Comcast STB and firewire?

[ShortySeanbo]

I recently got Comcast HD cable and they hooked up a Motorola DCT5100. This has no firewire eliminating that option as a channel changing method (not to mention the possibility of 5C-less channels).

I found a reference online that says if I ask for a firewire capable STB (like the 6200) Comcast has to give me one.

I tried telling Comcast that and they informed me that the firewire ports on their Motorola boxes are completely disabled.

Can anyone confirm or deny this?

Thanks,
-Sean

[evilpenguin]

They don't even know what a firewire port is, let alone if its enabled or not. Just go to the Comcast office, have them dig through their boxes until they find one with firewire, take it home and see what happens when you plug it into your PC. If windows detects new hardware then the ports are enabled and you should be able to use it.

[ShortySeanbo]

I apologize for being skeptical, but I can just go into the comcast center and complain?

[evilpenguin]

Not really complain, just say you want one with firewire ports and don't leave until they give one to you. I guarantee they have a few sitting back there. They're not so much going to fight you, but just not understand what you want or why you want it.

[QueOnda]

Ru just looking to change channels? Does the 5100 have a serial port (rs-232)? You can use that to change channels.

[ShortySeanbo]

Thanks evilpenguin.

My DCT5100 has no serial port. It has two USB ports that seems to be worthless by all accounts.

[mistergq]

I hate coNcast but you should be able to go to comcast. Take the box you have back to them and tell them you need a new HD box. When they say what the problem is, tell them you need a box with firewire. Some will say they don't have any, but they do. They have a couple different HD boxes. Just ask them to keep going through them until they find one. Then take it home, hook it up, and pray!

[Fuzzy]

The USB ports are ALMOST useless no these boxes. I do believe that if you hook up a USB keyboard to them, you can change channels that way, but I'm not aware of any 'USB Keyboard simulator' that can be controlled by a PC to make it work for channel changing.

[ShortySeanbo]

Thanks for all your help and advice guys.

I finally made it over to the comcast depot and they handed me a DCH3200.

Although it looks much fuglier than the other one, it has a HDMI output (instead of DVI) and two(!) firewire ports as well as ethernet and usb. The media machine is still in pieces so I haven't yet figured out what the state of connectivity of these ports is, but at least they exist.

The box also has a clearly faster processor as the picture no longer stutters when in the guide.

[QueOnda]

I just played with my 3200 over the weekend and was able to change channels over firewire. If a changed to a channel that didn't exists my whole system restarted (computer).

I wasn't able to stream yet (i think I don't have something right but also ran out of time). I really just need channel changing for my HDPVR but was curious about what stations I could get with firewire. Some say they are able to get a little more than clear-qam depending how the 5c flag is set.