SA 8000HD - Cox - Fairfax, VA - DVI active yet? Yes, and also HDMI on 8300HD.

[Hostile]

Does anyone know if Cox has activated the DVI port on the SA8000HD boxes in Fairfax County yet?

[HomerJay]

I just got Cox (Fairfax County) installed today. I had to call them about activating the DVR service and asked whether the DVI port is active yet. He said it wasn't. There was no indication as to when they'd activate it ... or how we'd know?!?

Now to find out if the firewire ports are just there for decoration, too.

[bfdtv]

DVI should be enabled on COX Fairfax in November/December.

Firewire is still a ways off.

[Hostile]

Cool, you have someone on the inside?

[MA700C]

DVI should be enabled on COX Fairfax in November/December.
Firewire is still a ways off.


Are you aware of any problems using Firewire with Cox in Fairfax? Have they still not enabled it? I (finally) have the updated firmware in our SA3250HD STB, but still can not "see" the box from my 1394 equipped PC.

Any infom you have would be greatly appreciated.

Craig

[Hostile]

Any updates on this?

[Tom Harms]

Why is this so difficult to get current info?

[MA700C]

At this time, both Firewire and DVI appear to be activated in Fairfax. The current SA3250HD firmware version is 1.56.5.1. In my case, I have HBO, Showtime, Discovery channel, and the main networks in HD and only HBO has 5C enabled. I have my fingers crossed as to when it will be applied to Showtime.

Of course, getting through to someone at Cox that will acknowledge that Firewire is available is unbelievable. I had to endure numerous instances of having some flunky tell me that I was wrong, that I didn't know what I was talking about, and that there was no support for Firewire before I could I get the support I needed. Now my colleague at work is going through the same battles. If anyone is interested in getting more info, feel free to contact me offlist.

Craig

[Ron Jones]

Craig and Hostile -

Firewire is available on the SA3250 and has been since June (I was the beta tester for Cox). I've been using it with a JVC D-VHS VCR to record HD, including HBO and Showtime. Also Bob Dattner, (a technical manager at Cox in Fairfax) recently sent me information that said that DVI is also now available on the SA3250. His information also shows that DVI and Fireware are both available on the SA DVR8010 model. He said that the CSR people in Herndon have this information and should be able to provide boxes with DVI and fireware active.

Ron Jones

[jgabby]

Does anyone know whether firewire on the 8300HD is active in Fairfax? I used to have the 3250HD and my PC could detect that just fine, but I switched to the 8300HD and now it is not detected.

[dt_dc]

Originally posted by jgabby
I used to have the 3250HD and my PC could detect that just fine, but I switched to the 8300HD and now it is not detected. Did you get an 8000HD or 8300HD? I didn't think Cox Fairfax was deploying 8300HDs yet ... only 8000HDs.

Anyway ... I haven't seen reports of functional Firewire on 8000HDs anywhere (yet).

[Hostile]

Originally posted by Ron Jones
Craig and Hostile -

Firewire is available on the SA3250 and has been since June (I was the beta tester for Cox). I've been using it with a JVC D-VHS VCR to record HD, including HBO and Showtime. Also Bob Dattner, (a technical manager at Cox in Fairfax) recently sent me information that said that DVI is also now available on the SA3250. His information also shows that DVI and Fireware are both available on the SA DVR8010 model. He said that the CSR people in Herndon have this information and should be able to provide boxes with DVI and fireware active.

Ron Jones

My old 3250 had the DVI enabled last year around this time but I just tested my 8000 again and still no DVI. I'll call about getting a 8010. Thanks.

[jgabby]

I'll make sure when I get home, but I'm 99.9% certain I got the 8300HD, brand new in the box (they gave me the box...)

I picked it up on Nov 28. from the Chantilly office...and I didn't even have to ask for it by name, it was the one they just handed me by default.

It has the HDMI output rather than DVI, and I don't have that cable so I haven't checked if it's enabled, but as for the 3250HD, DVI was working for me on that one back in mid-october when I got it.

[Hostile]

I just got off the phone with Cox and the guy said they only have one HD DVR box and DVI is only activated on the non-DVR model...

Unless the info above is wrong I got another CSR that doesn't know what he is talking about...

