Official AVS Motorola DCX series HD DVR Topic! - Page 137

You can always upgrade your hard drive to 1TB and get more room

George-O, you missed an easy trick. You should have tuned the channel, then waited 15 minutes to start watching in the buffer. That would let you skip commercials.

Well, twice now, I have encountered a new problem with my Comcast DCX 3400s. The first time, a programed series recording had started on the undisplayed tuner, showing a red light. I went to the recorded program list, to start it from the beginning. It didn't show up on the list! I swapped tuners, and could see the program, there was no black screen. It still didn't show up on the recorded program list. I pushed "Stop," and stopped the recording. I checked the recorded program list, it still wasn't there. I turned the 3400 off for about a minute, then back on. I checked the recorded program list, it wasn't there. I checked "DVR History," And there was no mention of it. With the tuner where it was supposedly recording displayed, I pushed the "Rec" button. It started recording, and showed up on the recorded program list. That was a couple of weeks ago.

Last night, on my second DCX3400, I had a series recording set up for CBS 60 Minutes, that had recorded many times in the past. When I got home, long after the program was over, I checked the recorded program list, and it wasn't there. I checked the tuners, and one had changed to the CBSHD channel. I checked the "DVR History," and found nothing. Things that had been programmed to record earlier, and later, had been recorded.

So, a new form of phantom recording. Has this happened to anyone else?

I've done that before too LOL

An excellent idea and will do that in the future if need be .... however, this time I would have missed the hilarious ad where the 727's nose wheel lands in the bed of the Nissan PU .... everyone, myself included, in the aviation field is laughing their heads off about this ad and the use of the term "factualization."

Sad to think that Nissan Japan believes their average American PU truck buyer to be a dumb f**k!

Nah .... I just need to force myself to watch TV more frequently (and drink more beer ) as a 1TB drive also would soon fill up due to my typical procrastinating about life-tasks in general.

Well I got home lastnight and the 3400 was showing a normal running display with Channel etc.. Sure enough I turn ont eh TV and it is now working again?

I am really unsure now how to proceed. We are only using 27% of the storage. How big a drive do the DCX3400 have, I have heard 250 and 320gb?

I am debating on just turning it in and getting a standard HD DVR. I worry if I swap it out for another 3400 I will get one of the DVR's with the blank recordings and other firmware problem?

This happens to me, and it always seems to be CBS. I have missed Amazing Race several times becasue of this.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...3#post20022013

Subject: DCX3400 not holding user settings when unit is cycled.

After several months of searching, I found a solution.
Instal a 1X2 Mini HDMI Splitter from monoprice for a cost of $23.49 ( http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...#specification ). Placed between the AVR and HDTV leaving the second output open and for whatever reason the DCX3400 holds the user settings. In my case changing the Audio Output to L-PCM. Increases the handshake time but it does work.

The soultion was report by tnbtaylor in the http://forums.comcast.com/t5/Xfinity...ht/true#M18215 forum on 12/2/10.

Hope this helps.

12/15/2011 - My Subject "DCX3400 not holding user settings when unit is cycled" is misleading. I do not cycle the DCX3400, I always leave it on. I only turn the HDTV and AVR off and on and the STB holds the user settings.

TNO821 was right on with the above statement. It is supported by WNDU HD Channel 16 South Bend, IN. http://www.wndu.com/station/misc/4261836.html

Here is their quote:
"Surround Sound on HD channel: WNDU HD is operated in automatic mode so that local programming in stereo gets transmitted in 2.0 mode and when carrying high definition NBC network programs they have control over whether transmitting 5.1 surround sound or 2.0 stereo and there is no local intervention. Occasionally NBC will broadcast only left and right audio even though in 5.1 mode leaving center, right-rear, and left-rear channels silent, over which WNDU has no control. WNDU apologizes for any inconvenience to high definition viewers."

TY TNO821

Personally, I prefer to hear 2.0 soundtracks without matrix surround decoding since a lot of 2.0 content is not ProLogic encoded. However, a potential workaround for this issue would be to wire the analog stereo outputs from the cable box to a second input on the AVR. Use the digital output for true 5.1 and standard 2.0 stereo broadcasts and use the analog output for 2.0 content delivered by 5.1. This will sum the 5.1 down to 2.0 to be used for matrix mode playback. (Obviously, this would be a bad idea for playback of true 5.1 content, so only use the analog option for the offending 2.0 delivered over 5.1 broadcasts which have no audio in the center, surrounds and sub channels).

The first time it happened to me, it was with CNNHD. It's so strange - recording, but not showing up in the list, at all.

I dont understand why the cable companies dont push thru the new firmware updates for you guys so these problems go away. It would be much better for them to have the latest firmware so the problems disappear and they dont have people calling and switching out boxes just to have the same issues over and over again.

Do the cable companies have to pay for these firmware updates? I could see they have to pay for the Guide software, but the firmware too?

