User manual for the QIP6416 DVR

[CynKennard]

I haven't been able to find a user manual anywhere for the QIP6416 DVR. Can anyone point me to a link to download a copy?

Cynthia

 

[riffjim4069]

I don't know of a manual, but they have an interactive site you can try: http://www22.verizon.com/FiosForHome/Channels/FiosTV/dvr.aspx#

 

[korsjs]

the only thing i could find was the data sheet. motorola does not have the manual on their site.

 

[CynKennard]

Thanks for the responses. It seems irresponsible for them not to publish a manual. Would any of the consumer electronics manufacturers release a product without a manual? Of course not.

What I need to know before I can decide upon FiOS TV is the capability of the DVR to stretch a 16 x 9 frame with a 4 x 3 picture plus side bars in order to fill the frame and then output that from the S-Video output. I then feed this to my TV display and use its non-linear stretch mode to give a satisfactory display of the SD picture. The cable SA 8300HD always assumes that the S-Video output is for a 4 x 3 TV display which is not what I want. I am hoping the 6416 will stretch the picture in this case.

Cynthia

 

[jgantert]

What I need to know before I can decide upon FiOS TV is the capability of the DVR to stretch a 16 x 9 frame with a 4 x 3 picture plus side bars in order to fill the frame and then output that from the S-Video output. I then feed this to my TV display and use its non-linear stretch mode to give a satisfactory display of the SD picture. The cable SA 8300HD always assumes that the S-Video output is for a 4 x 3 TV display which is not what I want. I am hoping the 6416 will stretch the picture in this case.

That was a nice feature of the Voom box, that I miss with my SA8x00HD boxes. I used the "squeeze" mode to record 16:9 in 4:3 mode using s-video on my DVD recorder, then the TV automatically stretched it back to 16:9. Pretty nice setup.

-John

 

[mindgrind]

Cynthia, I'm not exactly sure if I am answering your questions correctly, but I'll give it a shot. You can go into a special menu that lets you select:

TV TYPE - 4:3 letterbox, 4:3 pan scan, or 16:9
YPbPr OUTPUT - 1080i, 480p, or 480i
4:3 OVERRIDE - off, 480p, or 480i

I believe this will give you all the options you are looking towards doing. I found the info on how to access this special menu via a Motorola manual. I saw the installer get to this menu, but I couldn't access it from the normal user menu. This manual might have been for the 6412 which I believe is the same unit, just a smaller harddrive. I can't remember, but there is a manual on the support site that will answer most questions.

I hope this helps.

 

[Kaos]

I found the info on how to access this special menu via a Motorola manual. I saw the installer get to this menu, but I couldn't access it from the normal user menu.

It is power button(turn off stb) and then menu button. It will get you to the picture setup along with other things.

 

[korsjs]

turns out i have a qip and not the dct. looked at the instruction book that came with it and it said qip. looked at the box a little closer and it is a qip. what kaos said above is what it says in the book. power off the box. leave tv on and press menu.

 

[CynKennard]

That was a nice feature of the Voom box, that I miss with my SA8x00HD boxes. I used the "squeeze" mode to record 16:9 in 4:3 mode using s-video on my DVD recorder, then the TV automatically stretched it back to 16:9. Pretty nice setup.

-John

That sounds like what I would like. My Pace DC550P HD STB has the stretch mode from the S-Video output but, as you said, the SA8300HD does not.

Mindgrind,

I don't think those settings will do the job. This is a 1080i signal with a 4 x 3 picture in the center. My TV display will not stretch a 1080i picture. That is why I need the stretched (cropped) picture from the S-Video output.

I am sorry that it is so difficult to describe exactly what I want. That is why I would like to have a manual that I could study.

Thanks for your help.

Cynthia

 

[mindgrind]

Hmm, yeah I'm still not quite sure what you are wanting- how about this:

You can take the 1080i picture and run it in 480p. That will fill the 4:3 picture up with of course loss of resolution. Obviously you will also loose the sides, but it's a great picture none the less.

If that doesn't answer your querry, you can also take the 1080i and make it "skinny" if that's what you're wanting. I messed around a bit more with the menu and it has a 4:3 stretch mode that is available in certain configs.

