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Gateway pre-purchase questions

47K views 191 replies 66 participants last post by  JKR1963 
#1 ·
I looked and didnt see a topic for this and didnt think in the update code thread was the best as I didnt want to muddy it up.

But I was wondering, is the gateway worth getting? I am seeing the update threads and I see nothing but troubles with the system. It sounds like it has a lot of problems and goods odds I will miss atleast some of the programs I set to record for one reason or another.

So I have to ask, is it worth getting yet? Does anybody have very positive reviews of the gateway system? I really would like one, but if it means some recordings will be lost or not record, or no sound etc, its just not worth it and stick with my current pvr for now.

Thanks
 
#53 ·
Yeah I know some people just like to complain and moan. So I'm definitely keeping an open mind. As for the remote I already have a Harmony, so that shouldn't be much of an issue. I am actually looking forward to having a new toy to play with and am prepared to put up with a few minor issues.
 
#54 ·
I have had mine for over a week now and am loving it for the most part...sure it is a bit of an adjustment since the menu system is very different and there are a few small things to get used to...but the positives really outweigh any negatives for me.

Having three TVs in the house really makes the Gateway worth it, plus with the large amount of recording that my wife and I do it is almost required for us. Now that we are figuring out all the changes and adjustments we are having a blast.

Oh and I know several people with the Telus Optik TV package, and this blows it out of the water. In my opinion.
 
#56 ·
You have to read through the Gateway threads, including this one. There are a variety of issues but not everyone experiences all or even any of them, in some cases. That's an issue all on it's own. There doesn't seem to be any consistency of issues, even regionally.

As for being able to use a Portal on its own, no, you can't. The Portals are the only box that communicates with the Gateway on the MoCA network so you have to have at least one Portal and Gateway to have it work.
 
#57 ·
Connection Question

If you go for this system and get it installed, do the TV sets hooked up to Analog signal still work? Or does the Shaw filter kill those TV's?

I have scaled back my subscription for Shaw to basic, but I find I still get all the channels through straight analogue connection (as opposed to HD boxes). I only do this on two small sets (17in and 27in) where better signal is not required. If I go with the gateway, will these TV's still function?

If above is still possible, I also was thinking of splitting the signal on my bigger TV's, where I would use both HD and Analogue, for when i want to watch the occasional station I do not get through the box (Mostly News Channels). If the Portal is then on that TV, would this still work with that particular outlet?
 
#58 ·
The MoCA filter that gets installed on the line coming into your home is to prevent any of the MoCA signals getting out of your home or possibly any coming in from a neighbour who might be messing with their wiring. As the MoCA frequencies are well above normal analog tv signals, there should be no noticeable effect on any 'old analog' TVs you still want to connect. I have one such set connected 'inside' the MoCA network in my home and it receives the channels just fine. Yes, it is split with a Portal to the same set so you can do that too.
 
#59 ·
stanl said:
Much Better Picture Quality
Much better? How is this possible?

You cannot mean that the MPEG2 signal is decoded incorrectly unless you're saying that one STB has bugs in its MPEG2 implementation that I haven't seen reported anywhere else.

You cannot mean that there is some analog/DAC issues, especially since almost everyone is using HDMI these days to get from your STB to your TV - the "DAC" issues (if any existed) would exist inside your TV, not your STB.

So what then do you mean?
 
#60 ·
I can only speak to my particular experience where I have both a Gateway/Portal and a DCX3400 supplying the same 50" Sony through an Oppo HDMI switch(only 1 HDMI input on older set). For me, the picture from the Portal appears to be richer and deeper in colour and ever so slightly better in detail.

Given that each output should have it's own customized settings for the TV but don't, the above is just an observation for the same content being delivered from two different boxes using the 'optomized' settings on my HDTV.
 
#61 ·
JetRanger has explained pretty well what I mean. Technically all pictures should be equal but of course, in reality, they seldom are. For instance, two different televisions will give two different pictures of the same feed. Why should it be so difficult to imagine two different receivers giving different results.

If I compare the picture (same station, same time) between the Gateway and the 3400, to me (and several other people I have blind tested) the picture does seem to be richer and deeper in color with better detail. The latter is especially apparent in fast action sports which for me, is important.

Will this be the same for everyone. No. Each unique configuration of equipment will produce different results. But of the people that I know that have had both, most have commented (unsolicited) on the perceived better quality of the Gateway vs. the 3400. In fairness, one, said they thought the 3400 was better which in their case is entirely possible.

This does not mean that the picture on the 3400 is noticeably bad. It isn't. I was very satisfied with the picture on my 3400's so I was quite surprised when I noticed the difference on the Gateway. For me, with my setup, the Gateway produces a noticeably better picture. YMMV.
 
#63 ·
I and a family member also noticed the better PQ after the Moto DCX3400 was replaced by a Portal. We couldn't really explain why it was better at the time. If I had noticed it by myself, perhaps I would have dismissed it as just seeing what I wanted to see to justify my purchase.
 
#64 ·
It really is that subtle a difference, isn't it? If I couldn't do a side by side immediate comparison, I would be hard pressed to say there was a difference other than a 'perceived' one.
 
#65 ·
After browsing a few post, I can't find answers to my two specific question.
1) The 6 programs recorded will be encrypted (i.e. you can't attach the Hard disk to your computer and watch it)?
2) Can I watch content in another hard disk (with proper samba server) through this?

