Moxi 3012 DVR Q&A and Discussion Thread

I have no idea if this will be an "official" thread or not, but some of us in the St. Louis area now have these in our homes ... so I thought it would be a good idea to separate the unit from the older Moxi Motorola BMC90xx models.

If you have one, post the good, bad, and the ugly.

NOTE: This thread is for people who have received the Moxi from a cable company ... this is NOT the thread for the retail model Digeo will sell on its own. For retail info visit here:

http://www.amazon.com/Moxi-MR-1500T3...2545552&sr=8-1

EDIT: Thought I'd update this first post as a type of mini-faq. If there are additions, please PM me and I'll add them:

• Unit is considerably quieter than the Moxi BMC90xx models. The top of the box is totally vented, allowing for better airflow. As the unit is slimmer I'm guessing it has a smaller fan inside, thus the reduced noise. This noise reduction alone is reason for switching. Even when not watching TV the Moxi's are always on, and now my living room is actually quiet!
• Has component and HDMI video out for HD. Also has RCA and SVHS video out. No more coaxial digital out, only optical.
• Internal HD is 160GB (only the retail version comes with a 500GB)
• Front clock is smaller than the older models. I like it, my GF says its too small
• One USB port on the front, useful for loading photos, no other functions I know of
• Rear has another USB port, an ethernet port, and a serial port - use unknown
• Firewire port on the rear is "hot" (see below) but its usefulness has yet to be determined (see further below)
• Rear also has an SATA port for connecting an eSata external drive (up to 1TB) for expanded storage. This replaces the USB external storage function of the older models. USB externals cannot be used on the 3012. You must use a 7200rpm / 16mb buffered drive. User should avoid "green" hard drives and many people have had bad experiences with them due to variable speed rates and power saving features of the drives.
• Moxi UI has been "optimized" for widescreen TVs. This makes it crisper and clear. Functionality (speed of menus, etc) remains basically the same
• No new functions to speak of in the menus. There is one new "Cable Card" submenu in the "Settings" area. Tech told me it is there to comply with new FCC regulations.
• Remote control is exactly the same as before except for the color (this may vary I suppose - true in the StL area)
• Access to the service menu remains the same and all items appear the same as before
• Boot time from a cold start is Moxi long -- if you have a Moxi you know what I mean
• Aesthetically the new black front and silver bezel/box look better in my entertainment center. Matches my PS3, hehe, ok that's subjective, but it looks less "clunky" than the older models.
• Multiple outputs cannot be used at the same time unless all resolutions are turned off except 480i. So you cannot view HD on one TV and SD on another at the same time. This is the same as the older Moxi units.

Please feel free to let me know what I've missed.

I've just confirmed that the firewire port is hot on the Moxi 3012. In the photo below is Airplane II showing on HDNet ... on the TV, and next to it my MacBook hooked via firewire 400. I opened QT Player (QT Pro), chose "MC3" as both video and audio inputs, and started a new recording. Worked perfectly. I imagine other software should work as well!

Still something I'm working on. While the FW is indeed hot, I can't seem to get the mac to record anything. QTPro shows it, I hit record, but now get a "no data received" message after stopping the recording. Which is strange cause the picture is moving and the simple test I did before worked. Maybe they are monitoring this and shut it down, hah. Or it could be my particular box problems.

Tried Final Cut Pro as well, but can't get it to recognize the device at all. So I guess I was just overexcited.

I'm not sure I'm going to keep this box. Its slower than the old moxi (slower processor) and apparently the roll out isn't going well. I myself have guide/channel problems that are being attributed to failed communication with the DOCSIS ID. Tech was out today and all I can do at this point is wait for the "patch" they are trying to send out. *shrug*

Charter!

You mean the retail unit? I believe the UI is the same -- there is a submenu in the "Settings" called "Cablecard" with activation, pairing, etc

Yes it is. Much sharper and crisp, but basically its the same UI. And, believe it or not, it is slower ... kind of frustratingly so, like the original Moxi before the software updates. Its disappointing really.

I got escalated today ... tech coming out to fix mine .. I was told he's the main installer who is very familiar with the new 3012's ... so I will update you later this evening. This came from another email to Trippe because I was ready to dump Charter altogether. So it better go well.

Sort of. I have all my channels in the guide, all my SD channels work. My HD channels are screwed up. Several channels, and local feeds, say I'm unsubscribed. I'd say about 5% of them. Totally random.

Another issue, I hit ESPN2HD (774) and it takes me to History Channel HD. If I hit History Channel HD directly, it says I'm unsubscribed.

*shrug* its pretty messed up, as I can't reprogram a lot of my series and stuff. And really, these techs should know how to install, or they shouldn't be rolling out these boxes especially if they are defective. Hopefully I'll have a direct answer either way in a couple of hours.

Hehe ---- its pretty normal for Charter

Happy to report my issue has been fixed. It was a simple channel mapping error ... the original installer had mapped me to St. Louis City instead of St. Louis County. Two things to think about here:

1. During the initial install they go into the "CSR" menu, which is kind of a questionaire - "Is the screen set to widescreen" and other simple questions the installer is supposed to answer. The last two options involve which head-end you should be in, and which channel mapping to use. I remember watching him do this but he was traveling through it fast and must have hit the wrong channel map. IMPORTANT NOTE: this menu can only be accessed ONCE -- no other tech can access it once the box has been setup.

2. You'd THINK one of the other 3 techs would know how to fix a simple channel mapping error, or one of the people they call. So frustrating to be told so much BS about the problem.

The tech who came out tonight was excellent -- guess he's a tier up. I'm glad its fixed.

So in conclusion, I think some of the problems we're experiencing have nothing to do with the box, but poor installer training.

Oh yea, my menus have gotten faster too, so the bad channel mapping must have been affecting that as well. I'd still say they are a tad slower then the silver Moxi's.

FYI: As the old Moxi only had component out (well, DVI too) I had this new one hooked up the same way until tonight when I switched it to HDMI. There is no 480i output over HDMI.

Since making this switch I'd have to say that the SD channels look better than the old Moxi.

Its either Progress, or my imagination :-)

Here are a couple of pics if anyone is interested.

1 - New Cablecard submenu in the "Settings" - no user functionality

2 - External HD requirements

I agree, at that price point I don't see how its ever going to compete with Tivo and other products.

I don't see Charter ever doing that since it would directly compete with their OnDemand services. Same reason we'll probably never see a native streaming Netflix app on the PS3 - competes with their movie rentals in the Playstation Store.

As noted in the 1st post, there is anecdotal talk that this is possible. Its on my list of things to try, but it involves moving some gear around the house and I haven't had time yet