Los Angeles, CA - TWC - Page 11

Time-Warner Cable is not using Moxi for their HD DVR. It's a different box from a different supplier. I have no information about the status of their roll-out.

I've decided to wait for the software update to get the DVR install.

It's hard enough showing and explaining the remote/box instructions to the wife & kids now. I can imagine the calls while I'm at work asking why the picture is "funny looking"(4:3 in 16:9).

This is enough of a problem for me to not upgrade now.

Moxiguy, please let me know when the software upgrade happens in Adelphia-Orange County, so I can schedule an install.

Thanks for the help and info.

This isn't the BGooch from USC is it? I mean, how many bgoochs can there be?

Adelphia (Thousand Oaks) installed the BMC9012 Friday morning (27th). Here are my first impressions:

The installer was fairly good and had done it before. Naturally, the line wasn't properly provisioned, so there was a wait, etc. but within 45 minutes or so, it was hooked up and running. And, they include the component video cable, which is nice.

But, no viewer manual was included. (sorry, but the "Intro to Moxi" video doesn't cut it. I want bedtime reading). I did find one at the digeo website, but even that doesn't really do a good job of explaining the various modes and how to effectively use the box. And, trying to call Adelphia for customer support is a real non-starter (they try, but it's obvious the people on the phone have never seen or used one of these set-top boxes.. they actually sent me to the Motorola website!)

HD is great, when it appears. Too bad Adelphia only carries CBS,NBC,ABC, KCET, and ESPN-HD. It would be nice to have Fox and KTLA (the other local HD broadcasters). And, of course, the HD offerings are spotty, but that's not Adelphia's problem.

It's unclear which output resolution from the Moxi that I should use into my Samsung DLP. Not much visible difference between 1080i and 720p.

Integration of the plethora of remotes is a pain. I've got the Samsung remote (needed to select which input to use (RF,Component,DVI) , and to turn it on and off. I've got the stereo remote (to select which audio, control the volume, etc.), the DVD remote, and now, the Moxi remote. I haven't trudged through all the alternatives of programming macros and combinations, etc. yet., but I'm hopeful that I can come up with some sort of useful strategy.

The SD output of the Moxi is, to put it mildly, hideously bad quality. Not sure why, but I'm much better off using the RF tuner in the TV. Makes no difference whether I use component (presumably upsampled), composite video or RF outputs from the BMC9012, they are all horrid, with quantization artifacts, screwed up color balance, etc. (and, of course, this applies to recorded programs off the DVR... making that function of limited usefulness). Arguments about needing to do A/D: MPEG2 compression, decompression/A are bogus, in my opinion. Clearly, one can get an acceptable signal in 4.5 MHz of analog bandwidth with the RF. One should be able to do the same with modern A/D and signal processing hardware.

It's trivial to do an A/B comparison between RF and composite video (or RF) coming out of the BMC9012, because you can set up the Samsung for split screen. (one can also see the several second delay through the BMC9012 with this, of course)


The audio level (digital output) on the HD channels is fine, but the level is 15-20 dB higher on the RF channels (1-100), so if you switch between an HD channel and a SD channel, you either get blasted or can't hear anything.
I haven't tried recording and playing back to see if there's the same difference.

If I had to guess, there's some digital encoding options on the SD channels that are screwed up. There's no reason for it to be that bad.

I don't know how it handles it when the HD channel reverts to SD when recording (the NBCHD reverted to SD for the closing ceremonies.. I'll check it tonight).

Just got off the phone with Adelphia and as of today they are taking orders for the DVR in Sierra Madre, CA. They are coming Friday for the install. Finally. We'll see if they follow through.

Jim, thanks for the run down

I got Moxi yesterday and the HD picture quality is very good. The interface is clunky and slow. The remote is IR and very picky. (does anyone have a good fix for this?) It only has one favorite list and it takes forever to setup. The worst design flaw is how you have to change the aspect ratio. You hit the Moxi button, go to setup, go to widescreen, then make the change. They need a button on the remote to scroll through your options on the fly. I like the interface on my Dish 921 better. The program grid with Dish is light years ahead of Moxi. Now if Dish could get all the networks on their system, Moxi is a dead duck. I look at cable as a stop gap solution till satellite gets the network issue resolved.

Got my box when I installed on Thursday (just moved here).

I actually have it hooked up to my SD set, but HD recording works fine so I assume it will look great once I get my PJ set up.

The actual MOXI interface is fine, better than I expected and functionally is not that far removed from Tivo upon first impression.

The fact that it has only a 80gig HD is really pathetic. That's a deal breaker; I knew this before I got it but figured I may as well give it a try to play around with it. I'll go back to DirecTv next month probably (I already have an SD Tivo, the HD Tivo, and 10 months left on a one-year committment).

