I just got the cable box hooked up and ready to go. Only problems are that the menu/guide doesnt work at all ( doesn't even show up when i press the button ) and the quality is worse than when I had only regular coaxial cable hooked up. I'm using rca cables at the moment until i have the chance to pick up some components. Could that be the reason? Any help would be great. Thanks.

What is the make/model of your TV?

See the following Digital Home FAQs (under help).

- Motorola STBs - set it up appropriately for SD and HD signals
- What you need to do to your new HDTV
- Why does my HDTV have poor SD PQ.
- Cables & Connections - you need component video cables (at least) for HD.
- Etc.

Please put your location and service provider in your UserCP profile (location). It often helps us help you.

(As an FYI, this is an "eBay" STB based on a previous thread)

Just curious... what are you using for your hd signal... component or ?

You are not using coax to the tv from the dct are you ?

The DCT6208 is hooked up to my LG 42PC3D Plasma. At the moment I'm connecting the two with RCA cables from the back of the cable box, to the AV1 input on the TV. The picture works, but it's worse quality than regular cable. The title of the show, and the network is displayed when i change the channel, but i can't bring up the menu/guide screen, so I'm forced to use the channel +/- to change. Also, the eight HD channels that I get are only a fraction of the size of the screen. I'm probably getting a 32" picture on a 42" screen. Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks.

The problem is with the RCA cables. Use component or DVI cables. That will solve all your complaints.

Please take the time to read the FAQs listed in post 2. The answers to your questions are in there, along with other information to enhance your HD experience.

You may also wish to get an operating manual for the STB since you are not properly connected for HD and read it.

Also check out the FAQ on "Burn in".

HDTV viewing is NOT as easy as plugging in a toaster and the only way to get HD properly is with the proper equipment, cables, settings, knowledge, etc.


If you want to learn how NOT to do it, read the following: ;)

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=52427

You have two issues here... the first as mentioned before is your cables, the second is the no guide/menu. That is a software/activation issue that needs to be resolved on Shaw's end. It has nothing to do with the cables you're using.

You can find good quality hdmi/dvi/component cables for reasonable prices if you look around... just don't go to a big name retailer... :)

The lack of the guide IS due to both an improper setup and improper connections. Read the last paragraph of the following link:

http://cjhengineering.com/hdtv/cablehdtv/dctset-up.htm

If people would only read the information that I post (post 2 primarily, then post 6) then these issues could be easily resolved.

Sorry to be so blunt.

I really appreciate all the replies. You have all been a great help. I have now fixed the menu/guide problem for the most part. All but my HD channels allow me to bring up the menu/guide. Why not the HD?

The picture quality is still bad, but I'm still using the rca's, so I'll wait for the component cables to arrive before I concern myself too much with that problem.

Thanks again.

Without component video cables, you're not seeing true HD. Once you connect them you'll be seeing HD and the menu will also come up.

Well, I bought component cables and hooked them up. I can now use the menu while watching HD, so that's a plus. But the picture quality of regular cable channels is still horrible. I called Shaw to see what was up, and they told me it was Motorola's hardware that lessens the quality of these channels, and that Shaw is going to switch all the basic cable channels to digital in order to solve this problem. They said I'll have to wait 2 months before this happens and in the mean time I should pick up a cable splitter and only use the HD box for HD channels. Needless to say, i'm not very happy about this.

Thats nothing, just wait until you can't watch or delete programs you have recorded. The 6208 is a hunk of crap. I'm on my 2nd one and its 1/4 full of programs I can't watch or get rid of. I've reset the unit several times and the same thing keeps happening. The Shaw guy is coming this Friday and I don't know what he could possibly do. Replacing it with the same POS will just end with the same results. Needless to say I'm not happy with Shaw either. I hope yours is ok.

...the picture quality of regular cable channels is still horrible. Have you set the 4:3 override to 480i? Have you done a setup of your TV - second FAQ in post two? Also, read the 3rd FAQ in post 2 (which discusses the poor quality analogue channels on older Motorolas and possible workarounds).

I also had a 6208. It worked great for about the first year, once they upgraded the firmware it was never the same. I was able to trade it in on the 6412 (now replaced with the 6416), I'd recommend that option.

hedge, did you have to pay for this upgrade?

yes, I had to pay the difference but it wasn't too bad, I got back what I paid for the 6208.