I have a Motorola DCP501 Home Theater System, it it internally similar to the DCT 2000 in the fact that it uses the same digital Chipset as I am told by motorola. I however am unable to get it to function in the digital mode with my cable provider Comcast of Michigan as they say they won't authorize any digital equipment that they don't supply according to the supervisor I spoke with. Previously I was conversing with the people at North American Digital to see if I could get my equipment activated by them. They said they would get back to me after checking into it to see if their process was compatible with my equipment. They never returned with an answer. The last time I tried to contact them to check on their answer to my inquiry, their website returns a Cannot find server DNS error. So, I am asking this forum if anyone knows a method of activating the digital mode for a Motorola Digital Reciever and where I can get this service performed? I'm thinking that it is most likely by going inside and inserting a chip to activate the service mode. so I would need to get this service chip and instructions on installing it. If there is another way I would be happy to listen to suggestions.

Ask to speak with the supervisor (cable provider). They should be able to activate this unit remotely.

Tell him/her to refer to the spec's of the device. That's the whole purpose of the unit!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008ZPJN/102-0482162-3420100?v=glance&n=172282

This is lifted from another forum but someone took a lot of time to put it together so here ya go!

I think the main point of all this is keep escalating until you find someone that KNOWS how to do it, when to do it and willing to do it. It is EXTREMELY uncommon and with Customer Service churn, most reps havent even encountered this request and just take it at face value. "We provide the equipment.."

Id love to know if you can get this added to your account.

So, the purpose of this post is to help someone purchase a cable box and get it registered with Comcast. I have succeeded in doing it, and would imagine that it should be possible anyplace on the Comcast system-- but I make no guarantee that this will work for you.

My cable system uses Motorola DCT series boxes. If your cable system is using Scientific Atlanta boxes, you can NOT use a Motorola box (not even the one discussed below).

First, I found a good deal on eBay for a Motorola DCP-501. This box is really a DCT2000 box inside a Home Theater box (digital stereo 5.1 surround sound, built-in DVD/CD player, tons of A/V inputs, and AM/FM tuner). It was a listing that showed the unit as 'still in the original box' (never used). Several problems you may run into here. If the seller on eBay is not being honest to tell you where they came from, don't touch it! As far as you know, they raided the local cable truck and now are trying to sell the boxes on eBay. Yes they are new, but they may be in the Motorola database as 'assigned to a cable company', thus USELESS to you for use with Comcast. If you can talk to the seller first and find out that it is just 'store overstock' or close-out special from an electronic store, you may be in luck. If you are unwilling to take a risk of this cost (they are just over $150 on eBay now), you can buy 'new' from amazon.com (»www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de···n=507846) for just over $250. If you buy new from amazon, Comcast will still run the serial number check, and it will show it is a retail box.

So, in summary: be _very_ cautious of anything like this on eBay. Don't bother with the DCT2000 (dct2224 or dct2244, or dct2500 series) boxes.. They were not sold retail in the US, so they will not attempt to register them.

Now, assuming you have a shiney-new box in front of you, equip yourself with a phone and some time (lots of time). This whole process took me many calls, and just about 1 week of waiting for the box to be provisioned.

Hook the DCP-501 up to the cable system and your TV. You can fool with the million settings to get your speakers working just right while you are waiting.

If your box is brandy-new, you will have a sticker on the front display. It has two 'numbers' or bar-codes on it. These numbers identify your box. They will need both to begin with.

So, get a pen and paper ready and start calling into the comcast TV call-center. Best choice is the one that asks you if you want to "add or remove a service".

With the CSR on the phone, Identify yourself (as you always must do) and then tell them that you decided to pick-up a Mototola home theater box (the dcp501) and would like to have it provisioned. It is highly possible that the CSR will inform you that Comcast does not allow customer-owned boxes. I ran across this when I started this trek-- half of the people I talked with were not trained (did not attend the home theater demo), and did not know what I was talking about. I actually had one CSR on the motorola site, reviewing the box. His comment: "Cool!".. So, your mileage may vary. Worst case, call back. Sorta like rolling the dice..

After telling the CSR you would like to provision the box, you can help educate them by showing/telling them how they can find them on amazon.com. If at all possible do NOT mention the word 'eBay'. It is a definate turn-off for Comcast (as most all equipment up there for sale is used/stolen/broken. The amazon link to the box is here. Have the CSR browse to amazon.com and put in DCP-501 to find it if they want to see proof it can be purchased by customers as a new item.

