Cox Cable DVR quality (1 Viewer)

[StephenPet]

Perhaps this may be a good question for this forum: how is your Cox Cable DVR picture quality?

We just rec'd our Motorola DCT 6400 series (not sure whch exact model) this week. I like the features and all the bells and whistles but I am not impressed by the picture in the analog channels. We never had Tivo, just wanted to upgrade from the old VCR to something easier. That, it does quite well. No more video tapes stacked up!

The digital channels (100 and up) are OK if it is a popular channel. Some of the less popular channels (I love VH1Classic) are pretty choppy like it is a compressed signal. I wonder if they limit the bandwidth in these channels. The more popular ones (Discovery, etc.) come in great.

The digital channels are very limited so we watch a lot of the analog channels. The analog channels can also be choppy (like they are digitized).

For what it is worth, we are running out of the 6400's composite RCA jack to a 27" Panasonic tube flat screen (about 9 yrs old). I tried the S-Video and the picture was about 1% better. I expected a greater difference but that is a different story.

I am just not impressed with the quality while watching live TV on the analog channels. I can understand having a loss while watching something that you recorded but not live TV.

I have been surfing the threads here looking for some ideas. You guys seem to come up with some good solutions. Anyone have any ideas for this situation?

Thanks!

Stephen
Greater Hartford, CT area

 

[greg baker]

I just got one today and the piture looks about the same as before I got it. I am having trouble recording one thing and watching another. When I try to change the cahnnel it says IF I change it It will quit recording. Do you know a way around this?

 

[DaveMcFar]

I have the same problem with my dishnetwork DVR. Can anyone help?

DaveMcFar

 

[greg baker]

Sorry Stephen I didn't mean to hijack the thread. I too notice a big difference between the analog stations and the digital. I think it is the price we pay for not have High def tv's

 

[StephenPet]

greg baker -

Absolutley no problem! I understand your frustration.

First: I have spent a lot of time researching this analog vs. digital issue and found this on the Motorola web site:

xxxx://broadband.motorola.com/dvr/news_faq.asp#analog_basic

{replace xxxx above with http}

I don't like it but it makes sense. Simple solution: Cox needs to make all the channels truly digital. No problem (for me, anyway).

Second:

Your recording/watching issue: do you have the 6412 or 64?? series? This is the only one with dual tuner. I can:

a. record one channel and watch another
b. record two different channels and watch one of them live or
c. record two different channels and watch something that I previously recorded

If you are recording only one and try to change the channel, you may have the single tuner. Check out the Motoroal web site. Your model number may be on the bottom of the unit.

What market are you in (county, state)? Here in the Hartford, CT county just got the dual tuners a few months ago.

I love my DVR features but the lack of crispness on the analog is driving my crazy!

Stephen

 

[Dave Gorman]

I've had my Cox DVR for about a month. I also have noticed the difference in quality between the analog (under 100) channels and the digital (over 100), however the quality of the analog is no worse than it was before, so I don't have a problem with it. The digital channels that I watch are generally OK, and I love the HD channels (we don't get our local CBS or UPN, although there's not much HD I would watch on either of them anyway...).