New moto 6412 with HDMI and SATA [Text View] - Page 5

scanpa

02-28-06, 03:59 PM

There is no Moto DCT series STB that Comcast will allow use of a external Hard Drive on at this time. The eSATA port is installed and active, however there are no Hard Drives on the market that are compliant for use with the Moto STB.

Now for Comcast SA STB users there is now a Compliant External HD available.

Maxtor QuickView QVX Expander- Upgrade your Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300 HD, 8300 MR and 8300 HD-MR

Maxtor QuickView QVX Expander - Sealed Retail EXTERNAL Drives In stock
NEW 160GB Maxtor QuickView Expander External Hard Drive
Brand new 160GB Maxtor QuickView Expander QVX Hard drive. SATA hard drive for use in Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300 High Definition Cable boxes (Scientific-Atlanta Explorer 8300 series (8300 HD, 8300 MR, and 8300 HD-MR Digital Video Recorders)). DOA warranty through weaKnees. This drive is a "plug and play" external drive and works only with the SA8300. FREE SHIPPING. See below FAQ and details.
$189.00

NEW 300GB Maxtor QuickView Expander External Hard Drive
Brand new 300GB Maxtor QuickView Expander QVX Hard drive. SATA hard drive for use in Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300 High Definition Cable boxes (Scientific-Atlanta Explorer 8300 series (8300 HD, 8300 MR, and 8300 HD-MR Digital Video Recorders)). DOA warranty through weaKnees. This drive is a "plug and play" external drive and works only with the SA8300. FREE SHIPPING. See below for FAQ and details.
$289.00

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

The following FAQ is designed to help answer any questions you may have.

What is the Maxtor QuickView Expander drive?
First of its kind in the market, the Maxtor QuickView Expander drive plugs into a digital video recorder (DVR) to add up to roughly 200 hours of recording time (depending on the system and signal quality), once the DVR is enabled by the provider for external recording. The new QuickView Expander offering leverages the core technology of Maxtor QuickView hard drives.

When will the Maxtor QuickView Expander be available?
You can purchase the QuickView Expander online from weaKnees.com here.

Is the Maxtor QuickView Expander compatible with any DVR?
At this time, the Maxtor QuickView Expander drive only works in association with the Scientific-Atlanta Explorer 8300 series (8300 HD, 8300 MR, and 8300 HD-MR Digital Video Recorders). It works with many companies/8300HD boxes, but not all. It depends primarily on which software is running on your box.. Cable boxes that run the SARA software are fully compatible, those that run the Passport software are not. For example all Cox cable subscribers with the 8300HD are fully compatible. To check which software is on your box:

Go into Diagnostic Mode. There are two ways to enter the Diagnostic Mode:

Press and hold the Select button on the front of the unit until the Mail light starts to flash, then press the INFO button.

Press and hold the Pause button on the remote until the Mail light starts to flash (around 10-15 seconds), then press the Page Up (-) button.

Scroll through the pages until you see SARA or PASSPORT listed. If you see SARA, then your box is compatible!

How many extra hours of recording time can users expect after adding the QuickView Expander to a DVR?
Results will vary. A 300GB QuickView Expander recorded with standard definition television can store approximately 200 hours of content. A high-definition television signal is roughly 8 to 10 times larger than standard definition. Therefore, if you record the same 300GB drive with high-definition content, you will get about 20-25 hours of recorded HD content.

What interfaces will be offered for connecting the Maxtor QuickView Expander to the DVR?
The interface available today is external SATA (eSATA).

What about digital rights management (DRM) and content protection?
Maxtor strongly supports the protection of intellectual property and cooperates with industry endorsed digital rights management (DRM) solutions. The QuickView Expander drive is designed to work in conjunction with the DRM protection scheme that currently exists in the Explorer 8300 series as implemented by Scientific-Atlanta.

Is the QuickView Expander drive "portable"?
No, the QuickView Expander is not a portable drive. This drive is not designed to be used as an attachment to a PC.

What will happen if the QuickView Expander drive is plugged into a PC?
If you connect the QuickView Expander drive to a PC, the recorded content will not be viewable. Users will be prompted to reformat the drive before the device can be used, causing all content to be erased.

Is it okay to disconnect a QuickView Expander drive from a DVR?
Users are advised not to unplug, or disconnect the QuickView drive while the DVR unit is plugged in or operating. To safely disconnect the drive from a DVR, first unplug the DVR from its power source, wait 10 seconds, and then disconnect the QuickView drive.

Can I use a QuickView Expander drive on multiple DVRs in the house?
Moving a QuickView drive from one DVR unit to another will require reformatting before use on another DVR, causing all recordings that were previously saved to be erased.

Can I take all of my favorite shows that were previously saved to my DVR and move them to my QuickView Expander drive?
No. Once your QuickView Expander drive is connected to the DVR, it cannot be used as an archiving device. This means the DVR unit will not allow you to copy all of your saved programs to the QuickView Expander drive once it is connected. Recording logic that is built in to the DVR decides where the next recorded program is stored. The drive with the most available space will store the next recorded program. The DVR will not allow you to specify the location of the next recording on the internal DVR drive or the external QuickView drive. The DVR does not span recorded programs from the internal drive to the external drive.

I always defragment the hard disk on my home computer. Does the QuickView drive require defragmenting?
No. Your QuickView drive does not require defragmenting. Hard disk fragmentation is caused by two things - small files that take up only a portion of a sector on the disk, plus constant addition, and deletion of small files that creates gaps in the media on the drive. Both situations make it hard to find a large continuous block of disk space for storing new content. Since DVRs record a small number of very large files, a disk defragmenter isn't necessary.

How can I tell if a recorded show is stored on the internal DVR drive or the external QuickView Expander drive?
The DVR does not allow users to see where the content is stored, internally or externally. However, a list of recorded programs is stored on the internal DVR's drive. This can be useful when trying to diagnose and solve technical issues between the external QuickView drive and the internal drive. To do this, the external QuickView drive must first be safely disconnected. The programs that have been stored on the external drive will show up in the DVR's recorded list, but they won't be available to be viewed.

Where should users place the QuickView drive in an entertainment center?
It is up to the user. However, it is important not to obstruct the front or rear panels of the QuickView Expander drive. The QuickView Expander drive comes equipped with front air vents and a thermostatically controlled rear fan. The fan operates when a predetermined drive temperature is reached. You should only hear the fan running occasionally, or you may never hear it running at all. If you hear the fan running constantly you will want to reduce the ambient (surrounding) air temperature in and around the components in your entertainment center. Some components will have vent holes in the tops and sides allowing heat to escape. Do not stack the QuickView Expander drive on top of, or block the vent holes of other components in your entertainment center.

It sounds like the fan is always running on the QuickView Expander drive. What can users do to turn it off?
The fan is controlled by an internal thermostat and will shut off after a predetermined temperature is reached. If the fan never shuts off, try opening the doors to the entertainment center. Some components generate heat inside the confines of a cabinet when the doors are closed. The QuickView Expander drive and most DVRs remain in stand-by mode even if they are not being used, or the power has been turned off by the switch on the front of the unit.

How will users know when the QuickView Expander drive is almost out of recording space?
When trying to schedule the next recording, the DVR will provide an on screen warning if there is insufficient space available. If this is the case, users may find it necessary to delete some previously recorded programs.

What if my DVR malfunctions or my cable provider decides to upgrade or swap out my DVR with a new one?
Any previously recorded content on your QuickView Expander drive will not be available for viewing on your new DVR, and the QuickView Expander drive will have to be reformatted before use, causing all recordings that were previously saved to be erased.

DaveFi

02-28-06, 09:48 PM

????? What was the point of that last post? This thread is not about Scientific Atlanta boxes.

scanpa

02-28-06, 10:04 PM

????? What was the point of that last post? This thread is not about Scientific Atlanta boxes.

My POINT Dave,

If you have a Comcast Motorola DCT Series STB, there will be NO External Hard Drive Option, till the TiVo Software is available.

:)

02-28-06, 10:56 PM

If you have a Comcast Motorola DCT Series STB, there will be NO External Hard Drive Option, till the TiVo Software is available.

Tivo showed support for an external hard drive on the Tivo series 3, but this is the first I've heard that it will support it on a Comcast Motorola box.

Do you have any other tidbits on what the Tivo software will support on the Comcast box? MRV, HME, Tivo2go, remote scheduling, persistant guide data in MFS, etc? My guess is that little of this will be supported (a Comcast decision), but then I wouldn't have guessed they would allow a disk expansion for Tivo and not Iguide.

njeske

03-01-06, 06:57 PM

is there an ETA for the TIVO sofware rollout yet?

NIK23

03-01-06, 10:59 PM

Does anybody here have firmware 12.31 on their box? My box just got upgraded to this version last night and I have lost the ability to do 30-sec skip. I'm guessing this feature has been either disabled in this version or the code has been changed. So now I'm stuck with manually fast-forwarding through commercials. Has anybody seen this yet and is there any solution for this? On the plus side though the box works a lot quicker than before and the UI is more responsive.

njeske

03-01-06, 11:02 PM

NIK23

03-01-06, 11:46 PM

who is your cable provider?

Advanced Cable Communications. It's a small regional provider serving Weston and Coral Springs in South Florida, so I doubt that many of you have even heard of them.

bbbobbb

03-02-06, 12:12 AM

scanpa

03-02-06, 02:50 AM

Does anybody in Comcast land with a P3 6412 have a firmware above 12.18?

If so, when did you get it and where are you located?

I am tired of waiting for the "fix" so that recorded programs play back 5.1 with HDMI...

Thanks.

I have 12.22 on the Hershey Pa Comcast Head End.

You all have to remember that not every head end will be able to use the same firmware. it is coded per type of cable system & equipment used.

12.27 is the latest 6412p3 & 3412p1 F/W released to Comcast.

scanpa

03-02-06, 02:51 AM

is there an ETA for the TIVO sofware rollout yet?

Due to begin Beta Testing in a Comcast region in mid to late spring.

I would guess barring any major issues that rollout would be in late fall.

John Williams

03-02-06, 11:48 AM

I sure wish I was in that Comcast region and could sign up as a beta tester....

sigh

-John

Lee11

03-09-06, 11:04 AM

I got the new phase III box a few weeks ago and I haven't been impressed. It doesn't seem to be as responsive, there are delays in reacting to the remote. Also the problem with the fasforward and rewind not working after a firewire capture session is painful. I don't want to unplug the box each time and wait 30 mins just for the DVR menu to come back.

Also, on my particular box the digital music channels would not tune in. I have an appointment for tomorrow for the music channel problems. If he has to swap out the box I will ask for a phase I or II box. I only the got the phase III for the better analog tuner, which is not that much better, for the Olympics.

Any other feature I'm missing that I would want to keep the phase III for?

cavu

03-09-06, 11:28 AM

I got the new phase III box a few weeks ago and I haven't been impressed. It doesn't seem to be as responsive, there are delays in reacting to the remoteThe latest firmware solved a lot of issues but introduced the sluggishness you mention. I'm sure the next firmware push will fix that.Any other feature I'm missing that I would want to keep the phase III for?As opposed to what?

Lee11

03-09-06, 11:38 AM

The latest firmware solved a lot of issues but introduced the sluggishness you mention. I'm sure the next firmware push will fix that.As opposed to what?

Which firmware is the latest? I have firmware 12.20, any idea when Adelphia will push out a new version?

I was also asking if the phase III has any better features over the phase I and II then a better analog tuner.

Ladd

03-09-06, 01:00 PM

I am also with Adelphia (in Maryland) and my 6412 pIII is also at firmware 12.20. Adelphia tells me that there are no plans for a firmware update, despite my listing for them half-a-dozen UI items that don't work properly and which have been listed here as being fixed with more current firmware versions.

The glitch that I have most recently discovered that is most annoying: When setting up a "Series Recording" and the first episode to be aired conflicts time-wise with Series Recordings previously set up, the UI tells me that it can't record the first episode (as it should), but fails to schedule and record subsequent airings later in the week of that first episode

I am trying to set up a "Series Recording" for Monk, which repeats each individual episode several times during the week. Since the very first episode of Monk that will air in the future is at 10PM Friday night, the UI correctly tells me that it can't record that episode as I have both tuners scheduled to record other shows at that time (Numbers and Battlestar Galactica).

Unfortunately for me, the UI further says that there will be zero recordings for Monk in the future, even though the Guide clearly shows that there is a repeat of this episode at 1AM Saturday morning and 5PM Saturday afternoon.

Any advice as to how to work around this glitch would be most appreciated; having to remember each week to set up a recording for Monk will subject me to severe Wife Annoyance Factor when I finally forget to do it.

scanpa

03-09-06, 01:02 PM

edbolson

03-09-06, 01:17 PM

Does this happen even if you tell it to record Monk at anytime?

Of course, my first reaction is always "Get a TiVo", second is "Darn, I wish this box was a TiVo", and third is "Damn TiVo for not getting their HD act together long ago...".
Oh, the fourth is "why did TiVo have to come up with such obviously superior functionality and be unable to convince people that every DVR isn't the same?"

cavu

03-09-06, 01:34 PM

Which firmware is the latest? ... I was also asking if the phase III has any better features over the phase I and II then a better analog tuner.We have 12.26 (Shaw) but Scanpa says 12.27 is the most current.

