Shaw’s DCT700 – In Depth Review

[llcarlos]

Press 'settings' twice.

[Shaw Guru]

Press menu once then go to the house looking icon (or press menu twice). There are about 12 options in this screen. Listings by time and channel should be at the top of the left column. If they are not then press the up arrow. On the left column these is a Messages option. This is where you get messages.

[DigitalPixel]

Hi guy,

Although I'm not in the Shaw area, I did purchase the DCT700 from my local cable provider today. I would just like to ask some questions..

1. Why doesn't this box come with a Motorola remote but rather the Universal Electronics brand?

2. Another thing I noticed is that the RF In connector has a yellow center but the To TV/VCR is white. From viewing pictures on the internet they are both white. There is also a sticker on the bottom with a number 2 on it. I don't know what that signifies.

[DigitalPixel]

Originally Posted by llcarlos

I don't understand why the DCT700 RF output is not in stereo. I guess I will buy some cords for it.

From reading the user guide there is no Stereo out through the RF.

DCT700 User Guide

[DigitalPixel]

Originally Posted by llcarlos

I bumped into the Shaw guys and they said the DT700 is in stereo. My TV stereo button doesn't light up but the DT700 processes the signal in stereo. The music channels sound good so they must be in stereo.

Don't know why my previous post didn't show up...

Anyways, on page 14 of the users guide it show that stereo is not possible via the RF output but only with RCA connectors.

[maxwar]

Is anybody try to change MAC adress usind JTAG-USB cable?

[DCTGoddess]

That's a try at h@cking. Not acceptable on this forum. What would be the point of changing it, anyway?

[shawguy]

DigitalPixel.... Mine is Yellow on the input and white on the output as well here on Shaw in Winnipeg, so your not alone... I have no clue why....

Shaw provides their own brand of Shaw remotes with all their boxes...so I wouldn't know the answer to your other question (currently they are giving out the ATLAS HD PVR remote with all Shaw boxes whether HD or not) - Shaw Remotes

[trueog]

Hey tell me something since you guys seem to know alot about shaw.

My neighbor took the filter out of my anolog cable box and I suddenly have a bunch of channels rather then my basic cable. If I go out and buy a DCT700 box to help the clarity of my new LCD tv, will they find out once I hook up this box that I'm getting extra channels?

Should I call shaw and tell them first that someone removed the filter from my box? Will this DCT700 box detect the filter missing and cause problems for me?

let me know, thanks and take care,

[Shaw Guru]

When they add the DCT 700 onto your account they will not know the filter has been pulled and will put you on the basic channels again which will not let the DCT 700 to pull the channels through any more. Never pays to get things for free. lol

[magnet]

clarity of my new LCD tv

only the HD terminal will help the clarity of your channels because of SD channel compression.

You may be better spending your money on OTA for Vancouver area channels in HD, since you don't seem to want to spend money on cable.

[llcarlos]

I am cheap and wanted to spend as little as possible for TV. I went without TV and then Shaw hooked me up with the DCT700. I liked the picture improvement. I had a plasma TV with the DCT700 and then a month later I got a Shaw HD box and I have changed my mind about being cheap. The HD movies and sports are worth it.
At first I figured spending 32 for basic cable and then I got the HD box for cheap and then I figured 32+9 for HD sports and now I will spend 32+9+15 for all HD. That is the same as I paid for full cable a couple of years ago and HD is way better.

Like Rodney Dangerfield said, "Something, the commercials".

[Shaw Guru]

Originally Posted by llcarlos

I am cheap and wanted to spend as little as possible for TV. I went without TV and then Shaw hooked me up with the DCT700. I liked the picture improvement. I had a plasma TV with the DCT700 and then a month later I got a Shaw HD box and I have changed my mind about being cheap. The HD movies and sports are worth it.
At first I figured spending 32 for basic cable and then I got the HD box for cheap and then I figured 32+9 for HD sports and now I will spend 32+9+15 for all HD. That is the same as I paid for full cable a couple of years ago and HD is way better.

Like Rodney Dangerfield said, "Something, the commercials".

Just curious about the totals you mentioned. I understand the first 2 but I'm not sure what the 15 is for.
32 = basic cable
9 = HD Plus package
15 = ?

[llcarlos]

The 15, could be 17, bucks is for Movie Central. Shaw states MC is needed to watch the HD MC

[KoldFusion]

I bought 2 of these for alternate TVs in the house

Very potent little box. Onboard CPU manhadles the guide VERY VERY fast


Pros:

-Price $55 at future shop ( It about darn time Shaw put out in inexpensive SD Box )

-Compact Size

-Works pretty darn good

-Standard Shaw Atlas Remote

-Remote has batteries in the box

-VoD Capable



Cons:

-No S-Video or ANY Digital output for video. I think the Digital part of DCT is just delivery method to the box.

-No RCA Cables with the box

-Shorter Power cable than I would have liked

-Both Receivers have a little fuzzy line through the guide bar in the middle. Minor annoyance that only shows up in the guide.



Cons that aren't half bad:

-No SPDIF either dig coax or Optical. But if your buying this receiver. Its not for the main room with Dolby 5.1+ Stereo

-IPG has caryovers from receivers with options this one does not support. I call this lazy programming but the IPG has switches for a lot of features this does not support. Like front panel display. But Motorola does not play well with Shaw, and Shaw lets Moto push them around.

- Box is so small and light weight that the weight of the cables makes the box hard to position and keep in position. took me a few minutes with my boxes positioning to get them to stop doing wheelies... I guess they just wanted to give me TV so bad they were rearing to go.

1. Why doesn't this box come with a Motorola remote but rather the Universal Electronics brand?

The Motorola Remotes increase the DCT Costs by more than you think. Also I think all shaw remotes are backwards and forwards compatible. So you can use all you old remotes with the new systems and vice versa.

The WHOLE reason and ONLY reason all Shaw and *Cs boxes cost so much is because of Motorola. Because they are the worlds leading manufacturer with the MOST experience than anyone when it comes to DCTs and DSRs they like to treat Shaw and *C like crap because they know they got the product everyone NEEDS. Motorola stock is usually highly dependable. But Motorola charges premium prices for premium products. Unfortunately the last few things I have seen from Motorola have been horrid. My Shaw phone modem, My Mother DVR530HD (Well her first one... the new refurb she has has the newer HD in it... GO Seagate!! has no issues, she did pay $199 for the refurb, kinda to be expected)

I am pretty sure this DCT700 should be fine. It doesn't have a hard drive, its mostly solid state, it doesn't have an external battery pack. I think if you buy anything with a hard drive in it your asking for trouble.

One more thing to note... If the External power adapter for the DCT700 goes.. You dont need to give up your whole receiver and your Favs Lists, Settings, personalizations. Because if Shaw comes to your home they can just give you another adapter instead of taking the whole receiver with your saved settings to change the internal power adapter.