Bling3k12 Posted December 6, 2008 Share Posted December 6, 2008 Hi all, I have a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8240HDC from Time Warner Cable here in Austin, TX and was wondering if it was at all possible to connect to a 20" 1680x1050 LCD that I have? I have a HDMI to DVI cable but when I turn it on, nothing happens. I figure I could at least have it do 720p and it would just stretch, but this doesn't seem to work. I can't even get the hidden screen setup to show up and that usually runs at a resolution that any tv can display. A long time ago, I had a Motorola 6200 hooked up to a 19" 4:3 LCD, doing 480i stretched to full screen over this same type of setup. It looked like all hell, stretched to the native 1280x1024, but it worked. If this isn't possible, oh well. I use the 20" connected as a second display with my iMac, but I'd rather watch TV on here than the crappy TV I have in my room until I can buy a larger 32" LCD HDTV or so. I already spent enough putting a 42" 1080p LCD HDTV in my living room, just trying to "get by" with whatever I can. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiqHead Posted December 6, 2008 Share Posted December 6, 2008 I believe you need a straight HDMI cable- it won't convert with the adapter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al-Mann Posted December 6, 2008 Share Posted December 6, 2008 Hi all, I have a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8240HDC from Time Warner Cable here in Austin, TX and was wondering if it was at all possible to connect to a 20" 1680x1050 LCD that I have?I have a HDMI to DVI cable but when I turn it on, nothing happens. I figure I could at least have it do 720p and it would just stretch, but this doesn't seem to work. I can't even get the hidden screen setup to show up and that usually runs at a resolution that any tv can display. A long time ago, I had a Motorola 6200 hooked up to a 19" 4:3 LCD, doing 480i stretched to full screen over this same type of setup. It looked like all hell, stretched to the native 1280x1024, but it worked. If this isn't possible, oh well. I use the 20" connected as a second display with my iMac, but I'd rather watch TV on here than the crappy TV I have in my room until I can buy a larger 32" LCD HDTV or so. I already spent enough putting a 42" 1080p LCD HDTV in my living room, just trying to "get by" with whatever I can. Thanks! By hidden do you mean the Diagnostic screen or the HD setup screen? The HD Setup Wizard is accessible by holding the GUIDE and INFO buttons on the front panel. A screen will display with instructions on how to continue. This is also where the box's display mode can be changed from SD to HD or visa versa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d4v1d05 Posted December 6, 2008 Share Posted December 6, 2008 The box probably has HDCP, and the monitor most likely does not... That's the only reason I could see that it wouldn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al-Mann Posted December 6, 2008 Share Posted December 6, 2008 The box probably has HDCP, and the monitor most likely does not... That's the only reason I could see that it wouldn't work. I think you are correct! I never even gave that any thought. I've run my digi box through my 22" HP with an HDMI to DVI before, but I know my monitor is HDCP enabled. Also used it with my TiVo... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bling3k12 Posted December 7, 2008 Author Share Posted December 7, 2008 (edited) By hidden do you mean the Diagnostic screen or the HD setup screen? The HD Setup Wizard is accessible by holding the GUIDE and INFO buttons on the front panel. A screen will display with instructions on how to continue. This is also where the box's display mode can be changed from SD to HD or visa versa. I mean the Status Summary (as it is titled): pressing Select, holding for Mail icon on STB and then pressing Info. Also does not display the HD Setup Screen when pressing Guide and Info buttons on STB. As for HDMI to HDMI, well, this monitor only has VGA and DVI connections. Had a DVI to HDMI cable for hooking a PowerBook G4 up to a HDTV way back in the day, so I thought I'd at least give it a shot. Thanks for the suggestion about HDCP, didn't even think of it. Could be a possibility. Also, coming from Comcast, am I right to say this software absolutely sucks, at least visually? I know I am on the SARA software, but I just can't believe it's just days away from 2009 and we have to deal with this absolutely ugly pixelated mess. I'm DYING for Comcast's i-Guide Software. Thanks everyone! Edited December 7, 2008 by Bling3k12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al-Mann Posted December 7, 2008 Share Posted December 7, 2008 (edited) You need to hold those buttons down for a moment for the HD Setup Wizard to show... I used to work for TWC and was just recently laid off from Grande Communications (in San Antonio) and had to do this to set up the HD properly on customer's HD sets. Since I was laid off I gave up my SA DVR and kept my cable cards for my two TiVo HDs as the SA DVR software has been awful at least from when I originally started with TWC in October of 2000. If your monitor is not HDCP enabled you should still see either SD or HD appear (depending on which mode the box is currently set for) on the front display of the box. EDIT: And it's not TWC that's to blame for the ugly software, it's SA. Even the Pace boxes use the same software as the SA's. As for the I-Guide you mentioned... I did a search and that looks like the software Moto uses on their STBs. Grande uses Moto boxes as well as SA. With TWC I don't think you'll ever see Moto boxes as it would require a second headend as the Moto's use diff'rent software. EDIT EDIT: I forgot the SA must be powered off for the HD Setup Wizard to work. Edited December 7, 2008 by Al-Mann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bling3k12 Posted December 7, 2008 Author Share Posted December 7, 2008 You need to hold those buttons down for a moment for the HD Setup Wizard to show... I used to work for TWC and was just recently laid off from Grande Communications (in San Antonio) and had to do this to set up the HD properly on customer's HD sets. Since I was laid off I gave up my SA DVR and kept my cable cards for my two TiVo HDs as the SA DVR software has been awful at least from when I originally started with TWC in October of 2000.If your monitor is not HDCP enabled you should still see either SD or HD appear (depending on which mode the box is currently set for) on the front display of the box. EDIT: And it's not TWC that's to blame for the ugly software, it's SA. Even the Pace boxes use the same software as the SA's. As for the I-Guide you mentioned... I did a search and that looks like the software Moto uses on their STBs. Grande uses Moto boxes as well as SA. With TWC I don't think you'll ever see Moto boxes as it would require a second headend as the Moto's use diff'rent software. EDIT EDIT: I forgot the SA must be powered off for the HD Setup Wizard to work. Yeah, I held them down, saw the HD/SD, but the monitor still didn't do anything. Even set the thing to 480i without the HD Setup Wizard and still nothing. Oh well, hooked it up to a 20" CRT over Component, looks great. Love the HD being downscaled, it looks wonderful. Nothing like my 42" in the other room, but it looks great regardless. :p And as far as the software goes, I've seen around on like AVSForums that some other TW markets have different software. Example: TWC in SoCal has 4, yes 4 different guides. http://www.timewarnercable.com/SoCal/Custo...uides_help.html And Comcast is getting a new version of i-Guide in 2009 that looks amazing: http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/10/hands...re-comcast-dvr/ All this makes me want a TiVo HD so bad... haha... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts