the best DVI Picture? Or, just one calibration for
the entire machine?
2) Where do you go for professional calibration and what price range
am I looking at?
3) If not calibrating professionally, what exactly are all those other
names you mentioned?
4) And finally, if I drop HD service from our local Adelphia bad-cable
provider and go with DirectTV for HD, is all this a mute issue? (I
guess I'd have to see what kind of set-top HD box they use. Or is
is really the DVI port on my projector?)
(Adelphia was supposed to roll out 5 more HD channels this week but
the date is unknown again. Leaving me with only 2 HD cable channels
in the foreseeable future. So, I'll have to check out the Satelite providers,
I guess. )

Thanks.

Originally posted by dvanlandingham
Ok, your reply is interesting to me...mostly because I haven't got into
the calibration issue yet.
Some questions:
1) Can you calibrate both input separately, INPUT1 for the best component
picture and INPUT2 for the best DVI Picture? Or, just one calibration for
the entire machine?
2) Where do you go for professional calibration and what price range
am I looking at?
3) If not calibrating professionally, what exactly are all those other
names you mentioned?
4) And finally, if I drop HD service from our local Adelphia bad-cable
provider and go with DirectTV for HD, is all this a mute issue? (I
guess I'd have to see what kind of set-top HD box they use. Or is
is really the DVI port on my projector?)
(Adelphia was supposed to roll out 5 more HD channels this week but
the date is unknown again. Leaving me with only 2 HD cable channels
in the foreseeable future. So, I'll have to check out the Satelite providers,
I guess. )

Thanks.

1. Depends on your display. I believe most higher end displays allow this (as my RP-DLP does), but I really know very little about projectors, specifically.

2. Not sure, especially as far as projectors go. Someone else will likely chime in here.

3. ISF stands for Imaging Science Foundation (this would be a professional calibration).

Avia and DVE (Digital Video Essentials) are audio and video calibration DVDs that are readily available online (Amazon, etc.). Some prefer one or the other but I think they both do basically the same thing. I use Avia and like it just fine.

You can read about Steaming Rat here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=261309).

4. I don't think it's a moot issue at all. DVI and component are still likely to require different settings to get the best image.

I think you can do a lot with just user menu settings (contrast, brightness, color, etc.). Getting these set properly can make a huge difference.

My experience is that DVI (from a 6200 to a Sammy HLN467) produces a better picture than component. The difference is modest, but quite noticeable, and not a WOW effect. Edges and details have less noise. Picture is somewhat sharper.

I have a new Comcast Motorola STB that was installed last week (8/13/04). It is connected to my plasma with Component video cables. The installer told me there is no way to get rid of the bars on nonHD shows on the HD channels. But from this forum, that does not appear to be the case. Could someone explain how to do this? Would I need a firmware update and how would I get that?
Also, last night I noticed that the audio was a split second off from the video. Is this an issue sometimes on these HD channels? I am very happy with the PQ otherwise.
Thanks.
Dave

Originally posted by batf
1. Depends on your display. I believe most higher end displays allow this (as my RP-DLP does), but I really know very little about projectors, specifically.

2. Not sure, especially as far as projectors go. Someone else will likely chime in here.

3. ISF stands for Imaging Science Foundation (this would be a professional calibration).

Avia and DVE (Digital Video Essentials) are audio and video calibration DVDs that are readily available online (Amazon, etc.). Some prefer one or the other but I think they both do basically the same thing. I use Avia and like it just fine.

You can read about Steaming Rat here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=261309).

4. I don't think it's a moot issue at all. DVI and component are still likely to require different settings to get the best image.

I think you can do a lot with just user menu settings (contrast, brightness, color, etc.). Getting these set properly can make a huge difference.

1. Mitsubishi crt rptvs have their "user" settings based on input, but many of their "system" settings are based on scan rate (480i,480p,1080i). System settings are usually available through hidden menus, which are accessed by technicians/calibrators.

2. A quality calibration from a qualified person (which is very hard to find) will usually run in the $400-800 range (for an rptv) depending on the work to be done.

Here is a great website for finding information on calibrating...
http://www.***************.com/htsthreads/ubbthreads.php?Cat=

You'll find a section called the "calibrators spot", which will help you find somebody qualified in your area. An area called the "manufacturers spot" which you can ask/find general info about your particular tv. And, if you really get into calibrating/tweaking your set, there is another area called "tweaks" which I've used heavily over the past few years. The tweaks section is a $25/year membership (worth every penny), but all other areas are free.

My Brothers Moto DCT-6200 is connected to his Mitsubishi WS-65315 via DVI cable. When he powers the TV off the Cable box will not display video. It will work if you unplug the power cord to the cable box and plug it back in. Anyone else seen this?

Thanks,

Danny

When I first connected the DVI input, everybody looked like clowns when viewing the picture using the component video's calibrated settings. The color setting was way too high.

I found a station that went off the air at night and put up color bars, so I set the box to upconvert that station to 1080i, and then went through this procedure for the signal viewed through the DVI input: http://www.videouniversity.com/tvbars2.htm

The resulting calibrated settings looked much better and comparable to the picture from the component video input, which I calibrated via color bars from an HD channel.

So if your picture from the DVI input looks weird compared to the component video input, you need to recalibrate that input, because the settings are different from the component video settings.

Originally posted by dlhunt0410
My Brothers Moto DCT-6200 is connected to his Mitsubishi WS-65315 via DVI cable. When he powers the TV off the Cable box will not display video. It will work if you unplug the power cord to the cable box and plug it back in. Anyone else seen this?

