It sounds like the hard drive is failing. I don't think the dvr authorization and reset is going to do anything for you.

Again? This is our 2nd 6208. What is the Shaw guy going to do, just replace it with another 6208 which will quickly fail in the same manner?

My father in law replaced his 6208 with the new dual tuner, but I don't want to shell out more money to fix this problem which really isn't our fault to begin with.

I have re-booted twice using the instructions here http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_use_a_Motorola_DVR/Resets
and still have the same thing. The only time it will say the drive is 0% full is when there is nothing recorded. As soon as you record even a few seconds of something it shoots to 47% and then moves up normally when recording additional shows.
Thanks

I have been having a strange problem with my DCT6208 lately. More often than not when I turn it on there is no guide or recorded list ... just a black screen with the small picture in the upper right corner.

Rebooting (unplugging the unit) always solves the problem ... but it is a bit of a nuisance.

This is a known challenge since the last firware upgrade. Shaw is waiting for a fix for this from Motorola and the only temp work around that is known is to unplug the DCT which restores the guide/menu.

HDMI Question:

When I use an HDMI cable, my video goes black when switching from Analogue to HD channels and vice versa. However, when I use component cables, this never happens?!

Would anybody like to venture a guess as to whether this is a receiver, cable or TV problem?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I don't believe it is a cable problem. Could be some sort of HDCP issue maybe? Sounds as if the cable box and the tv just aren't communicating properly.

Component cables are analog, so I'd say that is why it doesn't happen when you use those.

It is possible that a different cable may solve the problem, although that doesn't mean the cable is defective. I've sold hundreds of hdmi and hdmi to dvi cables that always work. Sometimes people want a replacement because they have some sort of issue with the cable, but the problem can't be replicated outside of their equipment.

I'd lean towards the cable box as being more of the problem here though. If you have the ability to test the box on a different tv that would also help you in determining the problem. You can always take your box to someone else's house to test as well.

I just did a major viewing upgrade. I had a Toshiba 1080i CRT with a Denon 4806 AVR and moved to a Sony XBR4 LCD and a Denon 4308.

I also have the first Shaw STB PVR on sale in Vancouver. Picked it off the pallet when they were delivered to their head office in Burnaby just before the 2004 Olympics.

I haven't used it much, preferring Bell ExpressVu SD video instead.

However, with the new Sony, I decided to use the Shaw STB more extensively. This box has only DVI and Component Video outputs and as Shaw broadcasts 1080i, either should suffice. The TV has HDMI and CV inputs.

As my old Toshiba only had CV inputs, when I tested the new TV, I simply unplugged the CV cable from the Toshiba and plugged it into the Sony. Everything was fine.

Then I noticed the Guide had disappeared. Interestingly, I read here that this is a relatively long time problem. However, it had never disappeared when attached to the Toshiba. I had Shaw reset the box and the Guide returned, only to disappear 5 minutes later. The Shaw Tech claimed that they were awaiting a fix from Motorola.

I had picked up a DVI-HDMI cable as well and decided to use it from the Shaw STB to the Sony and use the CV cable to connect Bell ExpressVu SD video to the new Sony.

Shortly after I connected the DVI-HDMI cable to the Sony, I saw a brief onscreen message stating that my TV could not receive any HD signals from the STB and it was switching to 720 X 480 output. Then the LCD went blank.

I checked my connections and they were all tight. I switched HDMI inputs on the TV. Didn't fix the problem. I then decided to route the signal through the new Denon which upconverts to 1080p, then to the TV. Didn't work.

Finally I called Shaw again and was advised to return to the CV cable connection as the DVI-HDMI cables didn't work. (Mine was advertised as a "HDMI Version 1.3 cable")

I switched back and sure enough the Sony video came back on and reported that it was receiving 1080i input.

After thinking about it, I decided that what I was encountering was more digital paranoia. That is, HDMI performs a handshake and if the handshake fails for some reason, the default condition is to stop the video, or downconvert it to SD (which my box said it was doing).

The primary purpose of HDMI seems to be to prevent the creation of digital copies. Hence, if the handshake fails, it downconverts to SD video on the assumption of guilt.

Apparently the handshake fails when a DVI-HDMI cable is used with my Sony XBR. I imagine that Shaw doesn't have much control over the software and depends on the STB manufacturer. As new HDMI standards are created or old ones modified and new types of HDMI equipment are developed, I expect an increasing number of hassles in this regard. That is, I don't expect an easing of problems, but an increase as the STB software struggles to keep current.

