First, Thank you to all the knowlegable people who contribute to this community, have lurked for a long time and now have finally finished my HT room.

I am in the process of adding an outside DCT6416 but I found that on hooking up the unit to my PioElite 84 I get the green screen indicating that the hdmi handshake is not recognized from the STB.

What is the current version of Firmware SHaw is using? Any idea on timeline for upgrading to 16.20?

Do other people have their HDMI connection working on Shaw?

I did hook up the unit using the YPBr and get channel 1 saying "This channel should be available shortly". Is this the normal startup screen until Shaw adds me to their database?

This has been well documented as an issue between many STBs and AV Receivers. Do a search for HDMI Receivers and you'll find the threads. There is no word on the next firmware, when it'll happen or if it'll resolve this issue. In the meantime, you'll need to connect directly to the TV with HDMI and a digital audio connection directly to the AVR for DD5.1.

See also the Digital Home FAQ (under help) "Motorola STBs", as well as the thread regarding activating an outside box for the answer to your last question.