I am just wondering close to $500 investment would be better than my current set up (torrents since no megaupload) to watch a few TV shows.
 
#67 ·
A terrible (and expensive) PVR

I could never recommend the Digital Gateway. I tell this to as many people as will listen, realizing that most people who want a new per don't have much of a choice.

I've had one since they were first available (my installer had never installed one before).

The user interface is terrible. Most tasks take way too many clicks. The remote is lacking a "source" button, to even change TV sources! I haven't even been able to get a real manual for it, only on the the "shaw" guides.

Even the guide is a step backwards from my old PVR's (7 year old Panasonic, which used TV Guide, my old 5 year old Tivo and even the motorola (Shaw box) I had most recently.

Who can blame Shaw (or any carrier) when the regulator lets them do it? In the US cable providers have to allow any cable card capable PVR to connect and work with their systems. You can actually take your PVR from one carrier to the other --- how novel!.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CableCARD

I'd switch INSTANTLY to any cable provider that supported CableCard, and allowed me to actually CHOOSE my own pvr -- even if it meant junking this expensive digital gateway.

The Tivo Premier Elite (with desktop software and iPad remote) look pretty sweet. Too bad none of the Canadian carrier will allow me to use it.

We should be able to choose our hardware and our carrier separately. In a market where people actually had a choice in PVR's (such as the US), I can't imagine anyone buying these Digital Gateways. Probably why they were available to Shaw.

I suppose we should just be thankful that we don't have to have a shaw approved television as well.
 
#68 ·
Shaw Home Portal

Ok someone I know has shaw and for his situation I recomended the guy to look into the shaw portal thingy. Now to my knowledge I'm guessing it works quite similar to my Telus optick setup, so please clarify this for me..

Shaw's system requires a gateway box and then you can have 6 portal receivers?

Can the gateway be used on a tv, or its just a controler box and every tv needs a portal?

Second, does the portal box allow you to watch live tv, or does it only allow you to watch whats recorded on the gateway?

I ask this as I want to have a proper answer for the guy, he's been told things about this system by a best buy rep and I found it hard to believe what he was told.

Thanks
 
#72 ·
This is what my friend told me he was told;

You have the one box that is your main pvr that is used for your primary tv and the additional boxes are just "satellite boxes" that stream strictly whats being stored on the gateway.

Now when he mentioned this to me I was in dis belief as a system of this type wouldn't be attractive to any consumer on the market, why would you want to limit yourself to one live tv. this is what my friend told the sales rep more or less, he got an answer that the system is still new and doesn't support the ability to have independent tv viewing on each tv but only access on demand stuff and your recordings, basically just a streaming box.

one more question, does it use cat5\6 or coax to feed the portal boxes from the gateway, im wiring up his house, ill end up running couple cat6 and coax regardless but just want to know how these boxes link with the gateway..
 
#74 ·
Some of the confusion might be from the fact that the Gateway is usually sold as a package that includes one portal, so it comes ready to hook up to one TV and you need more portals to hook up more TVs.

Technically all the portals are watching streamed TV; but you can stream it live. But on any of them you can rewind at any time because they are always recording; the recording is just not saved unless you specify. This differs from say the Microsoft Media Centre, for which you must press record if you want the ability to rewind your live TV.

The connection is a MOCA network through coax, but the Gateway does have network jacks on it to hook up computers once the DNLA is live, then your buddy can watch/listen to things on his computers. There is also a wireless modem in the Gateway that may or may not be activated in the future; it is likely as the network functionality needs to be turned on to allow the DNLA so adding the wireless wouldn't be much more trouble; it just depends on whether Shaw wants to have another network configuration that their internet people will have to support. Finally there is a network port on the back of each portal that might (small might) be activated in the future so that you could plug items into it to get network connectivity.

All of this makes it sound like the best place to put the Gateway would be in the computer area; but be warned that it is loud by today's standards; sort of like a computer from 10 years ago (fan and hard drive noise). For that reason it's better to put it where the coax enters the house, and then have Cat5 or 6 in place to run from there to the computer area for the future DNLA functionality.

Since Best Buy has steered him wrong, perhaps he should buy direct from Shaw? You can finance it over 3 years for what is almost 0%.
 
#86 ·
Technically all the portals are watching streamed TV; but you can stream it live. But on any of them you can rewind at any time because they are always recording; the recording is just not saved unless you specify. This differs from say the Microsoft Media Centre, for which you must press record if you want the ability to rewind your live TV.
I dont need to hit any record buttons when switching from one channel to the other to have skip, pause and forward functions on live tv.
 
#75 ·
The RJ45 jack on the Portals is just another way to connect back to the Gateway, via Ethernet cabling instead of coax, or at least it will be once DLNA is enabled. There will be no ability to connect other equipment to it or access content from it if that is what anyone is hoping for. Everything here, so far, has been discussed in the other Gateway threads.
 
#77 ·
Interesting that you should ask as I was wondering this myself just last week. Apparently a couple of 'boxes' have made the rounds but were non-functional units, just 'physical examples'. The one new Portal is very small and has just an HDMI output. No word on when anything new might be available though.
 
#79 ·
If you are wiring his house, wire everything fro the demark. Each TV should have its own independent line from the demark, including the gateway. If the demark is by the electrical panel, that is probably the best location for the gateway. Make sure you use RG6 and not RG59 wire.
 
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