Dallas Area - No 6412 available?

glenn z

SatelliteGuys Guru
Original poster
Dec 3, 2003
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I just ordered Digital Cable after getting fed up with Dish. The CSR said they only have the 6408 available and not the 6412. Is this merely a supply issue or have they not deployed the 6412 in D/FW? It will be hard to go back to a single tuner DVR although I would imagine only termporarily.
 
who knows-it may be a combonation of things, not the least of which is the transfer of comcast back over to time warner and comcast's unwillingness to bring in new inventory until after the switch....
 
DCT-6412 Supply

Comcast's policy (if we can use that word) seems to be to treat each area, and even sub-area, as if they were different and mutually exclusive entities). In Baltimore city and Baltimore County (as well as Washington DC) there seems to be no shortage of DCT-6412s. I swapped out a poorly fuctioning one by simply unplugging, going to Comcasts local headquarters, giving them the bad one and being handed a good one. I brought it in personally to save on the wait of a service call. My buddy in DC is on his 3rd DCT-6412 (using the service call method) (which seems to work now). On the other hand 20 minutes away, in nearby Columbia, MD, Comcast forces the customers to use the Scientific Atlanta HD-DVR box.
There now is apparently a new (3rd generation I think) DCT-6412 which has HDMI instead of (or in addition to) DVI. I called wanting to swap for that one but they don't have that one here in Baltimore yet. Who knows, maybe the change in generation of DCT-6412 may be causing another shortage until the supplies catch up.
Wayne
 
They told me today they should have another shipment in January or February. I'll keep calling every few weeks and make sure they don't get some in before then.
 
Dallas area has A-B system

I think they're not using the 6412 because it doesn't work with the old A/B two line system that is still being used in the DFW area.
 
I know quite a lot about the Scientific-Atlanta box, but very little about the Motorola cable boxes. However, by law Comcast must provide you with a functional firewire HD DVR upon request. In fact, all HD receivers fielded after 1 July 2005 must have both firewire and DVI/HDMI. If I were you, I would request a "firewire" and DVI enabled box since it is less likley Comcast will support firewire on the 6408. Anyway, check out Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 76.640 and check out this post . Hope this helps...and don't take no for an answer.
 
Riffjim,

Thats nice and all. But in my area (Howard Co, MD) no active DVI output, no HDMI port, and no active firewire port either.

I've called last week and they still dont have any boxes with DVI enabled! So, I'm guessing that federal law doesn't apply to HoCo, MD.

-John
 
Actually, I read that 76.640, and it doesn't use the word fielded. Its actual wording is this:

Effective July 1, 2005, include both a DVI or HDMI interface and an IEEE 1394 interface on all high definition set-top boxes acquired by a cable operator for distribution to customers.

I'm sure in our area Comcast hasn't bought any new boxes, so that leaves them ok to redistribute the old boxes. My SA 8000HD box is anything but new, even when I first got it. So, I dont think my compaint would hold up.

-John
 
You may not see them in DFW anyways since Dallas is switching to Time Warner come April.
 
76.640

jgantert said:
Actually, I read that 76.640, and it doesn't use the word fielded. Its actual wording is this:

Effective July 1, 2005, include both a DVI or HDMI interface and an IEEE 1394 interface on all high definition set-top boxes acquired by a cable operator for distribution to customers.

I'm sure in our area Comcast hasn't bought any new boxes, so that leaves them ok to redistribute the old boxes. My SA 8000HD box is anything but new, even when I first got it. So, I dont think my compaint would hold up.

-John
Wow talk about a loophole that Comcast has driven a truck through! We might be lucky that they ran out of Scientific Atlanta boxes (if they ever used them) in nearby Baltimore. John....you may have more luck with the Direct sales folks at Comcast. They have liberties that the in house people don't seem to have. I know the 2 reps for Baltimore City and Baltimore County respectively, I will call them and ask them for the name(s) of the direct sale rep(s) in Howard County. They might be able to swing getting you a DCT-6412 across county lines. I mean you are less than 20 minutes away from a Motorola! Tell them you are about to go back to Satellite. I will private the number to you if I can get it.
Wayne
 

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