Ask them kindly to send your box information to provisioning. Give them the unit address (those numbers with the bar codes) and serial number of the box. Don't be a wise-guy to them. Let them tell you all about how they check for stolen equipment. If you bought it new, you are all set. Some CSRs find this process soo fascinating that they want to stay involved. They may ask to call you in a couple of days to update you on the progress. Go for it! Now that you have someone who is willing to 'give it a try', don't loose them!! (get their name and number or email, so you can also update them if it just starts working (gets provisioned)).

Like I said, this took me about one week to get it active. The box functions really well. It is like a fast DCT2000. The remote that comes with the box has many additional features over the DCT2000 box, so dont loose it! If you have a silver Comcast remote, it will work when the dcp501 is in CableTV mode. To get the DVD working or other features, you are stuck with the big remote. [a side-topic: if you want to re-program any of the big DCP-501 remote, it IS a JP1 remote.. see: »www.hifi-remote.com/jp1/index.shtml for more info about this stuff. No, the Comcast silver remote is NOT a JP1. ]

So, there is a lot of information here to go through. be patient and work with the Comcast CSR(s), as this is new to them too.. be nice, it will pay off.

Some other interesting things I found:
Comcast does not have a way to bill you the 'outlet fee' separate from the 'box rental fee' anymore, so they will put in a 'service credit' (never expires) for the $7.50 (or whatever your box rental/outlet fee is). They also put my dcp501 as the 'additional outlet'. I do not have any other Comcast cable box on my account. I'm would imagine that you can share this information with the CSR to help them get it all in your account.

Well, I hope this helps people who choose to get a box like this one. At the time I got that box, I did not have a 5.1 surround receiver, so I grabbed it-- nice upgrade to the home theater I had previously.

If you are one of those who must have the latest and greatest gadget, google the DCP601 box. It is the HD version of the dcp501. I have not found any place to buy it from. The following text is from Motorola's site (a PDF -- NCTA 2004)

Motorola DCP601 Digital Video Home Entertainment System with DVD Player

The Motorola DCP601 is a 6.1 channel audio/video processor that
combines HD decoding and digital cable functionality into a home theater
system. Part of Motorola’s Digital Convergence Platform (DCP) family of
home theater systems, the Motorola DCP601 integrates a top-quality
audio/video processor; a progressive scan DVD player which can upconvert
for higher resolutions on HDTV monitors; AM/FM stereo receiver;
HD decoding capabilities and an digital cable-ready receiver -- all into one
unit offering high functionality with plug-and-play convenience.

[see page 5 at: »www.motorola.com/mot/doc/1/1275_MotDoc.pdf ]

Well, best of luck with your choices and I hope you find this information helpful...

I have the DCP501 and have had it successfully provisioned by Comcast. As the above post indicates, you'll have to get past the first tier of Comcast CSR's before you'll get anywhere. Ask to talk to a supervisor. Remind them them they're obligated to provision it under FCC rules. Refer them to the Comcast Conditional Access Manager, Comcast Cable Eastern Division Engineering, Oaks, Pa. If that fails the people at the Lebanon, Pa headend know how to do it 'cause I put them through it.

Another hard bit of information: If you wish to get HD, you'll have to get a Motorola HDD200 sidecar decoder which connects to the DCP501 through an HSI port which Comcast must activate remotely. The magic words are to have the headend engineer enable the "App IF Port" using the DAC.

Hope this helps. I know people like to knock Comcast, but once I got past that first line of defense, I found everyone to be helpful and friendly there.

I also have the DCP501 and had it successfully provisioned by Comcast last week. Well almost. All Comcast menus work, and they mapped all the channels but the problems are as follows. None of the digital features are enabled, On Demand will not respond , none of the digital music channels or expanded channels will come in and I can not order PPV. I get a message on the screen on digital channels that says "One Moment Please This channel Should be Available Shortly" when I try to access On Demand the message is "Interactive Serivce On D To Activate Service Press OK". Pressing OK does nothing. Comcast sent out two techs within a day of my call to try and fix this, they were not able to help, and I knew they would not be able to do anything other than see that it was connected correctly, which it was. The issue has to be at the headend.

What advice can you give me ?, who should I be talking to at Comcast and what should I tell them to do to enable all Digital features. I have other Comcast boxes in my home and they are expanded digital with pay channels, logic would dictate I should be getting all of this (and the interactive service) on the DCP501.

Thanks and I look forward to hearing back from anyone with information on this subject.

I do not think anything interactive would be blocked by that box. One Moment Please is usually a signal issue.
Can you access a diagnostics screen? ( power then OK or SELECT on regular motos) Ive never worked with this box myself.


Go to one of the channels that is affected, Hit POWER then OK or SELECT.