Thanks,

Danny

This is known issue with the 7.10 firmware on the 6200 and is fixed in 7.15. You can also just disconnect and reconnect the DVI cable to recover (rather than pulling the power cord).

Just got a new Mediacom Motorola 6208 that connects to my Sony KV36HS510 directview set. I was playing around with the 480 override settings and have concluded that the 480i setting looks better than the 480p setting for SD feeds. I also concluded that going straight thru actually looks better than the 480i. Is this fairly consistent with other 6200 series owners conclusions? BTW the HD PQ and DVR functions are awesome! TIA

Dan

What is the latest firmware level?

Why can't I ever get a full menu anymore (so I can identify my firmware level)?

How can I reset my set top box to out put 720P? I know I tried shutting off the STB then pressing the menu key on the remote but it doesn't work like it used to. In fact the STB locked up and I had to reboot. Is this related to the HDMI/HDCP handshake stuff now going on?

I appear to be locked into 1080i for ever and can't optimize my Monday night football.

Any suggestions?

Originally posted by batf
This is known issue with the 7.10 firmware on the 6200 and is fixed in 7.15. You can also just disconnect and reconnect the DVI cable to recover (rather than pulling the power cord).

How can you upgrade the firmware?

Thanks,

Danny

Danny it happens at Comcast's discretion. It appears to be happening by zip code but in no apparent order.

Is it upgraded via the cable connection or do they come out to your home and upgrade it some other way?

Through the cable. One morning you'll wake up and there it will be.

Does anyone in San Jose Calif have the 6208? They keep telling me that only the 6200 is available.... but that sounds fishy.

Does anyone with 7.15 firmware notice a green line on their display on SD and some HF channels. The green line has no discernable picture. This is the 7.15 SW on 1080i or 720p displayed on a Panasonic PDP via DVI. I have not gone back to the component to see if this is channel specific but I don't think it is. When I toggle to my component DVD and back to DVI the green line disappears. It then reappears after a while but I am not sure of the pattern. Also the streaming data on the top for the closed caption is clearly visible with the SD content with the 7.15 sw. I can reposition the screen to get rid of this but not the green line.

I have the 6200 w/7.15 and I noticed some sort of green line. It's more like a horizontal green shade about 3 inches thick that it's more noticeable on people's faces. Is this what you are seeing, too?

Just an update...I had my 6208 installed yesterday at no charge like I was promised. It was the technician's first install of a DVR box and I kind of walked him through it as my system is likely more complex than what he might normally see or be trained on.

The unit arrived in it's original box so a copy of the manual was included. Unfortunately it doesn't cover the DVR features at all.

It is connected to my TV via Antenna and Component Cables. For audio I use a coax connection to my pre/pro.

Analog and digital channels seem to be a bit more grainy than they were with my 5100. HD channels seem about the same.

The new guide/menus are much nicer than the old one and setup was pretty much the same as with the 5100.

I haven't had a chance to play with the DVR functions yet so I'd welcome any hints/tips users might have.

My only complaint so far is the noise this unit puts out. I'm assuming it's due to the hard drive but I really didn't expect it to be as audible at my listening position as it is. Does anyone know of a way to tone it down a bit?

Bill

i don't have the green line problem, but i have definitely notice a vertical "dotted" line to the right of a lot of SD programming since i got 7.15

Originally posted by Bill_B4
My only complaint so far is the noise this unit puts out. I'm assuming it's due to the hard drive but I really didn't expect it to be as audible at my listening position as it is. Does anyone know of a way to tone it down a bit?

Bill

That was my first impression also when I plugged mine in. I'm getting used to it as my wife likes to keep a fan running in the bedroom (where the 6208 is located) anyway. Aside from a hushbox of some sort, I don't know of anything to do about it.

Anyone in MI get the 7.15 firmware yet? I'm still on the old, and the DVI keeps going out (snow). I'm out of component inputs, and was using DVI when I had my 5100. When I got it swapped out with the 6208, I started having DVI problems.

Originally posted by dfedders
Anyone in MI get the 7.15 firmware yet? I'm still on the old, and the DVI keeps going out (snow). I'm out of component inputs, and was using DVI when I had my 5100. When I got it swapped out with the 6208, I started having DVI problems.

Still with 7.10 in Birmingham. You might want to ask the question again here http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=420168&perpage=20&pagenumber=7

renpar61- the green line was a line to the side of the screen not within the picture. Sorry I don't know what that is.

I found a solution for the problem on the plasma. My wobble mode moved the screen apparently with 216, 217 and the SD channels more than the others such that the 'junk' that is on the sides of the picture appeared. I powered everything off, reset the plasma setting to remove the wobble and then powered the 5100 up. It came up with a blue screen for a second about the display which then disappeared and the picture from the 5100 was displayed. So far this had solved the problem with 4 hrs viewing.

oleus- I think this was the same line my display was inadvertently displaying becuase of my wobble settings. I wonder what this 7.15 SW has done.

I've got the 7.15 firmware here in PA, haven't noticed any green lines or anything on my set.

I can't remember if I saw it on this thread or not (search function isn't returning results) but is there a way to increase the storage capacity of the 6208? Can it be connected to a computer or simply an external hard drive?

I set it to record for the first time last night, HBO's "Da Ali G Show" in HD. Can't wait to see how it turned out.

