Motorola DCX3400 owners' thread - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

bowmah · 2010-07-09, 09:25 PM

Thought I would start a resource thread the Motorola DCX3400 PVR from Shaw. So far, the unit runs very cool as compared to the Pace Aspen. The top of the home theater cabinet is no longer warm when the unit is on or off. With the Aspen, it was warm 24 hours a day even with the unit "off". Also, channel changing is much speedier than previous PVR's from Shaw.

The Shaw channel menu does not stretch all the way to the sides, looks like it's SD only?

What other quirks and things do owners need to know about this unit?

adiabatic · 2010-07-09, 10:59 PM

1) Firewire connection to a PC seems to be established if you add some obvious lines to the INF file (the usual STB driver pack that we all use) search for DCT-3416 and copy/paste matching lines with "DCX-34xx"... not DCX-3400). I had to reboot a few times then Windows did an online driver update for some reason and the box showed up in Device Manager.

Now the catch: during playback/capture the box plays the video fast and the captures are corrupted.

I have some troubleshooting to do regarding what drivers Windows downloaded but this capture problem is consistent with what I read on other forums.

2) I haven't been able to reproduce the warning message that you get on a 3416 for repeatedly pressing SKIP too fast.

bowmah · 2010-07-10, 09:08 PM

Are you saying you are having issues with the firewire connection after you hacked it? I was told by Shaw that only the eSata port is active. Firewire and USB are not turned on at the moment.

adiabatic · 2010-07-11, 04:42 PM

The firewire port is active. Windows exchanges data with the box to know and receives the device ID string to recognize: "Motorola DCX-34xx" and the usual three IEEE-1394 interfaces (two recognized and one unrecognized). After driver installation, I can copy data from the box to a PC but that data is corrupted.

bowmah · 2010-07-11, 08:48 PM

I guess active and supported are 2 different things? Guess Maybe someone in the know can let us know if the firewire is enabled and functioning properly.

Are you using the firewire to network yor PC and PVR or just using it to download / capture video being played on the PVR?

halsafar · 2010-07-12, 06:29 PM

Firewire is enabled but Windows 7x64 is unable to find the drivers. I tried to find drivers for this device and failed. Can someone point me in the right direction. This is the first time I have bothered to tinker with my cable box. I just got the DCX3400 and it inspired me. I am a comp sci major / software engineer.

guzman · 2010-07-18, 01:08 PM

OK, maybe a stupid question, but how do I set my box to automatically go to for example channel 44 by pressing 4-4 rather than 0-4-4....or to channel 2 by pressing 2 rather than 0-0-2. My 6416 would do that, and I thought there was something in the setup menu in the guide but I can't find it

thanks

Forget it....found it.....it is auto tune

bowmah · 2010-07-20, 03:10 AM

ok, just noticed a black out happening in recorded shows so not only is it happening during live viewing, it is also happening within a recording. First I thought this might be a buffer issue but maybe not? Does anyone have a fix for this?

adiabatic · 2010-07-20, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bowmah

ok, just noticed a black out happening in recorded shows so not only is it happening during live viewing, it is also happening within a recording. First I thought this might be a buffer issue but maybe not? Does anyone have a fix for this?

How does your signal strength look in the service menu? I have had zero issues with the 3400 during live TV or recording but my first check would be to see if you had borderline signal strength just in case the 3400's tuner isn't as sensitive as the 3416, etc.

IIRC, mine is indicated "good" at ~35 dB

bowmah · 2010-07-22, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adiabatic

How does your signal strength look in the service menu? I have had zero issues with the 3400 during live TV or recording but my first check would be to see if you had borderline signal strength just in case the 3400's tuner isn't as sensitive as the 3416, etc.

IIRC, mine is indicated "good" at ~35 dB

Just chekced and my DCX3400 signal is at 18 dB = Fair. Shaw tech says this is still good and blanking should not be caused by low signal. He said even if low signal, there should be no change in the TV's resolution as the box should still be sending a signal to the receiver.

Anyone else have the PVR connected to a receiver then to the TV? This is my setup and have since connected the HDMI straight from the PVR to the TV to see if this keeps happening.

csewell · 2010-07-22, 07:39 PM

I have the same setup: PVR->receiver->TV. Every once in a while the picture will blink out then come back, say every 1/2 hour or hour. Doesn't matter whether I'm watching a recording or live TV. If I skip back, it will play normally, so it's not in the show. The TV indicates it either lost the HDMI signal or a resolution change occurred. Audio is not affected; DD decoder keeps on playing without losing lock. It's annoying but easier to put up with than 1 minute blank recordings.

msbkafka · 2010-07-25, 09:10 PM

Got this running yesterday, so far ok though I have not really used it for anything other then watching live TV. The channels under 58 seem do look better.

QUESTION:

I know you can turn this off, but before I do does it shut the box totally off? Does it mean that your preset recordings will not record? Or does it wake up for those?

If not its a rather useless feature.

adiabatic · 2010-07-25, 11:32 PM

It will wake up. Motorola's isn't quite that inept.

DIGITALEight · 2011-06-09, 02:28 PM

How do I check the capacity of the PVR (Some people who got a free PVR rental have told me that their DCX3400 had a 250GB hard drive instead of 500GB)? Just wanted to check if mine is 250GB or 500GB.

simulcastthis · 2011-11-04, 11:28 PM

I've noticed a strange audio problem with DCX3400 and Coaxial digital output and Optical audio connected to my receiver. for the most part it works just fine but at times I've notice the audio during the end of a show like the credits or next time on this show, all of the main dialog will come out of the left and right front channels and not the center channel like it should normally then when a tv ad comes on it will switch back to center channel. The worst channel for this is amc when the walking dead is on, the audio will switch back and Forth.

this drives me crazy because I really notice it. when it happens.