Scroll down to IN BAND STATUS and let us know what it says.

Check-
SNR
AGC
Uncorrectable vs Correctable

Then go to CURRENT CHANNEL STATUS and let us know the Inband Frequency of the affected channels.

If you cannot access on demand that usually means its a reverse issue. Something is blocking your reverse or there are too many passives between your box and the tap.


What have the technicians checked? What did they say? If you think its a firmware or compatibility issue have a tech hook up another digi on that outlet and see if it does the same. ( or if you have a leased box somehwere in your home try that one on this outlet and see if your results are the same..)

I also have the DCP501 and had it successfully provisioned by Comcast last week. Well almost. ...

What advice can you give me ?, who should I be talking to at Comcast and what should I tell them to do to enable all Digital features. I have other Comcast boxes in my home and they are expanded digital with pay channels, logic would dictate I should be getting all of this (and the interactive service) on the DCP501.

Thanks and I look forward to hearing back from anyone with information on this subject.

Could be entered incorrectly. It's not something they see every day. They have to get the Type Code, Model Code and sometimes Make Code to have 2 way functions. There's one Model Code for one way and another for 2 way. Some systems work straight off the code table in the billing system and other have to work it sideways.

My DCP501 went in the billing system according to the code table and works on all functions - VOD, PPV, etc. Feel free to PM me for more help.

Well First off I'd like to thank all of you for your wonderful suggestions so far. I just came from the local cable office and talked with the personnel there. They are now telling me that they are incapable of authorizing my equipment at this time and they Might be able to in the future with no guarantees.
This is primarily the reason I was looking for a "Service card" for a temporary fix to see if it is really my equipment or just their stonewalling. The reason I was interested in activating the digital mode is because once again the programming I was interested in watching has been bumped from the analog bandwidth to the digital bandwidth of our local provider. Also the only primary reason I am still with the lousy cable service I'm receiving, is their competition is still more expensive and they offer Cable Modem capability unlike Satellite dish service currently. leaving my only other connection option available 40K dialup (I know it should be 56K but line noise reduces it to 40K).
So, if anyone can help me locate a "Digital Service Card" I'd appreciate it.

So, if anyone can help me locate a "Digital Service Card" I'd appreciate it.

Never heard of a "Digital Service Card".

There's Cable Card - a security device for TVs that tune digital cable channels, but the DCP501 does not use it.

There's TV Pass Card - fits in a slot on the DCT, it's vaporware - never seen one.

Sorry for this question - does the cable company you are served by use Motorola DCTs? If the are a Scientific Atlanta 'Explorer' system a DCP501 will not work.

Care to name the location?

Ive never heard of a digital service card either.

My advice-
Do NOT go to the front counter and ask technical questions or ask them to do anything above and beyond taking payments or swapping equipment.

Call the customer service number, ask to be escalated to a supervisor ( theyll know more then a manager most times as they are more hands on and front line ) and describe what I quoted above.
They will have access to more resources and get results easier then a front counter rep. At the very least they will pass you off to someone that knows more then them.

I think a "digital service card" would be the equivalent of a pirate box, but it is my understanding that no such card exists. If you have a DCP501 Comcast will provision the unit and register it into the system.

On the subject of my DCP501. I have received the proper codes from a Comcast inventory manager to properly activate the DCP501 in the Comcast billing system and have forwarded this detail onto the local Comcast team leader that is handling this issue and expect the DCP501 to be fully interactive within a day or two. I'll report back in when the box is fully functional. Thanks for your help and interest.

I think a "digital service card" would be the equivalent of a pirate box, but it is my understanding that no such card exists. If you have a DCP501 Comcast will provision the unit and register it into the system.

On the subject of my DCP501. I have received the proper codes from a Comcast inventory manager to properly activate the DCP501 in the Comcast billing system and have forwarded this detail onto the local Comcast team leader that is handling this issue and expect the DCP501 to be fully interactive within a day or two. I'll report back in when the box is fully functional. Thanks for your help and interest.

You should IM those codes to the op. Im sure they are universal.
He can then forward his info and actions to a corporate email to provide some "incentive" from to local office to get things going.

On the subject of my DCP501. I have received the proper codes from a Comcast inventory manager to properly activate the DCP501 in the Comcast billing system and have forwarded this detail onto the local Comcast team leader that is handling this issue and expect the DCP501 to be fully interactive within a day or two. I'll report back in when the box is fully functional. Thanks for your help and interest.

Small world ;)

Remind them them they're obligated to provision it under FCC rules.

Does anyone have a citation for this? My cable company (RCN) told me that while they would be glad to do it their system will not allow it.

