CPSC, Motorola Inc. Announce Recall of Digital Cable Set-Top Boxes

These digital cable set-top boxes are black, about 17 inches wide and 2.5 inches high. "MOTOROLA" and "INTERACTIVE DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS" are written on the front of the units. The model number, "DCT2000" is written on the cover of the user guide that came with the box. Motorola's DCT2000 set-top box provides cable subscribers access to various digital, audio, and interactive TV services, including expanded channel counts; digital-quality video and audio; interactive program guides for viewing convenience and control; parental control; and virtual channels for community and local information.. Recalled by Motorola Inc. Broadband Communications Sector, of Horsham, Pa.. Units affected: About 1 million.

Pins in the rear of the box, that connect to the power cord, could break, which could pose an electric shock hazard to consumers.

Consumers with these DCT2000 digital cable set-top boxes can continue to use them as normal, but they should not remove the power cord from the rear of the set-top box. If it is necessary to unplug the boxes, power cords should always be unplugged from the wall outlet or other energy source. Motorola estimates about 30,000 of these set-top boxes have power cord pins that could break. Cable operators are contacting their customers to determine if they have a set-top box included in the recall, that needs to be replaced.

This recall was issued by the CPSC on August 8, 2002. Severity: Moderate. Recall number: 02226.