 MoracCat god
join:2001-08-30
Riverside, NJ
kudos:1
 ·Comcast
| reply to skeechan
Re: Going to be next to impossible said by skeechan:MSOs aren't going to give up their $20/mo cash hog which is their digital box + DVR service.
MSO's have already gotten this figured out by swapping fees around. For example Comcast lowered the rental fee for the boxes down to $3 and now charges a $17 outlet fee. That fee applies to customer owned devices as well so even if a user brings his own box, he pays almost as much as he would if he rented a box.
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The Comcast Disney Avatar has been retired. |
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 skeechanAi OtsukaholicPremium
join:2012-01-26
AA169|170
kudos:2 | Huh, I didn't know that. I thought outlet fees were illegal now, like with the telcos. You only pay for the connection to the J-box and then you can split it as much as you want fee-free. |
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MoracCat god
join:2001-08-30
Riverside, NJ
kudos:1 Reviews:
·Comcast
| said by skeechan:Huh, I didn't know that. I thought outlet fees were illegal now, like with the telcos. You only pay for the connection to the J-box and then you can split it as much as you want fee-free.
You can split the signal as much as you want, but since all the signals are now digital and encrypted (at least with Comcast) that won't do you much. Basically with digital cable the MSOs know exactly how many "digital outlets" (i.e. MSO and user provided boxes) you have.
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The Comcast Disney Avatar has been retired. |
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skeechanAi OtsukaholicPremium
join:2012-01-26
AA169|170
kudos:2 | Wow, that is crazy. So even with a TiVo you would get hit $17+$2-$3 cablecard rental per box? If Cox ever did that I'd be gone that day. I have 6 "outlets". |
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| reply to Morac
I put together a Windows Media Center PC with a Ceton quad tuner card that uses CableCard. Then I put a cheap XBox anywhere else I want tv. Whole home DVR. Comcast gives you the first CableCard for free and they credit my account $2.50 per month for owning my own equipment.
Yes, it cost a fortune to build the box. But I have an awesome entertainment center and a whole home DVR. No monthly fees for equipment or TV listings. |
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Reviews:
 ·MetConnect
| This is a great way to go, I use to work for a great custom home theater company in Minnesota that did that. We also would put a RAID array inside for backup and a great program called anydvd do the HTPC was a jukebox of your DVD/blueray collection. Our owner was extremely knowledgeable in PCs we were the only one in the Metro that offered them at the time.
Another cool thing he came up with was to split the VGA signal and run it to a white 7" install LCD monitor sold by Accelle electronics of californa it had VGA in and usb touch screen overlay inside. A pair of USB over cat 5 converters got the signal back to the HTPC. You could have this in your master bed room and run everything on the PC. It looked soo cool. And I think the screens were only 250 wholesale. |
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