TIA,

Dan

USC TITLE 47 CHAPTER 5 SUBCHAPTER V-A Part III § 549 Competitive availability of navigation devices:

(a) Commercial consumer availability of equipment used to access services provided by multichannel video programming distributors
The Commission shall, in consultation with appropriate industry standard-setting organizations, adopt regulations to assure the commercial availability, to consumers of multichannel video programming and other services offered over multichannel video programming systems, of converter boxes, interactive communications equipment, and other equipment used by consumers to access multichannel video programming and other services offered over multichannel video programming systems, from manufacturers, retailers, and other vendors not affiliated with any multichannel video programming distributor. Such regulations shall not prohibit any multichannel video programming distributor from also offering converter boxes, interactive communications equipment, and other equipment used by consumers to access multichannel video programming and other services offered over multichannel video programming systems, to consumers, if the system operator’s charges to consumers for such devices and equipment are separately stated and not subsidized by charges for any such service.

jcbxb, this paragraph does't say any thing of the kind. It authorizes the FCC to adopt regulations. Nothing else. To see the regulations that were adopted, go here: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=2ee8471051fb84d2c2512a7bd162a4af&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title47/47cfr76_main_02.tpl

Then read all of Subpart P-Competive Availability of Navigation Devices. In a nutshell what this gave us was the CableCARD.

Mallego

Yes, I should have posted the regs vs. the statute. But I still think §76.1201 gives us the right to use our own stb. I think §76.1202 is what gave us CableCard.

I am extremely pleased to report that Comcast has fully provisoned and registered my (2) Motorola DCP501's on to their system. It took about a month for Comcast to get all digital features operational. Now all channels both basic and expanded work, PPV works, Digital music and On Demand features are fully functioning and operational. I am going to call in this afternoon and add a third unit !. Thanks to those in this forum that assisted.

I have the DCP501 and have had it successfully provisioned by Comcast. As the above post indicates, you'll have to get past the first tier of Comcast CSR's before you'll get anywhere. Ask to talk to a supervisor. Remind them them they're obligated to provision it under FCC rules. Refer them to the Comcast Conditional Access Manager, Comcast Cable Eastern Division Engineering, Oaks, Pa. If that fails the people at the Lebanon, Pa headend know how to do it 'cause I put them through it.

Another hard bit of information: If you wish to get HD, you'll have to get a Motorola HDD200 sidecar decoder which connects to the DCP501 through an HSI port which Comcast must activate remotely. The magic words are to have the headend engineer enable the "App IF Port" using the DAC.

Hope this helps. I know people like to knock Comcast, but once I got past that first line of defense, I found everyone to be helpful and friendly there.

I have a authorized DCP 501 , I get all channels, including the HD channels.
I can hear audio on the HD channels, but no video, at least not on the S connector.
Can I get HD video out of the serial port?
And, feed that into a USB port on a computer?
There is a card slot above the serial connector, does that need another hardware
card?

I'd like to elliminate the HDD200.

Peter

I have a authorized DCP 501 , I get all channels, including the HD channels.
I can hear audio on the HD channels, but no video, at least not on the S connector.
Can I get HD video out of the serial port?
And, feed that into a USB port on a computer?
There is a card slot above the serial connector, does that need another hardware
card?

I'd like to elliminate the HDD200.

Peter


The HDD200 is required to get HD out of the DCP501. The serial port of the DCP501 connects to 1/8" stereo jack on the HDD200. The tip of the mini-plug goes to pin 4, the middle sleeve goes to pin 9, and the base sleeve goes to pin 5 on the serial connector. How to get this into a USB port and what drivers would be needed is beyond me. If anyone has figured this out, I'd be appreciative if they would share this.

Other than the HDD200, the R5000 mod from Nextcom would be your only option. Check out the HD Recorder forum. They can mod the DCP501.

I just got a used DCP501 and am having comcast try and provision it. But the funny thing is that when i select CATV and push the menu or guide buttons, nothing happens - no video output, no channel number, nothing... is this normal for a DCP501 prior to provisioning?

thanks,
mike

There's TV Pass Card - fits in a slot on the DCT, it's vaporware - never seen one.

I think the paperwork called it a "TV Pass Card" and I've never seen one either but it is the same size and shape as the slot on a majority of satellite receivers so I thought there might be a "service card" used for testing diagnostics of the equipment.

Sorry for this question - does the cable company you are served by use Motorola DCTs? If the are a Scientific Atlanta 'Explorer' system a DCP501 will not work.

The local comcast uses the Motorola DCT 2000's which according to the paperwork use the same internals as the DCP 501.

