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swbrains
join:2004-04-14
Land O Lakes, FL

swbrains

Member

[TV] Cheaper alternative to HD STB

What is the minimum (cost) device available that I can put in a spare bedroom where I want to be able to view all of our subscribed channels (HD, music channels, etc.)? We don't have any premium services like HBO, etc., so it wouldn't need to support them and we don't need to record anything in that room. We also don't need the guide if that helps. The TV is a relatively recent (2008) LCD TV with various HDMI, component and RF inputs.

Thanks!
BHNtechXpert
The One & Only
Premium Member
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

BHNtechXpert

Premium Member

There isn't. If the standard tier with HD channels is all you need you could use a digital adapter at $2.00 per month. But no digitial tier, sdv or on demand with that.

Frank
Premium Member
join:2000-11-03
somewhere

Frank

Premium Member

Yes there is.

Walmart sells a samsung cablecard stb here

The only monthly cost is that of the cablecard, however, unlike the digital adapters you can get all the channels you subscribe to instead of just some of them.

Also, just like anything on cablecard with brighthouse ..... no ppv or on demand.

opp
@bhn.net

opp to swbrains

Anon

to swbrains
Doesn't say if it supports a TA although does have a USB port.
swbrains
join:2004-04-14
Land O Lakes, FL

swbrains to BHNtechXpert

Member

to BHNtechXpert
Is there a list or page where I can tell which HD channels are viewable with the DA vs. what we have with our STB?

mixdup
join:2003-06-28
Alpharetta, GA

mixdup to opp

Member

to opp
The Samsung retail box does support tuning adapters, it's detailed in the manual which is available online.

opp
@bhn.net

opp to swbrains

Anon

to swbrains
DA line up »brighthouse.com/static/d ··· neup.pdf
opp

opp to mixdup

Anon

to mixdup
said by mixdup:

The Samsung retail box does support tuning adapters, it's detailed in the manual which is available online.

That's a shame not much use for it with brighthouse then.

mixdup
join:2003-06-28
Alpharetta, GA

mixdup

Member

said by opp :

That's a shame not much use for it with brighthouse then.

Huh? It DOES support tuning adapters and switched digital video.

opp
@bhn.net

opp

Anon

said by mixdup:

said by opp :

That's a shame not much use for it with brighthouse then.

Huh? It DOES support tuning adapters and switched digital video.

Oh, ok I misread thought you said it didn't.
opp

opp

Anon

Maybe this means TV's will return to having cable card slots if they can support TA's too.
BHNtechXpert
The One & Only
Premium Member
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

BHNtechXpert to Frank

Premium Member

to Frank
said by Frank:

Yes there is.

Walmart sells a samsung cablecard stb here

The only monthly cost is that of the cablecard, however, unlike the digital adapters you can get all the channels you subscribe to instead of just some of them.

Also, just like anything on cablecard with brighthouse ..... no ppv or on demand.

Frank it would take you 25 months for it to pay for itself....yes two years and 1 month. Thats assuming it lasted that long as the ratings aren't terrific.
ShadowFoxBiH
join:2013-04-27
Port Richey, FL

ShadowFoxBiH to Frank

Member

to Frank
138 for a set top box? for 150 you can pick up a Tivo Roamio.

mixdup
join:2003-06-28
Alpharetta, GA

mixdup to BHNtechXpert

Member

to BHNtechXpert
said by BHNtechXpert:

Frank it would take you 25 months for it to pay for itself....yes two years and 1 month. Thats assuming it lasted that long as the ratings aren't terrific.

There is no way that it could ever, in a thousand years, be any worse than any software (and I use that term generously) that has been applied to any Scientific Atlanta set top box.
mixdup

mixdup to ShadowFoxBiH

Member

to ShadowFoxBiH
said by ShadowFoxBiH:

138 for a set top box? for 150 you can pick up a Tivo Roamio.

