osunick:

I've also had a weird problem with my DCT6200.  I can start any recording just fine (live or scheduled), but the "fire" recording only contains about a minute or two (the amount varies) before it just ends.  The analog recording is fine, but when it's done, the mytray does its job and copies over the firewire recording with the metadata for the show.  Of course, the resulting show is only a minute or two long.  Any ideas on what's happening?  THe other thing I've noticed is 1-2 second pauses every minute in the recorded footage.  OTA HD works great on my box, and I'm on Comcast in Palo Alto, CA with a DCT-6200.

Hmmm... sounds like another satisfied Comcast customer.  I get similar results, but I have a full length recording with 1-2 second pauses, sound loss, etc.  I'm on Comcast in the Philadelphia area.

As to ideas, there are lots.  I've run through the normal suggestions of:
1.  Defrag
2.  Scan for Virii
3.  Check my decoder
4.  Disable unnecessary services/processes
5.  Disable Virusscan
6.  Re-install Media Center

These were all worthless efforts for me.  Now keep in mind that I was running FireSTB on two machines with IDENTICAL hardware & software configurations (I ghosted from one machine to the other).  Both machines started getting these symptoms at the same time.  I'm able to play previously recorded HD, and samples from other people, which would seem to rule out any software or hardware issues.  It would seem to me that Comcast changed something but I don't have enough knowledge about HD to determine what it might be. 

Maybe its time to start a thread specific to FireSTB on Comcast systems.  See if anyone is still working.  What STB's they're using, etc.  I'm really getting ready to go to OTA. 

Hope this helps.

Installed:

    Hauppage 500MCE, dual tuner

    2 Moto 6200 STB's...one acquired from comcast, the other acquired from private source

Video connections are:
   inbound coax to splitter
   outbound from splitter to STB1
   outbound from splitter to STB2
   svideo out from STB1 to Hauppage 
   svideo out from STB2 to Hauppage daughter card

MCE setup recognizes both tuners and allegedly recognizes a signal from both but only 1 STB actually passes on the tv signal...in MCE setup NO channel ever gets tuned on the 2nd STB.

Does an STB required "activation" by the cable subscriber? 

Is there something  I need to do to 'enable' the 2nd STB

Thanks,

Ken

 

Alright, I installed the latest version a few weeks ago (May 2006) and everything was working fine with my DCT6200. I was only using the channel changing but it worked awsome.

But out of the blue, Media Center no longer changes the channel. My channel.exe -v 2 59 still works. I checked tuner.log and at the very end of it, it just repeatedly says "Failed to open Memory mapped file 2".

I cleaned out my %temp% folder and rebooted and it started working again.

My cable box does not have a firewire port, but my tv does.  Will i be able to record off that?  I know i won't be able to do channel change, but recording if i can record hd thats enough for me to want to build a mce htcp.

Looks like the same issues that I'm having (referring to YourMomma's post).

I'm still having issues where recorded Firewire shows are recording at about 1-2FPS, but audio is just about perfect (occasionally some glitches, but mostly decent).  It's not a playback issue as it happens on all my computers.  And it's not just that computer recording that's the problem as it skips on multiple MCE machines.  This is connected to a SA3250HD (two different ones I've tried) on Comcast.  Both boxes starting having this happen at the same time.

I have a video clip posted if someone wants to take a look - feel free to PM me or just post.  I'm not clear who (if anyone) is still developing this, but I'd really love to get it working again.

Thanks!

wiredbook:

Looks like the same issues that I'm having (referring to YourMomma's post).

I'm still having issues where recorded Firewire shows are recording at about 1-2FPS, but audio is just about perfect (occasionally some glitches, but mostly decent).  It's not a playback issue as it happens on all my computers.  And it's not just that computer recording that's the problem as it skips on multiple MCE machines.  This is connected to a SA3250HD (two different ones I've tried) on Comcast.  Both boxes starting having this happen at the same time.

I have a video clip posted if someone wants to take a look - feel free to PM me or just post.  I'm not clear who (if anyone) is still developing this, but I'd really love to get it working again.

Thanks!

When did this start happening and what Comcast area are you in?

Back on October 30th, 2005 (yes, a long long time ago).  Live in the Northern Virginia area.

Ok. So I am a semi-newbie MCE user here. Ive been reading over this thread and am very interested because my local cable co is Time Warner and servers out the Scientific Atlanta boxes listed. My question though is this: Is there a remote possibility (not asking it to actually be done by any means, just curious if the idea is even possible) that a kind of 'dummy' tuner can be developed to fool MCE and thus all that would be needed to record from an STB would be the box and the required firewire connection and thats it. no tv tuner or anything. Because quite honestly Im a bit cheap when it comes to this stuff and considering ive already got the capabilities for a firewire connection on my MCE machine here and a firewire capable STB would only cost me a few more $ a month from TW, being able to get away from the need for a pricey tuner is a real nice idea.

I have no idea what's involved in writing a hardware driver, or a video capture drive, but I can't see it being too difficult to write something that would always simply output a "black" screen datastream.

The only problem with a "fake" tuner is that you can't watch Live TV. Wouldn't be a problem here as I don't use MCE for Live TV myself.

Well, I was doing some digging on google and came across a little app that did some specific registry hacks on MCE. One of them being 'adding a fake tuner'. So at this point even though I dont have a tuner in my machine, the 'MyTV' mode works to a point (if I do anything that sends MCE to Live TV mode, MCE crashes. Thats about all Ive seen that doesnt work.).

I'm sure ive still got quite a bit to read up on this thread, but I was hoping that some fairly simple questions I had could be covered:

1) What is the exact limitation here preventing from viewing live tv over firewire?
2) With the 'fake tuner' hack mentioned above, would I be set for using this app to record from the STB over firewire? Or would it require some modifications to get around the need for the analog recording? (seeing as  the crash thing I mentioned above, I would see it being a problem.)

Thx for the help. :)

Ken -

Yes, with most, if not all cable companies, you must have them activate it. You say your first box is from Comcast, so I am guessing you are a Comcast subscriber.  Comcast has to activate your STB.  I don't think it is a big problem, unless it is stolen. (I only say this because it sounds a bit dodgy to say "..the other acquired from private source").  Don't be surprised by this, I have heard about this by Comcast employees, people trying to get stolen boxes hooked up.  How stupid could one be?

D Wright

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David Wright

Vchat20 -

Could you give a link to that "little app that did some specific registry hacks on MCE"?

I would have some answers to your questions, if I knew what app you were referring to.

D Wright

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David Wright

wiredbook -

My brother lives in McLean, is a Comcast subscriber with a DCT-6412 STB, and he has not any of those issues.  Sounds like the SA3250HD's are the problem, could upgraded firmware be the culprit?  Do you have an option to get DCT-6412's?

D Wright

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David Wright

Yes, I absolutely think it's firmware related.  Everything broke on Oct 30th, 2005 at 6PM on all my boxes, the same time that the SARA firmware was updated according to the SARA page on the box.  I have tried a few other boxes (8000 series I believe) and it was also broken.  I'm not sure I can get a DCT-6412, but I'll check and report back.

my channel changing works great, but i do wonder if the below is possible.........

 

Recording VOD.  i can get into VOD (Comcast) by tuning to Channel 1.  Here is where the problem starts.  I can't use the remote to control the cursor on the menu screens for VOD.  I am not worried about automated recording, but i am looking for is to be able to use my vpn back into my HTPC and start a session of recording something while no one is at home.  Is this something that has even be thought of, or for that matter, even possible.

 

thanks,

Jeff