Care to name the location?

Monroe, MI

I think a "digital service card" would be the equivalent of a pirate box, but it is my understanding that no such card exists. If you have a DCP501 Comcast will provision the unit and register it into the system.

On the subject of my DCP501. I have received the proper codes from a Comcast inventory manager to properly activate the DCP501 in the Comcast billing system and have forwarded this detail onto the local Comcast team leader that is handling this issue and expect the DCP501 to be fully interactive within a day or two. I'll report back in when the box is fully functional. Thanks for your help and interest.

Could you send me a copy of the codes so I can also inform my local service provider as well?

I think the paperwork called it a "TV Pass Card" and I've never seen one either but it is the same size and shape as the slot on a majority of satellite receivers so I thought there might be a "service card" used for testing diagnostics of the equipment.



The local comcast uses the Motorola DCT 2000's which according to the paperwork use the same internals as the DCP 501.



Monroe, MI


Just an FYI for anyone who stumbles on this thread - I have learned the Motorola makes a card for this slot - more specifically the the ASTB (Advanced Set-top boxes) which no longer have the serial port - this is specifically for debugging the newer boxes. I have no idea if these can be located for more common usage of the serial port (i.e. TIVO / Serial Control)

The HDD200 is required to get HD out of the DCP501. The serial port of the DCP501 connects to 1/8" stereo jack on the HDD200. The tip of the mini-plug goes to pin 4, the middle sleeve goes to pin 9, and the base sleeve goes to pin 5 on the serial connector. How to get this into a USB port and what drivers would be needed is beyond me. If anyone has figured this out, I'd be appreciative if they would share this.

Other than the HDD200, the R5000 mod from Nextcom would be your only option. Check out the HD Recorder forum. They can mod the DCP501.

Greetings:

Do you know for a fact that this will work? Even though all the Motorolla literature indicates the HDD200 works with the DCP501, the technical support rep at Motorola says that it will probably not. I am considering the purchase of an HDD200 for this very purpose but I would not want to take the chance that it would be useless for the intended application. And would there be a chance that Comcast might refuse to enable the APP IF port on the DCP501, required to allow its operation?

[QUOTE=CableTool] If you are one of those who must have the latest and greatest gadget, google the DCP601 box. It is the HD version of the dcp501. I have not found any place to buy it from. The following text is from Motorola's site
Motorola DCP601 Digital Video Home Entertainment System with DVD Player

The Motorola DCP601 is a 6.1 channel audio/video processor that
combines HD decoding and digital cable functionality into a home theater
system. Part of Motorola’s Digital Convergence Platform (DCP) family of
home theater systems, the Motorola DCP601 integrates a top-quality
audio/video processor; a progressive scan DVD player which can upconvert
for higher resolutions on HDTV monitors; AM/FM stereo receiver;
HD decoding capabilities and an digital cable-ready receiver -- all into one
unit offering high functionality with plug-and-play convenience.


Well, best of luck with your choices and I hope you find this information helpful...

CableTool:

The DCP601 sounded almost too good to be true...this is exactly the sort of item I need! So while in contact with Motorola on another issue, I enquired about this and was saddened to learn that this item was chopped before it ever came to market. Since the DCP501 was considered a failure, likely due to soft sales, and is now a discontinued Motorola product, the DCP601 will never go into production. I know that this seems strange, especially when you consider all the announcements and Motorola press releases which were made about it back then in 2004 but, that's the way life is, I suppose. Darn shame, though....I wanted to buy one so badly, I could have almost tasted it!

Greetings:

Do you know for a fact that this will work? Even though all the Motorolla literature indicates the HDD200 works with the DCP501, the technical support rep at Motorola says that it will probably not. I am considering the purchase of an HDD200 for this very purpose but I would not want to take the chance that it would be useless for the intended application. And would there be a chance that Comcast might refuse to enable the APP IF port on the DCP501, required to allow its operation?

Well, it was working until Comcast updated their firmware a month ago and the link from the the DCP501 to the HDD200 stopped working. I'm still in the process of getting things up and running again. Comcast seems to be willing to work with me, but evidently Motorola is telling Comcast they no longer support the unit. I've emailed the Motorola support unit that helped before, but so far, I'm still being stalled.

I believe the DCP501 was offered to the public as a sop to the FCC who wished to create a market for consumer owned set top boxes and was a planned failure; the original MSRP was a prohibitive $900. Then Motorola dumped them; I bought mine for less than a cheap 5.1 amp which was what I was shopping for at the time.