The P3 obviously has HDMI for those that need it. I use the "DVI mode" (new firmware feature) with a DVI/HDMI adapter and the SPDIF digital audio out.

It runs cooler with an additional fan. SATA port for possible future expansion

I'm not convinced the analog channels are better.

Ladd

03-09-06, 01:35 PM

Go to all recording options and select all episodes. It will then record the episodes from all time's that do not conflict with higher priority set shows.Thanks for taking the time to answer. And yes, that would work.

I find, however, that the 6412 now wants to record 14 episodes that are scheduled in the next four days (Adelphia only populates the guide four days in the future. Don't get me started on that).

So now I would have to manually delete 14 episodes every couple of days and hope I don't get caught with the "whack-a-mole" UI bug that re-enables previously deleted scheduled recordings when deleting future ones.

While I definitely do not want to incur a Wife Annoyance Factor by missing a Monk, having to manually delete 13 scheduled recordings every few days makes me think there has to be an easier way. :)

Ladd

03-09-06, 01:44 PM

Does this happen even if you tell it to record Monk at anytime?Yes.

I thought I might be able to fool the UI by setting up the Series Recording using one of the Monks that airs in the middle of the night (not the airing that actually conflicts with something). Unfortunately, I get the same "won't record the Monk that conflicts with Numbers and BSG, nor any of the other ones either" message.

Of course, my first reaction is always "Get a TiVo", second is "Darn, I wish this box was a TiVo", and third is "Damn TiVo for not getting their HD act together long ago...".
Oh, the fourth is "why did TiVo have to come up with such obviously superior functionality and be unable to convince people that every DVR isn't the same?"Actually I have multiple TiVos and have said all of those phrases. Usually accompanied with improper language directed towards the 6412 because the dang box doesn't do what it clearly should do, which itself is only a shadow of what I actually want it to do.

I only hope that when the Tivo UI interface is rolled out onto the 6412 boxes that it isn't some half-baked port that will make all non-TiVo users go "I'm paying $3 a month extra for THIS!!!" and all TiVo users going "this barely resembles what I'm used to"

alanek

03-09-06, 01:55 PM

Yes.

I thought I might be able to fool the UI by setting up the Series Recording using one of the Monks that airs in the middle of the night (not the airing that actually conflicts with something). Unfortunately, I get the same "won't record the Monk that conflicts with Numbers and BSG, nor any of the other ones either" message.

Actually I have multiple TiVos and have said all of those phrases. Usually accompanied with improper language directed towards the 6412 because the dang box doesn't do what it clearly should do, which itself is only a shadow of what I actually want it to do.

I only hope that when the Tivo UI interface is rolled out onto the 6412 boxes that it isn't some half-baked port that will make all non-TiVo users go "I'm paying $3 a month extra for THIS!!!" and all TiVo users going "this barely resembles what I'm used to"
I have the same problem. I set a manual recording for the second airing. You will tape the reruns also but still only 1 a week.

I believe this week is the season finale for Battlestar so next week you can go back to your serirs recording of Monk.

Ladd

03-09-06, 02:02 PM

I have the same problem. I set a manual recording for the second airing. You will tape the reruns also but still only 1 a week.
By manual recording, do you mean setting up a recording "for one hour at 1AM to 2AM every Saturday morning on the USA Network regardless of what is actually on at that time"?

I can see how that would work, albeit without the beauty of the recorder keeping track of shows that move around to different times. But if that feature isn't working properly now, then I guess there is little loss.

cavu

03-09-06, 03:51 PM

By manual recording, do you mean setting up a recording "for one hour at 1AM to 2AM every Saturday morning on the USA Network regardless of what is actually on at that time"?Just like a VCR.

You do remember how to program a VCR, don't you!? ;)

NIK23

03-09-06, 07:33 PM

We have 12.26 (Shaw) but Scanpa says 12.27 is the most current.

I have 12.31. I think it's the most current version since my box just got upgraded few days ago.

Nathan_R

03-10-06, 10:11 AM

I have 12.31. I think it's the most current version since my box just got upgraded few days ago.

Meanwhile in Atlanta, we're still sitting on 12.18 with no "expected date as to when the firmware will be updated."

I send them weekly emails about the HDMI repeater problems and lack of 5.1 playback of DVR material.

Have you noticed any functionality changes or fixes in 12.31?

rugbycard

03-10-06, 08:38 PM

scanpa

03-10-06, 08:52 PM

Is there a firmware update history posted somewhere? I have only found bits and pieces on this thread unless I missed something.
I just got this box this week and am on 12.13 and have the lack of 5.1 on recorded material with hdmi.

No, as Firmware used in one area might not be coded the same for another area.

The basic F/W is coded by Motorola and them recoded or changed as needed by each MSO for set top box features and Head End Equipment.

Say F/W 12.22 might be in use at one head end, however it might not be useable yet in your head end.

12.13
12.15
12.18
12.20
12.22
12.24
12.25
12.26
12.27
12.28

are some of the various versions of the 12.xx series of Motorola F/W in use for the DCT-6412p3 & DCT-3412p1 STB.

rugbycard

03-10-06, 11:40 PM

No, as Firmware used in one area might not be coded the same for another area.

The basic F/W is coded by Motorola and them recoded or changed as needed by each MSO for set top box features and Head End Equipment.

Say F/W 12.22 might be in use at one head end, however it might not be useable yet in your head end.

12.13
12.15
12.18
12.20
12.22
12.24
12.25
12.26
12.27
12.28

are some of the various versions of the 12.xx series of Motorola F/W in use for the DCT-6412p3 & DCT-3412p1 STB.
I understand that the firmware updates are done locally and therefore there are lots of versions of 12.xx floating around out there.
I don't mean a firmware history like a timeline but a listing of the firmware versions and what they are supposed to fix or improve.

scanpa

03-10-06, 11:59 PM

I understand that the firmware updates are done locally and therefore there are lots of versions of 12.xx floating around out there.
I don't mean a firmware history like a timeline but a listing of the firmware versions and what they are supposed to fix or improve.

Most of the F/W 12.2x are to fix or update some Audio / HDMI issues plus update some internal drivers.

Most if not all of the problems have more to do with the STB Software and the IPG Software and how it works with the STB Hardware.

If you look at the various IPG software types used on the DCT-xxxx series STB, you will see allot of different problems, and a few that are related to the STB itself.

Right now there are 3 types of IPG Software used ($9.95 per month)

Microsoft
Passport
IGUIDE * ( New version due out in 2nd. or 3rd. Qtr. 2006 )

and coming soon as a upgraded service level ($14.95 per month)

TiVo

cavu

03-11-06, 12:37 AM

a listing of the firmware versions and what they are supposed to fix or improve.I understand what you are asking for BUT what earthly purpose would it serve?? And who cares? We have absolutely no control over what firmware level we have, hence no control over the bugs we suffer. It a pure situation of WYSIWYG.

UserNameTaken

03-11-06, 09:37 AM

I understand what you are asking for BUT what earthly purpose would it serve?? And who cares? We have absolutely no control over what firmware level we have, hence no control over the bugs we suffer. It a pure situation of WYSIWYG.
I disagree. Knowledge of what you have saves time. I would very much like a listing of the problems that are known to exist with the version of firmware my box has. Then I'd know what to expect and could devise workarounds (if possible) and wouldn't waste time trying to determine whether problems I'm experiencing are hardware failures or software issues.
This box is so crappy, this is the least that Motorola and the cable providers should do for us.

UserNameTaken

03-11-06, 09:43 AM

By manual recording, do you mean setting up a recording "for one hour at 1AM to 2AM every Saturday morning on the USA Network regardless of what is actually on at that time"?

I can see how that would work, albeit without the beauty of the recorder keeping track of shows that move around to different times. But if that feature isn't working properly now, then I guess there is little loss.
There is a way to set up such recordings - I've done it twice (once for the original box, and once for a replacment box) for the Simpsons, a show which has some problem recording correctly otherwise (I think you can't just get new episodes normally, for some reason it records all or none).
Now, how you do it is not so obvious, and I don't recall how. You just have to keep going when you're in a particular menu even though it doesn't seem like you're going down the right path. Poor interface, poor documentation.
If anyone cares enough about this, ask, and I'll go and figure it out again.

Lee11

03-14-06, 11:33 AM

I recently had switched to the phase III box. I had to switch back to a phase II due to the fastforward problem after capturing via firewire.

FYI: I will say the analog picture on the phase III box was much better, not perfect but still noticably better. I made a choice between poor analog PQ and DVR functionality. Other than the poor analog PQ and no problems after capture I don't see any difference between the phase II and phase III.

jeremyhelling

03-15-06, 02:02 AM

andyross63

03-15-06, 05:52 PM

I had Comcast installed at the new house Friday and received two Motorola 6412's. Since I was just moving in I didn't get a chance to check them out until this weekend. To my surprise one of them would NOT load the program info. I took it back to Comcast yesterday and while there I asked a few questions. One I asked (before knowing about this thread) was if one could use an external drive to increase the amount of storage space. The employee was very adamant about how easily this could be accomplished and you could even burn DVDs from it. I have one 6412 w/o HDMI/SATA/USB 2.0 and one with. I also have an external HD as well as numerous other drives. I want to try this out but so far it doesn't sound very encouraging. Could a Comcast employee not have told me correctly? That's not possible is it? I thought they all knew everything and NEVER made mistakes. :D
From other posts, there appear to be NO plans to support external drives on the Motorola boxes. Comcast will be moving to a Panasonic DVR later this year, and maybe they'll support external drives then.

Otherwise, you can use the FireWire connection to send digital video to a computer, and from there, burn it to a DVD or whatever. That assumes it isn't copy protected, as more and more of it is.

enmoco

03-15-06, 06:20 PM

From other posts, there appear to be NO plans to support external drives on the Motorola boxes. Comcast will be moving to a Panasonic DVR later this year, and maybe they'll support external drives then.

Otherwise, you can use the FireWire connection to send digital video to a computer, and from there, burn it to a DVD or whatever. That assumes it isn't copy protected, as more and more of it is.With the Moto 6412?

renpar61

03-15-06, 07:17 PM

With the Moto 6412?

...easy with a Mac! :D :D :D

enmoco

03-15-06, 07:31 PM

...easy with a Mac! :D :D :DWhats that got to do with what he said?I guess I'm not understanding what your post says.

twriter

03-18-06, 03:28 PM

lovingdvd

03-19-06, 11:27 AM

We have 12.26 (Shaw) but Scanpa says 12.27 is the most current.

The P3 obviously has HDMI for those that need it. I use the "DVI mode" (new firmware feature) with a DVI/HDMI adapter and the SPDIF digital audio out.

It runs cooler with an additional fan. SATA port for possible future expansion

I'm not convinced the analog channels are better.

What is the purpose of this new DVI mode? Where is it in the menus and what is its purpose?

Sonisame

03-19-06, 11:47 AM

Please someone help me undertand HDCP DVI/HDMI output on this box, I plan to use it on dell projector or my flat panel samsung monitor which have non HDCP dvi ports, will I get anything using HDMI/DVI connection

is HDCP enforced based on per show/channel basis only? or
is it always ON no matter what on all digital ports?

The reason being my cable company SHAW sells it as final sale, If I cannot get it to work using digital connections, than I might think twice before spending 800$CAD on this box. Component cable is a option but I dont want to take that route yet.

Please advice

Sonisame

cavu

03-19-06, 12:05 PM

What is the purpose of this new DVI mode? Where is it in the menus and what is its purpose?The DVI Mode menu is accessed via POWER-OFF - MENU; it's off the main "USER SETTINGS" page where you also find the default output resolutions. Closed Captioning menu, etc. The menu now reads:USER SETTINGS
> TV TYPE 16:9
DVI/YPbPr OUTPUT 1080i
4:3 OVERRIDE OFF
ADDITIONAL HDMI SETTINGS >>>
CLOSED CAPTION DISABLEDSelecting ADDITIONAL HDMI SETTINGS >>> takes you to a new menu as follows:ADDITIONAL HDMI SETTINGS
NOTE: CHANGING THESE VALUES MAY RESULT
IN LOSS OF AUDIO AND/OR VIDEO

> HDMI/DVI MODE: DVI
HDMI

COLOR SPACE: RGB
YCC 4:4:4

AUDIO OUTPUT: AUTO
L-PCM
PASS-THROUGH

RETURN TO MAIN PAGE >>>
RESTORE AUTOMATIC SETTINGSI am using a DVI-HDMI adapter in the P3 and the SPDIF digital audio out. The unit automatically defaults to DVI mode, RGB colour space and AUTO audio output.

I manually reset the Audio Output to PASS THROUGH.

The Moto obviously detects the type of connection and deals with the audio correctly.

cavu

03-19-06, 12:12 PM

The reason being my cable company SHAW sells it as final saleI can't help you about useing non-HDCP displays - I have only used it on HDCP-enabled units.

Are you buying it from Shaw directly or one of the retailers, ie. Best Buy, Future Shop? Shaw will certainly work with you on this and I'm sure the retailers will as well.

If you have any problems, just call the Vancouver Shaw head office and ask for the Retail Sales Manager. These guys are VERY accomodating (ie. they swapped my non-Shaw P2 for a Shaw P3) !

Ladd

03-20-06, 09:44 AM

scanpa

03-20-06, 12:43 PM

Can the "your recording has completed" (or finished or whatever it says) blue pop-up banner be prevented from appearing?

