Hi, i'm NEW...
Can i add a HDD to the 3416 via the sata connector, or do i absolutely need to do the IEEE 1394 interface, i just don't want to have to do live all the time. My Mac is in a different room.
Is it a firmware issue, i ask as i don't want to go out and buy an HDD and find out it's not gonna work, i know for the most part most peripherals are off, but the sata was new on the 3416 wasn't it?

Ah, so many q's,:confused: sorry all. Thanks for any input, even negative like RTFM or something... :D:p

Marc

Post moved to existing thread with the answers regarding the HDD - basically "NO" due to a firmware limitation on all Motorola STBs.


Please see the following post, useful for newbies to the forum:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=57741

Is Shaw ever going to allow us to put bigger drives (like a 500 gig) into the motorola boxes? 20-25 hours of HD material is just not enough for me!

Looks like the new ones may - see:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=79929

As to whether the Motorolas will, that is not known at this point. As mentioned many times previously in this thread, this is NOT a Shaw issue, it's Motorola firmware. No one with the Motorola cable PVRs has access to more than 160 GB, regardless of cable service provider.

No one with the Motorola PVRs has access to more than 160 GB, regardless of service provider.
That is false, plenty of *C customers, which use Motorola, are indeed putting in HDD as big as 500GB.

Different types of units. No one who uses Motorola DCT (I'd assume DCH and QIP) as well are able to take advantage of more than 160GB. So yes it is a firmware issue. Shaw could press the issue, but unless a lot of cable companies really started to request that feature I'm not sure when we might see it.

That is false, plenty of *C customers, which use Motorola, are indeed putting in HDD as big as 500GB.
Should have said Cable service providers, but merve04, you knew what I meant, you just wanted to pick a nit. A clarification would have been appreciated instead. I've fixed my previous post which contained this egregious error. :rolleyes:

I have to agree, with the rumors of the introduction of another HDPVR (with eSATA), Shaw needs to be pressured to pressure Moto to write the firmware. Being a realist, I just don't see it ever happening now - not with the pace that technology moves at. Moto likely has it's engineers writing code for the "next great thing" - not a box that's been on the market for years (an eternity in tech these days).

You may be right, it might never happen. For what it's worth, I was told last year by our Motorola rep that eSATA support was targetted for firmware release in the second half of 2008.

And I'm sure Shaw pressuring Motorola wouldn't cause Motorola to blink an eye. Shaw is a small fish when compared to Motorola customers like Comcast.

I don't think Comcast customers have esata support either.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 57
merve04, you knew what I meant, you just wanted to pick a nit. lol,, your post is so truthfull it made :)

loracweb, have you had any luck with this?
yes, i've managed to use a 200 GB drive (unit sees it as a 160) in a 6412 DVI unit. I have heard it may also be possible in to use larger drives in dct6208.

I had a good, long talk w/ a Moto rep who tests new boxes. I was waiting on him at my electronics store (while waiting for the backroom server to reboot after it crashed. :rolleyes: ). I said straight out that everyone on the digital cable forums wanted to know WHY wasn't the SATA port enabled, on the DCTs.
At first, he was a little confused, oddly not knowing what a SATA port was (maybe he was just having a brain cramp). I said "the external HDD port", and he said it was used for downloading S/W, and testing. :confused:
Well, that didn't make any sense to me, and I went on saying that Moto was being *ahem* out-Paced by Pace (using Moto F/W) and Scientific Atlanta (w/ their DAVIC protocols), both w/ active SATA sockets.
He said that Pace was using older tech they had bought from Motorola, and SA's external HDD ports were undependable and intermittant [paraphrased].
When I pressed him further, he said that the port wasn't activated, it was off, period. HMMMM, to quote the German soldier on 'Laugh-In': "Very interesting..." There was no information about who was at fault in this debacle, be it Moto or the CCs.
And, why no provision for a HDD greater than 160Gb, despite more and more HD programming? He claimed it wasn't needed. OOOKAAAY :eek: I think we are all chasing our tails, here. I know I am very dizzy, now. ;)
As to the even more important question of why the new DCH and DCX boxes are so BLAH and boring looking, it turns out that they were designed most likely by a third party, like Pioneer or whomever. SIGH. I tried on all of our behalf.
And that's my story, morning glory.

Well thanks for trying, DCTGoddess.

Any time we get a chance to get an opinion or info from a person closer to the source it's a good thing.

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that various industries do not want consumers to have large drives in their HD PVR's. Recording a few shows is fine, but long term storage is a no no.

part of it is probably cost of the drives as well, and how that factors into the overall unit.

The new DCX units are expected to be about $90 cheaper than the current DCH units.

Even with a 250GB drive, chances are most companies will order the standard 160GB version. I'm sure Motorola will charge a hefty premium for those models, even if the drives only cost a few $ more.

For the most part, you'll know more about how these units work reading these forums than you would working for any cable provider.

Moto is certainly falling behind considering that both the Pace boxes and Bell's 9200 (SA?) have expandible recording capabilities.

I have a 6412 (and 4 people living in our house) and at certain times of year I could really use 250GB if not more.

I'm going to make this simple for you . I've had the Motto, now have the Pace .If your in an area that supports the Pace it's a no brainer . #1 advantage; expandable hard drive among other things. Much better unit overall (6 months and counting) I know it's sometimes it's tough to break old habits (and old motto's) but if u can , and again "if area supported" why are u even talking Motto ?

So do I just walk into Shaw and ask them to exchange my Moto box for a Pace box?

Somehow I don't think you'll get very far with that request.

That's exactly what I figured, I was just wondering what slydawwg was suggesting?

I'm pretty happy with my 6412 aside from the limited recording space.