Doesn't seem like they've got a fast enough processor in this box. Navigating the menus is a total pain in the butt as it will sometimes respond instantly, sometimes take 5-10 seconds, and sometimes just ignore your command entirely.

I've been looking for a way to record a few hours of HD material. They have the Moxi box available here now but was holding off because of a few of the problems listed in this thread. I have the 6200 box now and I'm very happy with the SD & HD material.

I've looked at the LG LST-3410A for OTA but right now I can only get three HD channels with my CM4221a mounted on my back deck. An expensive option. The other would be a JVC 40K D-VHS machine and record off the Firewire connection. Less money but there have been some reliability problems with the JVC units and you can't set the timer for late night recording (from what I understand).

Here is my question. Would a Moxi box work in my set up along with the 6200 and just use it for the HD stuff I want to record? It would cost the rental of the box every month but at least I could record all the HD channels Adelphia has in this area right now.

My main question would be if anybody knows if having the two boxes in the same system if the remotes would still function correctly? Do they have different codes so they will not try and work against each other.

Any thoughts or suggestions???

Thanks,

Jim

[quote]Originally posted by Red Dwarf
[b]I got Moxi yesterday and the HD picture quality is very good. The interface is clunky and slow. The remote is IR and very picky. (does anyone have a good fix for this?)

As a followup to this post, the remote control has gotten much better. The unit is quicker and more responsive. Moxiguy explained when the unit is newly installed, there is a lot of downloading going on in the back round. This makes the unit slower for the first 24 to 36 hours.

At this point I feel Moxi isn't a bad deal. The 12.95 a month is a lot easier to take than the $950 I paid for my Dish 921.

If Moxi increases the size of the hard disk, and refines the interface (like the aspect ratio issue) I think they are on the right track.

For me it's a race between cable and satellite. Who can deliver all the HD with a PVR at the lowest cost. It's great to have choices.

Anybody know if the Moxi Box and the Motorola 6200 use the same remote codes. I want to have both in the same rack but not if it will cause problems.

Thanks,

Jim

This really sucks.

I have DISH's 921. Since its support of firewire is gone.. I had to subscribe to Adelphia cable so I can save stuff to DVHS. The 6200 works fine but I'd rather have a DVR... and now the DVR is out.. and it doesn't have firewire!

Geezes.. there's is no perfect HD receiver out there with both DVR AND firewire on the same unit.. either satellite OR cable.

when i was beta testing the 6208 it had firewire out, but the interface and the single tuner thing sucks! All i want is to use an external HD with my moxi and ill be set

Ya. the problem is Aldephia isn't using 6208 as its DVR solution. It's now Moxi.

#%#$%#$% Adelphia!! I called last Sunday to arrange getting my DVR and the CSR said the Moxi box would be ready for me to p/u at my local office on Tuesday after 11am. I thought it was a little odd as Adelphia is a real stickler for forcing you to have someone come to your place so I triple confirmed with him that it was the case that I could pick up the unit. So I get to Adelphia this afternoon and of course they tell me that's not the case, they don't know why the CSR told me that, and you have to set up an appointment. So now I am stuck till Thursday. The ^#$%#@ that run the place really need to get a clue. Sorry but I needed to vent as I seem to get nothing but frustration from them everytime I deal with them.

I can understand why Adelphia needs to set up your Moxi in person. They have to have the programmer on the phone and he tells the tech when to apply power to the unit. If you don't, it screws up the box. The box has your name and address encoded to the unit. The programming is a big deal and took the tech and the phone guy 30 minutes to complete.

If that's what it takes then I have no problem with setting up an appointment to have them come by an install it - they should not have told me to just come pick up the box. When I got my HD box they said that was the case and all he did was plug it in. Further, I'm just pissed as it seems to never not be a runaround with them. Wainting till Thursday...

my mother in law just got the moxi box in Thousand Oaks, CA...and they told her it would record over 200 hours of SD and some 20-25 hours of HD...that obviously seems contradictory to everything I see here...

I'm considering switching from dish network to adelphia because of the $400 dish switch credit they are doing, as well as just getting all my hd locals and being able to have an hd-dvr...but I want to ensure first that I can record at least 20-25 hours of HD...only recording 5-10 hours seems pointless!

to those of you who are complaining that non HD channels look horrible, are those the analog channels? or the digital channels? I will be displaying this on a 55" HD set, and hopefully the standard digital channels will not be too much worse than SD channels on dish network,...so any tips on that would be great...trying to see if its worth switching from dish which has lately been frustrating with its lack of hd locals, and hd dvr capabilities at an affordable price!