Whatever useful information this banner offers me is far outweighed by the annoyance it causes when coming on-screen while my lovely bride and I are watching a previously-recorded show, seemingly always at some critical, suspensful plot point or tender moment or whatever.

NO. you can set the time to 2 sec. from the preset 3 sec.

setup
setup
guide setup
flip bar timeout

Keep your remote in your hand and just hit the exit button to get info msgs. off the screen.

Sonisame

03-20-06, 12:57 PM

I can't help you about useing non-HDCP displays - I have only used it on HDCP-enabled units.

Are you buying it from Shaw directly or one of the retailers, ie. Best Buy, Future Shop? Shaw will certainly work with you on this and I'm sure the retailers will as well.

If you have any problems, just call the Vancouver Shaw head office and ask for the Retail Sales Manager. These guys are VERY accomodating (ie. they swapped my non-Shaw P2 for a Shaw P3) !

Thanks for your help, I contacted shaw regarding HDCP being on and all, they claim that it is ON all the time on all the HD channels they offer. So non HDCP compliant dvi port or faulty HDMI/DVI port with handshake issue will get nothing out of these digital ports.
I guess no HD box for me till Cable/Sat companies sort out HDCP one way or another.

Sonisame

alexjungle

03-21-06, 03:59 PM

has anyone tried connecting Apple's new Ipod Hi-Fi speaker to the DCT6412 using the optical SPDIF connection? How could this work?

snidely

03-23-06, 10:07 PM

My 6412 phase III is behaving very oddly.
1. Sometimes it won't respond to commands from the remote, and then it suddenly responds to everything I sent it. It may take 5-7 minutes to respond.

2. The display is currently alternating between the channel number and "P9".

I called Adelphia support yesterday and the level 1 support guy blamed it on a "service issue" in my area. However the "service issue" was an outage a few streets over and we were never affected.

Any ideas before I call them back?

--- John B.

I've been having more "delayed remote response" problems the last several months than i did the first few months a year ago. I have a phase 2. There have been many posts about this both here and on the "original" 6412 thread. Guess its a feature we have to live with! My son just got his first DVR today - a phase 3 - and i warned him about the bug.

...mike

snidely

03-23-06, 10:26 PM

I posted this question in the other 6412 thread - but realized it should go here.

Tried doing a search. On the phase III boxes, if we use HDMI output, are the other outputs live at the same time - like the audio and component?
What we would like to do is run the sound from the music channels w.o. having to turn on the plasma. We would run HDMI to the plasma, and use the audio outputs to run thru the sound system.
This would also give him (this is my son's setup) the option of listening to the sound thru the plasma's speakers or his sound system.

Thanks.

...mike

thestewman

03-24-06, 03:12 AM

rpoffen

03-24-06, 02:02 PM

That will work. Three options are live on the 6412 III.
Run the audio, either analog (two leads), optical, or firewire, to your processor or sound system.

One problem you may have however, is that the box doesn't seem to repond well if at all when connected via HDMI, but the HDMI device at the other end (TV) isn't turned on.

snidely

03-24-06, 02:35 PM

One problem you may have however, is that the box doesn't seem to repond well if at all when connected via HDMI, but the HDMI device at the other end (TV) isn't turned on.

Thanks, guys. My phase2 box seems to respond to channel changes. (Hooked to monitor via DVI.) Son w. the phase3 box is out at the moment. I assume even if the box doesn't respond, it is still outputing signal on the various outputs.

...mike

Lasareath

03-27-06, 09:31 AM

scanpa

03-27-06, 01:02 PM

Hello All,

I read through the first 13 pages of this post and I don't think I saw anything on Sharing programs from two 6412's?

I Just got two 6412 PIII's this past Saturday, I'm on Comcast in NJ and I have a Home Network, Can I hook these boxes up to my Home Network?

Is there any advantages to doing so?

TIA,

Lasareath

No.

The Software and the needed firmware & Middleware have yet to be fully tested and completed. I would say in the next year or so, look for Comcast to have those features available.

jeremyhelling

03-27-06, 01:18 PM

No.

The Software and the needed firmware & Middleware have yet to be fully tested and completed. I would say in the next year or so, look for Comcast to have those features available.

In the next year or so?? From the sounds of it Comcast won't even be using the Motorola receivers by the end of this year.

scanpa

03-27-06, 01:26 PM

In the next year or so?? From the sounds of it Comcast won't even be using the Motorola receivers by the end of this year.

They will be using the Moto DCT series STB for quite awile. They just do not plan on purchasing anymore of them after there final contract is completed.

Both the 64xx & 34xx series STB are OCAP ready. Comcast will be upgrading there Cable Head Ends / Cable Plants to OCAP over the next few Years.

cerrato

03-30-06, 01:46 AM

I am a Comcast customer in Natick, MA. I just got the 6412 phase 3 cable box which I belive is using an old firmware version that causes the problem of only getting stereo sound (no surround sound) when playing back a recorded show. This only happend when I have the HDMI connection to the TV. I read in the forum that firmware 12.22 fixes this problem. How do I find out what firmware version my box is running?

Does anyone know when Comcast will have 12.22 available in my area? I tried calling customer support several times and they don't have a clue. The technician who came to install also had no clue.

When it becomes available will it be automaqtically downloaded to my cable box, or do I need to have my cable box replaced?

cavu

03-30-06, 02:19 AM

How do I find out what firmware version my box is running?MENU
MENU
Select SETUP
Select CABLE BOX SETUP
Select SELECT TO DISPLAY
EXIT

bobby94928

03-30-06, 09:49 AM

When it becomes available will it be automaqtically downloaded to my cable box, or do I need to have my cable box replaced?

It will automatically download to your existing cable box.

bigdep

03-30-06, 10:14 AM

ceccacci

03-30-06, 11:17 AM

I have the same issue... The box does not record Dolby Digital signals. I called Comcast and they claim no fix is being worked on because these cable box's are limited and they will be switching to a different Moto type box in the near future.
It records DD just fine, it doesn't play them back. Disconnecting the HDMI and using component will allow you to hear DD. And a fix is already available, it just hasn't been rolled out in all Comcast areas. Calling Comcast does little good, because your chances of getting anyone who knows what they're talking about is pretty slim. :(

bigdep

03-31-06, 01:25 PM

It records DD just fine, it doesn't play them back. Disconnecting the HDMI and using component will allow you to hear DD. And a fix is already available, it just hasn't been rolled out in all Comcast areas. Calling Comcast does little good, because your chances of getting anyone who knows what they're talking about is pretty slim. :(

Well I've been having all kinds of issues with the DVR function so Comcast is bringing out a new box. Anyone know if I will get one with the newest firmware? I requested the most updated firmware however I'm sure when they get to my house the guy wont have a clue what I'm talking about. Any way to ensure this???

ceccacci

03-31-06, 01:30 PM

Well I've been having all kinds of issues with the DVR function so Comcast is bringing out a new box. Anyone know if I will get one with the newest firmware? I requested the most updated firmware however I'm sure when they get to my house the guy wont have a clue what I'm talking about. Any way to ensure this???The firmware is downloaded over the wire when the box is reset. Everybody in your area gets the same version, and there's no way to change it on a per-box basis.

OmahaTVAddict

03-31-06, 04:08 PM

I recently acquired a phase 3 box a few days ago and so far I can report no issues with it. Sound functions normally. I have what appears to be firmware version 12.31. BTW I'm in Omaha on COX if anyone is wondering.

scanpa

03-31-06, 05:10 PM

OmahaTVAddict

03-31-06, 05:50 PM

Im fortunate too since I just got the box. I wonder if Cox has anything new for Omaha.

twriter

04-01-06, 08:08 AM

My 6412 has been acting erratically, sometimes ignoring the remote for as long as five minutes and then catching up on all the button presses. It has also been showing odd messages on the display that look like random segments turned on.

I called Adelphia (I'm in Northern, VA) and the customer service agent said to bring it in and swap for a new one. The old one had 12.20 firmware, I was surprised to see that the new one has 12.22, which has a build date of August 2005. It still doesn't resolve my HDMI issues, though.

I think SCANPA said 12.27 would resolve most of the HDMI repeater problem.
Win some, lose more.

--- John B.

scanpa

04-01-06, 10:32 AM

gfolla

04-09-06, 11:39 AM

Do you know if you can do a reverse skip as well?

scanpa

04-09-06, 11:47 AM

Do you know if you can do a reverse skip as well?

on the Comcast silver remote, the 15 sec. rewind skip is the curvy button to the left of the "mydvr" button.

Quatre

04-11-06, 02:52 AM

njeske

04-11-06, 10:17 AM

somewhere in this thread, i forget where, is the code and instructions for programming a cablebox mute function on your remote. I programmed it on the - button on the bottom of the remote.

scanpa

04-11-06, 12:14 PM

Is everyone aware/experienced the strange volume control issues with the comcast boxes. When you get a new box, it usually lasts a few days before it say mute in white at the top from the box. you call up and they tell you to reprogram the remote to the tv to unmute it but then you are never able to adjust the tvs volume with the comcast remote when in cable mode like it used to do, it just adjusts the boxes white volume meter displayed at top which ideally you want a few notches from max where it says stereo.

my one tv i can just hit tv on the comcast remote to adjust tvs volume but then have to hit cable at top to be able to switch chans etc. so its a pain and i end up using the tv remote for for tv volume

my other tv doesn't even work the tvs volume when i hit tv at top and it is programed to the tv so it can turn it on and off.

Also does anyone know anything about a green vertical line on the far right side? it might not be the box though and rather my tv.

To prevent the MUTE issue, Do not turn the STB to the Off/Standby Mode. The only thing that does is turn off the STB display & the A/V outputs.

If you have the STB in the off/standby mode, and the STB has to wake up to do a timed recording, it then activates a Auto Mute mode incase you left your Audio Equipment / TV on.

Here is the STB Mute/Unmute code.

How To Add A Dedicated STB Mute/Unmute
The following technique can be used to map an unused or unneeded button on the "silver" remote to the 6412's mute/unmute command. Since the "silver" remote's mute button often controls the TV's or HT receiver's mute command, this allows you to reenable the sound if the box has muted itself (see bugs below).

Press the "Cable" button at the top of the remote to put it into Cable Box control mode.
Press and hold the "Setup" button until the "Cable" button blinks twice.
Type in the code 994. The "Cable" button will blink twice.
Press (do not hold) the "Setup" button.
Type in the code 00141.
Press whatever button you want to map the STB mute/unmute command to (ex: PiP On/Off). The "Cable" button will blink twice if successful.
Note: You can also use the MUTE button for both the STB and your TV by mapping the STB mute/unmute command to the MUTE button. The default function of the MUTE button will then be to mute/unmute the STB (or activated by pressing CABLE, then MUTE). The TV mute/unmute command can still be accessed by pressing the TV button, then MUTE.

Another alternative is to set up the STB mute command as a shifted mute:

Press the "Cable" button at the top of the remote to put it into Cable Box control mode.
Press and hold the "Setup" button until the "Cable" button blinks twice.
Type in the code 994. The "Cable" button will blink twice.
Press (do not hold) the "Setup" button.
Type in the code 00141.
Press (do not hold) the "Setup" button.
Press (do not hold) the "Mute" button.
Now, if the remote has volume lock enabled (the normal default is the TV), pressing MUTE will mute/unmute that device. To mute/unmute the STB, press (do not hold) the "Setup" button, then MUTE.

Note: The remote from RCN does not have a setup button. On that remote, these instructions should work, and more detailed instructions can be found in this thread: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13375545#13388234

Press and hold CBL, then press and hold OK until CBL lights up.
Press VOL + (the upper part of the VOL button).
Press and hold CBL. CBL should blink several times to indicate success.
Alternative Method: Another method to fix this is to make the volume controls independent for the TV and the Cable. Some companies have the remote set to automatically lock the volume control strictly to the television. To undo this on the Atlas 5 PVR/DVR:

Press and hold the "Setup" button. You can press "CBL" if you want, but it really isn't necessary. Wait for 2 flashes of the last pressed button.
Enter 993 on the digit pad.
Press "VOL +" on the remote. The last pressed mode button should flash twice.
This will unlock all the volume controls to be independent. If you want to control the TV's volume, press "TV" first. If you want to control the cable box's volume, press "CBL" first.

jeremyhelling

04-11-06, 12:17 PM

somewhere in this thread, i forget where, is the code and instructions for programming a cablebox mute function on your remote. I programmed it on the - button on the bottom of the remote.

Just do a search and you'll come up with the code. I programmed it into the mute button so when you hit the TV then mute it mutes/unmutes the TV and when you hit Cable first then mute it mutes/unmutes the cable box. Works good too.

Jim Miller

04-11-06, 12:44 PM

I tried using the RF passthru function to pass the cable input through to the VCR and TV for the occasional time that we are recording two showing and want to watch another live.

I found that RF passthru didn't function as I expected. Instead it just keeps the audio live when shutting down the rest of the STB.

I was hoping it would cease to output the STB decoded stream whether the STB was off or on and just pass the unmodified RF cable input. That would have allowed me to eliminate an upstream splitter.

Was I hoping for too much?

jtm

ThunderPants

04-11-06, 04:49 PM

I have the PIII 6412 with 12.31 rev of the firmware. Last night something strange happened. Even though we only had 31% of our DVR space used, when it started recording a 1/2 hour program it alerted us that the DVR was 100% full! I checked the DVR menu and only had 4 HD 1-hour programs recorded.

