Moxi ( Motorola BMC90xx ) Q&A and Discussion Thread - Page 112

Vendors come and go once their experiment involving directly dealing with the little people runs its course. Some are even reincarnated for awhile when their company comes out with a new version or new product.

The people that are here for the long haul are the AVS forum members with no apparent affiliations because of their love for this hobby. So, in the long run, you learn alot more from people like splinke, SoCalGuy, joe221, etc., etc.

Not that I am unappreciative of the time MoxiGuy has given us here.

Don't forget EARTHQUAKES!!!

I'm in a Condo, and we only have an algea ridden Jacuzzi, downstairs off the lobby. No stars here either but I did work for a TV/Movie production company IN THE EIGHTIES! So it ain't that glamorous here.

Well, I actually had a tech out when my pixelation problem was occuring and he was astonished. He checked levels (all were perfect), replaced all the compression fittings, re-checked the pole, then ran a new line into the house and it still had the problem. He was at a loss. He said that before he came over, he ran to his house to check his HD on Moxi and it was perfect. I asked if it could be a problem with a node or repeater, he asked the headend guy on the Nextel if there were any hardware problems and the headend guy said no, that there is a problem here with the 3.2 and that next week, we may get rolled back to the old software, its in discussion with Digeo. I hope so because I never had problems with the old software. Anyways, interesting things happening in my house hold.

there should be three new HD channels in the Atlanta markets in a couple of days:

HD ABC
HD PBS
and HD TNT

there will be 3 or 4 new HD channels around the end of July:

Discovery HD
Cinemax HD
and HD TBS

(the TBS / TNT launch dates may be reversed- I get the two confused sometimes)

If you guys want to complain about a digital recorder then you should use a Toshiba Symbio recorder. I purchased a Toshiba DLP TV with the Symbio at the beginning of the year. I thought the $400 for the Symbio would be worth it. I would not have to pay rental fees to my cable company. Boy was I wrong.

First the Symbio uses the TV Guide feature on the TV set. This TV Guide rarely loaded. Next, the Symbio locks the current channel when it's recording. No dual tuner here. You can't watch one show and record another or watch a recording while recording another. For something that just came out last year it sure seemed like it was made in the stone ages.

I sent the Symbio back and went to Moxi. I love it. It works great. Just activate my DVI port and I'm all set.

Dave

I haven't been keeping up lately, has there been a consensus on the best configuration to set up MOXI now that 3.2 update is out. I have one of the Samsung DLP with component inputs that can only accept 480p, 720p, and 1080i. I never had a problem before with the stretched picture for full screen, but I am fine the 4X3 as well. It does seem to produce a little "noise" in the picture having the Moxi upconvert to 720p (TV's native res.) for the lower channels (2-98). I have also found (maybe just coincidence) that my SVOD does not work as often if I have both 1080i and 720p marked for Moxi output.

Has any Charter subscriber received the BMC9022 and/or MOXI mate? I had a charter tech say he was expecting it to be available any day now? At least I can add to the local rumor mill.

For what it is worth, I have had all new cable runs and an amp put in the house and I still am getting horrible pixilation on Discovery HD on a lot of nights. Good news is it took care of most of the other channels, except for rare occurences.

Yes, this is the key element of the Harmony: The wife/mother/mother-in-law can actually use it factor. One of the babysitters still insists on turning off the equipment by hand...a little remedial training and we'll have it all figured out!

Glad you like it!

So I have a few observations about a couple of the topics that seem to be floating on the thread and wanted to weigh in with a couple of opinions as well.

1. User interface. Two schools of thought here: either "it is antiquated and not even as good as TiVo/ReplayTV" or "don't care...it is fine." It seems to me that people that had TiVo don't think it is as elegant as TiVo. Duh. Just about nothing else in the world is as elegant as TiVo. TiVo also turns out to be pretty expensive for SDTV and prohibitively expensive and/or not available for HDTV. I'm not thrilled with the interface, but I can accept it -- especially for the price.