But a TiVo has a service fee associated with it. If you don't need a DVR and don't want to pay monthly DVR fees, this cable box is a decent alternative. It even does netflix.

opp
@popsite.net

opp

Anon

I'm sure Solid Signal will have this or something similar for $60 soon.
davidg716
join:2013-12-02
Kissimmee, FL

davidg716 to BHNtechXpert

Member

to BHNtechXpert
I thought the digital adapters were $1.00 a month?
BHNtechXpert
The One & Only
Premium Member
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

BHNtechXpert

Premium Member

said by davidg716:

I thought the digital adapters were $1.00 a month?

As of yesterday they are $2.00 per month.
davidg716
join:2013-12-02
Kissimmee, FL

davidg716

Member

100% price increase? Ouch.

Make it mandatory then double the price. That sounds about right. Really miss the old Brighthouse with no rental charges. Modem prices are getting ridiculous.

mixdup
join:2003-06-28
Alpharetta, GA

mixdup

Member

said by davidg716:

Really miss the old Brighthouse with no rental charges

The Newhouse family is hurting. They have cut all their newspapers to three days a week.

Flashfox
Eco-Text -- Why print E-mails?
join:2003-10-01
Carlsbad, CA

1 edit

Flashfox to davidg716

Member

to davidg716
100% increase sounds dramatic but we are talking about going from $1 to $2 here. Is $2/m ridiculous?

That Wallmart box is $138 so as Gary mentioned, your ROI would be close to 70 months. I bet you that in 6 years from now, you will have a new flat panel with integrated everything
Flashfox

Flashfox to mixdup

Member

to mixdup
Hmm... who needs newspapers these days when you can get all the info you need on the Internet LOL

mixdup
join:2003-06-28
Alpharetta, GA

mixdup to Flashfox

Member

to Flashfox
said by Flashfox:

That Wallmart box is $138 so as Gary mentioned, your ROI would be close to 70 months. I bet you that in 6 years from now, you will have a new flat panel with integrated everything

Well, the Samsung box also does Netflix and some other stuff, so there is some added value there. It also gets more channels than the $2 DTA. The DTA doesn't do switched channels, etc. I don't know BHN's rental fee for a fully featured non-DVR HD receiver but I guarantee it's more than $2 (probably in the range of $5-7)
ShadowFoxBiH
join:2013-04-27
Port Richey, FL

ShadowFoxBiH

Member

6.95 last time I checked
Wally173
join:2013-05-08
Lithia, FL

Wally173

Member

$8.00 at least that is what I am charged :/

telijah
Premium Member
join:2013-04-22
Brandon, FL

telijah

Premium Member

Are you sure? I am charged $8 for "HD DVR"... but also $12 for DVR service...

DVR Service 11.95
HD DVR 8.00

mixdup
join:2003-06-28
Alpharetta, GA

mixdup

Member

said by telijah:

Are you sure? I am charged $8 for "HD DVR"... but also $12 for DVR service...

DVR "service" is different from the rental fee for the box itself. Honestly, in the world of cable and satellite I have no idea what "service" pays for. In the initial days of DVRs, TiVo charged a fee because they provided you guide data out of band from your TV service. When the cable/sat guys got involved in providing their *own* boxes, they simply used all the data and infrastructure they already had in place so DVR service + a rental fee on the box itself makes the DVR service fee more or less 100% pure profit (there are some costs involved if you have remote DVR scheduling available, but not all do, and it's certainly not costing them anywhere in the realm of $20 a month)
Wally173
join:2013-05-08
Lithia, FL

Wally173 to telijah

Member

to telijah
said by telijah:

Are you sure? I am charged $8 for "HD DVR"... but also $12 for DVR service...

DVR Service 11.95
HD DVR 8.00

yup

11/19 - 12/18 Whole House DVR Service 24.00
11/19 - 12/18 HD Converter 8.00
11/19 - 12/18 HD DVR 8.00

seems a NON-DVR HD Box cost the same as a DVR HD Box... That's how it always has been for me.
BHNtechXpert
The One & Only
Premium Member
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL

BHNtechXpert to swbrains

Premium Member

to swbrains
For what its worth I'll have one of these soon enough to do the usual testing.
BHNtechXpert

BHNtechXpert to swbrains

Premium Member

to swbrains
Received it today....testing begins tonight....