After trying several things, I had to power the STB off and back on again. It then showed the correct amount of recorded space on the hard drive.

Has anybody else experienced this?

Quatre

04-12-06, 02:10 AM

well how come after getting rid of the white mute and reprograming the remote, the remote doesn't work the volume of the tv.

I programed it for a Phlips tv and it doestn' work the tv volume when in normal channel changing mode (cable) like it used to on other tvs and before the mute problem.

on another tv, i could operate the tv volume by first pressing the tv button at top of remote but that was a pain cus then if you addidentaly hit channel up/down it would change the tv to the regular tuner and you would have to hit the source button on tv remote to get back to dvi and then hit cable on the comcast remote to be able to change chan on cable box again

I like the original way that while in cable mode and able to change chans on the box the volume buttons control the tv volume as i like to leave the box on that optimatl setting where it says stereo on the 3rd from highest volume or so.

Reprograming the remote to the tv doesnt' work for some reason, it allows the remote to power the tv on/off but volume doesn't work without hitting tv button at top first.

ThunderPants

04-12-06, 06:32 AM

scanpa

04-12-06, 12:09 PM

jeremyhelling

04-12-06, 01:01 PM

My 'Exit' button stopped functioning on one of my silver remote.

Mxcrules

04-20-06, 01:28 PM

SkateZilla

04-20-06, 02:17 PM

andyross63

04-20-06, 05:41 PM

Couple of questions, they came to replace my box because the guide, etc. wouldn't work. So he pulls out a phase III box but because I didn't have an HDMI cable (DVI w/adapter) I had to take another phase II box. Good, bad or no big deal?

Also last night with this new box I turn it off with the power button (only the front panel and a/v connections from what I understand) and this morning- no picture no sound nothing. I had to unplug it from the back to get it up and running. What gives?
To be honest, I think the II is more stable than the III right now.

Also, some say never turn it off. There is a bug where you get the blank video/audio when you turn it on. Other than the power cycle, you can also start playing a recording, and that will 'fix' it.

See the info in the Wikibook link in my .sig below.

ceb39

04-20-06, 06:47 PM

Mxcrules

04-20-06, 06:47 PM

Great, thanks for the info.

twitchee3

04-20-06, 10:17 PM

Hye, Sup Guys, Just Joined the Forums... Been watching for a while,

I Got an HDTV PVR Motorola 6416 Rev III Box..

Funny, HDTV Channels Display Via S-Video as well (GOOD thing too, i can Send HDContent Recorded to PC VIA S-VIdeo in (granted it will be 480p at max, still better than dealing with all the box's secuirity)

I still have to get my unit serviced though, HBO, MAX, SHO and Starz HD still dont work,, they cant unlock them for some reason.. but not in a hurry.. since i dont like any of the movies they've shown lately, been watcing ltos of Hockey in HD on InDemand..

Really wish they'd cover all the games they can instead of just a few..

I fyou Guys Want Pics, I'll Ungplug it and Take Top, Rear, Front pics etc..
HDTV programming will NOT display in HD resolutions over S-video. What you are seeing/capturing to your PC via the S-video interface is actually HD scaled down by the box to 480i, so it is essentially a regular digital SD channel. The box will only output HD content in HD resolutions over the HDMI/DVI, component, and firewire (IEEE 1394) connections. All other outputs will transmit HD content downscaled to 480i when tuned to an HD channel. Also, S-video is not compatible with 480p (considered "Enhanced Definition"), but only 480i, so 480i is the maximum resolution you can achieve over S-video.

twitchee3

04-20-06, 10:20 PM

I see you have the same cable box I do, or I did have until the, 6412 I had died and was replaced by Comcast. Now I have the same box minus the HDMI connector.

Question for you. You unit like mine has a USB connector on the left. Have you ever used it, or do you know what it is for? Is it for input, output, or both? My wife keeps on me to get rid of some HD programs I have recorded and I am looking for a way to do that. Was hoping the USB port would allow me to down load the programs to a laptop.

Thanks

Chuck
The USB port on the 6412 is currently disabled and was proclaimed to be "for future use." You CAN use the firewire (IEEE 1394) ports to archive digital/HD content directly to a computer. See the firewire recording to windows pc sticky thread on this board.

keenan

04-20-06, 10:36 PM

The USB port on the 6412 is currently disabled and was proclaimed to be "for future use." You CAN use the firewire (IEEE 1394) ports to archive digital/HD content directly to a computer. See the firewire recording to windows pc sticky thread on this board.
The USB ports are live for power though, it can be used to power USB devices, like a notebook cooling fan.

kcrudup

04-20-06, 10:56 PM

The USB ports are live for power though, it can be used to power USB devices, like a notebook cooling fan.
Hey- thanks! Now my GF has a place to recharge her Rio w/o having to keep her laptop on!

enmoco

04-21-06, 12:19 AM

Is ver. 12:31 F/W the "best available" version out now? I have Comcast>6412 III>
right now. Thanks in advance

SkateZilla

04-21-06, 01:59 AM

HDTV programming will NOT display in HD resolutions over S-video. What you are seeing/capturing to your PC via the S-video interface is actually HD scaled down by the box to 480i, so it is essentially a regular digital SD channel. The box will only output HD content in HD resolutions over the HDMI/DVI, component, and firewire (IEEE 1394) connections. All other outputs will transmit HD content downscaled to 480i when tuned to an HD channel. Also, S-video is not compatible with 480p (considered "Enhanced Definition"), but only 480i, so 480i is the maximum resolution you can achieve over S-video.

Like i said, Record it 480i, then Inverse Telecine it myself to 480p... :)

I'll take pics later this weekend when i unplug it to clean/rearrange my setup, the box is the same, cept this 6416 Rev II has so many slots on the back it isnt funny,

AFAIK HD ZOOM Button still doesnt work, nor the Inputs on the front... and the Box Service menu says its 160 GB where as the 6212 III in my living room only has 120 GB

i dont care about TRU HD recording right now, i dont have hte HDD Space untill i get my External SATA Arrays All Setup.. then I'll try IEEE...

twitchee3

04-21-06, 03:59 AM

Like i said, Record it 480i, then Inverse Telecine it myself to 480p... :)

I'll take pics later this weekend when i unplug it to clean/rearrange my setup, the box is the same, cept this 6416 Rev II has so many slots on the back it isnt funny,

AFAIK HD ZOOM Button still doesnt work, nor the Inputs on the front... and the Box Service menu says its 160 GB where as the 6212 III in my living room only has 120 GB

i dont care about TRU HD recording right now, i dont have hte HDD Space untill i get my External SATA Arrays All Setup.. then I'll try IEEE...
Yeah, as far as i know the front inputs on these models are not yet enabled, i can't see why, as a VERY simple firmware/software update would allow for their use, which could improve convenience for some users. Perhaps the USB port wouldn't be as easy to activate, but at least the composite video/ RCA audio. I don't understand why cable companies INSIST on limiting customer equipment functionality to the BARE minimum when it would not really even cost them much at all to offer much more.

Jim Miller

04-21-06, 07:34 AM

two words: customer support.

they'd get all sorts of calls asking why this, that or the (much dreaded) other usb thing didn't work. from the same folks who look for the "any key."

jtm

John Williams

04-21-06, 10:37 AM

OK, earlier this week 12.31 finally was pushed out to those of us in the Nashville area, and sure enough, the HDMI/DD bug is gone! Yeah!!

Quick questions about this release: On the display setup screen (the one you get when you power off and press Menu that let's you choose 1080i/720p, etc.), there is a new option for DVI/HDMI settings. This allows me to choose my color space as RGB or YCrCb-444, and to select DVI or HDMI "mode". There's also an audio setting for LPCM, AUTO or PASSTHROUGH (which is where I have mine set.)

So my questions are:

1) What color space are the channels normally transmitted in to the box? My thinking is, the fewer conversions the better, and my iScan VP30 will accept either one.

2) What is the difference between DVI and HDMI "mode"? Other than the fact that HDMI mode gives me a blank screen, I'm not sure what I should be expecting.

Thanks!

-John

ianchan1970

04-21-06, 02:47 PM

YCbCr is the native color space of HDTV and DVDs (MPEG2).
I presume setting the HDMI color space to YCC 4:4:4 transmits the original YCC data to your TV/monitor, and the conversion to RGB happens in the monitor rather than in the Comcast DVR.

I have a Panasonic plasma (8UK) with an HDMI blade (7HM), and played around with these settings yesterday.
I thought overall that having my Panny receive YCC rather than RGB resulted in slightly better better PQ (more obvious with SD, oddly enough).

Specifically, using YCC on SD material, the picture appeared slightly brighter, but color saturation was also a bit lower. I definitely noticed less noise in the gradation of sky in the test material.
On HD material, it was really tough to spot differences, but I thought YCC was ever slightly sharper, but colors were ever slightly less saturated.

Anyone else fiddle around with YCC/RGB?
- Ian

OK, earlier this week 12.31 finally was pushed out to those of us in the Nashville area, and sure enough, the HDMI/DD bug is gone! Yeah!!

Quick questions about this release: On the display setup screen (the one you get when you power off and press Menu that let's you choose 1080i/720p, etc.), there is a new option for DVI/HDMI settings. This allows me to choose my color space as RGB or YCrCb-444, and to select DVI or HDMI "mode". There's also an audio setting for LPCM, AUTO or PASSTHROUGH (which is where I have mine set.)

So my questions are:

1) What color space are the channels normally transmitted in to the box? My thinking is, the fewer conversions the better, and my iScan VP30 will accept either one.

2) What is the difference between DVI and HDMI "mode"? Other than the fact that HDMI mode gives me a blank screen, I'm not sure what I should be expecting.

Thanks!

-John

John Williams

04-21-06, 03:31 PM

YCbCr is the native color space of HDTV and DVDs (MPEG2).
I presume setting the HDMI color space to YCC 4:4:4 transmits the original YCC data to your TV/monitor, and the conversion to RGB happens in the monitor rather than in the Comcast DVR.

I have a Panasonic plasma (8UK) with an HDMI blade (7HM), and played around with these settings yesterday.
I thought overall that having my Panny receive YCC rather than RGB resulted in slightly better better PQ (more obvious with SD, oddly enough).

Specifically, using YCC on SD material, the picture appeared slightly brighter, but color saturation was also a bit lower. I definitely noticed less noise in the gradation of sky in the test material.
On HD material, it was really tough to spot differences, but I thought YCC was ever slightly sharper, but colors were ever slightly less saturated.

Anyone else fiddle around with YCC/RGB?
- Ian

Interesting -- I noticed the same thing about SD material, but I wanted to float out the question first before I mentioned it! The most improvement for me was on what I'd call "marginal" SD channels like Discovery Times that are absolutely squeezed to death. It makes them almost watchable....

...almost! :eek:

In general I thought it was a better idea to send out the same colorspace to my VP30 then onto the TV, which should minimize the number of conversion going on, maybe even getting them down to one (in the set itself.) Seems like a pretty good theory so far.

Did you try the DVI or HDMI modes?

-John

ianchan1970

04-21-06, 03:35 PM

This is a rather esoteric question.

According to Wikipedia, YCC (the native color space of HDTV & DVDs) can be converted to RGB, but the formula depends on what phosphors you assume you have - NTSC (SD) or HDTV.
(see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YCbCr)

When the Comcast DVR outputs RGB on DVI or HDMI, I wonder which phosphors it assumes?
As important, what phosphors do display devices assume when they receive an RGB signal?
A mismatch could result in inaccurate colors being displayed!

I guess this is another reason for sending YCC rather than RGB data over HDMI.
- Ian

scanpa

04-21-06, 05:47 PM

Dave Harper

04-21-06, 06:06 PM

Like i said, Record it 480i, then Inverse Telecine it myself to 480p... :)

What does "Inverse Telecine" have to do with going from 480i to 480p, other than if the original source was film:confused:???

What you're talking about is De-interlacing, not inverse telecine. Telecine has to do with converting film framerates to video framerates, and vice-versa.

3DCadman

04-21-06, 07:42 PM

There are user settings for changing the RGB mode in the HDMI advanced settings in the User Menu.

Where is that? I can't find it on my 6412 PIII

SkateZilla

04-22-06, 05:22 AM

What does "Inverse Telecine" have to do with going from 480i to 480p, other than if the original source was film:confused:???

What you're talking about is De-interlacing, not inverse telecine. Telecine has to do with converting film framerates to video framerates, and vice-versa.

Inverse Telecine is the Process of Taking 29.976 INterlaced NTSC Video and Dropping it to 23.976 Progressive (29.976 Internally), by Selecting frames either using a Script or manually ..

AKA 3:2 Pulldown... Progressive Scan.. etc...

which provides cleaner motion and no distortions from dinterlacing :)

twriter

04-22-06, 09:50 AM

OK, earlier this week 12.31 finally was pushed out to those of us in the Nashville area, and sure enough, the HDMI/DD bug is gone! Yeah!!

...

So my questions are:

...

2) What is the difference between DVI and HDMI "mode"? Other than the fact that HDMI mode gives me a blank screen, I'm not sure what I should be expecting.

When you say that the HDMI/DD bug is gone, are you referring to the problem of HDMI repeaters? Can the 6412 now connect to a home theater and the home theater connect to the TV and have audio on the home theater only and HD video on the TV?
If so, this is what I've been waiting for!

