Comcast HD

[goober22]

I have PIP...

But then again I have a SA8000HD box!

 

[Wayne88]

Signal Amplifiers

have tried a splitter and an amp but it does not help except with the splitter. The splitter helps with the bad channels but it knocks out all the others.

I am hoping that a signal amplifier helps with my piece of @#$% of a DVR the DCT 6412. Went to Circuit city to find the specific Motorola booster but they were sold out ($49 rebate too).
Wayne

 

[bratboy]

I have PIP...

But then again I have a SA8000HD box!

Rather have my 6412 HDDvr ssince can firewire copy from it. I never was happy with SA boxes when I lived in places that used it. But they may be much better now, last time I had a SA made box was years ago.

 

[goober22]

Rather have my 6412 HDDvr ssince can firewire copy from it. I never was happy with SA boxes when I lived in places that used it. But they may be much better now, last time I had a SA made box was years ago.

I have firewire as well. From what I can gather on multiple forums, the SA boxes are better, currently, than the Motos. Seems there are still many more bugs in the Motos. I can't believe they don't have a functional PIP as well. Smaller drives, known analog problem, etc.. Plus the 8300 accept external drives.

 

[jgantert]

Is the firewire active on the 8300? I have it on the 8000, but its not active.

-John

 

[Wayne88]

Motorola vs Scientific Atlantic Dual HDDVRs

I have firewire as well. From what I can gather on multiple forums, the SA boxes are better, currently, than the Motos. Seems there are still many more bugs in the Motos. I can't believe they don't have a functional PIP as well. Smaller drives, known analog problem, etc.. Plus the 8300 accept external drives.

From what I see on my Motorola and from what I hear about the SA, they both are pathetic. To say the least, neither Directv nor Dish Networks are shaking in their boots about either of these HDDVRs. My DCT-6412 seemed to finally have given me a full recorded hour program without crapping out (both in sound and in picture) in the middle. Maybe it does not like TNTHD (where all of my failures have been). Also when I swap tuners, the one I switch to is always choppy in both video and audio (remedy seems to be to change the channel after swap and then return to the channel). The DCT-6412 likes to freeze for about a minute and then suddenly execute all the commands that you attempted (including a frustrated power off) at the same time.
I use mainly DVI but I like the firewire option. The only thing is that the firewire is not fully enabled (not fully bi-directional I guess?). As such, it does not support on screen graphics (making it impossible to pull up guides, operate DVR menu, work with VOD, etc).
Wayne

 

[jgantert]

Wayne, atleast it will make switching back to D* or E* that much more enjoyable.

-John

 

[Wayne88]

Switching back to D* or to E*

Wayne, atleast it will make switching back to D* or E* that much more enjoyable.

-John

Yep just about the time that these unaturally low prices for the Dish buyback promotion with Comcast are over, we can go back to Sat with MPEG-4 and good HDDVRs. I might stay if the Comcast retention department offers more great pricing and an improvement on their HDDVRs. Still love the Comcast HD (digital is decent too) Picture Quality and starting to love the cable internet too!
Wayne

 

[Bulldog]

Yep just about the time that these unaturally low prices for the Dish buyback promotion with Comcast are over, we can go back to Sat with MPEG-4 and good HDDVRs. I might stay if the Comcast retention department offers more great pricing and an improvement on their HDDVRs. Still love the Comcast HD (digital is decent too) Picture Quality and starting to love the cable internet too!
Wayne

Hi Wayne, I think that Comcast will continue to run these specials. There is another full page ad in the local paper. I really feel that as E* starts to roll out their MPEG-4, Comcast will probably either extend the deal or come up with something to keep you. In my area the local tech informed me that full digital is around the corner. It will be hot and heavy as both E* and D* go Mpeg-4. So the competition will really get hot.

 

[jgantert]

Hi Wayne, I think that Comcast will continue to run these specials. There is another full page ad in the local paper. I really feel that as E* starts to roll out their MPEG-4, Comcast will probably either extend the deal or come up with something to keep you. In my area the local tech informed me that full digital is around the corner. It will be hot and heavy as both E* and D* go Mpeg-4. So the competition will really get hot.

Deal or not, once D* or E* get to MP4 and a reasonably priced HD-DVR solution with some decent HD channels, I'm gone. Enough of these cable DVRs -- they suck. It's not worth the hassle to save a few bucks to put up with them.

-John

 

[Wayne88]

Comcast vs Sat

Hi Wayne, I think that Comcast will continue to run these specials. There is another full page ad in the local paper. I really feel that as E* starts to roll out their MPEG-4, Comcast will probably either extend the deal or come up with something to keep you. In my area the local tech informed me that full digital is around the corner. It will be hot and heavy as both E* and D* go Mpeg-4. So the competition will really get hot.

Hi Bulldog, You are probably right (I hope so). Between Dish, Directv, Comcast Cable, (and other Cable) and Verizon or SBC FIOS, we should have lots of choices. As John said HDDVR quality might determine the winner for many. I wonder if the Cable DVRs are inherrently inferior because they spit the signal inside the box while the Satellite DVRs (I assume all of them ...I might be wrong) run two lines into the box (talking about dual tuner DVRs and HDDVRs of course).
Wayne

 

[sbhnet]

Thanks Bratboy, I forgot that I got a separate manual for the remote I have been looking only at the DCT-6412 manual.
Wayne

You guys got manuals?!?!?!?!? I got no training, nothing, on the 6412. The installer hadn't ever seen optical audio, either! As it turns out, I knew more about how to set up the system than he did!

sbh

 

[telekol]

6412 manuals

both comcast and motorola have full pdf versions online for download!




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