I have the Digital Explorer 8000 and it's by far the worst piece of HT AV equiment I've ever owned/rented. To the point we're looking at Direct TV because Comcast cannot(read as will not) provide us with another brand.
I'd also settle from a report done by a 3rd party that specializes in detecting mold.
It's so confusing!
What are you actually doing?
Oh, your buying into a system that gives you a licensing discount while charging me more...
If this is of any cost to you, my suggestion, don't do it. We don't like it.
Also that article is 250 to 500 for a PC motherboard, or at least they're not specifying as to which but the PC solution is always cheaper because there's more room to move around and work can be done more quickly.
The easy solution: Replace it
The green solution: repair it yourself. the motherboard has already been manufactured and you can save quite a bit on labor, but if you're not good with tech then you could end up with a DOA unit or a bigger bill if you break something.
The honest answer: They're charging you for a quoted amount of labor and it could take less but they want the money. It's a premium price for no better service than someone at a small shop or big shop might do it for if you were to look around.
I did NOT pay for the 150 lifetime premium content, thank god.