I'm searching for discrete on/off codes for the Motorola Digital Cable box (used by Comcast in the Philadelphia area) and for a Toshiba SD-5700 DVD player. I understand Toshiba has not used these codes in the past, but heard they are available for some newer model TVs and DVDs. I ultimately want to program these via a Cinema 7 into a Home Theater Master MX-500.

is this Motorola DCT2000 digital cable box ?

this is what I have at home. I don't have a discrete on/off code (yet), but I'm gonna trying all codes (0...255) probably next weekend to see if there is one

Dream

Hey Dreamcast, let me know what you find. I have read enough posts about the fact that the Motorola digital cable box is a TOAD, but--unlike with many other TOADs--this one has not appeard to be "confirmed" by someone who did any analysis.
Matt

Glenn,

If you search this forum, you will find a discrete "On" code for the 5700.

aaaaaaaaaaaaah, I just checked [Link: remotecentral.com]

and it shows General Instruments DCT-2000 which is in fact Motorola DCT-2000 too.

even the code's protocol is shown as GI Cable so I have no doubts now, it's the same thing

Dream

So with a TOAD like the DCT-2000 is really that bad to have the unit on all the time? Are there any work arounds??

John

I'd like to hear from someone who has the DCT-2000 "ON" all the time.... any problems with overheating ... for how long has your cable box been on ?
do you leave it on 24/7 ?

can anyone find clues here ?

______________________________________________________
--What Cable Boxes are Compatible with TiVo?
Richard says all known cable boxes are controllable by TiVo. However, no cable boxes have serial port control, so TiVo must use its IR blaster to control the cable box.

Here's a note from TiVo about Motorola cable boxes: "Motorola recently bought General Instruments and relabeled all of their units from GI to Motorola. The GI/General Instruments codes works on these units. We are working on adding Motorola to the list of codes but I haven't been able to verify when this will occur yet."
-- Michael G Caine, TiVo Customer Care

Some GI boxes were actually made by Clearview. Thus, you may find the IR codes you need to control your GI box under the Clearview selections. For example, some have found Clearview code 10019 to work for a DCT-2244, or Clearview 10021 for a GI 1134. The DCT 2000 may also need a Clearview code.
______________________________________________________
taken from: [Link: tivofaq.com]

The DCT2000 (OFA 0476) does not support discrete on/off, as documented in many other threads here at remote central. I have the DCT2000 cable box and leave it on all the time due to the lack of discrete on/off buttons. It's been on for months. If it dies, the cable company will replace it, so no big deal.

One other benefit: I have my JVC vcr set up to control the cable box using a stick-on IR emmitter. The JVC will change the channel on the cable box, but will NOT turn it on. Leaving the cable box on all the time removes this issue. I have found no reason to ever turn it off.

Scott,

I have a JVC SVHS 3500 VCR too with the IR thingy too. I was able to setup the VCR so it controls the DCT-2000, but found it impractical because most of the time when I'm taping something it's from my analog channels 2-59, which are handled by the VCR's internal tuner.
If I need to tape a movie from a digital channels, I just select F-1 on the VCR a tape it from there (selecting the channel on the DCT-2000 manually)

what's your setup, don't you miss the internal tuner on your VCR ?

Dream

Dream,

I have the JVC 7600, which should operate the same as your 3500. I have the VCR set to control the cable box, and never use the VCR tuner; I leave it on channel 3 all the time to receive input from the cable box. (I even removed the VCR channel up/down/digits from my MX-500 "VCR" setup so I don't accidentally change the VCR channel.) This setup allows for timed recording of both regular and premium channels on the cable box. For example, I can record HBO (premium) at 7pm and then ABC (regular) at 8pm while I'm away. If you select the cable channel manually as you're doing, you can't time record two or more different channels when you aren't home.

My normal TV viewing is through the cable box. However, if I am using the VCR to record a show or two, I use the TV's tuner to watch other programming at the same time. I have my HT set up so that both the cable box and the TV are each sources to my preamp. By selecting "TV" on my MX-500 it switches the video input to the TV tuner (which has coax in, no cable box) and selects the TV audio from the TV audio-out jacks, through my preamp. Thus, I can record any cable channel(s) while watching most any regular cable channel (1-99, non-premium).

BTW, If you wire this correctly it also supports the use of PIP. My main screen defaults to the video from the cable box, with cable box audio to the HT speakers and the PIP is the TV tuner video. When you press SWAP, the TV tuner becomes the main picture, the TV tuner audio is routed to the speakers, and the cable box video becomes the PIP. Works great, and allows you to monitor what you are recording in a PIP window if you desire. The wiring for this is confusingly simple; let me know if you are interested in how to do it.

Scott

This message was edited by Scott in CO on 04/11/02 01:18.34.

thanks Scott for sharing. I have pretty complicated setup myself:

Incoming Cable signal:
**********************

My incoming cable signal is split into 6 feeds:
- digital cable box
- VCR (so the VCR tuner can be used)
- TV (so the PIP will work)
- receiever for FM radio
- Internet
- a little RF 3 position switch box to feed my second TV in the bedroom with: 1. pure analog cable, 2. RF output from VCR and 3. RF output from Digital Cable box (this allows me to watch analog channels, premium channels and VCR in the bedroom too)

Video setup:
************
I have the digital cable box hooked up via S-Video to S-Video2 on the TV and via component video to VCR F-1. So when I tape analog cable channels I use internal VCR tuner and when taping premium channels I use the F-1 input on the VCR and manually select channels on the digital cable box.

The VCR is hooked up via S-Video to S-Video 1 on my TV.

Panasonic DVD mini system is hooked up via S-Video L-1 on the VCR, so I have the VCR turned on when watching DVD, this is because I don't have a real A/V receiver nor the TV has a third input. It's not that bad, because I don't watch DVDs that often. 4/5 times a month I think.

I also have a Sega DreamCast system (my nick :-), which is hooked up the the VCR's Component L-1, so I keep alternating S-Video or Video setting for the L-1, depending what I want to have there (DVD via S-Video or Dreamcast via component video)

Audio setup:
*************
I have my TV's output hooked up to the mini system's AUX, so whatever goes to the TV is fed to the mini-system too. That works for watching TV, VCR, Digital Cable, DVD or Dreamcast via the mini-system or through the TV, whatever I prefer.

I still cannot believe I was able to work this out over some time and with such limited budget available to me. I'm especially thankfull to the people who invented the JP1 programming software and did all the great work allowing me to completely re-programm my RCA RCU810 remote to fully controll this hybrid setup

DreamCast


This message was edited by dreamcast_72 on 04/11/02 18:13.01.

I have 2 Motorola DCT2000 digital cable boxes. Both have been on for almost 2 years (with the exception of long power outages) running off of UPS systems because I have TiVo units on them. No problems as of yet with either one of them overheating. One is inside a cabinet and the other on a shelf with about a 1/2 inch of clearence above.

I have the DCT5100 box (comcast) and I have been able to switch it on/off using a remote for my Toshiba TV. The preprogrammed code I used for the remote was actually for a Jerrold cable box (since there were no codes listed for Motorola Dig cable). It doesn't perform all functions like the Comcast remote but it does do the channels and the on/off thing.