SA Explorer 8300HD tweaks / help

[Shawn95GT]

Hello,

I got my 8300HD hooked up and working last night but I'd like to see if there are some tweaks to get this thing to act a bit more civilizd on a 16x9 set.

Can I get my guide full screen?
Can I set it to auto zoom / stretch SD to 16x9? Manually stretching when SD is on an HD channel is livable.

How come depending on using select vs the triange 'A' when recording do I get a different series of menus?

This STB seems to have been designed with a 4:3 TV in mind.

 

[jgantert]

Well, if its anything like the 8000HD (and it might be, I think). The menu is only 4:3 period. And the Zoom/Stretch/Normal setting applies to both SD and HD content. No way to say Zoom SD and Normal HD.

However, you can choose what mode you want the SD to be displayed at. If you go into the settings for picture format, there is one called Upconvert1 and Upconvert2. Both will convert to 480p for SD and either 1080i(1) or 720p(2) for HD. This setting may be different for the 8300, tho.

-John

 

[Zookster]

Shawn,
Follow this thread at hdtv.forsandiego.com: http://hdtv.forsandiego.com/messages/3/3076.html?1114070217

This discussion about picture formatting for Cox Cable's STB applies to both the SA8000 and SA8300 (I have the later). You may also find other threads of interest there offering tips and tricks on the SA8300.

 

[Shawn95GT]

Thanks! That looks like it will help me out.

 

[Shawn95GT]

On my 8300HD the picture format options Fixed / Pass-Through / Upconvert 1 / Upconvert 2 seem to have no effect at all on what is coming out of the component output. It seems stuck at 1080i

When I change the options all that happens is that I lose my 'HD Stretch' option.

I'll keep playing with it...

 

[Hall]

Can I get my guide full screen?

No, the guide is "640x480" or 4x3. See last answer for more details...

Can I set it to auto zoom / stretch SD to 16x9? Manually stretching when SD is on an HD channel is livable.

My 8000HD seems to "remember" if I've told channel "50", an SD channel, to "Stretch". You have to tell each channel to stretch, zoom, or sidebar just once. This is how it *seems* to work. It does "forget" after some period of time though...

How come depending on using select vs the triange 'A' when recording do I get a different series of menus?

Don't understand your question or what you're talking about...

This STB seems to have been designed with a 4:3 TV in mind.

It was. It's a descendent or SA's standard 8000 (SD) DVR. The 8000HD suffers from the same problems and the 8300/8300HD still have some of them. They all (can) use the same software base code too. I have a std-def 8000 and an 8000HD and they're running the same software release.

 

[Ilya]

Make sure your box is setup for a proper aspect ratio and proper resolution modes. Here is how to do this for the 8300HD:

Turn off the box, leave the TV set on. Then press GUIDE and INFO buttons on the front panel of the box simultaneously. Follow the on-screen setup instructions. Choose the advanced settings options. Select 16x9 aspect ratio, and select all resolution modes that your TV set supports. For example, if your TV set can handle 720p, make sure to select it too.

Once your box is properly configured, turn it on and press the Settings button on your remote twice. In the Settings menu select Pass-through option for the best PQ (let your HDTV set do any up-conversion).

Good luck!

P.S. I have the 8300HD with Adelphia. I don't know if Cox Cable has the same software on it. So, the above instructions may or may not work in your case. Give it a try.

 

[korsjs]

good tips, thanks.

 

[Shawn95GT]

THANK YOU guys. I got the STB to 'look' like what my Voom box does now.

It should be noted that the guide/info buttons need to be pushed on the STB and the rest can happen from the remote.

My SD is now in 480p (normal, which fills the screen) and the HD in 1080i. I used 'Upconvert 1' under 'Picture format' and only allowed 480p / 1080i in the inital setup.

As a side effect, the guide is now full screen (not that it shows any more info as it's just stretched). It looks much more refined now. This was annoying:

 

[Shawn95GT]

Well - not quite perfect but I can live with it...

If I open the guide / DVR list from an SD channel it's full screen.

If I open the guide / DVR list from an HD chanel I get the pillar box shown above.

 

[Ilya]

Looks like it is cut off in the above pic. (?)

 

[Shawn95GT]

Looks like it is cut off in the above pic. (?)

That's what it looks like if I hit guide / DVR list from a 1080i source.

If I'm tuned to something in SD it's full screen.

 

[Ilya]

Two-three times already my 8300HD rebooted on its own. Not sure if I did something, or whether it was a power failure. And every time it happens the box "forgets" the HD mode. I end up with a red picture (over component connection) in 480i. I have to go through the initial setup routine to switch it back to HD.

 

[Shawn95GT]

Mine has been well behaved for the whole 3 days I've had it so far. I did notice that I have about 6 shows recorded and the hard drive is 48% full. Ouch. Getting the screen format in line fixed about 80% of what I don't like in this box. The guide still sucks but it's usable. Me and the woman need to see if we think it's worth the extra $$ over analog though.

 

[Zookster]

Ilya, sounds like you might have a bad box. Even if power goes out, you shouldn't lose any of your settings. I've had mine for six weeks (has yet to crash or spontaneously reboot itself), and when I've had to unplug it to change something in my home theater set up, all my settings, favorites, and recorded events remained the same.

BTW, I haven't tried it myself yet, but if the small HD on the SA8300 isn't enough, it supposedly can be connected to a second external HD.

 

[hbk409]

Ilya, sounds like you might have a bad box. Even if power goes out, you shouldn't lose any of your settings. I've had mine for six weeks (has yet to crash or spontaneously reboot itself), and when I've had to unplug it to change something in my home theater set up, all my settings, favorites, and recorded events remained the same.

BTW, I haven't tried it myself yet, but if the small HD on the SA8300 isn't enough, it supposedly can be connected to a second external HD.

your supposed to be able to connect a sata drive

http://www.scientificatlanta.com/consumers_new/CableBoxes/8300hd.htm

 

[Ilya]

Ilya, sounds like you might have a bad box. Even if power goes out, you shouldn't lose any of your settings.

Could be. I'll keep an eye on it.

 

[jgantert]

Two-three times already my 8300HD rebooted on its own. Not sure if I did something, or whether it was a power failure. And every time it happens the box "forgets" the HD mode. I end up with a red picture (over component connection) in 480i. I have to go through the initial setup routine to switch it back to HD.

I've noticed a simular problem on my 8000HD box.

-John

 

[rang1995]

Two-three times already my 8300HD rebooted on its own. Not sure if I did something, or whether it was a power failure. And every time it happens the box "forgets" the HD mode. I end up with a red picture (over component connection) in 480i. I have to go through the initial setup routine to switch it back to HD.

i get mine on Thursday--god sounds like Voom all over again--just when that was working great!!!

 

[SatelliteGAL]

I've noticed a simular problem on my 8000HD box.

-John

Ive had my 8000 for 1 day and it has frozen and rebooted twice already. After the first time I lost some of my HD channels and they had to set up a service call because they cant figure out why.
Id like to know if the 8300 box is in any way better than the 8000. I dont know why they gave me the 8000 instead.