Thanks,
Bill

Originally posted by Bill_B4
I set it to record for the first time last night, HBO's "Da Ali G Show" in HD. Can't wait to see how it turned out.

Thanks,
Bill

Da Ali G is not shown in HD, even though it runs on HBO HD. A number of programs are like this, such as Sex in the City. Just wanted to give you a heads up on that so you didn't sit down to watch and wonder why the DVR didn't record it in HD...

I hate to rush things along...but several threads have mentioned that the 6412's and Moxi are starting to surface in various locations for testing. Just curious if anyone has seen or heard anything? I've had 7.15 for the 6208 for a few weeks and everything works great...now if I could just add another tuner and some more hard drive space I'll be happy for a few more months until 120Gig isn't enough...

Just kidding :P

Da Ali G is not shown in HD, even though it runs on HBO HD. A number of programs are like this, such as Sex in the City. Just wanted to give you a heads up on that so you didn't sit down to watch and wonder why the DVR didn't record it in HD...

I'm aware that it wasn't recorded in HD so isn't true HD but are you saying I'm not going to get the better "upconverted" image on HBOHD? That would SUCK!

Bill

Da Ali G show will look a lot better on HBOHD than the standard SD channel.

Oleus,

Agreed...which is why I set the 6208 to record it on the HBOHD channel rather than the standard HBO channel. Am I going to get home and have it recorded in SD??

Bill

if you recorded it on the HD channel, you should have a 16:9 picture with black bars on the side. technically the source would be SD but it's still an "HD" channel even when they're not showing HD. if that makes any sense.....

the compression and signal should be cleaner.

well, you'll find that it is in 4:3 aspect ratio. The PQ of the image will be better than the PQ of the image broadcast over their standard def station, but not close to HD.

I don't watch any programming in 4:3 without a stretch mode. Doing so on stations which have black bars on the sides resulted in a faint burn-in on the sides of my RPTV. (My TV is properly calibrated and yes there is burn-in)

On a related note, is there any info as to when Comcast plans to roll out the 6408? If I am not mistaken this is the 2-tuner DVR box that they plan to release sometime this year. I was going to get the 6208 but I don't have any interest in a DVR that won't allow me to watch one program and record another. Seems like a half-assed product. Sure its better than nothing but why they would even make this and release it is beyond me. I find myself having to choose between shows much more often than I find myself missing a show....so a 2-tuner DVR is a must for me.

i think you mean the 6212.

the 6208's have been out in most areas for a while now.

I think you both mean the 6412 (http://broadband.motorola.com/dvr/dct6412.asp)

krooooog: Rent a 6208 and keep your 6200/5100 and you have a kludgy 2-tuner setup. I did that and I am able to keep my 6208 recording and archiving to my DVHS without having to miss any live TV.

I was asking the same question (about the 6412) in the HD Recorders forum. Apparently Cox is already installing them. Comcast should have them ready to go but is waiting for the new software from TVGuide (iGuide). I was hoping Comcast woulod use a different software since TVGuide's sucks, and we could get the 6412 sooner!

Has anyone tried to dump SD recordings from 6408 to a DVD recorder?

Originally posted by renpar61
I was asking the same question (about the 6412) in the HD Recorders forum. Apparently Cox is already installing them. Comcast should have them ready to go but is waiting for the new software from TVGuide (iGuide). I was hoping Comcast woulod use a different software since TVGuide's sucks, and we could get the 6412 sooner!

Comcast will be using software from Microsoft for some of the 6412 deployments; there was a press release about this several months ago.

It will be the Gemstar iGuide in NJ for now anyways.......I heard that the Microsoft guide is having all sorts of functional / software issues.

May I add a couple of things? I have recorded shows on the comcast 6208 box with the DVR from the Discovery HD Theater Channel in my area for later viewing. One was "The Secrets of Bryce and Zion National Parks". When my family watched it later that evening we were astounded by the beautiful 16:9 aspect and HD picture. We have watched it several times, and I can't even get myself to delete it. It has become our show piece on HD programming to our friends.

Also renpar61, I recently purchased the Toshiba RX-32S DVD recorder, and experimented with any and all types of recording from analog/HD/video camera/didital viveo camera/etc. to really check its quality and features. Everthing I recorded from the TV/cable box/cameras/and even the VCR was very NICE!!! Realize that the Toshiba does NOT have component IN input, and all video goes in as S-video level. Still the PQ was very nice, Nothing like VHS. The HD material I recorded from the 6208, was very sharp and colorful, but it is NOT 16:9 or HD. But it is a great picture, and was easily redorded to DVD-R discs. I am a teacher in PA., and I have made several discs from Discovery HD to share with my 7th grade students.

I was glad to see that "Da Ali G Show" was recorded in the same format asa it was "broadcast" in on HBOHD...an upconverted 4:3 image that's much better than the SD HBO feed.

Anyone know of a way to add storage capacity to the 6208?

Bill

Does anyone know why the Comcast interface is so clunky? I have friends who have Time Warner, and the digital cable menus are fast and informative, and don't have ads. Why is comcast so ugly? :)

I called Comcast today to see what model they will be installing and she said the 6208. When I said I have a DVI cable for it she said it doesn't support it yet (Dallas area suburb).

Does anyone who has Comcast in this area know this to be true?

Thanks

your 6208 should most certainly have the dvi output working. even with the old firmware (7.07) the DVI output of my 6208 worked flawlessly. only when they added the copy protection did i have problems, but that problem was on my projector's end (it isn't HDCP compliant and had to be sent in for upgrade).