So, unless Motorola decides to patch its firmware to support its products, I'll be selling my HDD200 to offset the cost of a Nextcom R5000 mod. :(

Is the DCP501 still working for anyone? Especially anyone in the Atlanta market?

I have two and they're both working fine. West coast, though (Charter).

Trying to get activated with Comcast in the Philly area. Anyone using this box in the northwestern suburbs of Philly? Was on with a supervisor this weekend and she tried adding it, but was having trouble with the "box type" I told her it had a DTC 2000 inside, but she could not find it in their system. Any suggestions?
Thanks.

It may take awhile. You may need to get it escalated to a manager. The DCT-2000 should still be in their system.

Thanks. Already at the manager level. She could not find it in the system. I'll keep trying. Going to check in with them tonight. Already have a ticket going.

Are you calling the 1-800-COMCAST number or your local comcast office

Yes. What a disaster. Now I have lost my HD DVR and my cable card. Conflicting answers. No one knows anything. Been trying to get this done for 5 days now. Ready to scrap the whole thing. Can anyone help me give the Comcast people technical guidance on how to get this done?

Hi,
I just purchased a used DCP501, it came with no remote. Anyone have any idea where I could get a used remote for it or an affordable universal thats compatable with this av receiver? Thanks

I purchased a brand new DCP-501 on Ebay. It arrived last week and I appreciate all the great information on this thread. Happily I wanted to report I had a very good experience with Comcast. There were several calls involved, but some of that was because I was not home when they called me. The first time they provisioned the box, all I got were what I believe was the clear QAM channels or some sort of very basic package. I went into the diagnostics mode of the DCP-501 and recorded every screen in SageTV and sent them a word document of all the screens and sent them an email last night. Came home tonight and they had replied to my email. They could see nothing wrong in the config, but sent a "cold init" to the box instead of just the "init" that was sent earlier. Bingo fired up SageTV, box is working perfectly, gets all my SD digital channels including the premium channels, guide works, on demand works, picture is great. So for me it seems the magic word is "cold init" after it is provisioned.

I cannot say enough good things about the support I got from Comcast. Talked with several people there, they were all extremely helpful. 2 of them gave me their direct lines and emails, no one passed the buck.

Well I tried for a long time to get my DCP-501 activated. Comcast first said they couldn't do it, and they wanted to charge me another $8.95 a month to add it. I have 2 cablecards and pay nothing for them. I agreed to it and we started all over again with them not knowing how to do it. I give up. They wore me down. PM me if you want to buy it. Never provisioned.

Can anyone help me, Comcast in Pittsburgh said they can't activate the DCP501 maybe in the future they can.
I saw that people in Lebanon Pa. were able to get them activated, but they told me they can not get any of the features to work in this area.
Can anyone help me to get this box activated.

I recently picked up an HDD200 to use with my DCP-501. I get no HD signal to the HDD200. The SD input works fine. I am using a homemade cable, pin 4 to center, pin 9 to center band and pin 5 to outer band (ground). I have tested the cable with an ohm meter and the connections seem to be good. I believe the serial port on the DCP501 is enabled as I can use it to change the channels from a computer. Is it possible that the pins on the port can be enabled individually such that the pins that change the channel are enabled, but not the pins I need for the HD stream?

I have DCP 501, how do I reset the unit to pick up digital channels?

I got a dcp501 from infonet products i contac them by phone by email,they never returned the calls or email.

To get digital channels your cable company needs to provision the box. Follow the directions earlier in this thread about how to get them to do this. Comcast was very responsive to my request and have done 2 for me.

I bought a DCP501 from a company called Info Net Products. I called my cable company, Comcast in Denver, CO, and they were able to provision it. It took awhile, with a couple of problems, but it was finally finished, and I have my On Screen guide, my On Demand, and Everything. I sent them a video testimonial, and they were awesome to put it up on their website. The DCP501 is working great, and I love it.

I bought a DCP501 from a company called Info Net Products. I called my cable company, Comcast in Denver, CO, and they were able to provision it. It took awhile, with a couple of problems, but it was finally finished, and I have my On Screen guide, my On Demand, and Everything. I sent them a video testimonial, and they were awesome to put it up on their website. The DCP501 is working great, and I love it.

O My Goodness, you never mentioned any of this in the testimonial. All we get is (It works great in your face, look at all the features too bad your box is not working) No helpful information whats so ever on how you actually got the box to work. Info net products tells me "as soon your cable provider- comcast goes fully digital your DCP 501 will work or they can get it to work" I had a comcast tech come by, no avail. I mean what did you say to you cable company? and what issues are there?

If your cable provider is Comcast then you'll have to have a few calls into tech support. Unless you're lucky you won't get that person who knows anything about what you're talking about.