Now, if this DOES answer your question, I don't know if this will all play out with S-Video since I'm running everything component.

If this DOESN'T answer your questions, what is it you are trying to do again?

 

[CynKennard]

Hmm, yeah I'm still not quite sure what you are wanting- how about this:

You can take the 1080i picture and run it in 480p. That will fill the 4:3 picture up with of course loss of resolution. Obviously you will also loose the sides, but it's a great picture none the less.

If that doesn't answer your querry, you can also take the 1080i and make it "skinny" if that's what you're wanting. I messed around a bit more with the menu and it has a 4:3 stretch mode that is available in certain configs.

Now, if this DOES answer your question, I don't know if this will all play out with S-Video since I'm running everything component.

If this DOESN'T answer your questions, what is it you are trying to do again?

I like to watch local network station SD programming (such as newscasts) stretched non-linearly by my TV display to fill my 16 x 9 TV display. The local stations broadcast their SD programming upconverted to 1080i with sidebars to fill out the 16 x 9 frame. I must watch this downconverted to 480i from the S-video output of the STB because my TV display won't stretch 1080i input. To get this format, the STB must stretch the display horizontally (or crop it horizontally) so that only the 4 x 3 portion is outputed over the S-video output. My current cable 8300HD dvr will not produce this output from the S-video output as it assumes that the S-video output will be sent to a 4 x 3 display. My current PACE DC550P does have this capability. I am hoping that the 6416 will output a stretched (or cropped) picture.

If this is still not clear, please excuse me. Thanks for your attempts to help me.

Cynthia

 

[jgantert]

Cyn, I see what you're saying. If you have a 16:9 picture that is really 4:3, when you output it to S-Video you get "picture box" (letterbox bars on all 4 sides). I think most boxes have a crop mode that will just cut off the sides. This should give you the original 4:3 picture on the S-Video output. (Actually looks like the SA8300HD box doesn't support this -- go figure!)

mindgrind, that skinny mode is squeeze on the Voom box, and is what I am referring to. Very nice feature. Simular to Anamorphic widescreen, sorta.

-John

 

[mindgrind]

Okay, I think I got it. Yes, you can stretch the 4:3 to fit your 16:9 tv BUT, the 1080i will also be stretched. My tv will not stretch/zoom on 1080i either, so I just deal with the black bars on the side of the upconverted signals from the locals.

The other problem with this is that you cannot change the stretched aspect on a whim, and like other noted you must turn off the STB first, access the menu, and this cannot even be done if you are in the middle of recording. Now, if you just want to stretch the 4:3 (converted to 1080i) and rarely watch 1080i, this would work fine.

I miss that option which was on Dish's HD STB - there IS a 'aspect' button on the remote so here's crossing my fingers they'll add this.

 

[CynKennard]

Okay, I think I got it. Yes, you can stretch the 4:3 to fit your 16:9 tv BUT, the 1080i will also be stretched. My tv will not stretch/zoom on 1080i either, so I just deal with the black bars on the side of the upconverted signals from the locals.

The other problem with this is that you cannot change the stretched aspect on a whim, and like other noted you must turn off the STB first, access the menu, and this cannot even be done if you are in the middle of recording. Now, if you just want to stretch the 4:3 (converted to 1080i) and rarely watch 1080i, this would work fine.

I miss that option which was on Dish's HD STB - there IS a 'aspect' button on the remote so here's crossing my fingers they'll add this.

Thanks for the info. Yes, I do want to be able to switch easily (via remote control) between stretched mode and normal mode. Actually I watch mostly HD programs. I guess I will have to accept the loss of this feature or wait for a future version of the DVR.

Actually I don't have FiOS yet. However, they installed fiber-optic cables in my street a couple of weeks ago, so I am anxiously awaiting at least the internet service. It may be months before FiOS TV is available to me.

Cynthia

 

[mindgrind]

I believe it was about a year after I had the Fios internet that they made the tv portion available. I would guess that it depends on the legal issue per area as to how quickly they have the tv available.

Hopefully by the time you can receive FiosTV, they'll add the aspect button. My wife could care less about the black bars, but I hate 'em too!