Too often large companies (like Microsoft) get the customer paradigm reversed. They come to believe that their customers exist to serve them, instead of vice versa. E.g., Microsoft wants more revenue, so they put out a new OS. They don't really care of anyone wants it or needs it. The DR holders behave similarly. Obviously if a large number of customers are irritated because of HDMI glitches, then they become non-customers and revenues drop. However, the DR holders fear the zero cost of digital copies and want to put up as many roadblocks as possible. So we have a schizophrenic, maladjusted HDMI, instead of a useful tool.

It looks like CV cables will be with us for a LONG TIME.

I have been connected successfully for some time from my 6208 DVI to Sony LCD HDMI (and Audio).

I have purchased a new reciever (Yamaha RXV3800B), and am now connected from my 6208 DVI to HDMI input on the Yamaha, and 6208 optical to optical input on the Yamaha (for audio). Then a single HDMI out from the Yamaha to the Sony LCD HDMI in. I am getting sound, but the picture flickers for a moment and then goes blank.

Has anyone seen this before? Any ideas?

Most likely a HDCP issue. If you were able to use dvi to hdmi directly to the tv, you can continue doing that or just use component cables into your receiver.

Thanks.
Yes, DVI to HDMI direct to TV still works, as do component cables through the receiver. It is just the DVI to HDMI (receiver) followed by HDMI (receiver) to HDMI TV that fails. So, I am wondering where to troubleshoot or if its even worth it. It would be nice to get rid of the component cables... maybe when I have more time to investigate/research.

Most older units do not support dvi (hdmi) through a receiver. The firmware on the cable box doesn't support it. Since you're already using digital audio through the receiver, you're not really losing any PQ by using component video through your receiver.

Anybody ever tried to open one of these boxes up??
I have a 6208 that will not turn on. It is not under any warranty, so I would like to try may hand at what may be wrong inside.
The casing seems very tight and with no screws. I only see a couple of small screws (with no particular head on them) on the back side of the box. What comes off first... the front panel? If so, does it pop off or how does it work?
Any help appreciated.
Just send me a pm,
Thanks

See this thread http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=40947 It has numerous posts about opening these units. There's a good chance that it is your power supply that has died, but i've also seen motherboard problems. Opening it up won't help much in determining which one it is, any more than basic troubleshooting.

When you plug the unit in, do you hear anything or get any sense that the unit is receiving power? If it seems totally dead, then it is almost certainly your PSU. However, if it seems to have some power but just won't turn on then most likely you have a problem with your motherboard.

Both are most likely repairable, but it just depends how much time and money you want to spend on the process. The PSU is the easier fix.

I've got a 6208 which locked up today, so I pulled the power on it and plugged it back in, and it went into a 10 second boot/reboot cycle. I pulled the power again and gave it 15 minutes to cool down, but now when I plug the power back in it's just dead, no noise, no lights.

Do these have fuses in them which can blow, or is there something I should check in the power supply area to see if I can get it back to life?

Cheers!

I tried to upgrade my brothers 6208 with a 160gb hd...

The install went well, it was recognized, was able to record a bunch of shows, but after about 30% it locked out the pvr portion with an error code NCAP.

I did a HDD reset, same thing after about 23% recording.

^ no one has any ideas about this?

Rico,

Did anything like this occur before your upgrade? As well, when this error comes up, could you tell me what information is under the D13 Hard Drive section of the diagnostics?

^ I have to get the box back and re-try it, but I think that the HD size was reported correctly, there was nothing that appeared out of the ordinary as far as setup, usage or anything, just after 20 or 30%, I would get that error...

So there's a million posts on this process of upgrading hard drives in Motorola DCTs. However, everything refers to the 6416 Phase III and later. Can anybody give me some concrete answers on the following questions?

1) Is it confirmed that firmware 16.74 actually formats to the largest available size on the drive, even on older units such as the 6208?

2) Is there any need to go shopping for an IDE drive that's designed for continuous writing? I have every intention of dropping in a spare Seagate 250gb after xmas.

3) Can I just drop the hard drive in the unit, power on and let the box do the rest of the work? Does the original hard drive need to be present in the unit in order for the unit to reformat the new drive?

4) Service menu indicates compatibility for 2 hard drives. Could I swap in a new PATA cable, configure as MASTER/SLAVE or CS/CS (depending on the controller config) and have 2 drives to record to?

5) Does anybody have an overhead, higher resolution image of the insides of a DCT 6200 series unit, minus the hard drive? I want to scout over the board.

I must say, I upgraded to this unit from a DCT2524. It's a cool playtoy, and I want to learn about it. Thanks!