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Firewire & Comcast digital cable boxes

53K views 248 replies 62 participants last post by  qz3fwd 
#1 ·
Hi All ...


I have been able to pull SD and HD content off my DCT3412 without issue for several years. It has recently stopped working. Has Comcast sent out a firmware update which broke it?


The TS stream I get out of my box now has no audio. Also once I start to capture the stream, I loose the video output going to the TV. Like the stream just doesn't go to the decoder and the last frame is stuck on the screen.


I have tried to soft reset the box (clear settings, memory, HDD), but no go. I am going to try to re-build my capture PC next.


Any ideas? Thanks!
 
#177 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hardcore Legend /forum/post/16117778


Are you playing it back on a widescreen monitor? If you aren't that's why the black borders are there.


I use VideoRedo for all my ts captures and it works everytime, unless the file at some point stopped recording during the process. This will usually yield a file VideoRedo can't handle. At that point, I just use HDTVtoMPEG to cut the file down to the last frame that did work and then reopen it in VideoRedo.

I straightened out the border issue--(yes I do display on WS (Plasma)).


VideoRedo works fine except with a ts file recorded with the "workaround" you mentioned for recorded shows--I have to used HDTVtoMPEG and then it works fine.


How do you play the movie back in high definition full screen--in other words what media player do you use? Also, if you burn a DVD using VideoRedo, will it burn it in high definition and surround sound (I have a Panny Blu-Ray Player if that makes a difference)? I am confused about how to get the ts file to play back as it would from the 6412.
 
#178 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by cmulder /forum/post/16121872


I straightened out the border issue--(yes I do display on WS (Plasma)).


VideoRedo works fine except with a ts file recorded with the "workaround" you mentioned for recorded shows--I have to used HDTVtoMPEG and then it works fine.


How do you play the movie back in high definition full screen--in other words what media player do you use? Also, if you burn a DVD using VideoRedo, will it burn it in high definition and surround sound (I have a Panny Blu-Ray Player if that makes a difference)? I am confused about how to get the ts file to play back as it would from the 6412.

I use VRD daily to edit recordings off my moto box without issue, thoug have a DCH and dont do any workaround. However if you hit the record button before starting playback of the recording, then the file is uneditable. Record to HDD, then capture later is most reliable versus recording live.


To playback these transport streams on your tv do one of the following:

1. Hookup your PC to your HDTV and use a software player.

2. Get a Popcorn Hour or Tvix, connect to to your HDTV, then stream the file from your PC.

3. Burn as a Data DVD and playback on a device like mentioned in 2.

(Dont convert it to a Video DVD as this would severly reduce the resolution and take a long time)

Likely the Panny will not playback HD Mpeg2 on DVD's.
 
#179 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by cmulder /forum/post/16121872


How do you play the movie back in high definition full screen--in other words what media player do you use? Also, if you burn a DVD using VideoRedo, will it burn it in high definition and surround sound (I have a Panny Blu-Ray Player if that makes a difference)? I am confused about how to get the ts file to play back as it would from the 6412.

VideoRedo doesn't have the ability to burn DVDs. If you want to watch them in HD, you need authoring software that can burn Blu-Ray discs (and a Blu-Ray burner of course!) like PowerDVD, Nero, etc. It is possible to make an AVCHD disc on regular DVDs that some players will be able to play back, not sure if the Panny can or not. Can't help too much there as all I have is an HTPC and a PopcornHour A100.
 
#180 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by cmulder /forum/post/16121872


How do you play the movie back in high definition full screen--in other words what media player do you use? Also, if you burn a DVD using VideoRedo, will it burn it in high definition and surround sound (I have a Panny Blu-Ray Player if that makes a difference)? I am confused about how to get the ts file to play back as it would from the 6412.

Get the PopcornHour. It does a great job. The Mvix will play some HD but not .x264 which many, if not all .mkv files are. The Mvix is good for playing regular DVD ISO files. I have both. I like the Mvix for playing DVD ISO files especially since it has the sleep function so it's good in the bedroom. All HD files are played on the PH. The PH has a lot of good features, read here http://www.networkedmediatank.com/wi....php/Main_Page

Forget about burning to disk, set up a networked storage.
 
#181 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Burnerbum /forum/post/16143438


Get the PopcornHour. It does a great job. The Mvix will play some HD but not .x264 which many, if not all .mkv files are. The Mvix is good for playing regular DVD ISO files. I have both. I like the Mvix for playing DVD ISO files especially since it has the sleep function so it's good in the bedroom. All HD files are played on the PH. The PH has a lot of good features, read here http://www.networkedmediatank.com/wi....php/Main_Page

Forget about burning to disk, set up a networked storage.