It doesn't surprise me that Comcast told you that, since they've told me things like they don't offer HD service, there's no such thing as an HD recorder, etc. In my many years of dealing with CSR's, Comcast really takes the cake for misinformation and rudeness.

PS - some people say that DVI looks no better than component. I strongly disagree. When i switched back to component after months of using DVI, even a well calibrated component connection could not come close to the amazing crispness and picture depth (strong black and white levels) that DVI accomplishes. if it wasn't such a huge jump i wouldn't have bothered upgrading my projector.

Not sure where you heard about "all the problems" with Microsoft's stuff but that is unsubstantiated and incorrect. Feel free to PM me with any Comcast or Moto evidence you have of this. 1.7 is looking good -- especially on the 6412.

shannonv,
can you confirm PQ improvements on the 6412 compared to 6200? what about lags on guide/channel flipping?

Thanks oleus, it seems I get a different answer every time I call Comcast!

And I agree with you on component vs DVI - My Samsung OTA tuner has a noticably improved display with DVI over component. Even my wife could see the difference (Sammy 50" DLP).

Just hoping that Comcast HD local channels produce a picture of equal quality as my antenna did. We shall see on Sunday...

Originally posted by jazzcat
Thanks oleus, it seems I get a different answer every time I call Comcast!

And I agree with you on component vs DVI - My Samsung OTA tuner has a noticably improved display with DVI over component. Even my wife could see the difference (Sammy 50" DLP).

Just hoping that Comcast HD local channels produce a picture of equal quality as my antenna did. We shall see on Sunday... This is great news. I can hardly wait to begin using DVI to my sammy DLP once I get FW 7.15. Do any of you notice improvements with DVI on SD or analog using DVI vs. component?

Originally posted by tall1
This is great news. I can hardly wait to begin using DVI to my sammy DLP once I get FW 7.15. Do any of you notice improvements with DVI on SD or analog using DVI vs. component?

I didn't notice as much a difference between Component and DVI when viewing OTA DTV stations (Not broadcasting HD) but they looked great as opposed to looking at the same channel on standard Comcast analog cable feed. I may get a 4 way DVI switch so I can keep the OTA receiver hooked up with the DVR and DVD player.

Also, when using DVI vs. component, the difference in quality doesn't reach out and bite you on the butt :D You notice better edge detail and a little bit more sharpness. Enough that I prefer the DVI. Need to add that I had the Sammy ISF'ed as well. That in itself made a huge difference.

on large displays (and especially projectors), DVI makes a big difference.

as for the local channels, they SHOULD look identical to OTA. so far they have for me.

the only exception has been NBC-HD during the olympics. it seems a little more zoomed in from my comcast box.

This morning I noticed a line of video noise along the top border of the screen on all the SD channels. The higher digital channels are fine. It appears that Comcast upgraded our firmware here last night from 7.07 to 7.15. When I bypass the 5100 and come into the set directly from the wall, everything is fine. Have any of you had similar experiences and have you had any success with Comcast addressing the problem?

Is anyone else still having DVI issues with 7.15? I have a 6208, and I keep getting digital "snow", and I have to either switch from a regular channel to a HD channel, power off the box, or power off the TV to get it to reset.

I was hoping that the 7.15 firmware would fix the problem, but it hasn't. DVI was working perfectly fine with my TV when i had a 5100. I have a Sony 34XBR800.

Any ideas what the problem still is, and will it be fixed?

Originally posted by rushr1
This morning I noticed a line of video noise along the top border of the screen on all the SD channels. The higher digital channels are fine. It appears that Comcast upgraded our firmware here last night from 7.07 to 7.15. When I bypass the 5100 and come into the set directly from the wall, everything is fine. Have any of you had similar experiences and have you had any success with Comcast addressing the problem?

I have the same problem. I'm coming from D*; moved to new house, plugged in the 5100 w/ 7.15 and get a thin (1/2"?) white/black band of video noise at the top of the screen on SD channels. It doesn't seem like it's all the SD channels, just the ones that correspond to the analogue channels (2-99 in MA). Really distracting - to the point where I leave the 5100 bypass on and watch analogue. At first I thought my HLN507 must be under-scanning, but other SD channels in the 100s-300s are fine. Using component; same problem with DVI connection.

Haven't called Comcast on it yet - wanted to see if anyone else had the problem!

I'm experiencing the same problem in metro Detroit area. I only see it on DVI. Component is fine.

I had this problem on one SD channel. Check your POS-Y in the SM if you have a Sammy. I changed the value from 4 to 15 and it moved the video noise off the top of the screen. SD looks great now.

I have Comcast FW 7.10. I got the 6208 in May 04 and the FW has never been upgraded. The channel that had the video noise was the HD fox affiliate.

EDIT: A special thanks to Syzygy for this fix.

I fixed it in my Samsung HLN507W by entering its Service Menu and changing POS-Y in the DDP1010 section from 16 to 23. This left Fox's letterboxing more or less centered vertically, but now HBO's letterboxing is higher than ever.

(To enter the Samsung HLM/HLN/HLP Service Menu, turn off the TV and press Mute-1-8-2-Power in quick succession; you should first turn Melody off in the user menu to allow entering the Service Menu from the power-on state without using a lamp cycle.)

P.S. --

Don't admit to Samsung that you tweaked the SM (even though this particular tweak should be perfectly harmless)... An AVS forum member reported they wouldn't do some work under warranty because he went into the SM.