I think I know the answer to your question #2.
Supposedly HDMI is more than just a means of connecting devices, it is also a digital "network" in a way. If you have HDMI devices connected to each other they can talk back and forth. Examples of this include:
* The STB can inform the TV about the resolution of the show you are watching and the TV can then automatically adjust its display resolution to whatever mode it has that gives you the best picture. This way when you switch from an HD show to an SD show, the TV will automatically compensate.
* HDMI devices can forward your commands from its remote to the other devices in your "HDMI network". If you are using the STB remote and adjust the volume, the STB will determine which device is handling volume (TV or home theater) and forward the command to that device. Conversely, if you are using the TV remote and press PAUSE, the TV forwards that command to the STB (if you're watching a show) or the DVD player (if you're watching a DVD).

I say this is supposedly possible, because I haven't had the opportunity to see this for myself. I really hope it works this way. With our luck, this utopian ideal is not fully implemented and we have to wait for further firmware releases for it.

Please let us know what 12.31 can do!

--- John B.

twitchee3

04-22-06, 06:00 PM

The STB can inform the TV about the resolution of the show you are watching and the TV can then automatically adjust its display resolution to whatever mode it has that gives you the best picture. This way when you switch from an HD show to an SD show, the TV will automatically compensate.
That's funny, my TV can already do this on its own without the help of the STB using an analog component connection. ;)

Actually most HDTV's are already capable of "sensing" the incoming resolutions and displaying the content in the best way. The resolution is actually set in the STB, not the TV. The TV just does what it's told essentially, and displays the incoming resolution.

Your other comments about HDMI functionality are correct, these things COULD be done in the future, but are not possible with current firmare/software releases (i'm not sure whether current hardware supports this, my guess is it does not.) But yes, i'm sure the technology is moving in this direction, and i, like you, see the advantages and hope it will soon be advanced to become available to the public.

nate358

04-24-06, 02:26 AM

Has anyone had any luck with hooking up a USB external Hard Drive?.... still looking to expand space.

shane55

04-24-06, 11:45 AM

Hi all.
New to the club as of last night.
Currently, not very happy. Issues galore unfortunately and I don't know if they are the unit or the broadcast... or both.

Recorded the Soprano's in HD. Towards the end, it pixelated in the lower third and came to a stop. Froze dead. No FF, no Rew... nothing would get it to play. :( Fortunately I had also recorded the SD version and it played just fine.

Recorded Elizabeth I in HD. about 2/3 of the way, it was jittery, the sound and picture dropped several times. Several skips... ugh. :(

Recorded Big Love in both HD and SD. Have not watched them yet. I'll let you know. Anyhow...

Anyone get these kind of errors? When I had D*TiVo, these things would happen, but not very often. The installers said I had a 'near perfect' signal, and judging by the image and general play, I would think so. Even the Analog channels look pretty good (imagine that!).

Being a nOOb here, I also have several questions... like:
With TiVo, you can skip ahead by in 15 min. intervals. Any way to do that with this unit? Any to skip to the end of the recording? :confused:

Thanks in advance.

shane

scanpa

04-24-06, 12:27 PM

Has anyone had any luck with hooking up a USB external Hard Drive?.... still looking to expand space.

The STB currently does not have this function.

They are working on the software & DRM security software to allow external DVR Hard Drives via the eSata port only.

Jim Miller

04-24-06, 01:05 PM

Hi all.
. Froze dead. No FF, no Rew... nothing would get it to play. :( Fortunately I had also recorded the SD version and it played just fine.

Recorded Elizabeth I in HD. about 2/3 of the way, it was jittery, the sound and picture dropped several times. Several skips... ugh. :(

Recorded Big Love in both HD and SD. Have not watched them yet. I'll let you know. Anyhow...

shane

When I see this kind of behavior it's always a signal quality problem. The 6412 treats a bad signal as the equivalent of an end of show. Make sure all the connections from the entry to the house are tight and if it continues give your cable company a call.

good luck

jim

Dave Harper

04-24-06, 02:47 PM

Inverse Telecine is the Process of Taking 29.976 INterlaced NTSC Video and Dropping it to 23.976 Progressive (29.976 Internally), by Selecting frames either using a Script or manually ..

AKA 3:2 Pulldown... Progressive Scan.. etc...

which provides cleaner motion and no distortions from dinterlacing :)

Yes, I understand 2:3 Pulldown, etc., but the term you used, Inverse Telecine, is still the process of recovering the original film frame that was interlaced for video and the example you used was an example of de-interlacing, not necessarily Inverse Telecine.

I think we're trying to say the same thing from two different angles is all.:)

usv

04-24-06, 03:37 PM

COMCAST DCT 6412-PIII ALLOWS UNLIMITED HD RECORDING TO DVHS

I have the 6412III hd recorder from Comcast, but could not record any Hi Def Premium channels to my DVHS with this stb. I then rented a DCT 6412PIII with no hard drive and ALL OF THE PREMIUM CHANNELS RECORDED PERFECTLY to DVHS :D . Only one drawback to this arrangement, they charge an extra $14.99 per month if you already have the 6412 with a dvr.

Evidently they count recordings on the dvr as COPY ONCE, and that is why they can't be recorded again on the DVHS. The FIREWIRE port is connected to the ouput side of the hard drive, instead of to the tuner, which requires the additional rental. :mad:

Imho this defeats the FCC requirement for the IEEE1394 requirement that requires Firewire ports, by requiring an additional $14.99 month for use of a Firewire port. True, this generates more money for Comcast, but is unfair.

Anyone else have a different opinion?

SkateZilla

04-24-06, 06:08 PM

Yes, I understand 2:3 Pulldown, etc., but the term you used, Inverse Telecine, is still the process of recovering the original film frame that was interlaced for video and the example you used was an example of de-interlacing, not necessarily Inverse Telecine.

I think we're trying to say the same thing from two different angles is all.:)

Deinterlacing is Taking 2 Fields and Blending together using different methods to get 1 Progressive frame,

Invserse Telecine is Selecting Progressive Frames from the Telecined Source,

Telecined is taking Film 24 FPS Progressive and Converting it to NTSC 30 FRps Drop frame (29.976) so the Name is what it is... Your INVERSING the TELECINE of the Video. :), Been doing it for years when encoding SVCDs

SkateZilla

04-24-06, 06:10 PM

Dave Harper

04-24-06, 06:45 PM

Deinterlacing is Taking 2 Fields and Blending together using different methods to get 1 Progressive frame,

Invserse Telecine is Selecting Progressive Frames from the Telecined Source,

Telecined is taking Film 24 FPS Progressive and Converting it to NTSC 30 FRps Drop frame (29.976) so the Name is what it is... Your INVERSING the TELECINE of the Video. :), Been doing it for years when encoding SVCDs

Uh, isn't that pretty much what I said:confused:??? That's why I said I think we're saying the same thing from two different angles.

If you want to play the "been doing that for years" gig, I can do that too with almost 20 years in the broadcast radio and TV field as well as 10 years doing isf type calibrations on displays such as the old GE Imagers to the latest 1080p digitals, soooo.............

I'll leave it at that so we don't get further off topic.;)

BTW, I use a little higher sources than SVCDs:rolleyes:

shane55

04-25-06, 02:15 AM

On My 6416 RII, if i record HD, and Switch between an HD and SD CHannel it causes the recorded Video to Flicker at those times...

Interesting... That may have been the cause on the one recording. I'll have to do some tests.

Meanwhile... cust. service had to 'reset' my unit tonight (causing my guide to be vacant for HOURS!).

It was the dreaded and apparently common 'delay' syndrome: Hit a command and it takes a second to activate. Hit a second command and it doesn't react. Hit something else, and again... nothing happens for several minutes... then WHAM!

It rips through all the commands in immediate succession. Nice. This sucker got stuck on FF2. Then it went into some catatonic fit... ugh.

The rep rebooted it and 'sent it a signal' (yeah, right). It seemed to work fine for the rest of the evening. Even recorded HD content was fine. Great.

So far... lotsa fun.

cheers

shane

SkateZilla

04-25-06, 09:18 AM

Uh, isn't that pretty much what I said:confused:??? That's why I said I think we're saying the same thing from two different angles.

If you want to play the "been doing that for years" gig, I can do that too with almost 20 years in the broadcast radio and TV field as well as 10 years doing isf type calibrations on displays such as the old GE Imagers to the latest 1080p digitals, soooo.............

I'll leave it at that so we don't get further off topic.;)

BTW, I use a little higher sources than SVCDs:rolleyes:

I Only use SVCDs For Music Videos and stuff..

I Do Make DVDs and Other High End Formats.. I also do 720p Videos for Xbox 360 Titles using Debug Kit with Frame Scene Recorder :)

you have hte experiene... but IVTC and Deinterlacing arent the same thing...

IVTC is 23.976 Progressive.. which when encoded to MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 etc Theres more bits per pixel.. and its TRUE progressive frames...

De Interlacing Blends 2 Incomplete feilds to gether which gives you ghosting, jaggies.. whetever, and its still 29.976 and in MPEG format Less bits per px,

http://members.cox.net/digitaloverload/IVTC_Guide.htm

oh well nothing to argue about..

Dave Harper

04-25-06, 10:20 AM

you have hte experiene... but IVTC and Deinterlacing arent the same thing...

That has been exactly what I've been trying to say.

oh well nothing to argue about..

We finally agree:)

Quatre

04-25-06, 05:20 PM

I have a 6412 hd dvr box with the HDMI port and SATA. I use this for my hd plasma with hdmi.

I have an older hd dvr box with the dvi input that i use for my tv that has dvi and no hdmi.

my one question on these is , do they have available any that are more then 120gb yet? (i understand the last 2 #'s 12 is the hdd size)

i have another older ED plasma that requires a tuner or stb to work as it doesn't have any built in and has only component as its best video input no dvi or hdmi. I was going to get a samsung hd tuner box so di dn't have to rent a 3rd from comcast and i've heard the samsung hd tuner boxes work good on this particular older model plasma and even make the sd chans look better then comcasts box but comcast had a promo to get a non dvr hd box free for a year so i went with that for now.

When are the networked boxes going to come out so i dont have to have 3 and pay for 2.

Why does the non dvr hd box still only have DVI and no hdmi. I guess only the newest 6412 dvr hd box has HDMI?

SkateZilla

04-25-06, 08:45 PM

cavu

04-25-06, 10:58 PM

My 6416PIII is 160 GBWhat's the model number of the 160GB drive? (You can see that from the diagnostics pages).

I'm desperate for more space and I'll buy the proper 160GB and drop it into my 6412PIII.

SkateZilla

04-26-06, 04:06 PM

fastep

04-26-06, 05:24 PM

andyross63

04-26-06, 05:29 PM

What's the model number of the 160GB drive? (You can see that from the diagnostics pages).

I'm desperate for more space and I'll buy the proper 160GB and drop it into my 6412PIII.
I doubt if it's that easy. The firmware or other settings are probably set up for only a 120G if that is what you have originally. Unless you own your 6412 (typically only in Canada), opening it up could get you fined and maybe sued by your cable company. Plus, they could probably tell that you have the wrong size drive it.

Technically, you could put any size drive you want in it. People do that with Tivo's and similar. The problem may be creating the necessary partitions if it can't do it on it's own, and whether it will recognize the additional space without being reprogrammed.

Quatre

04-26-06, 05:32 PM

My 6416PIII is 160 GB

how do you get that? request it? costs extra? what area?

i think that may not be available in the Phila area which also ironically had the dvr box shortage and therefore banned any househould having more then one believe it or not in what is Comcasts original home area.

Quatre

04-26-06, 05:34 PM

I have had no problems with 6412III hd dvr transferring recorded hd premium movies to my rca 2160.

what type of device is that rca 2160?

cavu

04-27-06, 01:15 AM

Unless you own your 6412Yes, I own my DVR. Technically, you could put any size drive you want in it.I'm pretty certain that the firmware will recognize the 160GB drive and format it properly, but IIRC, the box does not recognize other "random" sizes. I will try to locate a proper drive and give it a shot. Drives are cheap - not much to lose.

SkateZilla

04-27-06, 08:01 AM

how do you get that? request it? costs extra? what area?

i think that may not be available in the Phila area which also ironically had the dvr box shortage and therefore banned any househould having more then one believe it or not in what is Comcasts original home area.

I Live in Virginia Beach, VA,

I have a 6212 in my family room,

i went and Got anotehr one for HDTV/Recording Hockey games and stuff.. and it was a 6416

fastep

04-27-06, 08:25 PM

what type of device is that rca 2160?

info (and best price) here:

http://www.hdtoystore.com/product_p/dvr2160.htm

Ladd

05-01-06, 03:53 PM

OmahaTVAddict

05-01-06, 04:43 PM

14 days? Mines goes only a week ahead at the most and I'm using Cox.

oryan_dunn

05-01-06, 05:10 PM

I'm on Mediacom and mine goes out 16 days. Currently it shows through the 16th.

andyross63

05-01-06, 05:14 PM

A quick note for informational purposes, in case it is helpful to anyone:

The Motorola 6412 HD-DVR issued to me by Adelphia (Frederick MD) that I've had since January magically, as of today, now shows 14-days ahead of programming.

As was originally intended by (select your favorite deity here) and as most folks in other parts of the country have had seemingly forever.

