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59,141 Posts
Updated 2011.05.15
Since this applies to several cable companies, I thought I'd put it here. It's a very helpful link for those with Motorola STBs. I believe the diagnostics are applicable to Pace STBs from Shaw & Cogeco.
For diagnostics/menu, please see item 17 of this post.
Other useful tips gleaned from this forum:
1. We recommend you do not turn off the 6208/6412/6416. The HDD doesn't spin down anyway, and "off" is really "standby", consuming almost the same electricity. Since the HDD buffers the channels, perhaps you can tune to a music channel before switching off your TV, this will reduce the buffering due to the lower bitrate. Edit 2007.09.28. This recommendation regarding not turning off the PVR is a bit old and some people have been able to turn it off without encountering problems, like there were a while back.
Edit 2010.10.31. Some people with eHDDs have had issues when they power down, so they've left the PVR on to workaround the issues. Try it both ways depending on your PVR make/model and eHDD, etc.
Be aware that when the PVR powers itself up, the audio is muted on all outputs. That's apparently to guard against the speakers blaring in the middle of the night or something. To get the sound back, just bring up the guide or something to let the DCT know you're there. I think that's a recent firmware enhancement as it used to remain muted after powering itself up.
6412 Record when powered off? - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums
2. If your STB doesn't "play", go to a previous recording and hit play... this may bring your box back to life.
3. If the audio mutes after using the skip button too many times, hit the last button twice and your sound will come back.
4. Reboot the STB once a month by unplugging it and plugging it back in before you go to bed. This way the IPG will be ready when you next need to use it.
5. If you're getting split recordings, lots of pixellation, or sound dropouts, check the signal strength (S/N ratio) in the diagnostics above. Also remove any upstream items such as splitters and power bars for testing.
6. If you're having problems, try a reboot as mentioned in 4. Wait for the time to display - if you can, wait for 30 minutes for some of the other features to download, etc.
7. Heat is a killer for STBs. Make sure the STB is well ventillated and make sure it's "on top".
8. If you get the 100% Full message, deleting a programme will usually get you back to the correct reading. Record a few 1 minute programmes so that you can delete them as required for this workaround.
9. In terms of setup, most people use 1080i for HD channels and 480i (usually best for SD) or 480P (if necessary due to the TV) for the 4:3 override, for the best PQ.
10. Note that when using DVI/HDMI connections, some HDTVs do not accept 480i signals via DVI/HDMI, so you need to turn the 4:3 Override to off, or try 480P.
11. If you have jerky/stuttering on playback, try changing the output format from 1080i to 720P. Changing the format seems to clear the problem. If the problem clears, then you can change back to your favourite output format again. If you have your 4:3 override set to 480i/p, then simply changing the channel from an HD one to an SD one and back (or vice versa) should also work.
12. Do you need to enter 3 numbers to change channels? Go to settings in your menu - then guide - then change channel behaviour to auto-tune. For "fast" channel changes, you can also hit a channel number followed by "OK".
13. If you can't see the full frame picture in the guide at the top right, try moving the position of the guide a bit to the left. This may bring the picture up properly. If the Guide doesn't come up properly, change channels from SD to HD, or vice versa and try again.
14. Cold Cold Reboot (New Firmware):
Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums - View Single Post - PVR menu is gone - Resolved: bad HDD
15. Information from the Cogeco Forum, which also uses Motorola:
Cogeco Cable FAQ for Current and Prospective Subscribers - See Post 1. - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums
16. If you have a purple/green colour displayed on your TV for SD channels, change the 4:3 override from 480i to 480P, or turn it to "off" and have all the signals 1080i. This is usually for DVI or HDMI connections, which can have lots of issues - see below. The same holds true if you have black/green/snowy screen, or long delays when changing formats - SD to HD channel for example.
FAQ - HDMI Comments/Issues - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums
17. In order to get into the user/diagnostics settings/menu, you
power the STB "off" --> then press "menu" on the STB. Here's a detailed description:
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_use_a_Motorola_DVR/Setup
17a. Signal Strength Link:
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_use_a_Motorola_DVR/Configuration
18. To activate Closed Captioning, go into the user settings/menu:
19. On-line activations (for Shaw):
https://activations.shaw.ca/
20. If you can't see the guide on HD channels but can on SD, then you may be connected via an SD instead of HD connection - use component video, DVI or HDMI. Also make sure you've set the output formats for the STB properly.
If you have any comments or suggestions for this FAQ, please PM 57.