Originally posted by tall1
I had this problem on one SD channel. Check your POS-Y in the SM if you have a Sammy. I changed the value from 4 to 15 and it moved the video noise off the top of the screen. SD looks great now.

I have a Sammy hln507w1 and will check the SM tonight. Thanks for the help.

I am seeing this on both Component and DVI for channels 2-99. This was not a problem with 7.07. Irritating that Comcast firmware requires SM tweeks to fix their upgrades.

I got my 5100 swapped out this morning for the 6208. Not sure if I am imagining things or if others have seen the difference in PQ of the SD channels. The new box is configured and wired exactly the same as the 5100 but I notice a worse PQ on the standard channels, NOT HD, than I had with the 5100.

I have the 50" Sammy.

Thanks,
Gary

Originally posted by Gary943
I got my 5100 swapped out this morning for the 6208. Not sure if I am imagining things or if others have seen the difference in PQ of the SD channels. The new box is configured and wired exactly the same as the 5100 but I notice a worse PQ on the standard channels, NOT HD, than I had with the 5100.

I have the 50" Sammy.

Thanks,
Gary Get used to a lousy analog SD picture...that is the downside with the 6208s. Lot's of folks have complained about this with the 6208s. Any chance you can rent a 5100 for analog SD? I rented an additional 6200 and the analog SD looks a little better than the 6208. I use component to my Sammy 50'" due to all the problems with DVI. I think some folks have run S-Video out and are happy with the analog SD channels. The 6208 has an S-Video in...I am not certain this is a two-way port.

I have a 6200 with firmware 7.15 and am having a strange DVI-related problem.

I have a Fujitsu P50. The 6200's DVI output is connected directly to the P50's DVI input. I have the component output of the 6200 connected to the P50 through a Yamaha receiver.

If I power up the 6200 when the P50's input is set to DVI, everything is fine. If I then switch the P50 input to component, everything is still fine. But if I then switch the P50 back to DVI, something really strange happens. The picture goes into a weird 3-way split-screen mode. It's as if the whole screen has been shifted left about 1/3 of its width with the stuff shifted off the left side of the picture reappearing on the right side of the display. It's broken into an additional vertical stripe about an inch wide sandwiched between the two larger sections. There's a hard vertical line between each of the three sections. It goes back to normal when I power cycle the 6200.

If I power up the 6200 while the P50 input is component, the picture looks fine, but if I then switch to DVI input, it goes into split screen weirdness. It seems that the switch to DVI from component triggers this condition.

This happens when the 6200 is on an HD channel. I haven't tried it when watching SD, so I don't know if it's a problem there too.

None of my other component sources (DVD, etc.) display the splits when switching to them after the 6200 has gone into weird mode.

Has anyone else seen this? Is there a fix?

i was having similar problems as far back as 7.07 with my projector - instead of the powering on/off cycles, i tried just quickly changing inputs on the projector, switching back to DVI, and it was fine.

that is, it was fine until 7,15 and HDCP, which drove my non-compliant projector nuts, which is why it's being serviced right now.

Does anyone have any advice on what kind of universal remote to use with the 6200?

I highly recommend the Harmony remote.

Originally posted by jaykelly
I highly recommend the Harmony remote. I'll second that...for their customer support alone it is worth it.

Originally posted by tall1
I had this problem on one SD channel. Check your POS-Y in the SM if you have a Sammy. I changed the value from 4 to 15 and it moved the video noise off the top of the screen. SD looks great now.

I have Comcast FW 7.10. I got the 6208 in May 04 and the FW has never been upgraded. The channel that had the video noise was the HD fox affiliate.

EDIT: A special thanks to Syzygy for this fix.

I fixed it in my Samsung HLN507W by entering its Service Menu and changing POS-Y in the DDP1010 section from 16 to 23. This left Fox's letterboxing more or less centered vertically, but now HBO's letterboxing is higher than ever.

(To enter the Samsung HLM/HLN/HLP Service Menu, turn off the TV and press Mute-1-8-2-Power in quick succession; you should first turn Melody off in the user menu to allow entering the Service Menu from the power-on state without using a lamp cycle.)



I went to the SM tonight and changed my POS Y from 15 to 20 and everything is now perfect. Thanks for the tip!!! No need now to call and complain to Comcast. Looks like 7.15 will work for me after all.

Does anyone have a recommended setting for the 4:3 override in the 6200 settings menu? My TV doesn't do 1080i upconversion but it does do 3:2 pulldown ("Film" mode). I don't have DVI so I am using component cables. I have tried the "off" setting and it "seems" to be better than 480i but it is hard to tell since the scenes have changed by the time I can change the setting (sure would be nice if you could change the setting without shutting down and re-powering the 6200). Does the 6200 really up-convert (scale) or does it just send the same pixels over more lines? Has anyone tried this with a similar TV (Toshiba 65H82)?

Since your set doesn't lock in full on 1080i input, you're fine with off. With my box and set (50hx81), it locks in full on 1080i input, so I'd be stuck with black pillarbars for SD upconverted content.

So yes I think you have it set right for your set.

I'm not sure what the box does for upconversion. typically it's got to de-interlace (SD input to the box should be 480i) to 480p, then scale to 1080p (if set to no), then re-interlace.

