New Star Choice 530 Firmware - HDCP, CGMS-A, Overscan, Etc.

[Spmbug]

Originally Posted by ard

Again, last evening, during a show (not commercial break) of HD content, the TV went to snow. Channel change again restored the picture. 57, you say it is likely the TV. I will contact Sony. Having playd this game before with other companies I am going to guess that Sony will say it is Starchoice and Starchoice will of course say its Sony. Hope I am wrong but I am not going to hold my breath!

Ard,
I don't think it is the TV. I have a Pioneer PDP-5070 which is connected directly to my 505 receiver via DVI->HDMI an I get the occasional HD channel turning to snow with sound. To fix the issue I have been changing the channel.

[ralph_sinclair]

Just want to report that I am a new Starchoice customer and the F6 firmware is indeed working on my HDCP-enabled DVI computer monitor (HP f2105 circa 2006). I first used it with F0. After going to F6 there are pauses when switching channels, and white sparklies/static on every channel. The sparklies aren't too noticable but I sure would love to be rid of them. This is using the DVI cable that came with my monitor.

I get picture in all modes: 0000, DVI, 1080P, 1080I, 480P. I noticed the monitor is not powering off when I power off the receiver though.

Next step is to try switching between the PC and 505 using a non-repeating manual HDMI switch. If that doesn't work I'll have to settle for analog VGA connection to my PC.

[johnnynucleo]

I just got a DVI-HDMI cable to upgrade from component cable that I use with my dsr505. I hook up through my Onkyo A/V recevier which of course only has HDMI inputs. It won't display a picture though, and when I switch back to component, it says "DVI repeater found". Now, based on the reading I did in this thread, I'm guessing the problem is the A/V receiver. I don't know much about this stuff, but is the A/V receiver an HDMI repeater switch, and the DSR505 can only handshake with a non-repeater? Not sure if that makes sense. My Shaw HDPVR box worked fine with HDMI cable through the A/V receiver and I'm sure that was also HDCP protection.......other than using component cable is there any work around, or setting in my A/V receiver I can change......?

[BCScott]

You need to read the link in the first post of this thread.

[johnnynucleo]

Yup, missed that, thanks. That answers everything for sure.

Man, how ghetto is Shaw Direct to not only have only DVI output as a digital option, but also to not support it fully, with things as common as an A/V receiver? They are so behind the times from Bell and Cable companies with technology that they should be embarrased.

[ard]

My 505s and 530 got updated to F8 firmware in the last two days, I think, since I really have not been checking for firmware updates and wasn't expecting one. No email from Shaw and no satellite mail from Shaw. Real good at communicating! Way to go Jim! Any one know what has changed? I really have not played with it yet to see if the overscan issue, repeater issue, or anything else has changed. Also, if any thing has changed with the DVR. I have not recently experienced any more issues of the picture turning to snow or the boxes freezing up.

[GaryE]

F8... a few channel logos have been added and/or updated and the Starchoice.com logo at the top of the IPG has been changed to Shaw)Direct... other than that there doesn't seem to be any "improvements" made.

[Ouser]

Not much changed-just the Shaw direct logo, and I'm told some prep for the new download, coming 'soon'.

[Moose57]

You need to wait till the replacement receiver is released, which might be later this year.

I was having coffee this aft with some of the other tenants of Shaw Court and the Shaw Direct VP of business development stopped by to say hello.
I asked point blank about the new gear.
He said it was coming along but was no where near imminent.
Considering his rather relaxed attitude about it, their business seemed rather oblivious that other than the colourful new guide released a while back and some years after it was in test, that much new like revised firmware, again near 4 years after it was first conceived and new hardware is highly sought by the dwindling loyalists.

This is surprising given the name change clearly brings them into the fold.
Prior to that, Starchoice was the ugly cousin of the business.
Now it's embraced as part of the family.
Maybe to thwart the Telus satellite TV bundling that they have enjoyed an edge against until recently.

All I can say is let the games begin in Western Canada and the consumer will be the ultimate winner.

Although I've recently switched loyalties, I'd switch back in a heartbeat if the delivered the promised EPG on a revised platform that actually worked as promised.

[MikeDRiley]

I don't think it is the TV. I have a Pioneer PDP-5070 which is connected directly to my 505 receiver via DVI->HDMI an I get the occasional HD channel turning to snow with sound. To fix the issue I have been changing the channel.

Same here. I have a fairly new Philips 47PFL403d, and it exhibits the "snow" thing every so often. Changing channels and back fixes the problem (thank goodness).

[Texas1]

I have a DSR505 receiver and my picture in HD seems to be in a zoom mode and I can not find a setting that will allow the entire picture to fit my 50" Visio tv. I also have Direct TV receiver and it works great. Any help would be great.

[57]

Texas1, please see the following thread:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/show...=remote+aspect

This probably has nothing to do with the topic of this thread.

[damreal]

no it's not Shaw Direct i honestly think it's these motorola boxes are at fault! and these compaiens not having a grasp of them or the firmware of the boxes and boxes completey suck !! Either way if they are such as hassle no matter whos at fault- equip/programming/company ! Why are these companies using them !?

Shaw direct, Cogeco, Comcast etc from the u.s and Canada use Motorola boxes and have nothing but complaints -be it the firmware, company can't understand them or boxes suck in general !

thats my 2 cents

[FunkyTown]

That's a very good point - why is Motorola being used? They had many years to get their act together. I think the CPU in these machines cannot handle what's on the units now. I think adding more logic to control more features is going to cause a major problem. I hope it doesn't, but let's be realistic. Dual recording on these handicapped machines is going to be a miracle in itself. That's my 2 cents. :-)

[Moose57]

Dual recording was working a few years ago.
The hardware has more than sufficient bandwidth to handle 2 HD recordings along with 1 HD playback.

The disk IO and the CPU are not the problem.

It's shoddy coding plain and simple.
Not on any 1 side, but mostly on Moto's.
Some in the middleware and some on the epg side.
It all adds up as we've seen.

I still believe we would have been much farther ahead if they followed through with their plan of 2 code releases a year and at least moved it forward rather than years of broken promises to deliver it all at once with no defects, which is near impossible.

Imagine if Microsoft had done that.
We'd all still be at Windows 286 versions 2.01a and waiting for the next release.

There is a reason we evolved through each version and is does mature.

You release a new code, track the bugs, fix them on the next release and repeat.
Over time, the box begins to approach it's peak.
Due to testing times and development cycles, you WILL release code with bugs in it, just fix it on the next cycle as many can benefit by fixes that did make it and new features that come along the way.

This is the way they ran it in the opening years, I don't know what happened other than Moto got spanked in the industry and everybody got gun shy.
Now instead of looking like crappy coders and manufactures, they come off as being unbelievable with a constant dangling carrot that's wearing quite thin.
Shows us already and then get transparent with the customer.
Half of what the box is now is due to customer involvement, they owe it to us to continue to make it the peoples box.