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TOPDAWG
Premium Member
join:2005-04-27
Calgary, AB

2 edits

TOPDAWG

Premium Member

[TV] Where to get a cheap digital converter TV box?

Hey guys I need a cheap digitel TV converter box. The source has them but them things are flipping 80 bucks. Anyone know where I can get one cheap? This is the item I'm talking about. I got basic cable or it may be extended from rogers I've no idea but no digital tuner is in my TV so some channels are now gone as they went digital.

»www.thesource.ca/estore/ ··· =8006823
bt
join:2009-02-26
canada

bt

Member

For use with cable, or for OTA signals? Your post was a little unclear on that.

TOPDAWG
Premium Member
join:2005-04-27
Calgary, AB

TOPDAWG

Premium Member

with rogers cable sorry.
technocar2
join:2009-05-29
Brampton, ON

technocar2

Member

said by TOPDAWG:

with rogers cable sorry.

Rogers gives them for free for the time you use their service and then return it when you cancel the service.

You can get them by ordering online, you don't have to pay anything.

»www.rogers.com/web/Roger ··· vince=ON

TOPDAWG
Premium Member
join:2005-04-27
Calgary, AB

TOPDAWG

Premium Member

well I kind of don't pay for cable they just never turned it off when I canceled. So I got to buy a box.
bt
join:2009-02-26
canada

bt

Member

said by TOPDAWG:

well I kind of don't pay for cable they just never turned it off when I canceled. So I got to buy a box.

You're SOL then. Boxes like the one you linked won't work for what you want.
activoice
join:2008-02-10
York, ON

activoice to TOPDAWG

Member

to TOPDAWG
I don't think it's possible to use a third party box to decode the digital cable signal from Rogers.

The box you linked to receives over the air digital only. It only provides pass thru for analog cable which is what you have coming from Rogers.
technocar2
join:2009-05-29
Brampton, ON

technocar2 to TOPDAWG

Member

to TOPDAWG
»www.factorydirect.ca/Can ··· 006045/0

You can try this one, it should work, as its ATSC; if it doesn't then just return it. You will have to scan for the channels once you have it hooked up to the rogers cable outlet.
technocar2

technocar2 to activoice

Member

to activoice
said by activoice:

I don't think it's possible to use a third party box to decode the digital cable signal from Rogers.

Its 100% possible with the right kind of third party box, rogers has kept it unencrypted.

elitefx
join:2011-02-14
London, ON

2 edits

elitefx to technocar2

Member

to technocar2
said by technocar2:

»www.factorydirect.ca/Can ··· 006045/0

You can try this one, it should work, as its ATSC; if it doesn't then just return it. You will have to scan for the channels once you have it hooked up to the rogers cable outlet.

Sadly, this one won't work either. Bought 2 of these same models to try what the OP wants on my analog cable with zero results.
You're right, you have to scan for channels but the box only scans for/recognizes digital channels and ignores the available analog channels completely. Returned one unopened box and sold the other on Kijiji.
If you have analog cable you're SOL without the Rogers issued digital adapter which I heard needs to be activated by Rogers like a modem (not sure).

There are a few digital channel signals available over the analog cable (using the Homeworx Hw100stb Digital Converter Box) but these fade in and out and it's not like watching TV as we know it. You can lock in on the channel signal for a while and then it disappears as if the frequency is not locked in. Strange stuff.
technocar2
join:2009-05-29
Brampton, ON

technocar2 to TOPDAWG

Member

to TOPDAWG
All that's needed is a tunner that will scan all the known frequencies that cable cos use. My HDTV's digital tuner can do that and gets all clear digital and analog channels no problem. But these converter boxes aren't built to the same standard as TV built-in tuners are.

elitefx
join:2011-02-14
London, ON

1 edit

elitefx

Member

Noob here. Question: Why does Rogers say we need to rent one of their boxes (digital terminals) for Rogers DIGITAL cable if a new TV has a digital tuner? What's the need for a Rogers digital box??

Can you not just plug the coax cable (from the wall) directly into the back of the Digital Tuner enabled TV and receive all the digital channels in your selected Digital package??
technocar2
join:2009-05-29
Brampton, ON

1 edit

technocar2

Member

said by elitefx:

Noob here. Question: Why does Rogers say we need to rent one of their boxes (digital terminals) for Rogers DIGITAL cable if a new TV has a digital tuner? What's the need for a Rogers digital box??

Can you not just plug the coax cable (from the wall) directly into the back of the Digital Tuner enabled TV and receive all the digital channels in your selected Digital package??

You can get all the channels that used to be analog in digital for free by using a newer TV. But the rest of the digital channels are encrypted so you need a powerful cable box for that to decrypt the signal and you need keys to decrypt. And so far no once has cracked the code.

But the digital adapter only does what a newer TV's tuner does with the exception that Rogers can remotely tell the adapter to only allow the required channels that the customer subscribes to, for example basic, extended or full extended. But a TV tuner will always get the full extended because rogers has no way of blocking the channels. Of course this is only possible because rogers has kept those channels as clear unencrypted channels.