Best,
jeff

Originally posted by tall1
Get used to a lousy analog SD picture...that is the downside with the 6208s. Lot's of folks have complained about this with the 6208s. Any chance you can rent a 5100 for analog SD? I rented an additional 6200 and the analog SD looks a little better than the 6208. I use component to my Sammy 50'" due to all the problems with DVI. I think some folks have run S-Video out and are happy with the analog SD channels. The 6208 has an S-Video in...I am not certain this is a two-way port.

Does anyone have any insight into why the 6208 has the quality issue and not the 5100? Does it have something to do with possibly adding compressin as it records to the hard drive? It just seems strange that the SD quality suffers on this box.

I am in Plymouth Mi. I called Comcast who told me to reboot which BTW did not work. I tightened all my splitter connections---that didn't work. I was getting all other HD feeds.

I'm stumped, do I have a local problem or was ther a generic issue in my local Comcast ESPN feed?

I have a 6200 DVR from Insight hooked up a Sammy HLP5063 via DVI. Man does the analog PQ STINK! Direct cable feed from wall much better, perfectly acceptable. I searched this giant thread and see this is a common issue. Insight cs says they are trying to have all channels in digital by yearend, and that Motorola is trying to have a dual-tuner box out by yearend too. I guess there is no solution to this other than using a splitter so you can watch direct cable feed on 1-100 and 6200 on digital channels and HD? I did compare the analog pq using S video from 6200, it was better than DVI but still worse than direct feed. Why would motorola put out a product that is unable to properly handle analog signals?

Originally posted by Gary943
Does anyone have any insight into why the 6208 has the quality issue and not the 5100? Does it have something to do with possibly adding compressin as it records to the hard drive? It just seems strange that the SD quality suffers on this box.

I do not have a 6208 yet, but I find your reference to the 5100 having "better" pq on channels 2-99 disturbing. I've been using the 5100 for at least a year (in Mount Prospect) and find its 2-99 pq unacceptable/unwatchable, through component cables. So much so, that I use the splitter technique refered to by E28M5, only using the 5100 for true HD programming.

I couldn't imagine any worse PQ, unless the analogs were nothing but snow!

Jerry, I have the same issue with my P50. I am not worrying about it. Only happens in a very limited situation. I have not seen or heard of any fix.

Mike

Originally posted by HD Rookie
I do not have a 6208 yet, but I find your reference to the 5100 having "better" pq on channels 2-99 disturbing. I've been using the 5100 for at least a year (in Mount Prospect) and find its 2-99 pq unacceptable/unwatchable, through component cables. So much so, that I use the splitter technique refered to by E28M5, only using the 5100 for true HD programming.

I couldn't imagine any worse PQ, unless the analogs were nothing but snow!

I have both and they are both lousy.

I also run a raw feed into my antenna input on my HLN 5065. You do get to mess around with the PIP this way. A long time ago I had heard there wasn't a discreet code for antenna input on the HLN...has anybody located a discreet code for this?

Originally posted by HD Rookie
I do not have a 6208 yet, but I find your reference to the 5100 having "better" pq on channels 2-99 disturbing. I've been using the 5100 for at least a year (in Mount Prospect) and find its 2-99 pq unacceptable/unwatchable, through component cables. So much so, that I use the splitter technique refered to by E28M5, only using the 5100 for true HD programming.

I couldn't imagine any worse PQ, unless the analogs were nothing but snow!

After just having the 5100 replaced by the 6208 I can confirm that the SD looks worse on the 6208. I was at the point where I was accepting the quality on the SD on the 5100 but now I can hardly watch it. I have thought about doing the split on the feed but changing inputs on the Sammy is such a pain and I really rely on the program guide. I'm still curious if anyone can get any insight into why the 6208 is so much worse.

Originally posted by Gary943
...I have thought about doing the split on the feed but changing inputs on the Sammy is such a pain and I really rely on the program guide. I'm still curious if anyone can get any insight into why the 6208 is so much worse.

My sentiments exactly, but the Insight cs rep says she has the same issues in her home and does the split and just lives w/ it. She also said "please be patient w/ us". Hmmm...

My option is to have two boxes, one for SD and one for HD. This is a poor option because the HD only box has no guides on it and no DVI, and there is no DVR. Insight's cs has been quite good, Motorola is just supplying crappy boxes.

I blame the poorer PQ on the DVR...

Jerry, I have the same issue with my P50. I am not worrying about it. Only happens in a very limited situation. I have not seen or heard of any fix.
Mike,

I've found a workaround: switch channels. This fixes it until I switch away from and back to the DVI input.

If you use composite or Y/C the pq on analog channels might look better.
The problem is changing colorspace. Composite and Y/C (S-video) use one colorspace, component uses a different colorspace, and the box has to convert between them, which it obviously doesn't do very well (no surprise, it takes expensive professional equipment to do it well)...

You're probably better off using a splitter and your TV's tuner. Better PQ and you get to have PIP ..

Originally posted by Gary943
Does anyone have any insight into why the 6208 has the quality issue and not the 5100? Does it have something to do with possibly adding compressin as it records to the hard drive? It just seems strange that the SD quality suffers on this box.

Yes, that's exactly the issue.

The MPEG-2 encoding is done on a single-chip. There is no way the quality is going to come anywhere close to the professional MPEG-2 encoders used to encode the SD channels.

Additionally, the quality will decrease dramatically if your analog is poor to begin with.