[Ron Jones]

According to info I received from Bob Dattner, technical manager at Cox in No. VA, DVI is active on HD3250 and HD8010 and HDMI on HD8300. 1394 is active on all of the above STBs. Only the old HD3100 does not support these digital interfaces.

Ron Jones

[Hostile]

Originally posted by Ron Jones
According to info I received from Bob Dattner, technical manager at Cox in No. VA, DVI is active on HD3250 and HD8010 and HDMI on HD8300. 1394 is active on all of the above STBs. Only the old HD3100 does not support these digital interfaces.

Ron Jones

Can you ask Bob who I need to contact so I can get a hold of someone with a clue? Can I use his name?

[kaediil]

I just got my 8000HD over the weekend at the Kingstowne office and was reading another thread on the versions of the OS. I checked mine last night and it seemed to be quite old (as I recall it was dated 5-04). Can someone here who has a Fairfax county Cox 8000HD post their current revision? I will check mine and post it tonight for comparison, but before I call up and go through the trouble of finding a customer service agent with a clue to get a new software load I figured I would check with you all. Thanks.

-Frank

[Foxbat121]

Anyone know if Cox in Fairfax will get SA8300HD Multi-Room box? This sounds like an exciting equipment if you have more than one HDTV.

[Hostile]

Originally posted by kaediil
I just got my 8000HD over the weekend at the Kingstowne office and was reading another thread on the versions of the OS. I checked mine last night and it seemed to be quite old (as I recall it was dated 5-04). Can someone here who has a Fairfax county Cox 8000HD post their current revision? I will check mine and post it tonight for comparison, but before I call up and go through the trouble of finding a customer service agent with a clue to get a new software load I figured I would check with you all. Thanks.

-Frank

From what I understand any updates are pushed down automajically.

[kaediil]

I thought so too, but on another thread I read a number of things that made me believe that was not correct. Rather they sent the updates at certain times and if your box was not up and running (not likely for me since I just got mine Sunday) at that time you waited until the next push. Anyway, I just wanted to verify things. Will post mine a bit later once kids are in bad and I have a chance to do it.

-Frank

[kaediil]

Ok, so here are the numbers on my box:
PTV OS: OS Home Server Ed 1.3
Flash ROM: 1.83.4.a8 05/04/04 7:20PM
OS: 6.4.9.1 04/29/04 8:13PM
SARA: 1.83.4.8 05/04/04 7:16PM
PowerKEY LIB: 3.5.21.4 04/30/04 9:42AM
HAL2Driver: 1.1.13.140 05/04/04 5:32PM
ATI Driver: 2.0.51.211 04/30/04 11:03AM
HAL Driver 3.5.8.2 04/30/04 10:27AM

-Frank

[Ron Jones]

This is a follow-up to may earlier posts. Contrary to the information that I had received from Cox in Fairfax, Virginia, the 1394 ports are not active on the 8300HD DVR. The Cox senior network engineer that was talking to believed they were active, but I tested one of their 8300HD DVRs yesterday and found that the 1394 is not working. However, the DVI is working OK. The local Cox engineer has contacted SA and will be trying to find out what needs to be done to get the 1394 ports active on the 8300HD. Note that the 1394 ports on the SA3250 STB are active.

Ron Jones

[BenSanford]

Originally posted by Ron Jones
According to info I received from Bob Dattner, technical manager at Cox in No. VA, DVI is active on HD3250 and HD8010 and HDMI on HD8300. 1394 is active on all of the above STBs. Only the old HD3100 does not support these digital interfaces.

I just put my order for the HD DVR service in last night, and hope to pick up the box over the weekend. I don't need 1394, but do want to use DVI inputs on my display. Should I try and get the 8010 box or the 8300 box and buy the cable adapter to go from HDMI to DVI? I already have DVI cables, but not any HDMI equipment. I guess I'm asking if the 8300 box's (superior?) performance is worth dealing with another cable - or do I really even need an adapter?

[Hostile]

Originally posted by Ron Jones
This is a follow-up to may earlier posts. Contrary to the information that I had received from Cox in Fairfax, Virginia, the 1394 ports are not active on the 8300HD DVR. The Cox senior network engineer that was talking to believed they were active, but I tested one of their 8300HD DVRs yesterday and found that the 1394 is not working. However, the DVI is working OK. The local Cox engineer has contacted SA and will be trying to find out what needs to be done to get the 1394 ports active on the 8300HD. Note that the 1394 ports on the SA3250 STB are active.