The entire time I've had it, including up to yesterday afternoon, the DVR only went out 4 days ahead in programming.

No change in firmware, unfortunately. Still stuck at 12.20.
It's possible your area just wasn't sending the long-term data for some reason. The older 'tan' guide software only had 3 days or so. Probably because the old boxes didn't have as much memory to hold it.

Mine has always been 14-15 days, when it hasn't been acting up. For example, on May 1st, it goes out through May 16. The last two days typically do not have descriptions (probably a memory or database limit.)

kcrudup

05-01-06, 06:52 PM

Here in "The OC" we still only get 7 days. Funny thing is, you can go out as far as you want, it appears (if you "FF" in the guide it goes a day at a time, and I'd shuffled out to July before I gave up).

ianchan1970

05-01-06, 08:31 PM

I read more about YCC->RGB conversion, and wrote a little program that simulates mismatched RGB phosphors.

Here is the original image:
http://static.flickr.com/49/139213806_ab968ce01f.jpg?v=0

Here is a simulation of an NTSC-encoded image being displayed with HDTV phosphors:
http://static.flickr.com/46/139213808_1426720ad7.jpg?v=0

And here is a simulation of an HDTV-encoded image being displayed with NTSC phosphors:
http://static.flickr.com/52/139213810_f5a444944d.jpg?v=0

The differences are there, but they are not horrible.
I have no idea if the Comcast DVR and my Panasonic Plasma TV are doing the decoding from YCC to RGB correctly.
If only TV stations would broadcast test patterns...
- Ian

This is a rather esoteric question.

According to Wikipedia, YCC (the native color space of HDTV & DVDs) can be converted to RGB, but the formula depends on what phosphors you assume you have - NTSC (SD) or HDTV.
(see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YCbCr)

When the Comcast DVR outputs RGB on DVI or HDMI, I wonder which phosphors it assumes?
As important, what phosphors do display devices assume when they receive an RGB signal?
A mismatch could result in inaccurate colors being displayed!

I guess this is another reason for sending YCC rather than RGB data over HDMI.
- Ian

stim

05-03-06, 11:51 PM

I currently have the Phase II box with the DVI output and I noticed a weird problem where the video will shift to the right when I change inputs on the TV. When I press the guide button it will go back to normal. From what I understand it has something to do with the copy protection on the box. I'm just wondering if that problem exists on the Phase III boxes as well.

Here is my original post with pictures of the problem:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7598910#post7598910

Quatre

05-04-06, 11:56 PM

twitchee3

05-05-06, 12:17 AM

I just noticed today have a DCT 3412 I box after gave just assumed it was the 6412 since i just got a week or 2 ago. What is the difference and how do i get the 6412 III box or better yet one of the 160gb boxes.

I noticed it doesn't have a DVI input which I need for my one tv so I keep an old box, not sure the model on that and will have to look) with DVI. What is the newest best model box with DVI? and what is the newest best model with HDMI? 6412 III?

Philadelphia area btw.
You need to contact your cable company to see what's available to you. All 6412's SHOULD have a DVI or HDMI port. The phase I and II should have DVI, while the phase III has HDMI. Did you mean to say a DVI OUT port? No current STB has a DVI IN port.

Quatre

05-05-06, 01:39 AM

twitchee3

05-05-06, 02:53 AM

yeah dvi out i guess to go to tv for my tv that has no dvi but no hdmi

so 6412 I and II have dvi while 6412 III has hdmi. so how does 3412 I have hdmi?

so if i want newest boxes i should get the 6412 II (with dvi) and a 6412 III (hdmi) both come in dvr variety right?
Wait, your TV has DVI but not HDMI? Any box will work, because if it has HDMI, you can simply purchase a cheap DVI to HDMI cable and that will work fine.

All phases of the DCT 6412 (phases I, II, and III) are HD DVR's, this model does not come in HD STB (NON DVR) varieties.

You can basically get whichever boxes you want, it doesn't really matter, they will all work, except for the Phase III you may need to purchase an extra HDMI to DVI cable to connect to a DVI enabled display or device.

ceccacci

05-05-06, 11:22 AM

I just noticed today have a DCT 3412 I box after gave just assumed it was the 6412 since i just got a week or 2 ago. What is the difference and how do i get the 6412 III box or better yet one of the 160gb boxes.

I noticed it doesn't have a DVI input which I need for my one tv so I keep an old box, not sure the model on that and will have to look) with DVI. What is the newest best model box with DVI? and what is the newest best model with HDMI? 6412 III?

Philadelphia area btw.The 3412 is just an all digital version of the 6412. No analog tuner. And if you got one from your cable company, you don't need the analog tuner, so why try to switch?

andyross63

05-05-06, 05:12 PM

I just noticed today have a DCT 3412 I box after gave just assumed it was the 6412 since i just got a week or 2 ago. What is the difference and how do i get the 6412 III box or better yet one of the 160gb boxes.

I noticed it doesn't have a DVI input which I need for my one tv so I keep an old box, not sure the model on that and will have to look) with DVI. What is the newest best model box with DVI? and what is the newest best model with HDMI? 6412 III?
The 3412 doesn't have an analog tuner. For DVI, you can just buy an HDMI/DVI adaptor. Unless your cable provider decides to start buying them, you probably will not be able to get an x416.

Kicker|MyU

05-05-06, 08:04 PM

Hi all.
New to the club as of last night.
Currently, not very happy. Issues galore unfortunately and I don't know if they are the unit or the broadcast... or both.

Recorded the Soprano's in HD. Towards the end, it pixelated in the lower third and came to a stop. Froze dead. No FF, no Rew... nothing would get it to play. :( Fortunately I had also recorded the SD version and it played just fine.

Did this clear up? I had the same problem that week, so did people in the Verizon FIOS thread, I called Comcast and as soon as I said it was only in HD they told me that the broadcasters were having a problem, they didn't know what it was but they were getting TONS of calls with the pic dropping or pixelating and the sound, forget it, would drop out for 5-10 seconds, be on for 20 and off again. it was horrible. Anyway, all is better now....

I did ask the lady if it made ANY sense to her that ALL the HD stations would have the EXACT same problem? It didn't to me....

shane55

05-06-06, 03:10 AM

Did this clear up? I had the same problem that week, so did people in the Verizon FIOS thread, I called Comcast and as soon as I said it was only in HD they told me that the broadcasters were having a problem, they didn't know what it was but they were getting TONS of calls with the pic dropping or pixelating and the sound, forget it, would drop out for 5-10 seconds, be on for 20 and off again. it was horrible. Anyway, all is better now....

I did ask the lady if it made ANY sense to her that ALL the HD stations would have the EXACT same problem? It didn't to me....

Now THAT's funny!!!
Thanks for this. It's nice to know that one of the irritations I've had with this new unit was NOT actually the unit itself. And to answer your question... no. It has not happened again. Other ridiculous irritating bugs that this cheesy piece of crap has, have been showing their ugly faces, but that 'pixilate, freeze, die' issue has thankfully not reappeared.

I know it's not the unit, but the other night... 'Lost' in HD became SD about half way through the show for about 15 minutes or so. Then suddenly, it was back to glorious HD. Had to be the source.... I hope.

cheers!

shane

andyross63

05-06-06, 11:40 AM

I know it's not the unit, but the other night... 'Lost' in HD became SD about half way through the show for about 15 minutes or so. Then suddenly, it was back to glorious HD. Had to be the source.... I hope.
It's not unusual for broadcast channels to be asleep at the switch. Here in Chicago, Leno is sometimes in SD instead of HD. Worse, for a few days they ran a scrawl hyping the fact that Conan O'Brien will be doing his show in Chicago this week. When they do that, it's in SD, just like when they show weather alerts.

greenbill

05-06-06, 06:34 PM

I have the 6412 III with Comcast Cable in San Francisco. I have a brand new Denon 4306 receiver with 3 into 1 HDMI switching capabilities. The HDMI from the 6412 works fine when it is connected directly to my display (Panny 900), but when I go through the receiver, I get blue flickering. Based on posts from the 4306 thread on this site, it appears that the 6412 needs a software/firmware upgrade in order to complete the HDMI handshake with the 4306. I emailed Comcast, and they said I should call support. I called support at Comcast and of course they had no idea what I was talking about, but said it was not their problem but they would look into it.

Has anyone gotten HDMI from the 6412 to work through any other components like HDMI switches or repeaters?

Who should I contact in order to get this resolved? Comcast? Denon? Motorola?

I am updating my own post. It's been over three months and the HDMI handshake issue is still not resolved. When I posted in January, I was on version 12.18. Now I'm on version 12.31 but Comcast has not gotten the HDMI handshake issue fixed. But at least now I get a specific error message on my display for a few seconds that says something like, "Set top box not HDMI compatible" before I get a blue screen. Anyone have new information?

twitchee3

05-06-06, 07:44 PM

I am updating my own post. It's been over three months and the HDMI handshake issue is still not resolved. When I posted in January, I was on version 12.18. Now I'm on version 12.31 but Comcast has not gotten the HDMI handshake issue fixed. But at least now I get a specific error message on my display for a few seconds that says something like, "Set top box not HDMI compatible" before I get a blue screen. Anyone have new information?
The HDCP encryption is not completely standardized, so many devices do not communicate properly with others. It is not necessarily the STB's fault, it's HDCP settings are just not agreeing with those of your TV. Not necessarily the TV's fault either, just a bug in the whole system.

nate358

05-06-06, 11:47 PM

I was wondering if anyone has this Moto 6412 Phase III and Infocus 4805 combo? I know Cavu has it. Here is my problem.... I can't seem to get the 4805 to sync via the HDMI out on the Moto. Here's the path of the signal: cable box > HDMI to DVI adapter > DVI cable > DVI to M1 adapter > projector.

I've tried 2 DVI cables, both are good. I've tried 2 of these boxes, both are good and was able to connect to the IN72 via straight HDMI path.

Would a HDMI to M1 adapter work better than the DVI to M1? Besides the connector is there any difference the projector would see?

I don't want to use the component because my xbox is using this input. I have a Gefen 4X1 DVI switch that I use for everything (I took this out of the path and it made no difference). Has anyone got this Combo to work?

mhaider

05-07-06, 02:45 PM

This past week I switched from D* to Midcontinent cable and got 2 6412 III dvr's with iGuide. One is connected to my Sony HDTV via component, the other is hooked to a SD tv via the coax RF. I'm having a problem with the dvr that is connected via coax, when displaying the guide or menu the preview window in the upper right corner only shows what would actually be displaying in that portion of the screen if no guide or menu was on screen, not the whole screen. The dvr connected to my HDTV displays the whole screen in the preview window. Is there some setting I'm missing or is this a known problem? Both dvr's have s/w ver. 73.44 and firmware 12.31. They were brand new never used dvr's.

Any ideas??

twitchee3

05-07-06, 05:08 PM

cavu

05-07-06, 05:42 PM

Is the projector HDCP compliant?The InFocus SP4805 projector is HDCP compliant.

stim

05-09-06, 09:14 PM

twitchee3

05-09-06, 09:19 PM

I'm sorry if this has been mentioned before. I did a search, but didn't turn anything up...

I've been having a problem with the 6412 that I'm using. If I'm watching (or recording) something in HD on one tuner and changing channels on the other tuner (in SD or HD) there is a problem. When watching the recording back, each time that I changed channels, the audio drops out and the video pixelizes on the recording. I had the box swapped out and the new one is doing the same thing... The original box was a Phase II box and the new one is a Phase III box. Is this normal or is there some other problem?

Thanks in advance.
Sounds like a signal issue.

Make sure all wiring coming from the tap on your street and the distributing coaxial cabling throughout your home is RG6 and not RG 59 cabling. Also, temporarily remove any splits you may have in the line and see if that fixes the problem. If you have quality RG6 cabling throughout the house as well as from the tap and removing/replacing any splits makes no difference, call a tech out and have them check your signal strength.

stim

05-09-06, 10:14 PM

Sounds like a signal issue.

Make sure all wiring coming from the tap on your street and the distributing coaxial cabling throughout your home is RG6 and not RG 59 cabling. Also, temporarily remove any splits you may have in the line and see if that fixes the problem. If you have quality RG6 cabling throughout the house as well as from the tap and removing/replacing any splits makes no difference, call a tech out and have them check your signal strength.

When they came out last week they said that there was a problem with the line coming to the house and they would send someone out to fix it... When they came today they said that the signal was OK and suggested that the DVR be replaced. When I checked the signal on my own, one of the things said "fair." I guess that I'll call them back up and have them send someone else out. Just wanted to make sure that it wasn't just a bug on the box.

jeremyhelling

05-09-06, 10:51 PM

Stupid search... Can you program the remote w/a 30 second skip BACK just like the 30 second skip forward I added? Comcast sent a new update to the receivers (which I like... more My DVD options and a few other nice additions) that for some reason causes the receiver to lock up when you hit the skip (back it seems.. haven't had it happen with the forward yet) while watching live TV. I would like a 30 second skip back as hopefully it would mean half the scans for the receiver to have to think about. I've seen (and programmed three remotes now) to use the 30 second skip forward but haven't seen the skip back as an option. Does anyone know if this can be done?

Thanks!

