We have a house with 3 systems, all 3 have the motorola hd cable box with dvr hooked up via dvi (2 dwin's and a plasma) which have worked for about 2 months fine. Yesterday they stopped and a message appeared on on which said
"The HD content protection of your display has been comprimised. Please use the Y Pr Pb outputs for your HD signal"
the cable company has no idea!! anyone ever seen this before?

I am not sure where you are at, but if you have the number for the Cable Head end tech, they might be able to give you some info. If you do not, try to find out who he/she is and make friends. I have Two friends that work for Comcast and the info has been invaluable.
This is nothing new to me, every single install I have had with a cable box has needed at least one service call. I have two motorola 6200 boxes to install today. I'll cross my fingers that they will last more than two months.

I live in Omaha, NE. We use the 6200s but COX cable doesn't support the DVI connections. It could be that your cable company has made an update to their system and in doing so shut off the DVI connections.

I don't know what the cable companies are like in your area, but.......a cable company not knowing everything their techs have changed in the latest updates? hmmm.

Don't you just love service providers that say -huh?- when you need help with their own failing equipment?

I'm wondering if this could be an HDCP issue? The message would indicate such, but then error messages aren't all that reliable.

Here's another HD cable subscriber with the exact same message on his display: [Link: videoasylum.com] He posted on 4/1 so he may have the answer already.

Breast of duck!

Here was an interesting post to the Scientific Atlanta post in this forum by Bennettavi:

I hooked a HDTV/DVR cable box up with DVI and it was pretty awesome. Unfortunately, my client's cable box was shut off after about 5 hours because of copyright issues using the DVI output with a built in recorder for HD content, so we had to use component video instead. But while it lasted, the DVI hookup smoked the component hookup on HD images.

Sorry for the delay in responding damn work gets in the way of play time, I just got back from that customers house to hook everything up component permenently and reprogram the remotes. I finall did find someone @insight who knew what dvi was and was told while it worked @ one time they just sent out a software UPGRADE to disable the dvi ports on all of these boxes. Nice now i get to go back and change any of our systems which where hooked up via dvi before, boy i sure hope everybody still has enough inputs open or wires run to plasmas or............AGHHHHH how can they call it an upgrade???

Aren't you pissed? Surely this UPGRADE was prompted by Sony Pictures, Disney, etc...

I have an idea, lets all set up these boxes only in 4:3 480i and use composite video, then vhen the customer complains we'll just blame the cable company, switch them to a dish and use our dvi cables to our hearts content! Any takers???

So Just get the cable provider to replace the integrated with DVR HD Box, with a standard Non DVR HD box, hook that up DVI, then get an external Replay/Tivo? Problem solved.

I have no evidence that I can offer to support this, but I'm guessing that eventually all the DVI outputs will be shut down. The content providers seem to be getting their way at every turn these days.

All the DVI outputs are working the Grand Rapids Area with the Motorola 6200 and Comcast.

The issue is not the DVI connection itself as a means of delivering an HD signal from the box to the display, but rather any attached recording devices up stream or down stream.

How true! Welcome back to the days of yesteryear when you had to be home in time to watch The Wizard of Oz or you missed it.

What a bunch of idiots.

They put DVI on these boxes, tout the excellent signal, EVEN LET YOU SEE IT, then they shut it off. Talk about turning off the people who are keeping you in business (i.e. cable subscribers to cable companies).

I am SOOOOOO glad this thread is here. None of my customers will have DVI connections without backup...and they will be paying me to do it!

Should someone mention "class action suit" to recover installation costs of a technology that cannot be used!

I am going to show this to any clients who are salivating over DVI. Turns out a DVI port is about as useful as tits on a fire hydrant, huh? Or a USB port on an iPronto.

Well said Ernie!


Interesting idea. Wonder about the outcome since the cable companies retain ownership of the boxes, and at least in my area, there is no marketing touting the fruits of DVI.