Explain that it is a customer owned DCP-501. It has the insides of a Motorola DCT-2000, just with an amplifier and dvd player. With that simplified they can get you setup with you channel tier, guide info, and ondemand. You won't be able to view (hearing is find) hd channels but everything else works.

O My Goodness, you never mentioned any of this in the testimonial. All we get is (It works great in your face, look at all the features too bad your box is not working) No helpful information whats so ever on how you actually got the box to work. Info net products tells me "as soon your cable provider- comcast goes fully digital your DCP 501 will work or they can get it to work" I had a comcast tech come by, no avail. I mean what did you say to you cable company? and what issues are there?

Okay, I called comcast ask to speak to an supervisor and they ask why. I told them I bought my own Motorola dcp 501. And to my suprise they said "I'll put you through to the main office". There the woman (:)who was very nice) Said "bare us cause were new at this too" then ask for numbers. I gave her my serial # along with the Mac address# . She then said "it could take up to a week to update the box on there system". So we'll see. I did get her direct #

I'll let you know what happens.

ok here is my story i ordered mine out of info net also, and it is my third day with comcast and alot of patience with the reps. i called like 6 times already and they all told me the same thing that it was not allowed. then as soon as i said if i can get the number for the comcast legal department (very nicely) their supervisor was able to provision my box. now i have a signal going through my box but no digital channels yet. they told me to wait till tommorrow morning so that i can get all the other features. will keep u posted, to see what happens
:D

So what if you bought a Motorola HD box on e-bay and 'told' comcast it was a DCP-501? Would they activate it, or would it immediately tell them on screen "Hey this is not the serial number for a DCP-501!".

I think it if has been provisioned previously on another Comcast account then they will not allow it.

Comcast can query the box to get model, serial, type... stuff like that

i finally had my cable box provisioned by comcast but i am still geating the analog channels and not the digitial channels does anyone have any idea why?
i called them 4 times about it already so they are sending a tech out tommorrow to check it out. if anyones knows how i can get this to work please share thank you:cool:

I got my box activated today but I don't get any HBO or premium channels. About a week ago I gave my serial # also unit address today called comcast and ask about my box she said "they have all the info they needed" then sent a few hits to the box no avail and she set up a service appointment but then I called a different person and she simply asked for the serial # and the first hit No I explained to her that I can only go up to channel 99 (analog) She sent another hit(must of been a different hit) and Bam It worked right away! And it should be that simple of a activation for anyone you just have to find that right operator! It did take a while (15mins) for the remote and menu to function properly!

No Premium Channels or PPV! Why?
Thanks

Did everyone who order the DCP501 get their boxes provisioned with all the premium channels they subscribed to along with On Demand? My old leased DCT5100s arent working too well anymore and need to upgrade.

Sorry for bumping the old thread but the discussion in here was great.

Has anyone been able to get this box activated via FiOS? I've read that its possible but I am having a tough time and any helpful hints would be appreciated.

Where have you read that it's possible with FiOS?

Everything I've seen about it said Comcast was the only one willing to provision it (as they use/used the equivalent standalone digital box.)

Where have you read that it's possible with FiOS?

Everything I've seen about it said Comcast was the only one willing to provision it (as they use/used the equivalent standalone digital box.)

There are posts around the SageTV forums as well as in the R5000 topic. R5000s changelog mentions some FiOS channel mapping additions as well.

I read most of the postings here and some are true and others are NOT.

These two comments below are not true!

"If your cable system is using Scientific Atlanta boxes, you can NOT use a Motorola box".

"You can't change the Bass and Treble"

I live in MA and use Comcast. We only use cable ready tv's (tube not lcd). I got my first dcp501 and loved the sound and options. This unit cranks and sounds awesome! After reading these posts I didn't think I should bother even trying to activate the box knowing Comcast here uses Scientific Atlanta boxes. Also, each time I called all rep's said you can not use any bought boxes, only leased/rented ones will work. Today I called to have our lines tested because a few channels(4, 5 and 7) are weak(lots of snow) and asked the rep about this again and he said "that is not true, you can use a <customer owned cable box>". "It is an option in our system now". So after setting up an appt. for the signal problem he transfered to the "provision dept". I talked with a very nice guy and told him the whole story. He said most was true and faulse. Then said to hold on and he would look up the information and be right back. So I was worried after reading all the posts that the dcp501 would not be supported. He came back after 10 min's and said their is only one box Comcast supports and that box is a Motorola DCP501! I was very happy and we started the activation process (like other posts, that it will take a few days, they make sure it's not a stolen box and from a real company, I gave them the company name/address too). I first ordered one from Inphome.com. I called/emailed several times(6 calls/4 emails) with questions (even more after reading the posts here) and never got a call back(box was $249). They seams like a 1 man operation(name is JB or BJ?). It was COD so with no calls back from them(him) I refused the package and ordered one from smarthome.com($181). If all goes good I will buy another one and post my outcome here.