Hdtvman-2

05-09-06, 11:47 PM

Northville Dave

05-10-06, 12:49 AM

By premium HD channels are you refering to the "movie" channels? Since Comcast charges extra for HD, are all HD channels premium? I haven't tested the firewire port on the 6412 III yet but I just assummed it would work. I'll let you know in a day or two.

HDTVman

The FCC mandates that OTA HD channels must be part of the "basic tier" and not encrypted so all HD channels are not "premium". There is no "extra charge" for the OTA channels.

twitchee3

05-10-06, 12:58 AM

When they came out last week they said that there was a problem with the line coming to the house and they would send someone out to fix it... When they came today they said that the signal was OK and suggested that the DVR be replaced. When I checked the signal on my own, one of the things said "fair." I guess that I'll call them back up and have them send someone else out. Just wanted to make sure that it wasn't just a bug on the box.
A lesson we learned in the Moxi thread was that good signal "strength" does not necessarily mean good signal "quality." If you do not have a high quality, low loss RG6 drop from the tap/pole to your house distribution box, the drop may very well be your problem, it solved the problems a few people had with their Moxi's.

Quatre

05-11-06, 02:14 AM

Wait, your TV has DVI but not HDMI? Any box will work, because if it has HDMI, you can simply purchase a cheap DVI to HDMI cable and that will work fine.

All phases of the DCT 6412 (phases I, II, and III) are HD DVR's, this model does not come in HD STB (NON DVR) varieties.

You can basically get whichever boxes you want, it doesn't really matter, they will all work, except for the Phase III you may need to purchase an extra HDMI to DVI cable to connect to a DVI enabled display or device.

yeah for my other HD tv that has DVI and no Hdmi I just want the newest box that has DVI, i know i can use an adaptor but dont want to, i dont really care about that box anyway meaning whatever it is , it has DVI and its fine i guess, i just was wondering what the newest best box with DVI was.

As far as my HDMi box for tv with hdmi i have a 3412 I so i was wondering what the difference between that and the 6412 III is. I"m assuming its newer and better so I may try my luck switching at comcast office and requesting that model box if they even have it. i guess they dont have any dvr boxes in my area ending in 16 for the 160 gb hdd.

the DVI box is a dvr along with the hdmi 3412 box, sounds like all new dvr boxes might be hdmi now so i'm prob best holding on to the dvi dvr box i have so i dont have to use an adapter.

old_man

05-11-06, 08:42 AM

yeah for my other HD tv that has DVI and no Hdmi I just want the newest box that has DVI, i know i can use an adaptor but dont want to, i dont really care about that box anyway meaning whatever it is , it has DVI and its fine i guess, i just was wondering what the newest best box with DVI was.

Why do you keep saying "adaptor"? You only need a cable with a DVI connector on one end and an HDMI connector on the other. :) You can get a reasonable cable from monoprice (see top of page) for about $10 - $20.

As far as my HDMi box for tv with hdmi i have a 3412 I so i was wondering what the difference between that and the 6412 III is. I"m assuming its newer and better so I may try my luck switching at comcast office and requesting that model box if they even have it. i guess they dont have any dvr boxes in my area ending in 16 for the 160 gb hdd.

The 6412 (I, II or III) will receive ANALOG and DIGITAL signals, the 3412 will receive DIGITAL signals only. If your cable company is renting 3412s then they are sending out DIGITAL signals ONLY so the 6412 is out of date. :) It will still work but is out of date. :)

the DVI box is a dvr along with the hdmi 3412 box, sounds like all new dvr boxes might be hdmi now so i'm prob best holding on to the dvi dvr box i have so i dont have to use an adapter.

3412 is ONLY HDMI so you will need an HDMI to DVI cable to plug in to your DVI TV.

ceccacci

05-11-06, 11:52 AM

The 6412 (I, II or III) will receive ANALOG and DIGITAL signals, the 3412 will receive DIGITAL signals only. If your cable company is renting 3412s then they are sending out DIGITAL signals ONLY so the 6412 is out of date. It will still work but is out of date. I woudn't say "out of date" exactly. The 3412 is identical to the 6412 Phase III, right down to the firmware; it's just missing the analog tuner. It has no newer/better features or performance.

old_man

05-11-06, 12:52 PM

I woudn't say "out of date" exactly. The 3412 is identical to the 6412 Phase III, right down to the firmware; it's just missing the analog tuner. It has no newer/better features or performance.

Maybe "out of date" is a little harsh but the 3412 is the "face of the future" (digital only) and the 6412 Phase III is probably the last of the 6412 line (as Cable Co's stop analog) :)

twitchee3

05-11-06, 07:01 PM

The 6412 (I, II or III) will receive ANALOG and DIGITAL signals, the 3412 will receive DIGITAL signals only. If your cable company is renting 3412s then they are sending out DIGITAL signals ONLY so the 6412 is out of date. :) It will still work but is out of date. :)
To my knowlege, no cable comapny currently broadcasts ONLY digital signals, but the ones that do broadcast the basic cable channels digitally, also simulcast in analog for those without an STB.

Quatre

05-15-06, 01:45 AM

Why do you keep saying "adaptor"? You only need a cable with a DVI connector on one end and an HDMI connector on the other. :) You can get a reasonable cable from monoprice (see top of page) for about $10 - $20.

The 6412 (I, II or III) will receive ANALOG and DIGITAL signals, the 3412 will receive DIGITAL signals only. If your cable company is renting 3412s then they are sending out DIGITAL signals ONLY so the 6412 is out of date. :) It will still work but is out of date. :)

3412 is ONLY HDMI so you will need an HDMI to DVI cable to plug in to your DVI TV.

ok, the point is on the TV that has DVI I do not want to use a DVI to Hdmi cable I just want to use the DVI cable I have with a DVI box ok, even though I dont usually pay for cables anyway i just dont see the point in switching to a hdmi box just to have to use a dvi to hdmi cable when i can just use dvi to dvi as i feel that is just better.

For my other hdtv with hdmi yes i have a 3412 I. I did not know that is for all digital as I just assumed the 6412 III was newer and better so thanks for clearing that up.

I didn't know the Philadelphia area and suburbs had any all digital areas but I guess I am in one if they gave me a 3412 I.
Again I use that box on a tv with hdmi so i dont need a damn dvi to hdmi cable that you keep wanting me to get.

twitchee3

05-15-06, 02:36 AM

ok, the point is on the TV that has DVI I do not want to use a DVI to Hdmi cable I just want to use the DVI cable I have with a DVI box ok, even though I dont usually pay for cables anyway i just dont see the point in switching to a hdmi box just to have to use a dvi to hdmi cable when i can just use dvi to dvi as i feel that is just better.

For my other hdtv with hdmi yes i have a 3412 I. I did not know that is for all digital as I just assumed the 6412 III was newer and better so thanks for clearing that up.

I didn't know the Philadelphia area and suburbs had any all digital areas but I guess I am in one if they gave me a 3412 I.
Again I use that box on a tv with hdmi so i dont need a damn dvi to hdmi cable that you keep wanting me to get.
Resist the sales pitch, way to go!!!! ;) ;)

old_man

05-15-06, 10:33 AM

ok, the point is on the TV that has DVI I do not want to use a DVI to Hdmi cable I just want to use the DVI cable I have with a DVI box ok, even though I dont usually pay for cables anyway i just dont see the point in switching to a hdmi box just to have to use a dvi to hdmi cable when i can just use dvi to dvi as i feel that is just better.
Ok, then you have to go to your cable co and ask for a box with DVI out. Good luck.

You might get either a 6412 phase I or a 6412 phase II.

Again I use that box on a tv with hdmi so i dont need a damn dvi to hdmi cable that you keep wanting me to get.
I don't care whether you get a cable or not.

I was trying to explain that you didn't need an ADAPTOR you were talking about in your original post.

Quatre

05-15-06, 04:28 PM

Ok, then you have to go to your cable co and ask for a box with DVI out. Good luck.

You might get either a 6412 phase I or a 6412 phase II.

I don't care whether you get a cable or not.

I was trying to explain that you didn't need an ADAPTOR you were talking about in your original post.

ok but i dont have to go to cable company and get a dvi box. like i said i have one for that tv so i'm fine. was just wondering what was newest best dvi box but sounds like they dont make those anymore so i'm best off keeping the dvi box i have (will have to check model)

for my hdmi tv i have a 3412 I which turns out is newer then 6412 so i'll keep that too.

thats all i was trying to find out, the difference and as someone explained though deceiving the lower # is the 3412 I is newer then a 6412 III and is all digital which as I said i'm surprised and didn't know we had that here.

but it is comcasts original home market so youd expect the best but somehow we were one of the only areas with a ban on having more then on dvr.

ak3883

05-16-06, 05:11 PM

but it is comcasts original home market so youd expect the best but somehow we were one of the only areas with a ban on having more then on dvr.

WA HAHAHA! The fact that Comcast is in Philly doesn't give us jack. All we get is a monopoly on the local sports network, and a new skyscraper for Comcast going up in Center City.

Quatre

05-17-06, 04:24 AM

you dont have to sell me on hating on comcast and their monopolizing ways but they aren't as bad as Verizon.

shane55

05-17-06, 11:13 AM

you dont have to sell me on hating on comcast and their monopolizing ways but they aren't as bad as Verizon.

Maybe... but when Verizon gets their fiber network into my area I'm gonna dump comcrap immediately! :mad:

shane

placenta

05-17-06, 03:33 PM

renpar61

05-17-06, 04:13 PM

It might be my interface switching inside the TV..
:confused: :confused:

placenta

05-17-06, 04:20 PM

:confused: :confused:

cuz when it happened, i hear a lot of fast clicking behind my TV. The clicking only lasts for 3-4 seconds.

andyross63

05-17-06, 05:26 PM

placenta

05-17-06, 05:30 PM

Well known bug. The best 'fix' for now is to unplug the DVR for a minute, then plug it back in to reboot it. The only way to completely avoid it is to not turn it off.

AWESOME. seriously. much better than an issue with my new TV. The only reason i have to turn it off at night is the LCD is too bright and shines in my eyes.

geoWorm

05-17-06, 10:51 PM

AWESOME. seriously. much better than an issue with my new TV. The only reason i have to turn it off at night is the LCD is too bright and shines in my eyes.

Cardboard and some Duct Tape...

Quatre

05-18-06, 03:26 AM

Maybe... but when Verizon gets their fiber network into my area I'm gonna dump comcrap immediately! :mad:

shane

yeah i've been reading and hearing about the fiber optic service and it definately seems like it will be superior to comcast hd digi cable and vz fios uses moto dvr boxes so the change wont be unfamiliar.

i just worry about having to have electrician fish the new wiring neccesary through the house to the tvs if need be which i'm assuming will be cus even though my place is only like 11 yrs old i think comcast said before the cable wire was older and i got mostly newer then.

i know verizon laid fiber optic in my neighborhood and i even have a new box where they can access the fiber optic out front of mine and all the houses but for some reason when i put search on the verizon site it says its not ready yet.

but it does say that even after laid they still ahve to get the station and serviers or whatever ready but it shouldn't be long now witht it all laid out.

it sounds like it should be better, offer more hd channels clearer sd and all for less money. sounds too good to be true especially from greedy verizon but we
ll see.

I wonder if the fiber optic will be better for internet?

ceccacci

05-18-06, 11:22 AM

...it sounds like it should be better, offer more hd channels clearer sd and all for less money. sounds too good to be true especially from greedy verizon but we
ll see.IMO, it seems people are really excited about FIOS sight unseen, and I'm not sure it's justified. All we've got to go on is what Verizon says, and of course any past experiences with Verizon. My own past experiences with Verizon lead me to resist ever giving them another dime for any service whatsoever, so I have little hope FIOS will be all they claim. If it's true they will be using Motorola DVRs, that doesn't exactly reassure me either.

Comcast may be bad, but Verizon has the worst customer service (and most clueless employees) I have ever dealt with.

shane55

05-18-06, 01:16 PM

ceccacci

05-18-06, 01:46 PM

Good points...
Secondly... unlike many, I've only had good experience with V. I may be in the minority, and the only contact with them has been with my cellphone. Nothing else. So my experience is limited.Verizon Wireless is a completely different division from the Verizon telco services. It was purchased intact, and has been mostly left alone to run independently. I too have had Verizon Wireless and never had any complaints, but that's not who you'll get for FIOS. <g>

In any case, time will tell. I'm just not going to be one of the early adopters.

shane55

05-18-06, 02:54 PM

In any case, time will tell. I'm just not going to be one of the early adopters.

I agree. I figured that by the time it gets out here, we won't exactly be 'early'. :D

cavu

05-18-06, 05:21 PM

What's the model number of the 160GB drive? (You can see that from the diagnostics pages).

I'm desperate for more space and I'll buy the proper 160GB and drop it into my 6412PIII.Model Num: ST3160023AS

Not sure but would You have to make the System, GPFS, PVR Index, and PVR Content Partitions?

in case..

Paritions:
System = 238 MB
GPFS = 2,861 MB
PVR Index = 1,907 MB
PVR Content 147,581 MBWell ... in spite of all of the huffing and puffing, whining and lack of constructive information on this forum, I went out and bought the EXACT drive that SkateZilla said was in his DCT6416 unit - the 160GB Seagate ST3160023AS. It cost me all of $50.

I unplugged my 120GB drive in my DCT6412PIII and plugged in the new 160GB drive.

