US Cable Support > Cox HSI > [CT] Can I buy a cable box on ebay and use it ?

reply to sirghost

Re: [CT] Can I buy a cable box on ebay and use it ?

no, they scramble most channels if not all.
you can only RENT the box not buy it
the cable boxes cost about $500 or so to buy.
i agree the rental price is a rip off.

forget the term "cable ready tv" ALL tv's sold today MUST have a QAM tuner. most cable systems will be going digital possibly around 2010 or so. (comcast chicago is already digital)

call them up and talk to them about going digital and find out what they offer.

your confusing digital with analog.

-rob
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I have analog I know, But later you still have to have boxes for every extra tv like analog. OR will it be hooked up with a cable to the back of the tv? What I mean is there any tv that would eliminate buying an extra box when the change happens.

Every TV will need a box unless it has Cablecard technology.

Here is information on Cablecard: »en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CableCARD

reply to Sue K
Nope, no way around having to rent the cable box from the cable company. Like everyone has said, most if not all cable companies are going all digital and on top of that the digital signals are scrambled and will require there digital boxes to unscramble that signal. It hooks into the tv just like your box in the living room does.

Thank you I appreciate the info.

reply to CCNnorthcali
Thanks for your trouble, I now finally understand some things.

reply to robertfl
I thought that all TV's presently sold must have an ATSC (over-the-air digital) tuner. So far as I have heard, there is no government requirement that any TV have a QAM tuner for digital cable signals.

reply to CCNnorthcali

reply to robertfl