What about the IoBox-100hd instead of popcorn hour?

http://www.sundialmicro.com/dragon-t...2089_1491.html
 
#182 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by cmulder /forum/post/16144551


What about the IoBox-100hd instead of popcorn hour?

http://www.sundialmicro.com/dragon-t...2089_1491.html

I don't know anything about that unit (looks like a repackaged PH) but one thing i noticed right away is all the usb connections are in the front making a messy connection if you have a usb drive permenanatly attached. I would do some checking into the support also. The PH is constantly updating the firmware with fixes and enhancements. Along with the PH community that have many addons to use. I know they have some other PH clones made by Network Media Tank but the support isn't the same. Support is very important to me.
 
#183 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Burnerbum /forum/post/16144743


I don't know anything about that unit (looks like a repackaged PH) but one thing i noticed right away is all the usb connections are in the front making a messy connection if you have a usb drive permenanatly attached. I would do some checking into the support also. The PH is constantly updating the firmware with fixes and enhancements. Along with the PH community that have many addons to use. I know they have some other PH clones made by Network Media Tank but the support isn't the same. Support is very important to me.

I don't use USB ports--I'd be using the Ehternet Port since the computer is in the next room and I've already run the cables--I'd have to knock down a wall to run USB. So if I were going to use USB, I'd connect my laptop from the front so for me USB in the front is an advantage (I think that's what they were thinking with that design is that most people would be connecting through LAN from the rear and laptops from the front so USB in front would be more convenient).


Thanks--I'll check out the research on it.
 
#184 ·
The PH A110 has one usb in the front and one in back, also has one to connect to the pc to load files if you have an internal hard drive. The unit your looking at also has one in the front to connect to the pc. The PH A100 has 2 usb in the front and none in back but doesn't have the one to connect to the pc. Also, the A100 doesn't decode DTS files as the A110 does and is HDMI 1.3 if that is a consideration.


This is the link to the NMT Forum if you not familiar with it.
http://www.networkedmediatank.com/
 
#186 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by marctronixx /forum/post/16342684


looking to see if anyone has the latest firmware that was slated to fix the firewire output issue and can comment on it...?? im in the Atlanta area.

I was just thinking about this today. The fact that they haven't sent the firmware update out yet now that we near a year of this being broken is kinda silly.
 
#188 ·
Yea... I talked to some Comcast higher up way back in Feb, she told me she did some investigating and was told MARCH for a new firmware that is supposed to fix it.


Still waiting. I guess she meant March 2010 I think Comcast is much busier trying to get must-carry signals on cable before the DTV transition, working on DTA deployment, SE PA has recently gotten DOCSIS 3.0 up and running for internet, lots of bigger projects going on right now, so I guess they don't have time for firmware updates to the DVR boxes?


I really have no clue, just guessing. But yes it sucks, and I am in the same boat as everyone on this thread. If I ever see an update I will be sure to try it out and report my results to this thread/forum/section on AVS.
 
#189 ·
Well ak, I do agree Comcast has a lot of other top priority projects on their plate. But Comcast is a huge company. It's not like there's one guy running the show in the head-end. There's a team of guys, and really, how hard is it to load software on the server, test it for a few weeks, then push it live?


Comcast acts like theres maybe one or two guys that do everything, and those two guys go on the road from headend to headend doing these massive large scale projects one at a time. That can't be the case. There's so many people who would love a good paying job, especially in this economy. If Comcast is really short staffed loading updates and doing these huge projects, simply hire someone!
 
#192 ·
Comcast has an incentive to NEVER fix the firewire functionality through firmware update-they equate this to YOU stealing THEIR signal/content.

Furthermore, they know there is a 99.999999% chance the FCC will not compel them to fix it.

Dont hold your breath guys (&gals).

Unless a large enough group of consumers complain to the FCC, they will drag their feet/stall in perpetuity.
 
#194 ·
I'm about ready to scrap it and get a TivoHD to replace the stupid Moto box. Much easier to transfer recordings to the PC anyway (better than real-time, wireless network). Just haven't had the chance yet and have spent too much on other things like a Blu-ray player of late.
 
#195 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by BeachComber /forum/post/16569087


Some say they can get Comcast to work (Motorola Equipment it seems) if they do things in a certain sequence. Others claim the same software doesn't work at all. That's why I'm confused on how some say it works with a certain firmware - others say it doesn't.

That's because there are so many variables. For me, it's different for certain channels. I can record off A&E, ESPN, NBC and others but not CBS, B10 Network, etc. There was a previous time when I could record just about any non-premium channel, and times when nothing would work. Depends on what hardware you have, where you live, what firmware, which channels, etc. And whatever status you currently have, don't count on it staying that way forever....
 
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