I just made the jump to HD with that box also and let me tell you I'm extreamly disapointed!!!! All of my analog channels look grainy going through the cable box. Piping the signal straight in from the wall it is 100x better looking for analog channels. The other thing is that for those channels the image coming out of the cable box is moved about 1/2-3/4 of an inch to the left (65inch mits TV). I have had my cable company come out and replace the box but they couldn't fix it. The technician said that ALL of the HD/PVR Motorola boxes they have are grainy for analog channels and he couldn't explain or fix the off centered picture. My provider is Comcast and I live in Acworth Ga.

Sounds like you're watching 480i. Turn the cable box off and access the alternenate menu (by hitting the menu button) and switch to 1080i. Same thing happened to me until I found the manual on the Internet. Cable guys were no help.

Originally posted by Opoc
... The other thing is that for those channels the image coming out of the cable box is moved about 1/2-3/4 of an inch to the left (65inch mits TV). I have had my cable company come out and replace the box but they couldn't fix it. The technician said that ALL of the HD/PVR Motorola boxes they have are grainy for analog channels and he couldn't explain or fix the off centered picture. My provider is Comcast and I live in Acworth Ga.

Did you adjust screen position from Menu/Main Menu/Setup/Screen Position? That did it for my Mits. If that works, you should re-check the settings by accessing the tool from analog, digital SD and HD.

-Mike

Did you adjust screen position from Menu/Main Menu/Setup/Screen Position? That did it for my Mits. If that works, you should re-check the settings by accessing the tool from analog, digital SD and HD.

I'm assuming you mean through the stb menu, becuase my Mits doesn't have a way to adjust the screen position. But if you are talking about the stb menu then that adjustment only applies to the position of the OSD for the stb and not the picture itself.

Sounds like you're watching 480i. Turn the cable box off and access the alternenate menu (by hitting the menu button) and switch to 1080i. Same thing happened to me until I found the manual on the Internet. Cable guys were no help.

Yes of course I'm watching 480i. If I change it to 1080i for all non HD stations through that menu (actualy turning the 4:3 overide to 'off') then all non HD stations will be in 4:3 format on my 16:9 screen without the ability to strech the image. My Mits can not strech or change the dimentions of a 1080i input. My mits is about 3-4 years old, not sure if the new ones can.

Update: A different cable guy came out today and he was extreamly sharp. But he was baffled why all the 6208 boxes (4 of them now have been tried) all do the same thing. He is going to go demonstrate my problem to a few managers. I'll explain my probem a little more in detail so others can check to see if they have it also...

Setup:
1. Output the signal coming from the wall into a splitter.
2. One output of the splitter runs to anolog in A on the TV. The other runs to the STB (cable box).
3. STB YpbPr component output to the Mits DTV YpbPr input
4. Set both inputs on the TV to 'narrow' or 4:3 non streched (this will put the image in a 4:3 format on the screen, this isn't really needed but it rules out the problem being one with the streching of the image.)
5. Change the channel on both inputs to something like CNN (anything that has a static non moving graphic or text. CNN works good becuase of the big CNN in the bottom left.)
6. Make sure you are watching the anolog input and put your finger on the screen where the 'C' is in the 'CNN' on the lower left part of the picture.
7. Switch inputs so you are watching the out put of the cable box and the 'C' is now about 3/4 of an inch (reletive to a 65 inch tv) to the left of your finger. (the whole image actually moves left and also up alittle too.)

I do not have a DVI input on my tv but me and the Comcast tech tried the RF output of the cable box and ran it to the two different RF inputs of the TV and still the same problem. We also set up a normal digital cablebox (non HD) and compare the picture of digital stations like espn channels and the image was also moved to the left out of the HD box.

Anyone else get the same results?

I just got the 6208 box today and this thing stinks. I really don't know what I am going to do. All the regular channels look HORRIBLE, the picture was better coming from my regular stb via composite cables.

I am also have this dotted white line problem on the right side of my tv when 4:3 channel is being displayed. And it looks like the picture is shifted to the left. I have the 4:3 override to off, I want it this way so that I can have the black bars from the STB. My tv (JVC HD-ILA) gives off grey bars, and I dont want 4:3 material stretched.

I have tried pic quality via component and DVI (using an HDMI adapter) and still have the same issues.

I really need help with this STB, how they hell can I tweak it to look better?

From what I heard the new dual tuner boxes should be out soon, I hope they will be better quality.

I am also have this dotted white line problem on the right side of my tv when 4:3 channel is being displayed. And it looks like the picture is shifted to the left. I have the 4:3 override to off, I want it this way so that I can have the black bars from the STB. My tv (JVC HD-ILA) gives off grey bars, and I dont want 4:3 material stretched.

With my 6208 4:3 override set to 480i the picture comes over in a 4:3 format with the ability not to strech the image (grey bars on the sides). But if I put the 4:3 overide to off I get the white dots to the right of my picture. You may want to leave your 4:3 overide set to 480i.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Opoc

Yes of course I'm watching 480i. If I change it to 1080i for all non HD stations through that menu (actualy turning the 4:3 overide to 'off') then all non HD stations will be in 4:3 format on my 16:9 screen without the ability to strech the image.


And not being able to stretch a 4:3 image to 16:9 would be a bad thing because??
I simply do not understand this--this and other threads involvong HDTV are rife with people scrutinizing the tiniest things wrong they believe that they can find in their picture quality. And yet people also voluntarily want to ruin their picture by stretching and horribly distorting it. If you are going to introduce major distortion of the image, why bother with this at all?

