My DCT6412 Phase I bit the big one tonight. For the last few days it has been resetting like 15-20 times/day. I called them and they reset it but it didn't help at all. Then I came home today and it was just displaying "Dl" and downloading the software. I thought it may resurrect itself but it just kept going through the download cycle over and over. Shaw told me to bring the box in for a new one which is fine by me, as long as I don't have to do this every 8 months. Very annoying and unpredicable. (I had a DCT6208 that was replaced too - all of this within about 15 months!) I suppose that is the true question - what is the expected longevity of these DCTs anyway?

My other question is with regards to DVI->HDMI connections. I have a Sony WEGA HDTV with DVI input. It has been working perfectly with the DVI out on the Phase I. Has anyone had success with the Phase III and a DVI->HDMI cable? I would prefer the Phase III for its superior analog picture quality but need to use the HDMI->DVI connection as my DVD player and PS2 are using the component connections. What should I expect?

I have been experiencing the exact same problem since the upgrade. Seemingly at random, recordings will get 'stuck', they don't play, have some really short length and cannot be deleted. I have been back and forth with tech support on this one, resetting the box countless times, even formatting the hard drive but the problem always returns. This is annoying since recording things is no longer reliable and I end up with a lot of crud on the drive that cannot be deleted. I guess the next step is to ask for another box. That would be #3, the first one died after about 8 months. I have this exact same problem as well. My guess is that it's software related so getting a new box isn't going to help unless it's a different model. Has anyone received a replacement box of the same model and have all their problems go away?

Any luck finding the answer for this one?? I am still confused...:eek:

I thought about that too, but having double (and triple) checked the tv specs, it claims DVI/HDCP. The tv is a panasonic ct-34wx53 (http://www.panasonic.ca/English/audiovideo/television/tau/ct-34wx53.asp) , and the technical specs (http://www.panasonic.ca/English/audiovideo/television/tau/specs3.asp) say that the digital interface is DVI/HDCP.

While viewing 305 (HDNBC in Saskatoon), powering down and from the diagnostics, d11, page 2 says:
DVI Port
Device connected: yes
Repeater: no
Video Xmission: active
Hdcp enabled: no
Video constrained: no
Output format: 1920x1080I
Aspect ratio: 16:9

I do appreciate input provided thusfar, and any more that anyone may have.

I am sorry if this question has been asked already in this thread but its too long to read!

I have the DCT68xx (not sure the exact model number, not a PVR) hooked up via DVI/HDMI out to the tv. The Audio is via optical cable direct to the stereo reciever.

Question: the volume button on the DCT remote does nothing? I have to use the recieiver remote to change the volume. Can I change this?

As far as I am aware, the volume control for the Motorola cable boxes, including the 6208, only controls the analog audio output. As you are using the digital audio output, you can only control the audio volume by adjusting the audio volume of the device that the digital audio output of the 6208 feeds.

RNA - See the following thread for tips/guides on this equipment.

http://digitalhomecanada.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21274

As stated by Alan, the volume control only affects the analogue audio. Also, some STBs have a "fixed" and a "variable" setting. When in "fixed" the volume doesn't change on the STB.

Thanks for the info...but that is retarded?

What do you guys use? Two remotes all time? Should I program one remote to change channels and do volume?

Another question:
I did find the 4:3 override option and changed it to "stretch" which fixes the 4:3 problem. But the guide still comes up in 4:3 with black bars on the left and right. Can this be stretched also when using the DVI/HDMI output?

Many remotes can be programmed to control basic functions of the Receiver or TV. Check the operating manual for the Motorola remote to see if it'll do that.

I use my SA8300HD remote almost exclusively. If that doesn't work for you, you can consider a Harmony remote to control all your equipment.

What is the proper setting for my display type:

I have the options of 1080i or 720p from the box to my tv (dlp 720p). I have the box set currently at 720p but is their an advantage of the higher resolution?

RNAChemist

I suggest you look at your remote manuals and look for an explanation of something called volume lock in my 6412 remote's manual. It is a way of having the remote's volume control keys, UP, DOWN and MUTE control a secondary device while using the remote to control a primary device. That is, you would set the remote to control the cable box and have the VOLUME UP, VOLUME DOWN and MUTE keys control the A/V receiver.

Most remotes, including those supplied with all the Shaw cable remotes for a DCT2000, a DCT6208 and a DCT6412, that control multiple devices have something similar. Universal remotes can be very flexible in how individual keys control different functions on different devices. As 57 said, the Harmony remotes are very flexible in this way. I have 8 A/V devices right now so can't use the remote supplied with the 6412 which only controls 5 devices. The other problem with the supplied remotes is that often they do not easily support odd key functions or may not support them at all.

I did figure it out.

I did the volume unlock on the remote. i then programed the remote to operate the tv and the reciever. So now I can "all on" everything with one remote and leaving the remote in "aux" mode allows me control the volume and using the guide button allows me to surf. Seems ok for now.

Just wondering if anyone has successfully added a 120 GB or 160 GB hard drive to a 6208. If so, was the larger size recognized or was it limited to 80 GB by the firmware?

My 6412 needs to be exchanged. There is a good chance that I will be given a 6416 given that, as of about two weeks, only one of the outlets had 6412s left (Metrotown). So, I was waiting a little longer to exchange thus increasing the chance to get a 6416. Is there a way of finding out if a particular outlet has 6412 or 6416s?

The reason for the post above is that my box locks up every now and then when I tune in TSN HD. The lock up means that the box is very very slow to respond to a remote control command (15-30 seconds). The problem will go away with a reboot. Shaw has tried to reboot from their end as well but the problem persists. Has anyone had this experience before and was their a fix for it (other than a swap)? I would rather not swap at all...but if I had to swap then I would prefer to pick up a 6416, of course.

Just wondering if anyone has successfully added a 120 GB or 160 GB hard drive to a 6208. If so, was the larger size recognized or was it limited to 80 GB by the firmware?I'm curious about this too since I may soon have my hands on a 6208.

Has anyone upgraded the drive in a 6208 yet?

I haven't tried a 6208, but I did try a 160GB in a 6412 phase i model and it didn't work.

I highly doubt it would accept a larger drive, or else there would be more information out there regarding this...

I did wonder what would happen if you tried to connect 2 ide drives to one of the dvi models though...

but i figure that if anything tricky worked on these models, word would have gotten out pretty quickly...

I haven't been here in a real long time but here goes.

We still have problems with our 6208 (I think thats the model, single tuner HD PVR). There are now 3 or so shows we can't delete or watch. I have to turn the unit off, turn it on pressing some buttons to wipe the HD then its ok. Wait for it to load the guide etc. Then surely enough, we'll record another show and it too gets corrupted. This is our 2nd 6208. I'll have to call Shaw again about this one, I'm tired of half the shows not working.

Shaw is coming this weekend, we'll see what happens. I phoned Shaw, they said they could reset the box etc etc but that wouldn't cure the problem. The same problem would just happen again.

Did you try reformatting the HDD?

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_use_a_Motorola_DVR/Resets

Yes, I've done that hard drive wipe a few times. Same thing always happens.

I haven't done the DVR Authorization and Factory Full Reset though.