2010-07-09, 09:25 PM	#1
bowmah Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 530	Motorola DCX3400 owners' thread Thought I would start a resource thread the Motorola DCX3400 PVR from Shaw. So far, the unit runs very cool as compared to the Pace Aspen. The top of the home theater cabinet is no longer warm when the unit is on or off. With the Aspen, it was warm 24 hours a day even with the unit "off". Also, channel changing is much speedier than previous PVR's from Shaw. The Shaw channel menu does not stretch all the way to the sides, looks like it's SD only? What other quirks and things do owners need to know about this unit? Last edited by downbeat; 2011-09-13 at 01:58 AM. Reason: Made a sticky thread

2010-07-18, 01:08 PM	#7
guzman Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 52	Channel selection question OK, maybe a stupid question, but how do I set my box to automatically go to for example channel 44 by pressing 4-4 rather than 0-4-4....or to channel 2 by pressing 2 rather than 0-0-2. My 6416 would do that, and I thought there was something in the setup menu in the guide but I can't find it thanks Forget it....found it.....it is auto tune

2010-07-25, 09:10 PM	#12
msbkafka Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 9	Question about the power off after 4 hours Got this running yesterday, so far ok though I have not really used it for anything other then watching live TV. The channels under 58 seem do look better. QUESTION: I know you can turn this off, but before I do does it shut the box totally off? Does it mean that your preset recordings will not record? Or does it wake up for those? If not its a rather useless feature.

2011-06-09, 02:28 PM	#14
DIGITALEight Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 385	How do I check the capacity of the PVR (Some people who got a free PVR rental have told me that their DCX3400 had a 250GB hard drive instead of 500GB)? Just wanted to check if mine is 250GB or 500GB. __________________ In HD, even the commercials are enjoyable!

2011-11-04, 11:28 PM	#15
simulcastthis Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Edmonton Posts: 32	mystery of 5.1 sound I've noticed a strange audio problem with DCX3400 and Coaxial digital output and Optical audio connected to my receiver. for the most part it works just fine but at times I've notice the audio during the end of a show like the credits or next time on this show, all of the main dialog will come out of the left and right front channels and not the center channel like it should normally then when a tv ad comes on it will switch back to center channel. The worst channel for this is amc when the walking dead is on, the audio will switch back and Forth. this drives me crazy because I really notice it. when it happens.

2010-07-09, 10:59 PM	#2
adiabatic Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Victoria, BC Posts: 491	1) Firewire connection to a PC seems to be established if you add some obvious lines to the INF file (the usual STB driver pack that we all use) search for DCT-3416 and copy/paste matching lines with "DCX-34xx"... not DCX-3400). I had to reboot a few times then Windows did an online driver update for some reason and the box showed up in Device Manager. Now the catch: during playback/capture the box plays the video fast and the captures are corrupted. I have some troubleshooting to do regarding what drivers Windows downloaded but this capture problem is consistent with what I read on other forums. 2) I haven't been able to reproduce the warning message that you get on a 3416 for repeatedly pressing SKIP too fast.

2010-07-10, 09:08 PM	#3
bowmah Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 530	Are you saying you are having issues with the firewire connection after you hacked it? I was told by Shaw that only the eSata port is active. Firewire and USB are not turned on at the moment.

2010-07-11, 04:42 PM	#4
adiabatic Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Victoria, BC Posts: 491	The firewire port is active. Windows exchanges data with the box to know and receives the device ID string to recognize: "Motorola DCX-34xx" and the usual three IEEE-1394 interfaces (two recognized and one unrecognized). After driver installation, I can copy data from the box to a PC but that data is corrupted.

2010-07-11, 08:48 PM	#5
bowmah Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 530	I guess active and supported are 2 different things? Guess Maybe someone in the know can let us know if the firewire is enabled and functioning properly. Are you using the firewire to network yor PC and PVR or just using it to download / capture video being played on the PVR?

2010-07-12, 06:29 PM	#6
halsafar Rookie Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 1	Firewire is enabled but Windows 7x64 is unable to find the drivers. I tried to find drivers for this device and failed. Can someone point me in the right direction. This is the first time I have bothered to tinker with my cable box. I just got the DCX3400 and it inspired me. I am a comp sci major / software engineer.

2010-07-20, 03:10 AM	#8
bowmah Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 530	ok, just noticed a black out happening in recorded shows so not only is it happening during live viewing, it is also happening within a recording. First I thought this might be a buffer issue but maybe not? Does anyone have a fix for this?

2010-07-22, 07:39 PM	#11
csewell Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 58	I have the same setup: PVR->receiver->TV. Every once in a while the picture will blink out then come back, say every 1/2 hour or hour. Doesn't matter whether I'm watching a recording or live TV. If I skip back, it will play normally, so it's not in the show. The TV indicates it either lost the HDMI signal or a resolution change occurred. Audio is not affected; DD decoder keeps on playing without losing lock. It's annoying but easier to put up with than 1 minute blank recordings.

2010-07-25, 11:32 PM	#13
adiabatic Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Victoria, BC Posts: 491	It will wake up. Motorola's isn't quite that inept.

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