I powered up my Moto. It took a while to "find itself" but when it woke up it had a 160GB drive with the exact partitions that SkateZilla has on his!

Done deal.

THANK YOU SKATEZILLA!!

twitchee3

05-18-06, 07:42 PM

Good points...
First I've read that what goes into your house is still RF cable, but what changes is a converter box outside your house. That way the cabling within your structure shouldn't need to be disturbed. (Correct me if I'm wrong).

Secondly... unlike many, I've only had good experience with V. I may be in the minority, and the only contact with them has been with my cellphone. Nothing else. So my experience is limited.

Customer service for D*Tv stinks. Comcrap is... well crap... so for me there might not be much to loose.

Sure, I'll wait to see how things shake out... besides, I'm sure it'll be quite a while until it reaches my area. :confused:

cheers

shane
FIOS is already available for many areas, and yes, home cabling is STILL RF, the difference being there is a fiber optic to RF converter outside your home, instead of the cable drop. FIOS DOES use Motorola DVR's and STB's, and i believe they are currently using the Motorola QIP 3412 all digital HD DVR for HD DVR subscribers.

lovingdvd

05-19-06, 12:10 PM

just a somewhat similar issue i am having. maybe a HDMI issue..

Philips 37" LCD (latest firmware)
Comcast 6412 Phase III

Using HDMI. I turn off my STB and TV nightly. (I know, STB shouldn't really turn off). I come home, and turn both on. I never get a picture appearing on my screen until I have started a DVR playback. The DVR playback makes an image appear, then i press stop. After that point, my reg TV finally has image. I DO see my Comcast blue channel bars when this issue is occuring. But I dont see the TV image itself. To isolate this issus I have swapped my Comcast boxes upstairs/downstairs. I have the same Tv in both locations. I do have 4 yr contracts on my TVs so I'm not worried either way. But I do hear clicking sounds from the back of my TV occasionally. It might be my interface switching inside the TV..

With regards to this bug, I have seen something very similar. In summary I like to change the STB from 720p to 1080i and vice-versa, to match the native broadcast resolution the channel uses (i.e. 720p for ESPN HD, 1080i for HBOHD).

When I change from 720p to 1080i or the reverse, I lose the picture completely after turning the box back on when coming out of the service menu. To get the TV channels back, I have to start playback for a sec of one of the DVR shows. Then when I stop DVR playback the TV channels work again (until the next time I change resolution).

I have this DVR for a couple of years and have been doing this all along with no problem, until recently. The issue seems to have started with a recent firmware update...

lovingdvd

05-19-06, 12:14 PM

Well ... in spite of all of the huffing and puffing, whining and lack of constructive information on this forum, I went out and bought the EXACT drive that SkateZilla said was in his DCT6416 unit - the 160GB Seagate ST3160023AS. It cost me all of $50.

I unplugged my 120GB drive in my DCT6412PIII and plugged in the new 160GB drive.

I powered up my Moto. It took a while to "find itself" but when it woke up it had a 160GB drive with the exact partitions that SkateZilla has on his!

Done deal.

THANK YOU SKATEZILLA!!

What was the replacement/swap procedure like? I wonder if an even bigger drive would work. Picking up an extra 33% is indeed very nice. Ideally though I'd like to pick up twice as much space if possible.

cavu

05-19-06, 01:15 PM

What was the replacement/swap procedure like?"I unplugged my 120GB drive in my DCT6412PIII and plugged in the new 160GB drive."

shane55

05-19-06, 02:11 PM

Well ... in spite of all of the huffing and puffing, whining and lack of constructive information on this forum, I went out and bought the EXACT drive that SkateZilla said was in his DCT6416 unit - the 160GB Seagate ST3160023AS. It cost me all of $50.

I unplugged my 120GB drive in my DCT6412PIII and plugged in the new 160GB drive.

I powered up my Moto. It took a while to "find itself" but when it woke up it had a 160GB drive with the exact partitions that SkateZilla has on his!

Done deal.

THANK YOU SKATEZILLA!!

Well... ok, sounds easy enough, but I'm curious about the partitions. Where do I find information about them? The diagnostics?

Also... has everything worked well? Did all the Guide info reload and perform as 'normal'?

Thanks

shane

cavu

05-19-06, 02:33 PM

I'm curious about the partitions. Where do I find information about them? The diagnostics?The status of the hard disk and the details of the partitions are all listed on the diagnostics pages. D13 as I recall.Did all the Guide info reload and perform as 'normal'?It woke up and is completely normal except the disk is bigger.

Last night I set it up to record PBS-HD (continuous HD programming) and as of this moment it is at 831 minutes and "53% Full". This suggests that it will hold about 26 hours when full.

jeremyhelling

05-19-06, 06:51 PM

So I finally got around to installing a 5.1ch receiver and want to make the volume button on the remote to control the receiver instead of the TV. Right now it's locked to TV so that no matter what device is active the volume will always work the TV volume. I would like it to lock the volume to the AUX button but I can't seem to find a way to do it. I found a way to unlock the volume so that it controls the volume of the device it's currently on but can't seem to find a way to lock it to one of the other devices. Sorry if this has been covered but the Search didn't give me any results.

Thanks for the help!

andyross63

05-20-06, 10:59 AM

05-20-06, 04:24 PM

The reported success at substituting a larger internal sata disk is tantalizing. However, from the posting it seems to have been done on a customer owned box on a Canadian cable system.

Has anyone dared try it on Comcast who is brave enough to admit it? Many postings have already discussed the potential penalty for opening a Comcast owned box.

jeremyhelling

05-20-06, 05:51 PM

See the Remote Control section in the Wikibook (link in my .sig below). Look for 'Volume Lock.'

Thanks man, I'll check it out!!

jeremyhelling

05-20-06, 06:13 PM

See the Remote Control section in the Wikibook (link in my .sig below). Look for 'Volume Lock.'

That worked perfect, thanks!

Now, I have one other problem with the addition of this receiver. It's an Onkyo and there are two codes for the brand. The first code will work for the volume, but then won't power the receiver on & off. The second code will power the receiver off but will not work the volume (or power it back on for that matter). I noticed that the remote that came w/the receiver has a separate off and on button as opposed to one that dose both. I just got the receiver and the most common functions I will use will be the volume and on/off so I'm wondering how I can get this both to work. So, I guess I have a two part question: 1) can I somehow make the power and volume work at the same time and can I also get the power button to do both on and off?

cavu

05-20-06, 06:30 PM

Ideally though I'd like to pick up twice as much space if possible.The Barracuda 7200.7 Serial ATA series (http://www.seagate.com/support/disc/manuals/sata/cuda7200_sata_pm.pdf) that Motorola appear to be using includes:ST3200822AS "Good bet!"
ST3160827AS
ST3160023AS DCT6416
ST3160021AS
ST3120827AS
ST3120026AS DCT6412
ST3120022AS
ST380817AS
ST380013AS (DCT6208 ??)
ST380011AS
ST340111AS
ST340014ASI assume, but don't know, that they used one of these 80GB drives in their DCT6208. Perhaps someone who has one could confirm that. I'm guessing it would be the ST380013AS as it matches the other DCT drives in that it doesn't support NCQ. One could also infer that the ST3200822AS 200GB would be a solid choice as well.

You can use this Seagate product listing (http://www.seagate.com/cda/products/discsales/index/1,,,00.html) to try to match the specs to a different series.

I haven't had time to do that yet. But, based on the pricing I have been seeing, I think I may go directly to a 500GB or 750GB unit.

cavu

05-20-06, 06:32 PM

Has anyone dared try it on Comcast who is brave enough to admit it? Many postings have already discussed the potential penalty for opening a Comcast owned box.Gawd you guys are pussies.

Can you spell P.A.R.A.N.O.I.D.??

PS. I just emailed Comcast and asked them SPECIFICALLY what would happen if I did such a thing to a rented DVR. I'll advise what their response is.

PPS. Their response:Thank you for contacting Comcast Cable.

Upon review of your message, I must inform you that there is a formal policy of Comcast regarding equipment rental. Any equipment found to have been tampered with upon return, will be billed to the account holder. The DCT 6412 and DCT 6416 DVR's are $675.00 each.

I hope this information is useful. If I can be of further assistance, please let me know. Thank you for taking the time to e-mail us.

Sincerely,

******
Comcast Customer Care SpecialistSo ... when and if you were to return the Moto to them ... you carefully reinstall the original drive ... no penalty. If you screw up - you own the DVR for $675.

Hardly the doom and gloom scenario that others have been wailing about.

Ladd

05-20-06, 07:39 PM

Gawd you guys are pussies.

Can you spell P.A.R.A.N.O.I.D.??PS. I just emailed Comcast and asked them SPECIFICALLY what would happen if I did such a thing to a rented DVR. I'll advise what their response is.I wouldn't exactly call it paranoid if when I go to return my rented 6412 III and they say that because the sticker on the back is broken I owe them $400, but I fully admit that if someone else proves that I can pull the 120 GB drive and stick a 200-to-500 GB hard drive in the 6412 III for the time I'm renting the box, I'm pretty sure I'll go ahead and do it anyway.

It be worth the penalty (if it is even applied) just to have the extra recording room and not force me to watch recorded programs within a day or two of their broadcast. My older SD Tivo has a 250 GB drive in it, giving me 90+ hours of recording at best quality and I got quite used to "I'll just save up for or five episodes of "24" and watch them all at once on a Saturday night next month".

cavu

05-20-06, 07:59 PM

because the sticker on the back is brokenWhat sticker?

andyross63

05-21-06, 11:27 AM

Now, I have one other problem with the addition of this receiver. It's an Onkyo and there are two codes for the brand. The first code will work for the volume, but then won't power the receiver on & off. The second code will power the receiver off but will not work the volume (or power it back on for that matter). I noticed that the remote that came w/the receiver has a separate off and on button as opposed to one that dose both. I just got the receiver and the most common functions I will use will be the volume and on/off so I'm wondering how I can get this both to work. So, I guess I have a two part question: 1) can I somehow make the power and volume work at the same time and can I also get the power button to do both on and off?
What codes are you trying? Looking at the list here:
http://www.hifi-remote.com/ofa/codes-amp.shtml#amp
I only see code 0135. Another One-For-All I own (the Comcast silver remote is made by them) also shows codes 0842 and 1298.
For code 0135, the following EFC's (see the Wikibook page on how to use EFC's) are listed (you may need to add 00 to the front, since the Comcast silver remote usually wants a 5-digit number):
http://www.hifi-remote.com/cgi-bin2/ueic.cgi?amp_0135
Volume + = 183
Volume - = 187
Power ON = 180
Power OFF = 170
Volume 2 + = 171
Volume 2 - = 167
Mute = 184

It's possible multiple codes actually use the same EFC's, but are just mapped differently. You can send an EFC directly, when in the right device mode (make ceratin Aux was pressed earlier) by pressing and releasing the Setup button, then typing in the 5-digit code (00180 to turn it on for instance.) If the above codes generally work, it may be easiest to set the code that works your volume as-is, then program Power to turn it on, and turn it off with a SHIFTed-Power:
1. Press and release Aux to set the mode.
2. Hold Setup until 2 blinks
3. Type 994, should get 2 blinks
4. Press and release Setup, then type 00180
5. Press and release Power
6. Should get 2 blinks.

Repeat steps 1-3 above.
4. Press and release Setup, then type 00170.
5. Press and release Setup.
6. Press and release Power.
7. Should get 2 blinks.

To turn it on, just hit Power. To turn it off, press and release Setup, then press power.

jeremyhelling

05-21-06, 01:12 PM

What codes are you trying? Looking at the list here:
http://www.hifi-remote.com/ofa/codes-amp.shtml#amp
I only see code 0135. Another One-For-All I own (the Comcast silver remote is made by them) also shows codes 0842 and 1298.
For code 0135, the following EFC's (see the Wikibook page on how to use EFC's) are listed (you may need to add 00 to the front, since the Comcast silver remote usually wants a 5-digit number):
http://www.hifi-remote.com/cgi-bin2/ueic.cgi?amp_0135
Volume + = 183
Volume - = 187
Power ON = 180
Power OFF = 170
Volume 2 + = 171
Volume 2 - = 167
Mute = 184

It's possible multiple codes actually use the same EFC's, but are just mapped differently. You can send an EFC directly, when in the right device mode (make ceratin Aux was pressed earlier) by pressing and releasing the Setup button, then typing in the 5-digit code (00180 to turn it on for instance.) If the above codes generally work, it may be easiest to set the code that works your volume as-is, then program Power to turn it on, and turn it off with a SHIFTed-Power:
1. Press and release Aux to set the mode.
2. Hold Setup until 2 blinks
3. Type 994, should get 2 blinks
4. Press and release Setup, then type 00180
5. Press and release Power
6. Should get 2 blinks.

Repeat steps 1-3 above.
4. Press and release Setup, then type 00170.
5. Press and release Setup.
6. Press and release Power.
7. Should get 2 blinks.

To turn it on, just hit Power. To turn it off, press and release Setup, then press power.

Update: I used both 0135 & 0842 and I think I'm using 0135 now as the volume works (locked to AUX thanks to the help above) and it will power the receiver on. It will still not power the receiver off though which is what I'm trying to accomplish here. How do I make it do this? Sorry to sound like a dummy but I saw that EFC stuff on the link you sent when I was trying to find a solution to my problem. I don't know what an EFC is nor do I really understand how they work.