Tivo and Digital Cable Motorola DCT700

I just moved and had comcast out. I wanted the new box but the guy told my wife that it wouldn't work with the tivo. I'm kinda glad I kept my old box....

 

I don't have one, but have read that they are all digital without any analog signal. It supposedly will convert and output analog via the RF connection. Have you tried the RF connection?

BTW, these boxes have been described as a way for cable companies to utilize a cheapo box. But, it does have dual tuners.

Sorry that I don't know more about them.

 

The boxes are cute until you realize that there is no serial port and that there is no signal when going through the guided set up. I have mine working (right now at least) and here are the basic steps:

1) Connected everything the way I thought it should be then got to the screen that said I had a signal. Nothing worked from there and I became very unhappy. So decided to continue with the setup even though I got no video on my screen.

1a) REMEMBER THE IR TRANSMITTERS! There is no serial port. Make sure that your IR lights are on the far right of the DCT-700 when looking at it from the front (the sensor is about 3/4 of an inch from the end of the right side of the DCT-700)

2) Started to become resigned to the fact that I could not use this box for Tivo but I would not go down with out fiddling with it as much as possible. I just have the Tivo box, the DCT-700 and my TV so I split the signal from the coaxial cable so it would split into the Tivo box and the DCT-700. Then I took the RCA cables and connected it from DCT-700 out put to Tivo Input. Then I took another ste of RCA cables and connected Tivo output to TV AUX input. Then I took a coaxial cable and connected it from DCT-700 to TV input. My theory was that I could still use Tivo for the non digital channels and see (but not Tivo) the digital channels.

3) I think this worked but before I really fiddled around with it, this set up also enabled me to play with the Tivo settings to see if I could correct the problem. The key was then to go into setup on the Tivo menu and switch the signal Tivo uses (messages and setings - settings - video) until you get a signal. It worked partially and I was overjoyed.

4) I say partially because I could get most of the channels in the 30-40 region, one from 40-50 and all channels from 52-60. Then I started playing around with the wires and tried to reduce the tangled mess there was behind the equipment. In the end I figured that the splitter split the signal and slightly weakened it (I dont actually know if this is true) so not all channels came in. I finally removed the splitter and just had the cable from the wall go directly into the DCT-700.

5) Rejoice. While some of my steps might be useless...it all worked. 2 Days later I did get a Tivo message saying that I need to set up video output because I skipped this step earlier. The message also warned me that I would not be able to use the Tivo recording features with out doing this but I deleted the message and I have full Tivo capability. If I keep getting this message or something else happens I'll try to keep all informed because I think that I am one of the first few with this box in the nation (Philly has it and my cable company in Atlanta told me 2 days ago that they only received the box this week) and this might cause a big and sad problem for many.

Chris

 

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To make a long story short, the Motorola DCT700 is, in fact, manufactured by General Instruments (I got this straight from TiVo tech support). So when walking through the channel changing setup you need to choose "GI" as the manufacturer. Crazy huh??? Especially when there isn't a single indication on the box to that effect. Anyhow, when all is said and done, I landed on the 00093-C IR code for this, which seems to be working just fine.

Now if that's not enough, the tech support weenie gave me the following codes to try: 10006, 10019, 10032, 10042, and 10046. I played around with those as well and the 10046-B setting seemed to work. Some others probably do as well, but I spent too much time on this as it is.

 

I have a Comcast dct 700 cable box, and I purchased a humax Model: DRT-400 tivo unit. I did all the updates through the phone line, and now it will for example say channel 76 spike but it will how a different channel on. When I change the channel it shows the samething. It seems like its a problem with the IR, I've covered the cable box and that didn't work, I went through all the codes in the tivo for the motorola and the GI cause I saw a post that someone said they had luck with that. Any help would be great.

 

I have a DCT700 and have tried motorola and GI codes but stilll not changing channels. Have brand new IR cable. I do not know what to do anymore. Please help.

 

I am about to try and configure the dct700 with my tivo. Anyone recently have a success with this?

I had another motorola box that crapped out on me and they gave me a dct700 to replace it.