2. Bugs and customer service problems. Two schools here as well: either "I'm paying for it and it should work" or "vote with your feet." I guess I'm somewhere in the middle. It would be infuriating to me to have a persistent problem with no resolution -- that being said, I haven't had such problems. Also, the "vote with my feet" alternative (I guess Dish with HD and PVR...) doesn't seem to add up cost/features/programming wise. Hopefully the DirecTV updates for HDTV that are expected this fall will be a major step forward.

3. MoxiGuy. Many schools of thought and many opinions. Here's mine -- likely he is a busy guy who is doing his best to help while representing the *COMPANY* in an appropriate way. Heck, for all we know, he has two user ID's and is posting here with both of them. I'm sure it is a pretty scary tightrope to walk trying to satisfy every Tom, Dick, and Harry with a question on this board whilst not posting something that could get the company in trouble. As near as I can tell, he cares, answers what he can, and is providing feedback to the company. Good job, MoxiGuy...and thanks.

As has been pointed out on this thread before, we all need to remember that we are at the forefront of this technology. The more we get people to adopt the technology, the better it will get; the more that people ask and answer questions here, the better off we'll all be. It frustrated me, too, that the USOpen wasn't in HD, but (paraphrasing): If you come, they will build it. The more people we get involved, the more likely it will be that we get more HD content.

I think it is interesting to point out that consumer adoption of new technologies is typically pretty slow. DVDs being mainstreamed as fast as they were was astonishing -- and mostly a factor of the quality:cost ratio. It was actually cheaper for the media companies to put out a DVD rather than a VHS tape on the shelves at BestBuy. The exact opposite is true for HDTV. Getting the infrastructure in place has been a very expensive and uncertain process for many companies -- hopefully we're on the cusp of more and better content for everyone.

I am always amused by the MicroSoft/Intel bashers out there. If you don't like it, buy something else, or invent something better. No one is forcing you to do anything. For me, the current value equation around the Moxi box is such that I'll continue to use it, and work to continually push for it to be better. I think the best way to do that is to help each other with problems and work as a community to put forth a united front on the best and/or most desirable improvements.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading, and I hope you found it worthwhile.

I have 3.2 now and SD picture is better. However if I only had some HD content. We have only hdnet, HDMovie, HBO, SHowTime, ESPN, have been waiting for months for CBS,NBC,ABC, Fox etc. I bought a Samsung tuner and now I can get them all in HD but I can not record them.

I've called charter untold times to find out when more channels are being added. What channels are available to other Charter customers ?

Records and Displays HD well.

It is a pain in the butt if you want to see good HD and see an entire 4:3 picture for SD because you have to switch it by hand every time. SD looks better is I set Moxi to 480i and let TV upconvert.

So, I kept my old Tivo (lifetime subscription going on 4 years now and upgraded to 120Gb HD) and a extra cable box to handle everything except HD. Until there is sufficient improvement with the Moxi and Adelphia to make it worthwhile not to use the Tivo.

Comments:

Needs native pass through. My TV upconverts better and is easier to switch between stretch, zoom and crop than Moxi for 480i. I understand 3.2 is supposed to have this, but when Adelphia SoCal rolls it out is anyone's guess.

Video On Demand - something else 3.2 is supposed to help with but is dependent on Adelphia. Glad I kept my old box, or my wife would be pissed.

So, I would say the Moxi and Adelphia would be barely adequate in terms of what you get for your buck.

Thanks to the little bird new food for the MOXI

BeeCee

Strange, the amount of suction that a corporate bubble can generate. The good news is that while in there, I've been arranging for additional coverage of this forum from inside. I think we'll be able to provide you a higher level of participation very soon.

In addition to what you have listed above I have ABC, NBC, and FOX. (Still waiting for CBS.) Charter added FOX the week before the Superbowl and it was great. The NBA finals were also great to watch in HD.

