Using my own digital box (HD DVR) with Time Warner

zero610

Hi

I have Time Warner in Houston. If I purchase Digital Cable HD DVR box from ebay (Scientific Atlanta 8300HD - the same one leased by Time Warner) will I have any problems using it in place of the one provided by Time Warner? It is DVR, so will I be able to use the DVR service without paying the monthly fee for the DVR service and leased box...since I have my own box? Any help will be appreciated. Thanks


Alex

amf1932

No it won't work!

Alan

IMpoor

I doubt it would work also. The cable companies buy the boxes and then put there own firmware/OS stuff in it. They do not use the stock software in them. So if you buy one on ebay your are not going to have the right software in it to work with your cable provider. Also I don't believe you can buy this box unless you are a digital service provider. So this guy on ebay probably got it from a cable or satellite privder originally and never returned it to them. Regardless of how it came to his possesion it might already have the softwar for a different cable company on it. The boxes are also coded so the cable company can tell the serial number and where you got it.

goober22

Most (read "all") boxes on ebay are either, stolen, failed to return, or from Canada. The only way you can get it activated it to have a receipt from the maker, NOT the guy that sold it to you on ebay. Since they DO NOT sell them to the end user (except in Canada) then they will not activate it. In fact, once they get the serial from you, they may want it returned to them as stolen property.

Besides, with all the troubles these boxes exhibit, why would you want to spend $s on them, when you won't be able to swap them out if the crash or when new ones come along?

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zero610

I see. I just hate the idea of a monthly lease fee of around $7 plus an additional 5-10 dollars for the DVR service. I was trying to see if there was a way to avoid all that.

godson

much easrier to pay the 7.99-9.99 per month for the STB and when there is a problem or a newer model comes along,you can just swap it....boxes for "sale" are almost always stolen.

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TurboDan

I wish I could buy my own DVR. These cable companies are getting away with murder charging monthly for a hard drive. I can't wait 'til they start selling standalone DVRs that simply record whatever is tuned in.

Can you imagine if they wanted to charge you monthly for recording to a VCR five years ago? People would laugh at them!

paulc

Uh, not sure i agree with you Dan. First, you CAN "buy your own DVR." That's what TiVo and Replay do. You buy the box, you pay a monthly fee. Long ago, I wondered how to have DVR ability (a good pal was really pushing me to go Replay); third party meant 2-300 bucks for the box and 10-12 bucks a month. Going with the cable company's service meant 9 bucks a month period. Box had essentially a lifetime warranty, PLUS could be replaced by a new model for no cost to me.

The only thing I "gave up" was a few higher end programming features (like choosing a director and having any of his movies automatically recorded). Then again, I have dual tuners and those services don't (well, I think they both have options for that).

LAStarsFan

My DVR box is dual tuner.

I personally find the only drawback to that is that when I'm recording two shows, I can't watch a third.

rudyusmc1980

if you want to get into this as a hobby, you can use HTPC software on a computer. there are many versions of this. also, windows vista is supposed to include cable card support, but who knows what that will be worth with switched digital killing all of our cable card slots and tuners.

TurboDan

Exactly, though. Why should I have to pay a monthly fee for a hard drive recorder? You really should be able to buy your own DVR, plug in your ZIP code, and be able to record whatever you want.

goober22

If you REALLY want to buy your own DVR, there are a couple out there. Tivos & Replays should be able to be used as basic recorders but without guide funtions (like a vcr)

Panasonic or Sony makes an HD single tuner model for like $500! It uses guide info thru the PBS station. You would still need to subscribe to the HD channels & digital channels to feed the units.

But again, $500?! Makes the $5-7 a month pretty reasonable. Plus if it breaks, just have the cable company swap it out. Can't do that with a store bought unit. I upgraded from a SA8000 to a SA8000HD to a SA8000HD with a larger HD to a SA8300HD and they never blinked an eye. I also replaced 2 during that time that locked up in "brick mode".

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DirecTV = HR20-700x2, HR20-100x2, All Networked, R15-500x1, D12-300x2, Zinwell WB616, OTA=17, TVs=9, Knology Cable = Internet & Phone Only, HD=34, Comcast Cable = Not Currently Subbed, HD=32, Hitachi 65S700 65", Sanyo 30" HD, Sony Home Theatre 7.1 Receiver, Sony 7.1 Speaker System , Harmony 686 x3

TurboDan

I understand, I just meant that recording capability shouldn't warrant a monthly premium. Maybe I just have no mercy for cable companies, who knows.

paulc

You probably can. First, the SA 8300 can record two shows and watch a third show that had previously been recorded. Or, spit you cable before the STB and have one end going directly to the TV (obviously, there may be an issue depending on your system/area). In my area, TW-NYC, you can tune the raw cable to the broadcast channels (plus TNT and C-SPAN) that way. You can then watch something live on a broadcast network while recording two other things on ANY channels you have available to your STB.

Like I said, it's possible... but not advisable!