Motorola's DCH3416 M-Card-enabled HD DVR
By Erik Hanson 
posted Feb 2nd 2007 11:17PM
posted Feb 2nd 2007 11:17PM
Tipster Cableric sent in a pic of the recently-announced Motorola DCH3416 set-top box, an all-digital HD DVR with a 160GB drive inside that also supports multistream CableCARD (M-Card) for viewing or recording multiple TV streams simultaneously (along with picture-in-picture). It also works with Motorola's "Follow Me TV" placeshifting suite, which allows users to move pictures, music, and recorded content around their home network to other compatible STB's. The software follows Open Cable Application Platform (OCAP) middleware development standards, which should allow for easier updates and implementation of third-party tools. According to Cableric, the console includes the usual audio and video connections, in addition to HDMI, component video, Firewire, SATA, USB 2.0, and Ethernet. Should be good times for cable customers looking to replace the standard cable DVR.
OOOO *wipes droool*
Being in the world of cable.. Even I am lovin this...
You're kidding me... only 160GB? Please tell me that you can upgrade via SATA or USB? 160GB is about 20 hours of HD content. The very first TiVo's and ReplayTVs were 20 hours... 6 years ago.
Jon:
Actually, the first TiVo only had 14 hours of recording time (at the lowest setting), using a 13.6GB hard drive. I should know, as I still have mine.
As to the Firewire, SATA, USB 2.0, and Ethernet port on this new unit, the first DCT6412 I had when I was with Comcast for a few months had all of those, but the USB 2.0 ports and Ethernet ports were apparently never enabled for any function. There were some discussions the SATA port was enabled, but before I had a chance to test it, the unit had to be replaced, and the next unit was an older unit that lacked the SATA port and had DVI instead of HDMI.
At least the Firewire port was enabled, and worked fine for spooling off analog channels (i.e., below 100) and the only unencrypted digital channels (HD locals) to my PC. Oddly enough, the VOD content was also unencrypted (at least at that time).
regardless to the HDD size, it will be hacked, and then... 3TB... Now THAT'S something to drool about.
Actually, if the eSATA port is enabled, you can put a 500GB drive on there and more than triple your capacity for about $200-250.
What's interesting to me about this is what a huge hole the approval of this device (assuming it is, in fact, CableLabs approved) pokes in the theory that Multi-Room Viewing and eSATA are disabled on the TiVo Series 3 because of CableLabs. TiVoToGo doesn't have an analogous feature on this box, but MRV and eSATA clearly do, and those are the two announced-but-not-active features I'm really dying for on my S3.
If this thing's getting approved with an M-Card, then why on earth can't they get the lead out on the S3 with twin CableCards?
Oh man...I am happy that the FCC allows us to have our own cable boxes, in June...
I have to ask, is Verizon FiOS TV considered cable, because I've been led to believe that the FiOS TV is much better than any cable, or satellite broadcast, and if I ever switch to FiOS TV, I'd like to know whether or not I could use my own cable boxes with it, per the new cable standard...
I find myself wondering if it will be woefuly underpowered POS like every other cable company box. And if you live in Washington like I do you have to deal with a REALLY old MS build of a guide which they refuse to update for us. Fun times. I would buy my own when we can but they all fall apart. Then you are out the money. No way to win until a quality box is made.
Yes, FIOS will allow a 3rd party set top box. There is one available now, abeit $$$, called the TiVo Series 3, which many people are using.
There's no way I can see eSATA being approved with this, unless CL approves the S3...or the "Follow Me TV".
Imahottguy, as far as "hacking" this device...if you don't own it (ie being leased from the cable co), you could end up with problems like ppl who lease a car and modify it.
Considering the costs of hard drives these days, this is another illustration that the cable industry doesn't want to spend money on last-mile infrastructure (or in this case, customer premise equipment). What is as!n!ne is that I can accept they don't want to spend the money on premise equipment, but they also inhibit their paying customers from spending money on premise equipment. How ana! is that?
Curious, how is the video stored on the drive? Is it wrapped mpeg2, mpeg4, or something completely different? Also, why keep eSATA disabled and not Ethernet and USB as well? The HDMI output is nice as someone recently started making HDMI capture cards. Oops, now I have said too much.
Do any cable providers even offer MCard yet?
Multi-stream and two-way are very different concepts in terms of cable cards. The Tivo S3 will handle multistream cards but not two-way communication. Which means you can decrypt multiple incoming streams with a single card but the S3 cannot communicate PPV/VOD/etc. (Although there is some talk as to whether or not Tivo actually did go ahead and put the required components in the S3 to be enabled at a later date).
The reason I bring all the tivo stuff up is that this blog entry about the Moto only talks about multistream and not two way. So unless someone can clarify that this box can perform two-way communication to the cable head, then you won't be able to watch PPV/VOD/etc with it.
It should also be noted that there is a misconception that the cable card is doing all the work. It's not. Essentially a cable card is just a decryption key. In reality it's the host device containing the cable card that is doing the bulk of the work. In fact, the cable card spec between the current cards and the next gen (multistream+two-way) cards didn't change much for the cards themselves. What did change is the list of requirements for the host device.
To be clear, it's the DSG (DOCSIS Set-top Gateway) support that actually enables/handles communication back to the cable head. I can't find it documented anywhere that this new Moto has it. The new Scientific Atlanta 8300HDC has it, but the TIVO doesn't, so I'd rather not assume support or a lack thereof...
I wonder if Comcast will be offering this box to it's current subscribers. If so I would consider an upgrade. I have the DCT6412 right now but I hate the playback control function with the On Demand.
this better then HD TiVo?
because my parents r planning on getting a TiVo at the end of this month so we can record "Lost" n other shows we miss.
Motorola making software for a DVR?
So you like your cell phone interface do you?
Yikes.
These people have no concept of "ease of use".
TIVO for me thank you, and I'll take mine with DirecTV.
Dan
It's a Morotola cablebox. You know what that means:
RUN AWAY SCREAMING!
All those fancy feadures listed in the product specs exist for only one reason: To disappoint you fatally when they don't work as advertised or, indeed, not at all!
What you guys forgot is that tivo has implemented software compatiable with motorola setup boxes for comcast which is set to be released this year. Who's to say that comcast wont acquire DCH3416's boxes and have tivo port the same DCT6412 software to it?
My local comcast office already has an DCT6412 with the tivo platform, I know they have more back their I can't wait!