Originally posted by lmplot
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Opoc

Yes of course I'm watching 480i. If I change it to 1080i for all non HD stations through that menu (actualy turning the 4:3 overide to 'off') then all non HD stations will be in 4:3 format on my 16:9 screen without the ability to strech the image.


And not being able to stretch a 4:3 image to 16:9 would be a bad thing because??
I simply do not understand this--this and other threads involvong HDTV are rife with people scrutinizing the tiniest things wrong they believe that they can find in their picture quality. And yet people also voluntarily want to ruin their picture by stretching and horribly distorting it. If you are going to introduce major distortion of the image, why bother with this at all?

To avoid burn-in from the pillar boxes. The 5% of the time I watch SD TV I stretch the image also. My Mits gives about 5-6 different modes and some aren't too bad. And since the image quality of SD being mediocre who cares about a little stretching.

Jim

Originally posted by julkruk
...My tv (JVC HD-ILA) gives off grey bars, and I dont want 4:3 material stretched...

julkruk,

Why do you care about grey bars (to avoid burn-in) if you have a D-ILA TV??? D-ILA is a digital format not susceptible to burn-in like CRT and plasma:confused:

To avoid burn-in from the pillar boxes. The 5% of the time I watch SD TV I stretch the image also. My Mits gives about 5-6 different modes and some aren't too bad. And since the image quality of SD being mediocre who cares about a little stretching.

I totally aggree. I don't want screen burn-in. Also the difference between 1. streching a good picture
and
2. having the horrible looking analog output and non-centered picture(missing part of the image on the left) from the 6208

are two totally different things.
A streched good picture will prevent screen burn-in but getting comcast and motorola to fix the 6208 will prevent my eyes/head from hurting watching the horrible output of this box.

Heh some myths die hard.

First you aren't going to get burn-in on a digital set. Period. Second even with CRT if you turn the contrast down to non-torch levels you'll be fine. Especially if you only watch "SD 5% of the time".... heh :roll:

As for analog PQ, why are you using analog anyway, doesn't your fancy new digital TV have a DVI input?

Well either way I can tell you the 6200 has excellent PQ on HD channels using either component or DVI. If you are using composite, why did you even bother with a HDTV?? As for SD PQ, well it's crap to begin with, what do you expect? Nothing the 6200 can do about that.

Heh some myths die hard.

First you aren't going to get burn-in on a digital set. Period. Second even with CRT if you turn the contrast down to non-torch levels you'll be fine. Especially if you only watch "SD 5% of the time".... heh :roll:

As for analog PQ, why are you using analog anyway, doesn't your fancy new digital TV have a DVI input?


Amazingly enough that myth, as you call it, is published by the manufacture of my TV.

"Warning: Do not leave stationary or letterbox images on-screen for
extended periods of time. Mix the types of pictures shown.
Uneven picture tube aging is NOT covered by your warranty.
The normal use of a TV should include
a mixture of TV picture types. The most
frequently used picture types should fill
the screen with constantly moving images
rather than stationary images or patterns.
Displaying the same stationary patterns
over extended periods of time, or displaying
the same stationary pattern frequently
can leave a subtle but permanent ghost
image. To avoid this, mix your viewing
pattern. Do not show the same stationary
image for more than 15% of your total TV
viewing in any one week. Display constantly
moving and changing images that
fill the screen whenever possible.
This projection TV uses picture tubes to
project the image to the screen. All
picture tubes age with use. As they
age, their light output is gradually reduced.
Normal TV pictures fill the screen with
constantly changing images. Under these
conditions, picture tubes age at an even
rate across the entire screen. This maintains
a TV picture that is evenly bright over
the whole screen. Stationary images or
images that only partially fill the screen
(leaving black or colored bars to fill the
screen), when used over extended periods
of time or when viewed repeatedly, can
cause uneven aging of the phosphors
and leave subtle ghosts of the stationary
images in the picture"

And as I have stated before in a previous post, my TV doesn't have DVI it has YPrPb.

Originally posted by DHarp193
julkruk,

Why do you care about grey bars (to avoid burn-in) if you have a D-ILA TV??? D-ILA is a digital format not susceptible to burn-in like CRT and plasma:confused:

That is my point, the D-ILA puts out grey bars, I WANT the black bars from the set top box because the black is less noticeable. They put grey to avoid burn in on a non burn inalbe set, so I confused also.

I kinda found a fix, I set my 6208 to output 720p instead of 1080i and the white dotted line is gone. My tv is native 720p.

I don't think the DVI helps with SD pic quality. Some regular channels look pretty darn good, but others just look TERRIBLE. I guess I will just have to wait until most stations become better quality. I know they will never be all HD, but I can have a pipe dream can't I<

OK, now I see what you're saying julkruk, and I agree with you. Grey bars on a digital TV is stupid...what were they thinking:rolleyes:??? Isn't there any way to turn them off in the menu?

Originally posted by Opoc
Amazingly enough that myth, as you call it, is published by the manufacture of my TV.



Agreed. It is not a myth. On CRT based displays it is a very real possibilty. Just ask any ISF calibrator.

Jim :)

In the RPTV forum there is a thread devoted to "burn-in" issues just as this thread is devoted to Comcast related issues. :cool:

How can I tell if i have a motorola 5100 or 6200?

also, my HD picture is great from the motorola box but my non-HD channels are always grainy and I can't figure out why.

It is becuase Motorola boxes are JUNK, everyone that is has one of these needs to call into Comcast and tell them your cable is broke. They need their customers to drive them to take action to get this resolved.