I noticed this during an NFL game on Sunday, and then again last night while watching Bones. For one entire section of the program (From commercial break to next commercial break) a couple of shows on Fox would switch from 1080i Dolby Surround to a crappy 480i picture with Dolby 2.0. My receiver still showed as 1080i, but the picture was horribly grainy and barely watchable.

Does anyone have any experience yet with the Motorla 3501M boxes? I understand these are now available from Comcast in our area.

Currently I have the DCX-3400 which I thought was a nice improvement over the 3416 (silver) box. But before I go switching out my DVRs I was wondering what is different with the 3501M. Anyone know?

I am not interested in whole house solutions, mainly because I need to pause live TV which I understand you cannot do with a full DVR in the room...

But I am interested in things such as quieter operation (the drive in the 3400 is rather noisy), snappier response to FF/REW, expansion of HD capacity via eSata, and so forth.

Also is there any function for moving shows from an old DVR to a new one before turning the old one back to Comcast? I have many unwatched shows...

Thanks!

If you had a silver/metal box (with heat slits on the top of the chassis) then you had a 1st-generation DCT* box. Came with a 120GB or 160GB hard drive.

DCH3416 family was 2nd-generation and was all black, with a closed top. They had improved handling for heat and didn't need the heat slits at the top. Also 160GB hard drive.

Your DCX3400 has a 320GB hard drive, and is a bit smaller than the DCH, but is mostly significant for the introduction of "native" format. This lets the box auto-change the output resolution of programs delivered to your HDTV via HDMI, to match the source resolution of the program. 720p is delivered "native" as 720p, and 1080i is delivered "native" as 1080i. There is no fixed output resolution (e.g. 1080i) that causes 720p to be up-converted to 1080i for delivery.

Also, theoretically the DCX model supports pass-through of 1080p source programs (e.g. pay-per-view, 3D, etc.) which might be available from your cable service, although normal 720p/1080i is not upconverted to 1080p.



Effectively only the multi-room client/server capability with "satellite" non-DVR client boxes in other rooms. Along with this, the hard drives are now 500GB.



Can't speak firsthand about these subjects. Maybe someone else can.



Forget it. Unless you live in Canada and have Shaw Cable, the eSata expansion port here in the US from all cable services (as reported by users on this forum) is simply non-functional.

Only if you get a box with a larger hard drive (or swap it out yourself for say a 1TB drive, which is a no-no legally but apparently can be done fairly easily) will you increase capacity above the 500GB usually found in these DCX35* models.



No here as well. You're just going to have to "view-down" that accumulation of unwatched shows before you return it.

Unless you have a DVHS VCR, in which case you might have been able to offload ALL of these programs to DVHS tape (digitally 100% copy, via firewire) and watch them from tape in their original HD form. Unfortunately, you say you currently have a DCX3400 box, which like all other 3rd-generaton DCX products has a BROKEN FIREWIRE INTERFACE that no longer works, and thus cannot be used to offload content to DVHS tape via firewire.

This is bothersome and frustrating history, since 1st-generation DCT and 2nd-generation DCH equipment did have 100% working firewire interfaces, and if you had a DVHS VCR you could offload content from DVR to DVHS, either permanently for posterity (i.e. your DVHS tape HD library) or just temporarly to free up hard drive space on the DVR. Unfortunately Motorola "broke" the firewire interface in the 3rd-generation DCX products and have never fixed it. So at least two years after DCX introduction, there still is no usable functional working firewire interface on any DCX product, even though the boxes still have a physical firewire port (that delivers garbage, for the most part).

Thanks for the info DSperber. Right I am familiar with the DCT3416 silver box - I had those for a while and switched them out over time for the DCX-3400. I liked those boxes a lot because they run a LOT cooler, they look nice, they have the Native output option as you mentioned, and I like their white LED display better too.

A couple of my DCX3400 are 320GB but one of them is a 500GB so I guess at some point they went to that.

A friend of mine got the 3501M box recently. I am going to check it out at his place and will report back my impressions of it. In particular I want to see if the box is more responsive (REW/FF controls, scrolling through the guide/menus etc) and whether the drive is quieter.

It is a real pain about switching boxes though and losing all the unwatched content The only other way I've found to do it is to have both the new and old DVR. Continue recording only new stuff on the new DVR and watch the old stuff off the old one as quickly as possible. But that set up is a pain for various reasons (one remote controlling both DVRs) and the double billing so I don't think its worth doing this after doing it once before... In which case I would just decide to get a new one if I like that box better and lose the unwatched material.

Lovingdvd - So you have had, it sounds like, 3 diff. 3400 DCX boxes and have a couple now?
You haven;t run into all the glitches many of us have had - "black screen" recordings, recordings that start and then go black screen, sometimes inability to pause, etc.??
I am on my 3rd box. Comcast doesn't admit, publically, there are problems - but they'll keep swapping out boxes w. no problem. My boxes, starting about 5 months ago have all been 500G. They have all been the multi-room models altho we just use it as a stand-alone box.

I think you are the first Comcast customer not to have reported problems. Another provider has upgraded their software and a couple users say that since then they have had no problems.