On the Moxi is there a way to tell how much of the hard drive is used and what's left? I think the numbers of hours you are quoting is for the Dish 921 and not the Moxi.

On The Adelphia So Cal web site they say 60 hours for SD and 8 to 15 HDTV.

Jim

Further to the HDD space will the Moxi recognize an external HDD hooked up to one of the USB2.0 ports? If nobody knows I will check this out when I get mine on Thursday.

I just called and setup an appoinment to have a DVR installed on the 18th.
I'm going to keep by Motorola 6200 in my system for a little while and see how I like the DVR and if they get any of the issues fixed quickly. I might pick up a JVC 40K and try using the firewire out of the 6200 to record some material there also.

By keeping the 6200 till I'm sure I can always return the DVR myself and save having another service call.

I'l find out if the remotes interfere with each other then. Hopefully they won't.

Later,

Jim

the motorola site claims the following:

"...80GB Hard disk drive with expansion via USB2.0 port ..."

This would make you think it would work, but I haven' really seen an answer here or anywhere about if its as easy as just connecting an external drive...for example, I have a 200GB external at home, would I just in theory hook it up, and instantly have an additional 200GB of storage? If so, that would be GREAT!

does this following article indicate that a moxi plus may be purchased separately, and just plugged in directly into an existing moxi BMC? Or would I have to obtain one of these units through adelphia (or whoever my cable provider is?)

Digeo Inc, a leading provider of media center software and services, unveiled the Moxi Plus media and storage expansion for Moxi Media Center products, including the Motorola BMC9012 and Moxi PowerKEY. In a single plug-and-play device, the Moxi Plus combines additional hard drive capacity to accommodate storage-hungry high-definition TV recordings, DVD/CD drive to enhance movie watching and music listening, and a multi-format memory card reader for digital cameras to simplify viewing photos on televisions. Moxi Plus gives cable operators unprecedented flexibility in serving the ever-expanding home entertainment and storage needs of their subscribers.

"As High Definition becomes more mainstream, DVR storage requirements will explode," explained Peter Kellogg-Smith, vice president of product marketing for Digeo. "All Moxi Media Centers have two HD tuners, ready to show off HD content on this new generation of HD displays. Moxi Plus allows operators to adopt a grow-as-you-go strategy that holds down the capital costs of initial deployments and allows, for the first time, the ability for consumers to purchase their own equipment for additional storage when they're ready for it."

With configurations that range from an additional 80 up to 360GB of storage, Moxi Plus can store over 40 hours of programming at full HD resolution. In addition to providing extra storage for recorded TV content, Moxi Plus provides readers for the most popular digital photography memory card formats, and can be configured with a DVD/CD drive.

Moxi Plus is subscriber-installable with a simple USB 2.0 cable and can instantly boost the capacity and functionality of any Moxi-based Media Center. Initial versions of Moxi Plus are currently scheduled for late 2004.

belsokar,

No release date has been announced for Moxi Plus. I don't expect that we'll make the late 2004 date as originally planned. Distribution details still TBD. Would you rather buy or rent?

Personally, I would rather do without the Moxi Plus and just be able to add an external HDD. The CD/DVD drive and Memory Card reader are not at all necessary and the premiums a consumer has to pay for extra HDD capacity in a product is rediculous.

I'll be calling Adelphia this week to setup an appointment for installation of the Moxi box. The lack of DVI functionality is a disappointment, as is the very small HDD (for an HD DVR). These things should come with 200GB+ drives even if it does increase the rental fees a $1/month.

I guess it all depends on price in terms of rent or buy...I would definitely be looking to use something like the moxi plus to expand my storage for high definition puposes...so something along the lines of 80gb would not be a substantial increase...I figure I'd be going for at least 160GB to as much as the 360GB model that I've seen described online...for one of those, I figure I'd compare the price to an external harddrive...a 160gb external harddrive costs probably around $150, if you figure a 160GB model to be around $150-$250 (I realize it may have other options as well)...then I may be willing to buy...the worst part about buying however, is that I would be renting the moxi box from my cable company, so if I were to cancel cable service, would the moxi plus then become just a paperweight? could it be repurposed as a harddrive for use with one of my pc's?

that's definitely why it would be a great option to just use any ol' external harddrive and be able to just plug that in to the moxi box...

I'm in Thousand Oaks,...and Adelphia "guaranteed" me that FoxHD was available at my location...they claimed that even your neighbor might not be able to get it when I told them that I heard others in Thousand Oaks were not receiving it...did they tell you this as well? or were you expecting no FoxHD? I realize its not starting up till the 12th, but at least they could pass the digital signal along...