So basically anything that's unencrypted you don't need a cable box for that. For exaample the analog and analog converter to digital or the TV mix channels; they are also unencrypted and you can get those without cable box (but for the TV mix the audio is encrypted so you won't get audio for that channel).
yyzlhr
join:2012-09-03
Scarborough, ON

yyzlhr to elitefx

Member

to elitefx
said by elitefx:

Noob here. Question: Why does Rogers say we need to rent one of their boxes (digital terminals) for Rogers DIGITAL cable if a new TV has a digital tuner? What's the need for a Rogers digital box??

Can you not just plug the coax cable (from the wall) directly into the back of the Digital Tuner enabled TV and receive all the digital channels in your selected Digital package??

Rogers does not and has not broadcast any channels in clear QAM for several years now. They used to have the music stations in clear QAM but I believe those have been migrated to SDV so you need a STB capable of two way communications to get those channels.

TOPDAWG
Premium Member
join:2005-04-27
Calgary, AB

TOPDAWG

Premium Member

ah ok I see I see thanks guys. I lost a few channels as they changed to digital this month. was thinking a box would at least get me those ones back.
bdoyledimou
join:2002-08-20
Markham, ON

bdoyledimou to yyzlhr

Member

to yyzlhr
I just tried this myself with with our 19" bathroom tv which is connected to a Rogers analog only cable in Markham.

I received 60 Analog channels, and 45 Digital channels. One digital channel is the Rogers News 6 pack -- the other 44 are audio only digital music channels.

TOPDAWG
Premium Member
join:2005-04-27
Calgary, AB

TOPDAWG

Premium Member

if I get a rogers digital box will I get the channels back I've lost? I've seen a few for sale online. I know you guys said the ones you can get in store won't do crap but will the official boxes get me anything?

»barrie.kijiji.ca/c-buy-a ··· 76039225

»barrie.kijiji.ca/c-buy-a ··· 71122578

»barrie.kijiji.ca/c-buy-a ··· 76413516
Hooter
join:2009-08-17
Scarborough, ON

Hooter to TOPDAWG

Member

to TOPDAWG
said by TOPDAWG:

well I kind of don't pay for cable they just never turned it off when I canceled. So I got to buy a box.

Buying a used Rogers box from Kijiji will do absolutely nothing for you if you do not pay for Cable. There are many adjectives that can be used to describe Rogers but they are not stupid enough to authorize a cable box for someone who is not paying for Cable and those boxes that you linked to are absolutely useless without being authorized by Rogers!

DKS
Damn Kidney Stones

join:2001-03-22
Owen Sound, ON

DKS

said by Hooter:

said by TOPDAWG:

well I kind of don't pay for cable they just never turned it off when I canceled. So I got to buy a box.

Buying a used Rogers box from Kijiji will do absolutely nothing for you if you do not pay for Cable. There are many adjectives that can be used to describe Rogers but they are not stupid enough to authorize a cable box for someone who is not paying for Cable and those boxes that you linked to are absolutely useless without being authorized by Rogers!

The boxes all have a MAC address. That's how they track them. And that's how they authorize them, so a third party, non-Rogers box will not work.
Hooter
join:2009-08-17
Scarborough, ON

Hooter

Member

True, but the links posted from Kijiji are for a Rogers box, not a third party non-Rogers box. If TOPDAWG had a legitimate cable account with Rogers, he could possibly purchase one of these and have it activated by Rogers. He would of course have to verify the serial number with Rogers to ensure it is registered in their data base and that the previous customer had deactivated it on their account. A number of people have been burned by purchasing used boxes without first verifying that the box is legitimate and can be activated.

My point though still stands. Without a legitimate Cable account, there is no way that TOPDAWG will get any Rogers box activated, no matter where it is purchased!

TOPDAWG
Premium Member
join:2005-04-27
Calgary, AB

TOPDAWG

Premium Member

oh ok was thinking it would just act as a dumb box to let me get back the basic cable channels that went ditgel.

DKS
Damn Kidney Stones

join:2001-03-22
Owen Sound, ON

DKS to Hooter

to Hooter
said by Hooter:

True, but the links posted from Kijiji are for a Rogers box, not a third party non-Rogers box. If TOPDAWG had a legitimate cable account with Rogers, he could possibly purchase one of these and have it activated by Rogers. He would of course have to verify the serial number with Rogers to ensure it is registered in their data base and that the previous customer had deactivated it on their account. A number of people have been burned by purchasing used boxes without first verifying that the box is legitimate and can be activated.

My point though still stands. Without a legitimate Cable account, there is no way that TOPDAWG will get any Rogers box activated, no matter where it is purchased!

And Rogers may say "Sorry. That's linked to another account." And it's not the serial number but the MAC address.
Hooter
join:2009-08-17
Scarborough, ON

Hooter

Member

I don't think it is that big a deal, though when I activated a used box given to us by my father-in-law after he switched to Bell, it was the serial number that Rogers asked for. Once they verified it was legitimate, it was activated without a hitch. The bottom line is that you must check out the box very carefully before purchasing on Kijiji or some other such place!