I've had 3 DCX-3400 boxes for about a year now and have had no such issues. About the only issue I run into that is annoying is that sometimes the pause, rew and ff does nothing while watching live TV (GUI changes to show the pause symbol for example, but does not pause).

This DCX3501 can upscale all content to 1080p. It is also energy star certified so it uses about 25% to 35% less energy. (It actually uses less energy when off). The box is smaller with an external power supply. It also has updated firmware which allow it to be passed through more devices.

FYI, posted by Umatter2Charter on the Charter HDTV thread:


"Good afternoon,

I know that we are currently working on a firmware push to unlock the eSATA ports on the Moto boxes. I am going to reach out to see when that is going to be happening for you.

Thanks,

Jeremy"

and:

"I talked with a few people, and we are still working on getting the eSATA ports opened up. Sadly I cannot give an ETA at this time, but we hope to have them open soon. If I hear any confirmation, or timeframe I will be sure to post it here.

Thanks,

Jeremy"

If this issue happens again, usually 1 of 2 things will correct it. First, try swapping tuners (Swap button on remote) and then swap back to original tuner. If that does not work, try watching a recorded program for a few seconds, then try to FF/RW live after that.

Thanks. Yes sometimes that corrects it. I also find that sometimes turning off the power to the box (which I never do otherwise) and then back on corrects it too.

A problem I have had a couple of times recently, with my two DCX3400s, is that while a timer recording is in progress, the display shows that it is recording, and the "Play" button will bring up a red bar, showing a recording in progress, but this recording doesn't show up on the list of recordings. Once when this was happening, and the recording was on the displayed tuner, I couldn't swap tuners. This problem is fairly recent, but I've had bouts of 'blackscreen' since I got them.

Just received the latest box Motorolla Dcx-3501. And I am over the moon happy with it. I came from the Dct -6412. The 3501 picture is excellent. Like coming from dvd to blue-ray. The speed of changing inputs is a welcom upgrade as well. THe 500 gb hard drive is also very nice compared to my previous 120 gb. No problems viewing from HDMI. Every works great.

henree -
Let us know how recording goes. Many (most?) of us w. the 3400 and 3501 have had frequent recording glitches (black screens, freezes in recording, pause, fwd, back skip not working at times etc.)
OTH, someone else has posted his seems to work ok.

If you have the DVR going directly to your HDTV via HDMI for video (as opposed to being routed through an AVR), you could try "native" in the setup menu, rather than the default "fixed 1080i". This will send 720p channels out as 720p, and 1080i channels out as 1080i... and let your HDTV do any optimization. This avoids the DVR doing a 720p->1080i upconvert, and typically produces better images on your HDTV.

It's also apparently true that if your HDTV can support 1080p that the DCX35* family can upconvert 720p/1080i to 1080p for delivery. My own feeling, again, is that this is "artificial" and it's probably better to just deliver 720p and 1080i as "native" to the HDTV, which is designed exactly to accept these source signals and optimize the display by itself. It's one thing to deliver genuine "native 1080p" source content to the HDTV from BluRay or 3D-channels or special pay-per-view if offered, but for ordinary 720p/1080i HDTV broadcasts there seems no point to ask the DVR to upconvert to 1080p for delivery to the HDTV.

Note that "native" was not an option with your old DCT6412.

If you have an AVR between the DCX and your HDTV, and you relay the HDMI cable out of the DVR to the AVR, and then a second HDMI cable goes from AVR to HDTV, you will have a problem with the DCX box "losing native" setting. If you want to "retain native" setting, your best cabling alternative is to go HDMI from DCX direct to HDTV and not relay through the AVR. And then also have an optical audio cable going from the Toslink output of the DVR to an optical input on your AVR. That way you'll "retain native" as well as having DD5.1 audio through your sound system.


To set "native", power off the DCX3501. Then push the MENU button on the remote (or front of the box) to get the setup menu on your screen. Now navigate what you see on the screen using your remote (or the buttons on the front of the box), to check or uncheck what you want.

Note that "native" will also force 4:3 SD 480i channels to display OAR (i.e. centered in the 16:9 screen with black bars on left and right, thus with no horizontal stretching).

When you're finished, push the POWER button again to power off. You're now set.

I'm not sure I should say this for fear of jinxing it, but I haven't had a black screen recording in several weeks. Has anyone else noticed a dropoff?

I have seen a dropoff. Nothing in the past week. We were gone the 3 weeks before that. However, I have still noticed that the various functions like pause, the 15 sec. rewind, the FF etc. often don't work still.
We could at times make this happen everytime.
Set Daily Show to rec. 1 extra minute.
Set Colbert to start on time. They are on same channel.
this would create an overlap of 1 minute. Almost every time, this would create a black screen scenario. Never had a problem on any of the old DVRs.
Like others had this happen at random on recordings where nothing else was scheduled before, during, or after.

Me neither ..... no black sceen recordings in over 6 weeks .... in Beaverton, OR.