Since this applies to several cable companies, I thought I'd put it here. It's a very helpful link for those with Motorola STBs. I believe the diagnostics are applicable to Pace STBs from Shaw & Cogeco.
For diagnostics/menu, please see item 17 of this post.
Other useful tips gleaned from this forum:
1. We recommend you do not turn off the 6208/6412/6416. The HDD doesn't spin down anyway, and "off" is really "standby", consuming almost the same electricity. Since the HDD buffers the channels, perhaps you can tune to a music channel before switching off your TV, this will reduce the buffering due to the lower bitrate. Edit 2007.09.28. This recommendation regarding not turning off the PVR is a bit old and some people have been able to turn it off without encountering problems, like there were a while back.
Edit 2010.10.31. Some people with eHDDs have had issues when they power down, so they've left the PVR on to workaround the issues. Try it both ways depending on your PVR make/model and eHDD, etc.
Be aware that when the PVR powers itself up, the audio is muted on all outputs. That's apparently to guard against the speakers blaring in the middle of the night or something. To get the sound back, just bring up the guide or something to let the DCT know you're there. I think that's a recent firmware enhancement as it used to remain muted after powering itself up.
6412 Record when powered off? - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums
2. If your STB doesn't "play", go to a previous recording and hit play... this may bring your box back to life.
3. If the audio mutes after using the skip button too many times, hit the last button twice and your sound will come back.
4. Reboot the STB once a month by unplugging it and plugging it back in before you go to bed. This way the IPG will be ready when you next need to use it.
5. If you're getting split recordings, lots of pixellation, or sound dropouts, check the signal strength (S/N ratio) in the diagnostics above. Also remove any upstream items such as splitters and power bars for testing.
6. If you're having problems, try a reboot as mentioned in 4. Wait for the time to display - if you can, wait for 30 minutes for some of the other features to download, etc.
7. Heat is a killer for STBs. Make sure the STB is well ventillated and make sure it's "on top".
8. If you get the 100% Full message, deleting a programme will usually get you back to the correct reading. Record a few 1 minute programmes so that you can delete them as required for this workaround.
9. In terms of setup, most people use 1080i for HD channels and 480i (usually best for SD) or 480P (if necessary due to the TV) for the 4:3 override, for the best PQ.
10. Note that when using DVI/HDMI connections, some HDTVs do not accept 480i signals via DVI/HDMI, so you need to turn the 4:3 Override to off, or try 480P.
11. If you have jerky/stuttering on playback, try changing the output format from 1080i to 720P. Changing the format seems to clear the problem. If the problem clears, then you can change back to your favourite output format again. If you have your 4:3 override set to 480i/p, then simply changing the channel from an HD one to an SD one and back (or vice versa) should also work.
12. Do you need to enter 3 numbers to change channels? Go to settings in your menu - then guide - then change channel behaviour to auto-tune. For "fast" channel changes, you can also hit a channel number followed by "OK".
13. If you can't see the full frame picture in the guide at the top right, try moving the position of the guide a bit to the left. This may bring the picture up properly. If the Guide doesn't come up properly, change channels from SD to HD, or vice versa and try again.
14. Cold Cold Reboot (New Firmware):
Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums - View Single Post - PVR menu is gone - Resolved: bad HDD
15. Information from the Cogeco Forum, which also uses Motorola:
Cogeco Cable FAQ for Current and Prospective Subscribers - See Post 1. - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums
16. If you have a purple/green colour displayed on your TV for SD channels, change the 4:3 override from 480i to 480P, or turn it to "off" and have all the signals 1080i. This is usually for DVI or HDMI connections, which can have lots of issues - see below. The same holds true if you have black/green/snowy screen, or long delays when changing formats - SD to HD channel for example.
FAQ - HDMI Comments/Issues - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums
17. In order to get into the user/diagnostics settings/menu, you
power the STB "off" --> then press "menu" on the STB. Here's a detailed description:
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_use_a_Motorola_DVR/Setup
17a. Signal Strength Link:
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_use_a_Motorola_DVR/Configuration
18. To activate Closed Captioning, go into the user settings/menu:
19. On-line activations (for Shaw):
https://activations.shaw.ca/
20. If you can't see the guide on HD channels but can on SD, then you may be connected via an SD instead of HD connection - use component video, DVI or HDMI. Also make sure you've set the output formats for the STB properly.
If you have any comments or suggestions for this FAQ, please PM 57.