TOPDAWG
Premium Member
join:2005-04-27
Calgary, AB

3 edits

TOPDAWG

Premium Member

meh if you got to call just to make the boxes work then that will do me no good. I only have the tv on for background noise anyway. so I take it I'm forked on getting the digital channels back?

I was thinking rogers put out little boxes that did not do anything but take the digital single coming in and change it to analog did they not? I was thinking that is what this little box does so long as you have basic cable coming in you get those boxes and they turn the digital channels into analog so you can pick them up again.

»barrie.kijiji.ca/c-ViewA ··· AL%20box

sm5w2
Premium Member
join:2004-10-13
St Thomas, ON

sm5w2 to TOPDAWG

Premium Member

to TOPDAWG
> was thinking it would just act as a dumb box to let me get back
> the basic cable channels that went digital.

If you go to this web-page:

»www.rogers.com/web/Roger ··· &group=1

In the lower right-hand side there is a "Channel Line-ups" selector where you can select various types of channels, if you select "Channels available WITHOUT A DIGITAL ADAPTER" and select "Midland", Rogers comes back with a rather full list of channels in Midland from channel 2 through 55 and a handful from 70 to 130.

So unless that information is wrong, I don't see how you are missing any of the basic cable channels - they are all still available on Rogers in Midland in analog format - no cable box required.

TOPDAWG
Premium Member
join:2005-04-27
Calgary, AB

2 edits

TOPDAWG

Premium Member

well I lost so far TCM and peachtree but I only wanted in the heat of the night on there and lost TELETOON but looks like I will lose HGTV next month and I watch that a good bit in the background.

So I'll just lose more and more as time goes on. oh well if I could do something easy to make the channels work I would but fork if I'm paying 30 plus a month for that crap. man even with a basic digital adapter you got to call and get it turned on.

Here I was thinking you could just get a digital adapter and it would just work on your basic cable channels and get the ones that went digital back. Looks like I was wrong. guess I'm forked then thanks guys. here is the one rogers makes had no idea you still had to call in before you can use them.

»www.rogershelp.com/Digit ··· id=117-0

DKS
Damn Kidney Stones

join:2001-03-22
Owen Sound, ON

DKS to sm5w2

to sm5w2
said by sm5w2:

So unless that information is wrong, I don't see how you are missing any of the basic cable channels - they are all still available on Rogers in Midland in analog format - no cable box required.

The information may not be updated. I'll ask next time I am in the shop. Orillia, Midland, Collingwood and Grey County are all part of the Barrie system and it is all now digital.

sm5w2
Premium Member
join:2004-10-13
St Thomas, ON

sm5w2

Premium Member

> Orillia, Midland, Collingwood and Grey County are all part of the
> Barrie system and it is all now digital.

Well either you are wrong or TopDawg is wrong. Topdawg is complaining about the loss of a few upper-tier analog specialty channels, not the loss of ALL analog channels.

DKS
Damn Kidney Stones

join:2001-03-22
Owen Sound, ON

DKS

said by sm5w2:

> Orillia, Midland, Collingwood and Grey County are all part of the
> Barrie system and it is all now digital.

Well either you are wrong or TopDawg is wrong. Topdawg is complaining about the loss of a few upper-tier analog specialty channels, not the loss of ALL analog channels.

When they changed over, no channel assignments were changed. What was analogue is now all digital.

LazMan
Premium Member
join:2003-03-26
Beverly Hills, CA

LazMan to DKS

Premium Member

to DKS
said by DKS:

said by Hooter:

True, but the links posted from Kijiji are for a Rogers box, not a third party non-Rogers box. If TOPDAWG had a legitimate cable account with Rogers, he could possibly purchase one of these and have it activated by Rogers. He would of course have to verify the serial number with Rogers to ensure it is registered in their data base and that the previous customer had deactivated it on their account. A number of people have been burned by purchasing used boxes without first verifying that the box is legitimate and can be activated.

My point though still stands. Without a legitimate Cable account, there is no way that TOPDAWG will get any Rogers box activated, no matter where it is purchased!

And Rogers may say "Sorry. That's linked to another account." And it's not the serial number but the MAC address.

It's VERY common to find "rental" Rogers boxes listed for sale on CL/Kijijji, too... You call Rogers and get a nasty surprise.

Only sure way is the legit way - order a box (rental or purchase) from Rogers themselves... I do know people that have bought CL boxes, but before completing the transaction with the seller, called Rogers, and confirmed the box isn't stolen/rental and doesn't have an outstanding balance on the attached account.

As for the state of the Barrie system - it's in a bit of a flux right now - Rogers has partially converted - my parents in Alliston just got the DTA hardware a couple weeks ago; it appears to be happening in a staged program, rather then all at once... Barrie's cable network is a bit of a mashup, due to geography (it's a large area served by the head-end).