eonaxes
join:2003-10-09
Colton, CA | [CATV] Can I buy my own additional digital boxes?
I have digital cable with 3 outlets but only one digital box. If I bought my own digital box will it function correctly along with the current one? |
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BBTIII97420
Premium
join:2006-03-22
White City, OR | Nope, they have to have the channel lineup burned in for them to work. |
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haplo2112
join:2003-05-12
Charlton, MA
| reply to eonaxes
Officially it is a requirement now that the Cable CO be able to support you buying your own box. They then provide you with a Cable Card that handles the security and channel decryption. However they will rent that to you at the same or a higher rate than a box generally. It will not be capable of providing you with VOD, or Channel guide. In the end its easier to just rent more boxes from them.
The law that was enacted to setup this requirement didn't do what it should have.
1. Require the Cable Company to allow the connection of any box and have all services (VOD, Channel Guide, etc) work as normal.
2. Eliminate rental fees for equipment, which it seems to me would be sorta the point anyway.
Disclaimer: This is how I understand the state of affairs to be, maybe Charter is handling it in a different way, but so far as I know this is state of affairs. |
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defiant
MVM
join:2000-09-04
Whitmore Lake, MI
 ·Vonage
| You can't just go out and get any digital-cable converter and expect a cable co. to activate it. It MUST support CableCard technology. haplo2112  is partially right; you have to lease a CableCard to activate the set-top, but the CableCard lease fees typically around $2-$3/month and you won't have access to interactive features such as VOD until two-way capable set-tops are available through retail outlets. I don't know if ANY CableCard set-tops are available via retail, except for the TIVO. |
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americanada
VIP
join:2001-12-19
Covina, CA | reply to eonaxes
»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenCable |
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anon1
@verizon.net
| reply to eonaxes
wrong, wrong, aaaannnndd wrong. If you buy the same types of dct's used in your system, they will work. Channel lineup does not need to be "burned into the box". Also, no need for a cable card either. I don't know what types of equipment they use in your area, but if it is motorola, there should be no problem. Worst case scenario, you would need to take the box to your local office so they could get all the information off of the box and give it to their warehouse person to enter (as long as it is the same type used in your area). |
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defiant
MVM
join:2000-09-04
Whitmore Lake, MI
·Vonage
| No, not wrong. These converters are not sold via retail and are considered lost or stolen from other MSOs. Any responsible employee would not put them into inventory. Besides, once they are put into the company's inventory, it's likely the would be considered property of the company, since there is no way to distinguish between MSO-purchased and customer-purchased converters (for the reason mentioned previously). |
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moon1234
@charter.com
| Wrong! You can buy your own box and the cable CO MUST set it up on their network for NO additional fee.
Motorolla sold a receiver to the general public, the DCP501, that was an all in one Receiver, DVD Player with integrated DCII conditional access for cable. It was sold in major retail outlets (Best Buy, etc). This was a mandate from the FCC that cable providers must allow consumers to purchase their own cable boxes.
Charter was actually a sponser of this program. »www.motorola.com/mediacenter/new···=archive
Please try and do 5 minutes of research before spouting off about topics you seem to know nothing about.
P.S.
This receiver is still sold brand new on e-bay for around $150. Charter will activate it for you and there will be NO cost for it on your bill. |
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defiant
MVM
join:2000-09-04
Whitmore Lake, MI
·Vonage
| That model would be the only exception. Please don't make it sound like you can pick up any old digital cable converter and expect Charter or any other cable co. to add it to inventory and activate it. There are very few instances where buying your own converter is an option.
I do know a little something about the topic since I work with the equipment day in and day out. |
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Moon1234
@charter.com
| Actually not true. You can pick up any cable box you want and the cable co has to activate it. All you need is an invoice showing the item was purchased new from an authorised reseller of said equipment.
This is true of any model as long as the equipment is compatible with the provider.
You have heard of the cable act haven't you? Maybe not. It was that nice piece of legislation that forced cable companies to allow customer owned boxes to be used. You know that worked out terribly for cable modems didn't it? The act applies to all devices connected to the cable network.
You may want to read up on it. |
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defiant
MVM
join:2000-09-04
Whitmore Lake, MI | said by Moon1234 :
All you need is an invoice showing the item was purchased new from an authorised reseller of said equipment.
Name one in the US. |
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Moon1234
@charter.com
| Surplus resellers Inc. The company does not really matter. Smaller cable co's go out of business and sell off existing stock to liquidators if they do not get purchased by someone else. These liquidated assets are open to be purchased by anyone and are fully legal to be used on another MSO with a compatible system.
Just because most people do not choose to go this route does not mean this nullifies the cable co's requirement to activate a lawfully owned customer ird.
It is up to the customer to provide proof they actually own the ird. I think that is where you have a sticking point and I have no problem with that. |
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