Dave

Not to continue to veer this thread too far off-topic, but in Greenville, SC, I get HDNet, HDNet Movies, ESPN-HD, BravesVision (a channel that shows Atlanta Braves home games; it's just a logo the vast, vast majority of the time), Discovery HD, HBO-HD, Showtime-HD, TNT-HD, Universal HD, and the local NBC and CBS affiliates. I have to get ABC, Fox, PBS, and the WB over-the-air. (Our UPN affiliate is going HD in a month or so, but it's still only SD for now.) Although our selection of HD locals through Charter is pretty dismal, I'm pretty happy with the national offerings. Wouldn't mind getting Cinemax-HD (or Starz-HD; both are available in some Charter markets), tho'.

That good news, and i beleive that will only improve your product, since those of us in this forum are so damn picky. Glad to see you are back

Here is an article concering Charters conversion of analog channels to digital. The interesting part is that the Moxi capacity would increase from 30 hours to 50 hours.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/bus...B?OpenDocument

As usual, mixed info from Charter. The last bill that announced the all digital lineup didn't say anything about SOME channels going digital SOMETIME this summer. It said, if I recall, that the digital simulcast would begin July 12, implying at least that all the analog channels would then be digital.
And, of course, the claim in this article that HDD capacity would be 50 hours might be true if you only recorded digital channels and if that number was even accurate. Considering that none of the broadcast networks are included in the initial digital shift, that number is basically useless.

barry

Yeah I agree... Horrible that Charter basically lied or I guess you could say didn't disclose the fine print of the deal. The message was on my 2 last bills I have received from them, and no mention of only a handful of crappy stations being converted. Who came up with that channel list anyway? I mean start with the normal channels ABC, CBS, NBC, UPON, WB & Fox... then work to some of the good channels that are providing new shows over summer like FX(Rescue me now, Nip Tuck before summer is up). Charter you tease...... I was hoping to at least get the chance to record half the season of Rescue me in digital instead of that crappy analog via the moxi...

Phatty

I wonder if that's why my Moxi seems better on the 'analog' channels. Anyone else in the Madison area notice good picture quality on the lower numbered channels? Or is my Tivo still set wrong?

I also thought I'd mention that my problems with HD-ESPN and HD-NBC have been solved. A charter tech came out last week and installed an amp. I've had all the channels I'm supposed to get now without fail. I still occasionally have some artifacting, but that seems to have improved quite a bit as well.

Now if they can just get the user interface performance improved and add more storage through external drives, I'd be quite content (at least until I can get a HD-Tivo box for $10/month!).

Yes, I am located in Stoughton, WI ... just south of Madison ... and my lower numbered channels 2-99 are now great. This was NOT due only to the software version upgrade to 3.2. In the Madison, WI area, we now receive channels 2 -99 in digital format, not analog. The way that it was explained to me ... this is the bigger reason that we see improvement with the MOXI box and the lower channels.

It took me a call to Charter to actually get the ALL digital channels after they sent the letter that they were coming. I waited over a month after the date they said they were coming and still didn't have them. So, I chatted online with Charter support. They did something on their end (w/o sending a technican) and then I just had to unplug my MOXI box for several minutes and then plug it back in. Presto ... watchable and recordable channels 2 -99. I am now a much more happy MOXI / Charter customer.

If only they could get VOD available in our area on the MOXI box .... still waiting for that one.

Hello Moxi Guy,

I'm having problems running my Moxi box through my Toshiba antenna switcher. All works fine for about 10 minutes then the switcher burns out. So far I've had three switchers replaced with the fourth on the way.

If the DVR cannot be run safely through the Toshiba antenna switcher, neither the Moxi nor Toshiba documentation, in hand, states this. Has any other users had these problems or using a built in antenna switcher?

Charter is changing out the DVR tomorrow at request from Toshiba warranty repair techs. Model # BMC9012.