I just want to be clear here, because the place that i bought my DCP501 from said it was plug n play...inphome.com ....
1. I have to have an account with my cable company
2. I have to have to fight with them to have it added to my account
3. I will only get the stations that I have subscribed to

And the purpose of this box is to save me the $5 per month if i was renting???

And the purpose of this box is to save me the $5 per month if i was renting???

To some, that's a big deal.

Probably more for the principle, though.

These two comments below are not true!

"If your cable system is using Scientific Atlanta boxes, you can NOT use a Motorola box".

If they happen to have Moto equipment at the headend alongside the SA gear, sure. Most cable systems aren't set up that way though, and MediaCipher II (Motorola's cryptosystem) and PowerKEY (SA/Cisco's cryptosystem) are *not* interoperable. That is not questionable. There still has to be Moto gear on the headend for it to work with. Sounds like you just got lucky...

comcast won't and will not actavate my phatom motorola dcp501 i been told only boxes that belongs to them do,my box doesn't have any digital channels just the analogs.is there any software i can burn 2 a dvd from my laptop then put it in the phatom's dvd player?

I just want to be clear here, because the place that i bought my DCP501 from said it was plug n play...inphome.com ....
1. I have to have an account with my cable company
2. I have to have to fight with them to have it added to my account
3. I will only get the stations that I have subscribed to

And the purpose of this box is to save me the $5 per month if i was renting???
4. When it breaks you are responsible.

4. When it breaks you are responsible.

Ah.. of course ...
This explains the reason that there sales number were some high upon release...

So I finally call my cable company to get it activated... and they tell me the serial number that i am giving them does not exist. I call the company i bought the thing from, and of course... they cant talk to me over the phone I have to wait for someone to email me.... this is the biggest joke ever....

And i thought FTA's were complicated .... they dont have anything on this mess

I just bought my DCP501 from the same company and I'm having the same problem here in So Cal with Fios. They are saying they only activate boxes they lease. There's got to be a way around this. I have six TVs and definately don't want to pay the monthly rental fees...

You have to keep trying with them and hope someone will. If they won't activate it, there's no way to get it to work. Same with any cable company.

OMARPLEE, return the box. FIOS can't talk to that box, so they can't turn it on even if they wanted to. The Motorola series STB that FIOS uses is made specialy for them. It get its data from the FIOS data stream, not from the data stream that a cable company would use.

Mallego

I just got the Motorola DCP-501 and I'm only getting basic digital cable (channels 2-74) without a program guide or anything. My cable provider is Time Warner Cable. If I call the cable company, will I be charged for anything? I'm in Kansas City, Missouri. Has anyone with Time Warner been able to get the DCP-501 to work to it's full potential?

I do have a new DCP-501. A sticker was attached to the front of the unit with serial numbers and stuff, so I'm covered there. Can anyone point me in the right direction as far as what to do next? I would certainly appreciate any suggestions anyone makes.

Thank you so much,
Jay

Would your information apply to Time Warner Cable as well? I'm in Missouri and I just got the Motorola Phantom DCP501. I can only get basic digital cable to work but I haven't called the cable company yet.

4. When it breaks you are responsible.

Is it even worth buying the phantom if you getting only the channels you subscribe to? I just got my DCP501 yesterday and I'm seriously thinking of returning it for a refund after reading everything in this forum. :confused:

i finally had my cable box provisioned by comcast but i am still geating the analog channels and not the digitial channels does anyone have any idea why?
i called them 4 times about it already so they are sending a tech out tommorrow to check it out. if anyones knows how i can get this to work please share thank you:cool:

If you take the time to carefully read the manual that comes with the DCP501 it states that in order to have the provider activate the reciever it must be in digital mode first. If you have already gone through the built in main menu and done a channel scan, it automatically sets the unit into Analog mode. To get back into Digital mode before getting it digitally provisioned is rather complex and is not covered in the manual usually requiring a full factory reset.

Hi,
I just purchased a used DCP501, it came with no remote. Anyone have any idea where I could get a used remote for it or an affordable universal thats compatable with this av receiver? Thanks

Your best bet for getting the right remote is through the motarola website, it may take a while to locate and a few emails but they still have the remotes available.