 

Wow!

Lo and behold, I didn't have to do a thing, the setting for the previous box worked!

Tivo is changing the dct700 channels without a problem.

Yehaaaw!!!!

 

Same experience here. I was worried when I saw the box and looked it up here that it wasn't going to work but guided setup ran through and drove the box with no issues at all. 100% compatible as far as I can see.

 

Lost my DCT 2000 and its wonderful serial port when the box stopped working properly. Now have a DCT 700. Yes it is digital only. Being deployed by Comcast in Northern California now that they are simulcasting all the analog channels over digital, otherwise it wouldn't be usable. Easy setup except for the IR. I went through the new guided setup for IR (the long "now I'm going to try changing to channel XXX" thing), and it partially works. Seems very reliable for two-digit channels, so most of the stuff is getting recorded fine. But it is regularly missing the three digit channels. I'll have to try some of the options mentioned here.

 

Do folks have any update on the DCT700?? Is anyone using this with a Dual Tuner Series 2

 

I just got my box setup with my Series 2 this evening, at least it's doing the dialing now.

I chose Motorola for the manufacturer, after some fiddling with the distance of the IR sensors I got the unit working. The further away they are the better, from what I've noticed.

 

Cable outlet connected to DCT700 using RF. DCT700 connected to Tivo using A/V cables. Tivo to Sony Wega TV using A/V cables.

I'm having no problem getting a signal and no problem changing channels. I'm also having no problems with my primary network stations (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, etc.). The problem I'm having is with the digital channels (ESPN, TNT, Food, etc.). They video is scrambled and the audio breaks in and out.

I've seen some posts that sound similar to this, but I haven't seen anything conclusive to fix this issue. Thoughts?

 

I just set up my Tivo ser 2 with the "Motorola" DCT700.

The trick seemed to be to use A/V cables to connect cable box to Tivo.

When using "RF" (coax), the Tivo could not get a signal from the box at all. With the A/V cables, everything set up smoothly and (so far) works fine.

 

These Motorola boxes respond to Jerold/GI as in General Instruments that I beleive make them for motorolla. I don't have a tivo but my Sony Digital Receiver got a hit after much labor. Sorry I can't help more but suggest you go for the newer Jerrold or Jerrold/GI if its listed that way.

 

Fact be known, Jerrold was a division of General Instruments, or at least a brand licensee of their technology. Motorola wholly bought out General Instruments about six or seven years ago. Who actually manufactures them is not relavent (they are likey made by some off-shore contract manufacturer), just that they are manufactured to , and programmed to Motorola and the provider's specs.

 

The trick to setting up the Tivo Series 2 using coax with the Motorola DCT700 is, once you have the DCT700 hooked up to the tivo, enter the guided setup. Once in the guided setup (after you have selected that you are using a digital cable box), you get all the way to where you tell it to change channels using the IR transmitter. Just unplug your tivo box. Wait a few minutes, plug it back in and continue through guided setup. It should work fine. I have done this twice.

On another note, it is probably not the wisest thing to just unplug your tivo like that. Its hard on the internals. Do that at your own risk! All i'm saying is that it worked for me.

 

If you are hooking up the IR transmitter. I used a rubber band and mounted the IRs facing in on the left and right side of the box. Works great.

 

Comcast recently switched us from an older digital box to this one. Thanks to several tips in this forum, I was able to get Tivo to recognize and control it. I thought it might be helpful to put together the two points which made it work:

1) Even though the box is labeled a Motorola, it's made by General Instruments and uses their codes. So, when you tell Tivo what box you've got, be sure and choose General Instruments.

2) The placement of the Tivo IR transmitters is important. As you face the cable box, the IR receivers are on your far right side. So, be sure and put the two Tivo transmittors on that far right side.

If you're changing from a previous box, at the Tivo menu choose Settings, then choose Channels, and finally choose Changing Channels. Follow the instructions, remembering to select General Instruments as the manufacturer. The Tivo will then try various codes. Hang in there -- the first ones don't work, but somewhere between the 5th and 10th test, it'll work.

Cheers

Red