The reason I am switching the Moxi is due to signal degradation on the analog channels. The Moxi needs it's on pass thru options on the analog signals instead up the auto up sampling. Am I missing something?

Thanks for your time!

Presumably when St. Louis goes all digital in a couple of weeks, this capacity issue won't be so acute. Good thing I don't have HD yet.

barry[/quote]

elgibby,
Where did you hear that St. Louis will be going digital in a couple of weeks? I can't seem to find any info from Charter as to what their schedule is to bring new things out. I'm also curious as to why we don't have Discovery HD in town. I'm a die hard TIVO user, but am fairly ticked off that TIVO has "No Plans" (their quote in an e-mail response to me) to make a stand alone DVR that records in HiDef, so I'm really looking into the Moxi. This thread has really provided some good, useful information and as a new member, I'd like to thank everyone who put their two cents in, especially Moxiguy! I'm not fully sold on MOXI yet. Looks like since I am so used to TIVO, I may be disappointed in it's performance and user interface. I agree with some of you as to it not making sense why MOXI doesn't provide what the people want and need, ESPECIALLY when they had a beautiful example to follow called TIVO (I know, they're not perfect either). Hopefully what Moxiguy stated in his last post about extra help coming our way, things will rapidly get better. I have quite a few friends who like to follow my lead, not that I'm smarter than them, I just like to put the time into my decisions when it comes to buying new equipment. Thanks again everyone!

Bob

Where did you hear that St. Louis will be going digital in a couple of weeks? [/quote]

It was noted in last months bill. It stated that starting July 12 Charter will begin All Digital.

Slightly off-topic, as it might not be just on the moxi, does anyone know what's up with VOD problems as of late? It had been working great (well, loose definition of great) for months, but it's been out for the last week. Put a call in when it was an issue for a couple of days, they said it's a huge problem and they haven't a clue when it'll be fixed. Essentially, all the HBO, Showtime, Stars, Cinemax VOD aren't working, stating you need to be a subscriber. Are we all experiencing this?

Meanwhile, I'm assuming that when 2-99 go all digital, they'll be saving bandwidth, and we should have less problems with digital channels & VOD transmission. Is that the case, or will they be broadcasting both signals for the people without digital boxes?

Ok, scrap the bandwidth question, I just rtfa, which I had skipped due to it being from the post, which is normally best used for starting fires, not reading material.

From the article:
"We're simulcasting," said Mano Nakis, a Charter marketing manager. "Any customer with a digital set-top box will get a digital feed. Customers with analog boxes will get the analog feed."

Cool-hopefully that means Battlestar Galactica (July-15th, SCIFI) in widescreen digital with Dolby Digital 5.1! Not HD yet, but I put in my request for them to pick up Universal HD.

I'm sure that explains why I was confused by everyone complaining about analog PQ- I'm one of the lucky ones to not have to deal with it. Thanks for the confirmation.

I just don't understand why they can't disable the VOD menu options until it's ready. It sets up customers to be disappointed. I can see lots of selections for VOD, but just get an error when trying to use it. Bad planning or bad programming at least.

One of our engineering execs has posted his codes for the Philips TSU300 to Remote Central. You can link to it here:Mike Florence's TSU3000. Naturally, Mike has included Moxi among his components.

Yeah, i looked there, but unfortunetly, I have the first pronto, the the ts 1000 or whatever is. Not much exists for those things anymore. Hence the need for the discreets

My hitachi 57s715 also didn't have a ccf file, but I finally got the discreets and can now switch inputs with the pronto.

I have had the same problem as of late. For the past month or so it has worked the best I've seen it, then this subscriber error started popping up. Put a call in, and once again no one could say what the problem was, even though they said their end was fine.

I updated my FAQ. As usual, new or changed content is in green text, and questionable content is in red text. If anybody has any corrections or comments, please let me know. For some reason, AVS either cannot or will not make a sticky link to the FAQ at the beginning of this thread, so I will periodically include the link in posts.