firefighter Posted December 26, 2005 Share Posted December 26, 2005 Ok. before we start I did call Comcast tech services to troubleshoot, 2 hours later including a box exchange I still have the same problem. I am at the firestation today and can't do anything so I wanted to pick your heads to see if any of you may have experienced the same problem. I have a Philips 34" widescreen lcd with multiple video inputs. I just received the comcast explorer 8000 HDTV DVR box with multiple video outputs. The back of the HDTV box has the component video with HDTV written above it so my assumption is that this is the only output that will give you the digital HDTV format. well when I connect that output to my tv I have a semi black and white picture with hazy grey and purple verticle lines in the background and the signal will pop in and out. I decided to connect the rg6 and s video connections, the reception was very good with both of these, I changed out the comcast component cables with my Philips brand and the same thing happens. The Comcast tech and I assumed the component video was bad on the box so I made an exchange, the new box did the same thing. I tried to bring up the set up menu so I could change the DPI in hopes it would make a difference but couldn't get it to work with either box. It will be a couple of days before Comcast can get to my house and physically troubleshoot the problem, You would think If you can hookup a home theatre you could connect a simple box. NOT. It's got to be something simple like a setup or programming issue that I don't know about or am overlooking. Any help will be very much appreciated. Thanks, Jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
78Khorn Posted December 26, 2005 Share Posted December 26, 2005 What did you have hooked up to your TV before this HDTV DVR? Was it using the input to the TV that you have this HDTV DVR hooked up to? Have you used the input on the TV that you have this DVR hooked up to before? Have you tried a different input on your TV? Sounds to me like your connection from the DVR to the TV is bad and since you tried another DVR , I wouls suspect either a bad input on the TV or a crossed cable. I bet your menu would work fine with the S-Video or RG-6. Again leading you to a bad input on the TV or a crossed cable Your HDTV DVR probably has a DVI connection and maybe even a firewire conection that can connect up to a HDTV also. Depending on what method you use you may have to adjust a setting in the set-up menu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuzzzer Posted December 26, 2005 Share Posted December 26, 2005 Could be many different things. I couldn't tell by your post...are you able to toggle between 480i, 720p, 1080i, etc on your DVR? My TV does the same thing if I try to select 720p since it doesn't support that resolution. Displays 1080i perfectly. Also, is there anything regarding your inputs that you have to adjust on your TV menu so that it knows its receiving a HDTV signal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted December 27, 2005 Author Share Posted December 27, 2005 I tried to select the different dpi modes on the HDTV box per the user manual from Comcast with no success and I am not sure what format it is currently useing. I didn't see a selection mode on the tv or with the remote. I can't seem to find the user manual for the tv so if there is a way to change the format for the input I can't access it and that very well could be the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommiwan Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 could it be the input on the tv? Do you have a second component input that you could try? I have a comcast HDTV DVR and have never had this problem...although I have had many other problems Do you have any other component video source (dvd, xbox) that you could plug in and see if the problem is still there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 You went into the 'special' comcast menu where you hold down the menu button to get the menu to select the proper setting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted December 27, 2005 Author Share Posted December 27, 2005 I had my dvd connected to the same component video and it worked great. I have not tried holding down the menu button to access the set up. Talking to the phone operators at Comcast is useless, the ones I've had don't know the terminology and can only troubleshoot from a beginners guide thats why I came here until the tech gets here. Thanks for your help, Jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 Weird. It sounds like you didn't have them install it for you? On my Moto 6412? dual tuner dvr, I had some issues. There's a menu/setup area that can be gotten into by powering off on the remote then hitting the menu button. On mine, and friends, one must press that menu button a few times to get the menu. Mines' set to 1080i, and override off. If I set it to 1080p? (I think), I get all kinds of weirdness. Just a thought - maybe they're not talking to each other properly. Not setup right? Mine's set up thru the dvi. Maybe go over to avsforums? They'd probably be able to help in a matter of minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted December 29, 2005 Author Share Posted December 29, 2005 You are correct, I didn't have Comcast do the install. I'm a do it yourself kind of person. My thinking is that you have a box with audio and video inputs and outputs and a user manual that will guide you through any set up options that may be required, and if all else fails I can still have the tech come out and do the setup. Well thats where I am, waiting on the tech. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Comcast refused to give me the box unless they installed it. I fought with them for 3 days on it based on principle because they charge a fee for it. At the end, it was either pay the fee and have them install it, or I got nothing. I'm not done with them and WILL get that fee back some day. You are lucky. The manuals say nothing about it because it's assumed the tech would have done the install and the appropriate settings. It's the first thing they do when everything's plugged in. They go to that menu and set it right. If it's on the wrong setting, it won't work and you'll get a jumbled screen. Did you not try to go into this service menu? I've had 3 friends call me with said issue when they got their box. They had no instructions on this service menu setting or how to get into it. They fixed it. Seems your box isn't talking to your TV. This of course may not be your problem, but it wouldn't hurt to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted December 29, 2005 Author Share Posted December 29, 2005 I tried going into a setup menu per the manual that came with the box which is the Explorer 8000, it said to hold the select button down until a small green light blinks on the front of the box then push the VOL- button to access the resolution options. I could get the light to blink but as soon as I pushed the VOL- button, the channel display came back on and I was backed out of the setup functions. Comcast told me that the tech could do the install or I could do it myself and that there was no charge for install. The tech will be here tomorrow between 1 and 5pm so we will see if the no charge thing still holds true. If the only had phone tech service I could save them a trip, the people I talked to didn't know what component video was, that's when I knew I had to have a tech visit. Comcast is Comcast, the rules should not be any different for you than me, If I don't get charged for the install (and I'll ask to make sure) I will let you know, then you will have solid grounds for your no installation fee and can freely use my situation as your example. Jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommiwan Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 I agree that comcast is comcast and what one person gets the other should be able to get. A lot of times you will get different answers when talking to different customer service reps though. I installed my HD box myself without the help of a tech, it was fairly simple, it is a motorola. It did not come with a manual, so I will have to try and figure out how to get in to the resolution section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrol Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 . . . I have a comcast HDTV DVR and have never had this problem...although I have had many other problems Do you have any other component video source (dvd, xbox) that you could plug in and see if the problem is still there? eh, what "other-problems"? I currently have a 'Cable-Card' and I'm not happy with the trade-offs (no on-screen program guide for one) and am seriously considering going with the dual tuner DVR / cable box Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 I have the Moto 6412 dual tuner. I can't imagine not having their hd dvr. Petrol, don't consider - just do it. No brainer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted January 4, 2006 Author Share Posted January 4, 2006 Comcast tech came out and fixed the problem, it was a setting issue with the resolution, once the cable box was talking to the tv in the right resolution it worked great, also while he was there he changed out some of the connectors and two patch cables on the outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Great - I figured that was it. I myself am in comcast hell (internet) the level of which would be worthy of starting a blog. It started last Friday when the tech who spent 2.5 hours here - ran away. Yep. Made everything worse (tv included which he wasn't supposed to touch), then went outside to do something and I sat here like a moron waiting for him to come back inside. He left. Never to return. After I immediately secured a visit for saturday - he filed a report saying everything was fine now, forged my signature on the workorder indicating I was satisfied, cancelled my Saturday visit, and tossed a few more lies into the mix for bonus points. It all went downhill from there. Yes. Downhill. Truely the worst nightmare of this type of ever experienced or heard about. It took me 3 minutes to open this page to reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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