ErikRP
join:2004-11-06
Winnipeg, MB
| [TV] Shaw controls their PVRs I had something interesting happen a few weeks ago that kind of surprised me. We had an outstanding cable bill with Shaw and to get our attention they shut off the digital signal, so we couldn't watch TV with our HD-PVR (the other sets on the non-digital signal were unaffected). What I found interesting though was not only could we not watch TV, we could not watch any previously recorded shows that were still stored on the PVR. There was some sort of error message to the effect that it could not be authorized.
Maybe that's not news to everyone, but it surprised me. I can see not letting me watch any more TV until the bill was paid up, but to not allow me to watch what I've already recorded on a unit that I purchased?
I'm curious now - if I ever decide to leave Shaw, do I have to transfer over any content remaining on my unit before service is terminated, or lose it? | |
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Peateargriffin
@shawcable.net | Re: [TV] Shaw controls their PVRs I'm pretty sure that the PVR has to be connected to the cablesystem to view recorded programming, especially if it has been unplugged. So if you get disconnected, you will lose the recorded shows until you reconnect. | |
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jrsaysbiteme
join:2005-09-13
Fort Frances, ON | Im not surprised they can do that and i dont blame them. If you cant pay your bill then you dont deserve to have the service. | |
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 | cableguy84
join:2006-09-12
Alberta
| Re: [TV] Shaw controls their PVRs said by jrsaysbiteme  :Im not surprised they can do that and i dont blame them. If you cant pay your bill then you dont deserve to have the service. agreed | |
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| | ErikRP
join:2004-11-06
Winnipeg, MB
1 edit | Re: [TV] Shaw controls their PVRs said by cableguy84 :said by jrsaysbiteme :Im not surprised they can do that and i dont blame them. If you cant pay your bill then you dont deserve to have the service. agreed Whoa, slow down there.
It's not that I can't pay a bill, I didn't, for reasons that are none of your concern or business. I was simply making an observation that a piece of hardware that I own outright would not allow me to watch previously recorded material. While the technology is different, it's essentially the same principle as if I could no longer watch what I had recorded via a VCR, or a non-Shaw PVR (i.e. digital recorder).
I (now) understand that the interface used by the device requires an active connection with Shaw, which means anything a person records must either be deleted or removed via Firewire, since I'm not aware of any other way of extracting a recorded show from the box.
Go do your judging somewhere else. | |
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| | | AnonShawUser
join:2006-06-17
Calgary, AB
| Re: [TV] Shaw controls their PVRs And even then, you'd have to use a non-authorized firmware hack, to enable the firewire functionality on anything other than the Pace PVR units. But if you're doing that... I imagine they have firmware that would allow the box to function, without a provisioning state, as just a standalone PVR of some sort. | |
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Xtort
join:2001-07-28
Edmonton, AB
| Welcome to the world of DRM. As for as Shaw is concerned, you don't own the content on the PVR and they locked you out after you were disconnected from their service.
Shaw has every right to modify a device to work with their service as you didn't buy it from the manufacturer. It's no different than buying a cell phone from a cell service provider. There's always going to be an implemented restriction on the device.
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Asus P5Q-E / Q9450 @ 3.6 / 4GB OCZ Reaper HPC 8500 / XFX 9800 GX2 / Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 | |
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anonmaname
@shawcable.net | Re: [TV] Shaw controls their PVRs What if you bought the hardware from shaw?:) | |
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| | AnonShawUser
join:2006-06-17
Calgary, AB | Re: [TV] Shaw controls their PVRs Then you're free to sell it to someone else if you don't want Shaw service any more. Or do whatever else you want with it, if you feel adventurous. | |
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ShutUrMouth
@shawcable.net
| The DVR function of digital boxes are controlled by Shaw, when they shut your box down for non-payment they also shut down the DVR service.
DVR services are controllable because company's can either use a hard drive in the box for recording or they can use a sort of "virtual dvr" where if you hit record on the box it actually records to a server in the headend. While nobody uses the latter it is possible...kinda like PVR on Demand. | |
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| ErikRP
join:2004-11-06
Winnipeg, MB
| Re: [TV] Shaw controls their PVRs I'm a little less concerned about the service being shut down for non-payment as I am having it useless when I'm no longer with Shaw. I will probably not always be with Shaw, so anything that I have recorded that I want to save I will need to find a way to export.
I have seen ways to do this, with this box, from other places but I have yet to attempt. | |
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