Ron Jones

I've asked the CSRs on the phone to swap out my 8000HD for a 8300HD and they say they are only pushing out one box, the 8000HD. All I want is the DVI port activated... :rolleyes:

Do you have a name for someone I can contact or ask for so I can get a DVI-enabled HD DVR box?

[Foxbat121]

You just bring your box to the office and swap right there. FYI, I just got my DVR box before Christmas and it is 8300HD although I haven't tried its HDMI port yet. The firmware on it is pretty new although not the latest.

[Ron Jones]

I picked up the 8300HD at the Cox Herndon office in early December and the HDMI port is active. I have it connected to a Plasma using the digitial connection and the HDCP handshake is working OK between the 8300HD and the Plasma.

Ron Jones

[Hostile]

Originally posted by Ron Jones
I picked up the 8300HD at the Cox Herndon office in early December and the HDMI port is active. I have it connected to a Plasma using the digitial connection and the HDCP handshake is working OK between the 8300HD and the Plasma.

Ron Jones

Have you tried the DVI?

[Foxbat121]

8300HD only has HDMI port which is compatible with DVI with a converter or HDMI->DVI cable.

[Foxbat121]

Just received my HDMI->DVI cable today and get it setup with my 8300HD. The HDMI port works great just like my 3250HD.

[hdx2]

This is my 1st post. I have Cox Fairfax HD service with an 8350HD STB and Dell 42" plasma TV and RePlayTV5000. I'm using DVI from the 8350 to the Dell and HD PQ is great, SVideo to the RTV. However when I turn off the TV and RTV goes to record in the middle of the night it gets the HDCP protection error. From reading here I summarize this is due to the fact that the Dell TV apparently doesn't keep the HDCP handshake over the DVI cable active when it's powered down. This causes the 8350 to essentially shutdown it's outputs. I confirmed this in several ways such as unplugging the DVI cable while the HDCP error screen was showing thru RTV and signal came up as soon as the DVI was unplugged, same for the music stations. I've got the optical digital output from the 8350 connected to a Kenwood receiver, music is fine as long as the TV is on, turn off the TV and I lose the music, leaving the Tv off simply unplugging the DVI cable from the back of the 8350 and the music starts again. Anyway, sorry for the long post - is there a way around this HDCP thru the DVI output problem? As was posted here it essentially makes the ReplayTV useless and I want to use it and the DVI connection. Does the DVI Detective that was in a post work, has anyone tried it?

[Hostile]

I went to the Herndon office today and swapped out my 8000 for the 8300. I was at BestBuy picking up a new DVD player and asked about a HDMI->DVI cable and the only one they had was $150. I told the guy, "$150?!? That's nuts." He said, "Well, they are the only company making one right now." I replied that RAM Electronics has their own cable for only $30. I just placed my order.

Question about the 8300, I like how the display shows what format you are in but it always shows 1080i, no matter what I'm watching and the HD light is always lit, even on non-HD channels. Is this normal?

[orccro]

Hostile, or anyone else for that matter,

I have a Sony HDTV with an HDMI port. I do not have it conneted to my 8000 (with DVI port). Are the benefits and features of the 8300 much better than the 8000. Is it worth my while to make the switch?

--mark

[Hostile]

My 34XBR910 only have 2 component video inputs and I have 3 devices fighting over them, cable box, dvd player and xbox. Not being able to use the DVI input on my TV was irritating me. That's the main reason I swapped out for the 8300.

The 8300 also has a smaller footprint then the 8000 though it is a tad taller.

[orccro]

Hostile,

thanks for your reply. I went ahead and drove out to Cox Cable today and switched boxes. I set up the 8300 a little while ago. One improvement that I noticed so far is that I can easily switch inputs from component to s-video using the signal source select on my Tv remote. I couldn't do that before with the 8000.

[Hostile]

Just wanted to let you guys know that the HDMI -> DVI cable I got from RAM Electronics is great. I ordered it on Saturday and it arrived on Tuesday.

orccro are you using the S-Video for regular channels and the component for HDTV?

[orccro]

I am still experimenting. I have HDMI, component, and S-video conections. So far, I am not sure I can tell a difference in digital or HD picture quality when using HDMI versus Component connections. I still haven't had a chance to compare S-video with either Component or HDMI connections when viewing SD.

--mark